Our Staff

Mrs. Jacobs started at CCA in July of 2023. She was born and raised in San Diego and graduated from Patrick Henry High School. Mrs. Jacobs is married and has three extraordinary daughters. Her husband retired from the Navy after serving for 20 years and during his service time they moved a total of 12 times and lived in 5 states! They enjoy being outside hiking, walking, at the beach, and traveling.

Mrs. Jacobs received her bachelor’s in education from Ashford University in CA, her first master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a minor in STEM from Concordia University, and a master’s degree in Science Education Biology from the University of Nebraska Kearney. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology and Online Instruction from Liberty University and an EdS in Educational Leadership from Liberty. She is currently finishing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. Mrs. Jacobs has been fortunate to teach in several Christian schools and counts it a privilege to be a part of the CCA family.

She has many verses from the Bible that are “her favorites” but the two that she constantly goes to are Jeremiah 29:11 and Proverbs 3:5-6. Because their life has always been a constant change, these verses have always spoken to .

kari@coastalsd.org

Mrs. Banda is our part-time accountant and is thrilled to be able to serve the families at CCA and be a part of the office team. She came to CCA in July of 2020.
She is a native San Diegan and even attended Sequoia Elementary School as a child, when her family lived in Clairemont. She has worked in the banking industry as a branch manager before starting her family. She and her husband David met in high school and have been married 40 years and have 3 adult sons and two grandsons.

Mrs. Banda homeschooled all of her sons and has worked and volunteered for many homeschool organizations and ministries over the years. Most recently, she was a volunteer Speech Coach at Heritage Christian School and enjoyed working with homeschooled students to improve their communication skills and confidence in tournament competitions. She loves solving jumble word puzzles and enjoys games, worship music, walking, Wheel of Fortune and spending time with her family.

deanna@coastalsd.org

Mrs. Burns has been the Office Manager at Coastal Christian Academy since 2022 and a CCA parent several years before that. She is originally from Oregon but has called San Diego home since 2016. Before coming to CCA, she managed several apartment communities for 15 years. She serves in her church's Kids Ministry, and the prayer and pastoral care team.

Mrs. Burns has been married since August 2011, and has three children that attend CCA. She spends lots of time with her family and church family. You will often see her with a different pair of earrings each day and she loves going to the beach.

Mrs. Burns' favorite bible verse is 1 Timothy 4:12 " Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and purity."

allison@coastalsd.org

Mrs. Milburn has lived in the greater San Diego area since 2007. After getting married and having two children, she was inspired to further her education and major in child development. She obtained an Associate of Science degree in May 2019 from San Diego Mesa College. In August 2020, she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Child Development from Point Loma Nazarene University. She earned her Master's degree in Human Services with a concentration in human services counseling at Regent University in May 2023.

As a child development professional and family educator, she strives to aid in the success, positive development, and sustainability of all families regardless of background. She has been teaching since 2017 working with different agencies including Head Start.

During her time away from work, Mrs. Milburn loves to spend time with her family, read, and help others in the community.

Mrs. Milburn has always been excited to teach at CCA since she began in June of 2020. She looks forward to working with families and continuing to be an ambassador for Christ as she works with others in the CCA community and in San Diego.

Miss Serenity joined our school in the fall of 2024.

Miss Marcella joined our preschool in the fall 2024.
Her journey in early childhood education began in high school, where she completed a child development course and volunteered at a local center. That early experience inspired her to pursue formal studies at Mesa College, where Marcella built a strong foundation in child development theory and practice.

Throughout her career, she has taught toddlers, twos, and Pre-K, and have also worked in an infant center. These roles have equipped her with a broad understanding of early childhood stages and allowed her to create nurturing, developmentally appropriate learning environments.

Marcella is especially passionate about faith-based education. It is a joy and privilege to share God’s Word with children through Bible stories, worship songs, and activities that center around Jesus. Being able to integrate her faith into daily classroom life is one of the greatest blessings of teaching at Coastal Christian.

