Alyssa Gonzales is a third-generation Californian, born in Los Angeles and raised in south Orange County. She has lived in the Los Angeles area for over a decade and considers herself a native Angelino at heart.
She received her B.A. in liberal studies from California State University at Fullerton in 1999 and completed her teacher preparation program at Mount Saint Mary’s College in 2004. At Mount Saint Mary’s she was introduced to project-based learning and service learning, conducted fieldwork at the USC 32nd Street Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School and developed her passion for teaching while cultivating an interest in social justice. She has attended the UCLA Lab School’s Critical Thinking Institute, where she designed units of study in science, and The Lucy Calkins Reader’s and Writer’s Project in NYC.
Having a strong interest in both the arts and social sciences made her search for a school that emphasized arts-integrated instruction and an inquiry approach to learning. As one of the founding teachers, Ms. Gonzales has discovered that LFCSA offers that and much more. Ms Gonzales says, “I love being a teacher. Seeing my efforts come to fruition by the end of a school term makes me believe I have made a difference in these young children’s lives.” She has also enjoyed being a mentor and support to first year teachers and a team leader for the first grade.
Ms. Gonzales enjoys dancing, tennis, all forms of music and spending time with her family, which includes her infant son and three nephews.
