Our Staff

Miss Camille has a B.A. in French from San Francisco State University and has many years of experience in early childhood education. She previously worked as a teacher at a French immersion preschool. She is a former gymnast and coaches classes in addition to working in our front office.

Miss Camille’s favorite character is Princess Belle, and her favorite animal is a lion! She loves thai food, and when asked what she loves about coaching, she said: “I love getting to build relationships with kids and teach them awesome skills!”.

Miss Courtney graduated from CSU Chico with a Bachelor’s degree in English Education. She has completed several Early Childhood Education classes throughout my schooling and taught preschool for a little over 2 years. Miss Courtney grew up participating in gymnastics for 10 years and then went on to cheer for 4 years.

Miss Courtney’s favorite Disney character is Stitch and her favorite food is sushi. When asked about the best part of coaching, Miss Courtney said: “I love being able to encourage and support students as they learn new things and watch their confidence grow!”

Miss Jackie graduated from UC Irvine with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and a minor in Mathematics. She also trained as an EMT. Miss Jackie was a competitive cheerleader for 8 years and a college cheerleader for two years. She then moved on to coach cheer and gymnastics for three years, and was a professional nanny for three years.

Her favorite Disney character is Moana because she is incredibly strong and brave, she has full confidence in her own abilities to learn any skill necessary to get across the sea. Miss Jackie’s favorite food is fried rice, especially when it’s made on a hibachi grill. When asked about the best part of coaching, Miss Jackie said: “I love teaching kids how to listen to their own bodies and have faith in their abilities. Seeing their confidence build is so inspiring!”

Miss Julia has over two years of experience working with children in many different settings, including as a para-educator in a Montessori classroom. This experience motivated her to return to school to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. She absolutely loves helping kids find their confidence and fostering healthy environments where they can thrive, have fun, and learn in a way that benefits them as individuals. In addition to her experience working with kids, she has a background in gymnastics and dance, having participated in both as a child. 

Miss Julia’s favorite food is chicken tacos and her favorite Disney character is Ariel from The Little Mermaid. When asked what she loves most about coaching, Miss Julia said “I love helping kids face their fears and discover confidence in themselves! Seeing the happy smiles on their faces when they accomplish a new skill is truly the highlight of my day!”

Miss Kayla has a BA in Nutrition & Food Science from CSU Chico, and also has an AA in Elementary Education. She spent many years as a competitive gymnast and cheerleader. She coaches classes in addition to working in our front office.

Miss Kayla’s favorite character is The Little Mermaid, her favorite food is tacos, and when asked what she loves about coaching, she said, “Being able to have a positive impact on a child’s life and listening to all the funny things kids say!”.

Miss Kiley graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Elementary Education. Miss Kiley was a cheerleader for 14 years, which included cheering in college. She has been working in childcare for the past 9 years, and taught cheerleading for four years in Sacramento.

Miss Kiley’s favorite Disney characters are Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, and her favorite food is Pizza and anything with cheese. When asked what she loves about coaching, she said: “I love seeing the excitement on a student’s face when they learn a new skill. It makes me happy knowing that I am helping students develop skills physically and emotionally. I’m excited to continue to teach students new skills that will follow them throughout their lives”.

Miss Lailah has a strong background in gymnastics, including 3 years on Gemstone’s very own competetive XCEL team! In addition to coaching gymnastics, Miss Lailah still does sideline cheer, competetive cheer, and competitve gymnastics at her high school. She has experience working with children in these sports, and is also the children’s church teacher at her church. 

Miss Lailah’s favorite food is pasta, and her favorite Disney character is Olaf the snowman from Frozen. When asked what she loves most about coaching, Miss Lailah said “I love being able to watch my athletes learn and grow in the sport of gymnastics!”

Miss Maddy graduated from San Diego State University in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During her time in college, she discovered her passion for teaching fitness while serving as a teacher’s assistant in an elementary physical education class. She also gained valuable experience working as a tutor at Mathnasium, where she helped students from 1st to 12th grade. In addition, Miss Maddy was the Site Director at Girl Scouts Summer Camp, overseeing programs for girls aged 4 to 14. Throughout her four years at SDSU, she volunteered at multiple elementary schools in San Diego, accumulating over a hundred hours of classroom experience. Miss Maddy was a competitive gymnast from ages 5 to 7 and participated in a variety of sports, including dance, soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

Miss Maddy’s favorite Disney character is Rapunzel, and her favorite food is Lasagna. When asked what she loves about coaching, she said: “I love everything about coaching, especially seeing my students’ confidence grow as they learn and develop new skills! Working with kids and making them smile is my favorite thing to do, and we get to have a lot of fun with movement!”.

