Peter Hernandez
President
I’m a father to two young girls. Our eldest daughter was promoted from Phelan last year and has begun her Edwards Middle school journey this school year. Our youngest daughter entered fourth grade this school year at Phelan.
I have been active in Dad’s Club and PTO since 2017. My family and I love giving time to school and community, and traveling as much as possible.
Tara Hernandez
Vice President
Hi! I ‘m Tara Hernandez and I have been part of the Phelan familia for six years. I enjoy participating as a Room Parent, sitting on the PTO Board and being an active part of our community. I look forward to upcoming Phelan events as our youngest daughter enjoys the remaining two years of her education at Phelan! I love our city, school and community and hope to build memories with our Jaguar family!
Carlos Illingworth
Treasurer
Corrine Illingworth
Ambassador
Corrine Illingworth has three Jaguars at Phelan Language Academy. While she has officially become a PTO Member in 2023, Corrine has volunteered to help support a number of classroom and school activities over the past five years. She is Treasurer of Girl Scouts Troop #2602, which includes Phelan students, and is a member of the adult choir at St. Mary of the Assumption. Corrine works part-time at a local water company and is the lead singer of a band called Rose City Rhythm.
Kara Macias
Secretary
Hello Jag’s! My name is Kara Macias and I am honored to serve as your Board Secretary for the 2023-24 school year. I first started my journey as a volunteer then quickly moved to the role as parliamentarian which eventually led to my current position as Board Secretary. I’m super excited to be in this role and I can’t wait to work alongside some awesome individuals. I am a graduate of Cal State Long Beach – GO BEACH! with a BA in Communications. By day, I am an Operations Director for a civil engineering firm and at night I get to be a mom to a sweet, amazing girl named Victoria (4th grade) and a wife to my husband, Saul. I am a product of the Whittier City School District and lived in Whittier all my life. After having a child of my own, I can gladly say that my time is now devoted to her many school events and extracurricular activities. I’m thrilled to continue supporting her and the Phelan community and I look forward to an exciting school year!
Laura Carias
Communications Team –
Parent Liason
I have been a Phelan parent since 2016 and so happy to be part of PTO. As a child I really wanted my parents to be involved in activities at my school, but they were busy building a business and raising five kids—who could blame them for skipping out on volunteer opportunities? When I became a mother I knew I wanted take an active role in my boy’s school life and be part of their community. My husband, Warner, and I also wanted our boys to be biliterate and we knew Phelan was the school that would help us achieve that goal. Joining PTO has given me the opportunity to build a great relationship with staff, administration, and other parents.
I am an architectural historian working in the cultural resources compliance world and I am fortunate enough to work from home. My husband works crazy and unpredictable hours, so I get to chauffer my three boys around to various activities including piano, swim, Boy/Cub Scouts, and football. We are busy raising well-rounded, biliteral gentlemen in the Carías household!
Gricel Perez
Faculty Board Member/Teacher Representative
This is my 7th year teaching 5th grade Dual Immersion at Phelan. I love to travel with my children, try new food, and most importantly, I love being bilingual.
Lupe Velasco
Faculty Board Member/Teacher Representative
I am a maestra, a mamá, and a motivator of all of my students! This will be my 8th year at Phelan, and my 20th year teaching students from grades K-5th.
I am a mother to 4 daughters, yes you read correctly 4 daughters. I enjoy traveling, especially to suny beach destinations. In my free time I love to dance, read mystery novels, and watch the Raiders win.
Sarah Smith
Communications Team –
Website & E-Commerce
Sarah Smith is a month to 2 girls in the Dual Immersion program at Phelan, this year her girls are in Kindergarten and 1st grade. This is Sarah second year on the PTO Board and is your go to person for all things Spirit Wear related.
Sarah works full-time for the County of LA along with own a number of businesses with her husband. Sarah is passionate about supporting moms on their mental health journey and is a PMAD advocate.
In Sarah’s free time you can find her spending time with her girls and husband or doing crafts.
Maribell Flores
Ambassador
I am Maribell Flores. Born and raised in Whittier — I have left Whittier several times but managed to find myself back every time. I like to swim, watch movies, listen to live music, I am a sports fan, and love being outdoors, but can also find myself indoors enjoying Netflix shows with my family. Some of my other indoor past times are coffee and home manicures.
My son has been a student of Phelan since Kindergarten and is starting the 3rd grade this school year. I am grateful to have been invited to the PTO Board to help my son, his class, and all Phelan students.
Melissa Parra
Communications Team –
Membership & Social Media
Melissa Parra is a mother to twin 1st graders in the Dual Immersion program and a sophomore attending Santa Fe High School. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching sports, and pushing herself creatively in the tech realm.
This is her second year on the PTO Board transitioning from Ambassador to the Communications Team. Melissa looks forward to demonstrating a hands-on commitment to nurturing a supportive educational journey for her kids and Phelan students. Melissa is a research administrative professional for Kaiser Permanente – Research & Evaluation.
Rick Barcena
Communications Team –
Marketing
Rick Barcena is a father to 1st grade twins in the Dual Immersion program at Phelan and has a daughter at Santa Fe High who entered her sophomore year.
This is Rick’s first year on the PTO Board after transitioning as PTO volunteer. Rick’s involvement was deeply engrained in the Phelan community after helping clean up many weeds in the reading garden and hosting a hoops game at the Harvest Festival. His journey is a testament to the profound impact that a dedicated parent can have on shaping the community landscape. Rick is a programmer of engine management systems and business owner of Rallinspired.