Our Team
Hillside Neighborhood Academy Staff Members are dedicated professionals who guide children through their young educational journey. We provide spiritual, physical, emotional, and cognitive learning experiences. In addition, we create positive, caring relationships with our young children and their families in hopes of developing bright young minds and contributing members of our community.
At HNA we are continually working to further develop our professional skills and knowledge by attending on-campus training, conferences, college courses, professional growth advising, and working with consultants within the Early Childhood Education field.
In addition to Hillside Neighborhood Academy’s Staff continuing education, we are all trained in First Aid/CPR, fire and earthquake preparedness, lockdown procedures, and Procare Communication. Staff qualifications include California Child Development Permits, quarterly ECE units, A.A., B.A., and Master’s education.
Laura Martinez
Teacher
Laura Martinez has known she was meant to work with children since she was 8 years old — when she would gather her cousins together and play teacher. More than two decades later, that calling has never wavered. Laura brings 13 years of experience across a wide range of ages and developmental stages to her role as Lead Teacher of the Terrific Turtles classroom at HNA, including time as an Instructional Aide in a public school setting. She also serves as a Kids Ministry Leader at her church and is currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Development at West Valley College.
Outside of HNA, Laura's world revolves around her husband and four children — three boys and a daughter. Together they love to travel to anywhere with warm ocean waters, share meals, gather with neighbors, and worship as a family.
Alisa Carr
Teacher
Alisa Carr brings a warm heart, a love for children, and a meaningful career pivot to her role at Hillside Neighborhood Academy. A Business degree holder who followed her true calling into early childhood education, Alisa has completed her early education coursework and is excited to grow her career as a preschool teacher. She is passionate about walking alongside families during their preschool journey, sharing her faith, and helping every child build a genuine love of learning along the way.
When she's not in the classroom, Alisa is happily surrounded by her family — married to her high school sweetheart and mom to two daughters in high school. Together they love board games, trying new restaurants, cooking adventures with her youngest, and cheering on her oldest at theater performances. In her spare time you'll find her chasing a great sunset, dreaming of mountains and oceans, or knee-deep in a DIY home project.
Eileen Karkas
Teacher
Eileen Karkas has been working with children since 2005, bringing nearly two decades of dedication, warmth, and enthusiasm to her role as a teacher and mentor at Hillside Neighborhood Academy. A married mother of three adult children, she brings both personal and professional perspective to the families she serves — with a special heart for empowering mothers of young children during the preschool years.
When she's not in the classroom, Eileen stays active with Aquafit, loves the thrill of a great thrift store find, and indulges her creative side through crafting.
Gizi Lee
Teaching Assistant
Gizi Lee discovered her love of teaching through her greatest adventure — raising her own children. Over the past 10 years, she has channeled that passion into working with children through Sunday school, Bible Study Fellowship, and preschool classrooms, bringing warmth, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm to every setting. As a Teaching Assistant at Hillside Neighborhood Academy, her favorite moments are watching preschoolers light up with curiosity and witnessing how much they grow throughout the school year. She is especially passionate about sensory bins, and reading aloud.
Outside of HNA, Gizi and her husband are the proud parents of two teenagers, which means her time away from school is largely spent as a self-described unpaid chauffeur and cook. As a family they love to travel, with Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Seoul topping their favorites list — always with delicious food as the top priority.
Karyn Kikuta
Teaching Assistant
Karyn Kikuta brings 39 years of experience in special education to her role as Teaching Assistant at Hillside Neighborhood Academy — and retirement, it turns out, simply couldn't keep her away from the children she loves. After retiring in 2022, Karyn joined the HNA team and hasn't looked back. She treasures the joy, creativity, and enthusiasm preschoolers bring to every moment of exploration and discovery, and is passionate about sharing God's love with each child she serves.
When she's not at HNA, Karyn keeps a full and vibrant life — singing in multiple choirs, swimming, and officiating at swim meets.