As a seasoned teacher, Marcella remains committed to continuous learning. She regularly takes courses and attend professional development workshops to stay current with the latest research and best practices in child development.

Marcella is known for my patience, warmth, and enthusiasm — and she cherishes the opportunity to build relationships with both children and fellow educators each day.

Ms. Jailese joined our CCA team as a preschool teacher in June 2025. She was born in Camden, South Carolina and was raised in Brooklyn, New York until age 12. She attended Bob Jones University and is currently attending Post University, majoring in Human Services with a concentration in counseling.


Ms. Jai loves teaching because she is helping children learn, grow, and explore the world around them. She enjoys the rewarding experience of being part of their learning experience.

In her free time, Ms. Jai likes to read, write, walk, exercise, and practice self-care. She is thrilled to be part of the CCA team and excited to connect with others in our community.

Ms. Irene started at CCA in June 2024. She was born and raised in Oceanside, Ca and moved to San Diego 3 years ago after getting married to her husband, Donald. They both have a passion for children’s ministry and serve in there home Church as 4th/5th grade teachers. They love to spend time with family and church family.

Ms. Irene has been a preschool teacher since 2006 and has been taking child development classes along the way. She is passionate about children knowing that they are special just the way God made them. As a teacher, Ms. Irene loves to problem solve, teach the word of God to the children, and teach songs with sign language.

Ms. Mickie was born and raised in Southern California, in both the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. She has been a toddler teacher for four years and loves working with children from infancy to two. She is very passionate about teaching little ones - especially about Jesus. She encourages students to pray and worship the Lord with all of their hearts, and does her best to model worship for them. Ms. Mickie allows her students to self-correct and fosters independence. Her goal is not only to have the students ready for the Kindergarten, but also to be prepared for what God has in store for them.

Mrs. Hontucan has been teaching our kindergarten class since August of 2019. She has worked with children in different capacities for over 25 years.

After graduating from Denison University, she started at Maranatha Chapel as a High School Counselor, and the same year became a Preschool Teacher. She enjoyed the Pre-K class so much, she decided to acquire her Teaching Credential from Point Loma Nazarene University. Over the years she has earned 18 Early Childhood Education units.

She has taught every age group from Toddlers in Preschool, to Elementary students at every grade level in both the public and Christian School settings, including Horizon Christian Academy and Maranatha Chapel.

Mrs. Hontucan enjoys spending time with her husband and three children and serves in the Children's Ministry at Horizon Christian Fellowship.

jennifer@coastalsd.org

Mrs. Wright was born in San Francisco but began living overseas at the age of twelve. Her journey has taken her to cities around the world including Prague, Abidjan, Tokyo, and Warsaw—where she most recently taught first grade at the American School of Warsaw. Prior to that, she taught Kindergarten and First Grade at a Christian school in a Washington DC suburb since 2018. She is passionate about teaching young learners during these formative years. Mrs. Wright is thrilled to return to her roots in Christian education and is especially excited to be teaching first grade at CCA.
She holds a Master’s degree in School Social Work from San Diego State University and completed her teaching certification through Moreland University. She and her husband have been married for nearly 24 years and have two children—a teenager and a preschooler, who is also part of the CCA family. During school breaks, you will find her traveling, baking, or at the movies.

A Bible verse that holds special meaning to her is 1 Samuel 1:27: “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.” She feels grateful for the opportunity to pour into the lives of her students and looks forward to a meaningful and joy-filled school year ahead.

Mrs. Penny is excited to be stepping into her first year as a lead second grade teacher! She's had the privilege of working with second grade students as a special education teacher while living in Hawaii, which sparked her love for this age group.

After Hawaii, her family moved to Germany, where Mrs. Penny worked in special education at a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) for middle school. These experiences have shaped her teaching philosophy and deepened her commitment to supporting all learners in a nurturing, structured, and engaging classroom environment.

Mrs. Penny's husband has been active duty Marine for 18 years. She has four wonderful kids. She understand the unique needs of military families and brings that perspective into her teaching with compassion and care.

