Faculty

Mr. Mansueto teaches high school United States history for the homeschool academy. He has a B.A. in European History (major) and Romance Languages (minor) from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from UCLA Law School. He has served on the Life Commission of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and is a parishioner at St. Vitus in San Fernando.

Mr. Renteria serves as principal of The Good Shepherd Academy. He has taught 7th and 8th grade in the four-day school and 3rd through 5th grade in the Homeschool Academy. He currently teaches medieval history to the high school students. He is a 2016 graduate of Texas A&M University and has been a Catholic secondary school teacher since graduating from Texas A&M. His love for the Catholic faith motivates his teaching. He attends Sunday Mass at St. Therese in Alhambra and San Secondo d’Asti in Ontario. 

“Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face.” (Psalms 67:2)

Mrs. Melissa Villegas serves as Office Manager.

Mrs. Arambula teaches a Kindergarten & Second grade combination class. She holds an A.A. in Child Development from East Los Angeles Community College and is working toward a B.A. in child development from National University. She has over 15 years of experience in pre-school education and supervision. Mrs. Arambula is bi-lingual in English and Spanish. She is a parishioner at St. Therese in Alhambra.

Miss Macias teaches a Third - Fifth grade combination class, and is a catechist for our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. She has a deep love for glorifying God through song and working with children. She attends St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens. She also attained a music degree in voice from California State University Fullerton in 2018. She has taught music, math, and religion at different schools and has led the youth in confirmation programs throughout the archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Caroline Cobo is the homeroom teacher for our Sixth - Eighth combination class. She graduated from Benedictine College with a Bachelors of Arts in Business Management. She was part of the ministry team for the summer youth conferences organized by the college for high school students. She ran cross country and track in college which strengthened her skills in teamwork, leadership, and discipline. Caroline's experience within ministry and teaching include: teaching K-3rd catechism, preparing and leading Bible studies for college athletes, coaching youth K-8th in basketball, coaching high school cross country, and being a camp counselor for ages 3rd-12th. 

Sister Francis Mary teaches Latin, theology and  math.  She has been a member of the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church since 1970. She earned a Liberal Arts degree from Mount Saint Mary’s College (now University) in Los Angeles and has a multi-subject California Teaching Credential. Sister has taught in Archdiocesan and Catholic independent classical schools since 1973, primarily in grades 6, 7 and 8 (Theology, Latin, Science, Math) and Sacred Scripture to high school students.

Miss Hutt teaches math for grades 4, 5, and 6. She also teaches composition and grammar for the 4-5 combination class. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2023 with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics. She is a parishioner at St. Peter and St. Paul in Rancho Cucamonga.

Mr. Geier teaches history and literature for the 6-8 combination class. He is also the Director of both Sacred Music and the Schola. He was a Music Composition major at California State University Fullerton, where he attended from 2013 to 2017. He is a member of the Wessex Consort, which is a professional ensemble that plays music of the Medieval and Renaissance eras in period-accurate style and attire. He has broad experience in musical ensembles, choirs and theater.

Dr. Tran is a member of The Good Shepherd Academy’s board of directors. She also manages the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. She is serving, or has served, on the boards of Right to Life League, Vox Vitae, ELA-Science, Catholic Polytechnic University (advisory board), and East Los Angeles Community Youth Center. She has a Doctorate in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Notre Dame.

Mr. Ruiz teaches science and Latin to the 6th - 8th grade combination class. He also teaches Latin in the primary grades. For the homeschool academy, Mr. Ruiz teaches history for grades 3-5 and 6-HS and science for grades 6-8. He attends St. Joseph in Pomona where he has served as a catechist for the high school students.

Mrs. Valdes is the Lower Schola teacher for grades K-5th. She is a 2012 graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, with a M.M. in Classical Voice. She is a certified cantor for the Diocese of San Bernardino and regularly sings at her home parish of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rancho Cucamonga. Mrs. Valdes also has a private voice studio where she teaches one on one voice lessons to aspiring singers. Although music is her passion, Mrs. Valdes’ greatest joy is her husband and two children. 

Mr. Andrew Valdez teaches U.S. History, Literature, and Latin to the high school students. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Social Science from the University of LaVerne. He attends Mass at Our Lady of The Angels Catholic Church in Arcadia, CA, where he ushers, serves, and participates as a member of the Holy Name Society.

Mr. Valdez is teaching algebra at The Good Shepherd Academy. He holds an A.S. degree in Mathematics from Chaffey College, a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics from California Polytechnic University Pomona. He has taught at Cal Poly Pomona, Bishop Amat High School, and is a professor at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. He has over 30 years of mathematics teaching experience at the high school and college level. He is a parishioner at Our Lady of the Angels in Arcadia.

Mrs. Valdez is teaching geometry to our high school students. She has been married for 26 years and has four children, the youngest of which is a student at TGSA. She has homeschooled her children for 15 years. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a B.A. in Mathematics and received her M.S. in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona. She has taught Math and Statistics at Cal Poly for over 25 years. She attends Mass with her family at Our Lady of the Angels in Arcadia, where she also serves as a catechsim teacher. She is very excited to be part of a school that nurtures students' Catholic faith and education.