Miss Maya is currently a Fashion Design student at Mesa College. As a child, she loved taking gymnastics classes and brings her love of the sport to every class she teaches. 

Miss Maya’s favorite food is sandwiches, and her favorite Disney character is Robin Hood. When asked what she loves most about coaching, Miss Maya said “I love seeing students achieve their goals through resiliency!”

Mister Miles is a graduate of Grossmont College where he studied dance and illustrative art. Miles started gymnastics as a child and continued on to perform in the circus for 6 years. While in college, Mister Miles continued his training as a dancer and as an illustrator, as well as keeping up his gymnastics skills.

His favorite Disney Character is Stitch, and his favorite food is curry. When asked what he loved about coaching, he said: “ I love everything, especially seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when they get a new trick!”.

Miss Mimi graduated from San Diego State University with her degree in Computer Engineering and a minor in American Indian Studies. She currently works for one of America’s largest industrial automation companies and enjoys playing with robots and coaching gymnastics! She is a former gymnast and has experience coaching gymnastics to kids of all ages.

Her favorite character is Moana, and her favorite animal is a Dolphin! She loves tacos, and when asked what she loves about coaching, she said: “Seeing kids smiles and reactions to learning something new brings me so much joy! I have fun with the kids and they make me so happy. I’m very lucky to make a difference in our community!”

Miss Morgan graduated from Troy University in Alabama, where she received a Bachelor’s in Accounting. She has experience as a gymnast and working with children.

Miss Morgan’s favorite Disney character is Rapunzel, and she loves to eat French Fries. When asked why she loves coaching, she said: “ Helping kids realize they can do things they never thought possible, and seeing them get so excited when they can do it on their own!”.

Mr. Nathan has coached gymnastics for more than 12 years, 10 of which have been here in San Diego! He originally moved to California from Kansas in 2014 for All Star Cheerleading at the California All Stars in San Marcos. When not in the gym coaching, Mr. Nathan attends PIMA Meidcal Institute where he is studying to become a Veterinarian. 

Mr. Nathan’s favorite food is steak and his favorite Disney character is The Little Mermaid. When asked what he loves most about coaching, Mr. Nathan said “I love watching kids gain confidence and body awareness and I love helping them get new skills!”  

Mr. Ozkar is currently a student studying Psychology at SDSU. He is really interested in this area of study because he loves learning from others and gaining insights into their experiences. He has years of experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and as a special education instructional assistant within the Chula Vista Elementary School District. In his free time, he likes to exercise, listen to music, attend live concerts, and play video games. 

His favorite Disney character is Stitch, and he loves tacos and sushi! When asked what he loves most about coaching, Mr. Ozkar said “I love coaching because it’s a two-way learning experience. I get to teach, but also constantly learn from my students. The most rewarding part is helping them build confidence in themselves and watching them grow both personally and skill-wise.”

Miss Roxanne is currently a student at San Diego Mesa College working towards obtaining her associates degree in Child Development Studies. Her favorite Disney Character is Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh. As a child, Miss Roxanne grew up watching the show. She would always get stuffed animals of Eeyore and take him everywhere she went. Miss Roxanne’s favorite food is anything with chicken in it, “ I love chicken because it’s so versatile and you can make a variety of meals out of it”.

When asked what she loves about coaching, she said: “I love seeing and interacting with the kids. They bring so much joy and light into the gym. No matter what is going on, they always seem to put a smile on my face. They are so full of wonder and curiosity and it amazes me every day how great the kids are”.

Miss Sam has over 4 years of experience working with kids, and has a gymnastics background as well! She started cheer and tumbling at just 2 years old before deciding to focus on gymnastics at age nine, where she spent 3 years as a level 3 gymnast. She received her degree in Liberal Arts from University of Hawaii at Hilo and has taken additional courses in child development and early childhood education. 

Miss Sam’s favorite food is pasta, and her favorite Disney character is Rapunzel. When asked what she loves most about coaching, Miss Sam said “I love helping students realize how capable they are to do hard things!”

Miss Sierra was born and raised in San Diego, where she enjoys spending her free time hiking, skateboarding, and working out. She is currently pursuing a degree in Communications at Grossmont Community College with the goal of becoming a speech therapist. For the past three years, Miss Sierra has worked with children of various ages at the La Mesa Spring Valley School District. She has always been passionate about working with future generations and helping others build confidence. As a child, Miss Sierra also participated in tumbling classes, which sparked her interest in coaching.

Miss Sierra’s favorite Disney character is Dumbo, and her favorite food is any kind of pasta. When asked what she loves about coaching, she said: “What I love most about coaching is watching the progression of my students, and seeing how we help them build their self-confidence! With every class not only do my students learn but so do I, with constantly experiencing new things and building new skills.”