Staff & Administration
Dr. Esther Choi
Head of School
Dr. Esther Choi truly believes that education is a privilege and a life-long journey. She hopes to help raise a generation of victorious leaders and faithful followers of Jesus Christ through discipleship, academic rigor, and innovative enrichments that will equip our students for the new era. As a passionate educator and through her influential leadership, Heritage Christian High School strives to impart academic knowledge, instill a healthy work ethic, and guide students to become critical thinkers and resilient problem-solvers as life-long followers of Jesus Christ. She desires to provide a safe environment for students to freely IMAGINE, INQUIRE, INVENT, and INSPIRE through the lenses of the Biblical Worldview.
Dr. Esther Choi was born and raised in a loving Christian family. She has actively served at her church ever since she was a child. A praise leader, keyboardist, Elementary & Youth Bible teacher, and later as a Children’s Ministry Director. She is now married to a United Methodist Pastor. Together they have two high school children who attend HCS South Campus.
Dr. Esther Choi majored in Psychology and minored in Teaching at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Pursuing her Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of Southern California (USC), she also obtained her California Multiple Subject Credential with BCLAD certification that same year. She has also completed all required units for Director of Early Childhood Education at World Mission University (WMU). Dr. Choi received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University (APU) with a published multiple case study on The Voices of the Stakeholders: The Culture of Growing Private TK-12 Christian Schools. Living up to her own philosophy as a life-long learner, she is currently working on educational journal article publications with other authors and serves on the accreditation visiting team for ASC/WASC (Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges), impacting other educators and educational organizations for excellence beyond the boundaries of the San Fernando Valley.
North Campus
Elementary
Kathy Casillas
Elementary Principal
Kathy Casillas grew up in the San Fernando Valley in a wonderful Christian home with her four siblings. Both parents were active in church and encouraged Biblical values in their daily family life. She graduated from Los Angeles Baptist High School and later earned her BA from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). With a passion for education, she pursued a Multiple Subjects K-Adult California State Credential, which marked the beginning of her long and fulfilling career in Christian Education.
Mrs. Casillas’ journey in education started as a Sunday School teacher and Student Supervisor while she was still in college, but it wasn’t long before she achieved her dream of becoming a classroom teacher. Teaching brought immense joy to her life, and she treasures the lasting connections she has made with many of her former and current students, families, and peers. In addition to teaching, she has spent many years in administration, where she discovered a deep love for encouraging and equipping teachers and support staff in their work teaching and impacting our youth.
Kathy Casillas and her husband raised two wonderful children. Their son is now a Youth Pastor in Meridian, Idaho. Their daughter now resides in Edmonds, Washington. All three are proud graduates of Heritage Christian School, where they received an outstanding, God-centered education. One of Kathy Casillas’ greatest passions is working with young people and making a meaningful difference in their lives for Jesus. She is incredibly grateful to be a part of the Heritage team and to continue serving in this vital ministry.
Ernesto Herrera
Facilities Staff
Gonzalo Valencia
Facilities Assistant Supervisor
South Campus
Middle & High School
Cindy Marston
High School Principal
Cindy Marston was raised in a Christian home in the San Gabriel Valley, the middle of three children. She grew up attending church and was active in many kids and youth ministries. It was in her 6th grade Sunday School class that she met her now husband, Brian. They were best friends all through middle and high school and drew closer in their early college years at CSUN. Married in 1995, they have three children.
Cindy did not love science or math in high school but came to love it in community college and then at CSUN. Her academic life revolved around ecology field trips, lab animals and insects, and her favorite, the microbiology lab where she worked to pay her way through school. She graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Environmental Biology. After that, she continued her CSUN journey where she received her biological sciences teaching credential.
Cindy’s first teaching experience was at a local valley high school for LAUSD, teaching various levels of biology, integrated science, health, and algebra 1. This was a dream job full of learning, hard challenges, and amazing students. Choosing to leave there to spend more time with her growing family, she found a job at a K-12 grade charter independent study/homeschool program where she worked for 19 years as an Education Facilitator. God used this long-term job covering all areas within education to challenge and prepare her for the next step.