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Vogt to CCA for our 2025-2026 school year.
She was raised in Sacramento, California. She got her BA in History at Sacramento State University, and her MA and credential at University of San Francisco. Mrs. Vogt has two sons 8 and 9, and we have a very spoiled Golden Retriever named Rosie! She loves being outdoors with her family (especially the beach), running, yoga, Disneyland, and reading a good book!

Bible verses that she uses frequently are Matt 6:34, and Ephesians 2:8 and many more! She reads Matthew a lot, it is one of her favorite books in the Bible.

Mrs. Harlow, originally from Indiana earned her BS in Elementary Education from Ball State University. She then spent time in North Carolina and South Carolina where she taught 4th and 5th graders for a total of 11 years. She is excited to be back in the classroom after taking a break to raise her two daughters and son.

In her spare time, she enjoys walks along Mission Bay and spending time with family and friends at home swimming or playing games. She enjoys leading or attending Bible studies and women’s prayer or Parents in Prayer and serving in her church.

Mrs. Harlow and her family joined CCA in fall of 2022 and we are excited to welcome her on staff for 2025-2026 school year.

One of her favorite Bible verses is “Lean not on your own understanding, in al your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.’ Proverbs 3:5-6

Mrs. Sheffield was born and raised in Florida, but as part of a military family, she has had the opportunity to live in various locations across the United States as well as in Spain. She moved to San Diego two years ago and is loving the beautiful weather and ocean here on the West Coast.

She earned her B.A. in History with minors in Education and Psychology from Florida State University and later completed the Educator Preparation Institute at the University of North Florida. Mrs. Sheffield previously taught 10th grade World History before taking time off to care for and homeschool her two children.

She is thrilled to be back in the classroom and excited to be teaching 5th grade! In her spare time, Mrs. Sheffield enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with her family and volunteering at her church. She has always felt a strong calling to work with children and is looking forward to a wonderful school year ahead.

One of her favorite Bible verses is Matthew 28: 19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.”

Mr. Hillaker was born and raised in Del Mar until he was 10 years old. His family then moved to England where his father was a civilian electronics engineer working on a US Air Force base for six years. While there, he attended the City of Ely Community College and completed his ‘O’ level exams in 9 subjects. Back in the States, he graduated from Whittier Christian High School, received his Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Biola University, and then went on to receive a Masters degree in Biology from ICR. He taught at San Diego Christian College since 1997, first as a part time lab instructor, then as a full-time professor, and then as the Science Department Chair for more than 10 years. He most recently taught as an adjunct professor both at SDCC and at Southern California Seminary. Mr. Hillaker began teaching at CCA in 2022.

He has been married to his wife, Dianna, for over 25 years, and has one son, Daniel, who attends Foothills Christian High School. David is also an active member of Hill Country Community Church where he serves as an elder and part of the worship team.

david@coastalsd.org

Chele Silva is a California native. She was born in the High Desert, but just recently moved back "home" to San Diego. Mrs. Silva has taught as a Christian Educator for over 20 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Education/ Interdisciplinary Studies, and she specializes in English Literature , writing, and Humanities. She also is certified as a teacher for Advance Placement Literature and Composition. Mrs. Silva attended Southern California School of Ministry where she studied theology with a focus on youth ministry. She and her husband Joe served as youth pastors, in Southern California, for 22 years. They have been married for 31 years and have five wonderful children: Deserae, Devin, Michalea, Dawson, and Jordan. All of the Silva children are actively involved in ministry. The three oldest are also Christian school teachers. Mrs. Silva is excited to join the CCA staff and family this year, and looks forward to all that God has in store.

chele@coastalsd.org

Miss Silva has been working in Christian education since 2016 either in the classroom or on a "mobile classroom" leading East and West coast educational trips. For the last four years she has been teaching at the high school level. This year she is excited for the opportunity to work with each grade at CCA! Miss Silva holds a Bachelors Degree in Theology with an emphasis in youth ministry, from Vanguard University of Southern California.
We are excited to have Miss. Silva join CCA teaching American Sign Language, Music and P.E.

Deserae@coastalsd.org

jparsell@coastalsd.org