STAFF

Mrs. Valerie Mena is looking forward to a blessed year working alongside all the wonderful families at St. John Vianney Academy.

She is passionate about her Catholic faith, family, and education and feels honored to serve as Headmistress. She will also be able to continue teaching first and second grade this academic year.

She and her husband of 10 years have four beautiful children. Three of them attend SJVA and her son will be joining the preschool class soon!

Mrs. Mena believes in collaboration between the teachers, families and community to benefit our students who are the future and hope in this world. It is our goal this year to provide our students with a beautiful, classical education in a welcoming and safe environment for them to grow.

Mrs. Gallaher has been married for 36 years and is a mother of 7 children who were educated in ways including home schooling. She graduated to Grandmother in 2014 and currently has 6 grandchildren. She says that it is exciting to be sharing books with her grandchildren that she first read to her children.

As an occasional substitute teacher at Saint Sebastian Elementary school and Saint Augustine Academy in Santa Paula, California, she has had the opportunity to educate young students and share her love of science, history and literature.

She believes that the literature that children read should interest them, entertain them, and educate them.

She believes that it is essential that we teach the children about history and science in our faith. She says that there are many Catholics, even saints, who were scientists and learning about these people can make faith, history and science more interesting.

Every year that passes teaches her the importance of faith and family. She hopes to encourage those around her to love the Lord first in all they do.

Mrs. Espitia is a cradle Catholic, born and raised in Bakersfield, California. She married her college sweetheart, also a cradle Catholic, in 1989. She graduated from California State University, Bakersfield, with a BA Degree in Spanish with the intention of teaching high school or college Spanish.

After passing the CBEST and discerning that she may prefer teaching at the elementary level, she became a bilingual substitute teacher for Bakersfield City School District up until having her first child. At that point, she and her husband agreed that she would stay home to raise their family.

That family consisted of two sons who were initially placed in public school. However, after much prayer and discernment, and on account of her and her husband’s desire to educate their sons in the Truths of the Catholic faith, they made the decision to transition to Catholic Classical homeschooling, from their sons’ early elementary years through their high school years.

Fast-forward to today, and now she can happily say that raising her sons in a faithfully Catholic home has been a blessing which has provided many fruits. She and her husband have facilitated a Spanish language bible study at St. Philip Church since 2012. Her husband is a past Grand Knight—and current member--of the Knights of Columbus, and her two sons, Roman and Victor, are Seminarians for the Fresno Diocese. She now joyfully looks forward to serving at St. John Vianney Academy as a 5th/6th grade teacher.

Mr. Reyes was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. He attended public school in Bakersfield from 1st to 12th grade and is a graduate from Highland High School. He is the oldest of 5 siblings and loves the chaos of being in a big family. Education is not his original career path but learned he has a passion for education and teaching. Before Teaching, he worked in the Veterinary field for 7 years, as a technician, before deciding to teach.

After graduating Highland High School, he attended California State University, Chico (Chico State) and earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science (Pre-Veterinary Track) and is currently working on a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Education (expected May 2025). His experience in education has all been in the public-school setting; First starting in Higher Education as an academic mentor within the College of Agriculture at Chico State. Here he discovered his love for education and helping students working on a path to achieve their academic and career goals. After leaving Chico State, he was employed with Bakersfield City School District for two years and with San Diego Unified School District for one year.

Being born into the Catholic faith, he felt that SJVA would be the perfect fit for him, combining his love for his faith and for education. Outside of teaching and going to school, he is active in showing his dogs in conformation events through the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA). The breeds that he exhibits, and breeds are Australian Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and English Springer Spaniels. Mr. Reyes travels the state in competition and enjoys the comradery he shares with other dog exhibitors he meets across the state. In addition, he likes spending quality time with family and friends, playing video games, traveling and making new friends. He looks forward to teaching his 7th and 8th grade students and building connections with the families at SJVA.

Mrs. Stevens was born and raised in Bakersfield and is one of ten children. She comes from a devout Catholic family and a homeschooling background. Mrs. Stevens was homeschooled alongside her siblings from elementary through their middle school years and is excited to be sharing her faith in the classical school setting now.

Mrs. Stevens graduated from California State University, Bakersfield in 2020 with a bachelors in Child, Adolescent & Family Studies with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education. She is ready to bring her knowledge to work with educating the 3rd and 4th grade class at SJVA.

Mrs. Stevens has happily been married since 2020 and has two beautiful daughters. Her oldest daughter will be attending SJVA starting this fall in the preschool program.