Sensing God’s calling for a change, Cindy arrived at Heritage Christian School in 2021 to serve as the Middle School Principal and began as the High School Princiapl in 2024. She loves her students, the staff, the administration, and everything about Heritage! This is an amazing place to work, and she views this as the educational ministry God has prepared and called her to serve in.
Christian Smith
Middle School Principal
Christian Smith has been a devoted follower of Christ since childhood, carrying a lifelong heart for service. He credits every personal and professional achievement to God’s guidance and gives Him full authority over his career and calling.
Driven by a deep desire to mentor, train, and educate youth, Christian earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cal State Long Beach, with a minor in Theater Arts to reflect his love for musical theater. He also completed coursework to qualify as an Early Childhood Education Director and later earned his California Teaching Credential, specializing in students with learning disabilities.
Wearing many hats throughout his professional journey, Christian has consistently worked in roles that support and uplift children and youth. From starting at age 16 in theater arts summer camps to serving as a Parks and Recreation Child Care Director, Children’s Ministry Director, and Educational Teacher, he has built an extensive background in leadership and education. These experiences have shaped him into a strong communicator, compassionate leader, and trusted liaison between families, schools, and communities.
A proud husband and father of four, Christian’s passion for children extends beyond the workplace and into his home. Now serving as a school principal, he looks forward with anticipation to how God will continue to use him to impact the lives of students and families.
Fil Banuelos
Facilities Manager, South Campus
Danny Caudillo
Communications & Marketing Director, Teacher - Journalism, Web Design & Development
Raul Chavez Guerrero
Facilities Assistant
Charles Hampton
Social Science Department Chair, Teacher - Economics, Government, History
Jose Martinez
Facilities
Anastacio Martinez
Facilities Assistant
Anthony Nagatsuka
Teacher - Art, Animation, Computer Graphics, Digital Photography, Design, Study Skills
Jose Roman
Facilities
Natalia Simmons
Modern Languages Department Chair, Teacher - French, Yearbook, International Student Coordinator
Porter Ranch
Preschool
Maria Moncayo Oliva
Preschool Director
Maria first began her preschool career in 1991, and in 1995, she began working at LSLC as a teacher and assistant director. After multiple offers, Moncayo Oliva accepted the director position in 1998, seeing it as an opportunity to positively be involved with every student, faculty member and parent.
Also as the director she commits herself to the spiritual counsel of the children and adults she interacts with every day. Her focus is to make the Porter Ranch campus one of the most prestigious preschools in the San Fernando Valley.
Granada Hills
Preschool
Margaret Miller
Preschool Director
Margaret was raised in a Christian home as the sixth child out of nine. Her dad was her Principal at the Christian Schools she attended and her mom was her Teacher and Librarian at the same schools. Watching her parent’s model servant leadership, and being involved in church ministry herself by volunteering in Nursery, Margaret grew to have a love and joy for working with children.
Early Childhood Education has been her ministry for over 25 years. She started out as a Teacher’s Aide the summer before her senior year of high school, and soon took Child Development classes to become a Preschool Teacher. Her continued education was a priority because she felt called to be a Preschool Director. While teaching a 4-year-old class, Margaret was a Lead Teacher, Assistant Director, and a Site Supervisor. She directed a Preschool in Newbury Park for 8 years before accepting a position at Heritage Christian Preschool North Campus in 2016.
Margaret has been married to for 22 years and has two children that attend Heritage Christian School South Campus. Music and singing has been a passion since she was young, singing special music during church and touring with a singing group around the United States and abroad at 16 years old. To this day, she is known to randomly break out in song.
Margaret accepted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at the age of five. Living her life for Christ is the center of who she is. She desires all children to know the love of God, and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Margaret loves working at HCS! Early Education is her passion and she looks forward to partnering with families in the Christian Education of their precious little ones.
