SDA Welcomes New Staff Members Part Two

You may have seen some new faces or heard new names. They came from all walks of life from Canyon Crest Academy to Orange County. But the common thread that holds them together: the love for fostering a connection with students and the San Dieguito Academy community.

Meet the final round of new staff members who join our school this year.

Rebecca Vincent, Counselor

Rebecca Vincent has been a counselor for 10 years throughout the San Dieguito Union High School District. She was born in San Diego County and grew up in the area. She is married and has three children. Her oldest kid is Dean who is six years old, her middle child is Grant who is four years old, and her youngest is Shayleigh who is one. 

She attended college at UC Santa Barbara as a communication major with a minor in art history and education. She intended to go into a fashion major and wanted to pursue it for the rest of her life. 

“I actually wanted to go into fashion initially, and, but my parents kinda convinced me to just get a broader degree,” Vincent said.

Vincent spends most of her free time doing physical therapy. She had a brain hemorrhage while she was pregnant with her second child, and has undergone three brain surgeries.  During her recovery, she still found time to coach cheer at La Costa Canyon High School from 2017 to 2019.  

Vincent said she believes that it is good that we aren’t going to school at the moment but misses being able to interact and physically be with students because she feels that is part of her job. She is very excited about the new environment at SDA and can’t wait to get back at it in the future.

Profile by Julia Czajkowski and Lauren Lucero

Dylan Powers, Math

Dylan Powers, an honors and college prep math teacher, just transferred to San Dieguito Academy from Canyon Crest Academy. Powers said he made the transfer to make his commute easier, as he is now able to ride his bike to work.

While at CCA, not only was he a math teacher but also the Track and Surf coach. These align very well with some of Powers favorite activities, as he said he likes “to camp, to surf,  to hike, go on bike rides, and basically anything outdoors.”

Powers grew up in and around the area of Orange County, where he attended Capistrano High School. He says that he had always been good at math in school, but when asked reported that his favorite subject is History.

Powers is drawn to a mellow lifestyle and said he fell in love with northern San Diego County while visiting cousins who attended Torrey Pines High School. “When I used to come to visit, I was like, this is where I want to live,” he said.

Profile by Taran Cartwright-Bastasini & Marley Miller

Adam Lampert, Physics & Chemistry

Adam Lampert grew up in Orange County, California. As a teenager, he loved chemistry but disliked physics. He also enjoyed going to UCSD football games with his family and played high school soccer. Lampert said, “I majored in chemistry and that’s my heart. One of my favorite areas of science is physical chemistry which is like the physics part of chemistry.” 

“I had a 120-pound German Shepherd growing up,” he said, but then added that the apartment he currently lives at does not allow pets. Lampert also mentioned that if he could have any pet, he would choose to have another German Shepherd. 

Last year, Lampert was able to teach but only part-time. “I just finished getting my teaching credential at UCSD.” 

In his free time, he likes to ski and snowboard. Lampert participated in the ski and snowboarding team through college and tries to get to Mammoth as much as he can. He also enjoys rock climbing, going on hikes, and other outdoor activities. But despite living less than 15 minutes away from the beach his whole life, he has never been on a surfboard. 

Overall Lampert really enjoys the community of San Diego. “It’s more relaxed [than Orange County] and people seem a lot less uptight.” 

Mr. Lampert enjoys snorkeling at La Jolla cove so maybe you’ll see him there. 

Profile by Karla Balderas and Skyler Martin

John Sciarratta, Art

John Sciarratta recently joined the San Dieguito Academy Art department, where he currently teaches Sculpture and Drawing & Design, but his personal pieces include collages, screen printing, and mixed media. He has been interested in the arts his whole life; starting with the music his family played, and soon moving on to cartoons and drawings.

Sciarratta went to art school at State University of New York in Buffalo, where he started to study fine arts, but later changed his major to study art education. In his junior year of college, he worked in an after-school elementary program where he helped to develop a proper arts program. 

Once he moved to California, he began tutoring for the SAT and ACT material. He started teaching graphic design, as well. He said math such as calculus doesn’t interest him too much, but he is a “math person when it comes to drawing.”  

Profile by Alexis Girard and Evie Roemer