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.

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. Emily loves helping little ones learn, laugh, and grow in God’s love! She spent the past five years working with amazing kids in classrooms and through ABA therapy. Every day reminds her that guiding children is not just a passion—it’s part of her purpose. She's currently studying psychology because she hopes to one day become a family therapist or psychologist, serving others with compassion and faith. When she's not in the classroom, she will be with a good book, a big cup of iced coffee, and a grateful heart for all God is doing in our little classroom!

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Miss Marcella joined our preschool in the fall 20024.

Jailese joined CCA in June 2025.

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. LaRosa joined our staff in the fall of 2022. Mrs. LaRosa graduated from Grand Canyon University in the spring of 2021 with a Bachelor's of Science in Early Childhood Education. She began her time at CCA as the after school director as well as a substitute teacher. She then transitioned to teaching full-time in the fall of 2023. We are excited to have her teach 1st/2nd grade for the 2024-2025 school year.

She has been married for 6 years to her husband, Victor. They have 2 wonderful daughters, Annabelle and Liliana as well as a dog named, Popcorn.

She also serves in her church’s middle school youth group and helps lead worship for the middle school. She desires to see children grow in God’s Word and have a love for Jesus.

allyson@coastalsd.org

Mrs. Rivera joined our staff in 2023. Born and raised in San Diego, Mrs. Rivera earned her BA in Liberal Studies and teaching credential from The Master’s University. Beyond academics, she was able to practice her learning through serving in short term missions trips to Uganda and Bangladesh as well as a study abroad program in Israel. Moving to Mexico City in 2017, Mrs. Rivera has been working as a classroom teacher in upper elementary for the past six years but also holds experience in Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grades. In her church in Mexico, she met her husband, Emilio and they have been married for three years. She enjoys playing violin and piano and has served alongside her husband for the past six years in the worship team at her church, Iglesia Cristiana de la Gracia.

This past summer they moved to San Diego and look forward to their future here! In her free time she enjoys reading, visiting coffee shops with her husband, and walking their two dogs.

alyssa@coastalsd.org

Ms. Decker started teaching at Maranatha Christian Schools during the 1999-2000 school years. When the door to teach at CCA opened unexpectedly in January 2019, she knew it was God’s calling. Ms. Decker received her Multiple Subject Credential at Christian Heritage College and also has her ACSI credential.

Since joining Coastal Christian Academy, Ms. Decker has taught third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. She is dedicated to children and counts it a privilege and blessing to partner with their parents to provide a Christian education.

bernie@coastalsd.org

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