Meet Our Staff

Ella "GG" Tyler

Program Director

Ella fell in love with Point Loma Arts Academy as a student in the early 2000's. In 2014, she become a TA (teenage teaching assistant), a longstanding camp tradition, and In 2018 she starting teaching the "Big Paint" class.

From 2020 to 2025, Ella served as PLAA's Music Co-Director, where she helped shape the camp's musical identity through her love of rock 'n' roll. Passionate about connecting families through music, she introduced campers to the songs their parents and grandparents grew up with, creating shared musical experiences that bridged generations and continued long after the summer ended.

Her love of music fostered by her time as a student at Point Loma Arts Academy encouraged Ella to pursue a degree in audio production, which led her to work in the music/audio industry professionally on projects like Disney’s Zootopia 2.

​For the past two summers, Ella has also co-directed our theater program. This year she proudly steps into her role as Program Director for what will be her 20th summer at Point Loma Arts Academy!

Michelle Magarian

4-5 Art Teacher

Michelle’s four children all attended Art’s Academy and now she is grateful to be back with this community as an art instructor since 2022!

Michelle studied Art and Graphic Design at SDSU. She built a community for creatives as the owner of Paper Tales, a paper and craft shop In Point Loma for 10 years, where she also taught art classes. 

After her store closed its doors in 2018, she continued to teach art to children of all ages and adults. She provides art instruction at various schools and events throughout the county.

Kadie Nagy

K-1 Art Teacher

Kadie is an early childhood educator with 20+ years experience working with young children. After living in San Diego for 15 years, her and her family moved to Colorado. Her love of nature, art and animals drew her to a teaching position at Sunflower Farm, a nature based preschool in Colorado. As a certified forest school teacher, Kadie believes in the importance of slowing down childhood and giving children the time and space to truly connect with nature. 

​Kadie became a part of the PLAA staff in 2021 and treasures her summers in San Diego working alongside dear friends at the academy. She has two children ages 8 and 10 who absolutely love being a part of the PLAA community!  ​

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Charlotte Francovalle

Theater Director

Charlotte brings over three decades of experience as a creative leader, educator, and multidisciplinary artist. Her journey began on stage, performing throughout her youth and early adulthood, and evolved into a career rooted in arts education. She has served as a Teaching Artist with San Diego Junior Theatre, an acting-for-camera coach for John Robert Powers, and Director of Admissions at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City. While living in Singapore, she led the theatre program at Superland Montessori, working with over 400 students.

An entrepreneur and visual storyteller, Charlotte is the founder of B-Artisans and The Happy Lens, where she works as a professional photographer and fine artist. Her background in visual arts enhances her approach to directing, bringing a strong sense of composition, emotion, and character to the stage. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Arts with a minor in Fine Art from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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Charlotte’s career also includes leadership roles at Keane Studios and Miami International University of Art and Design. She is passionate about mentorship and dedicated to fostering a vibrant, creative community for the next generation of performers.

Taylin Rae

Music Director

Taylin Rae is an accomplished country recording artist, songwriter, vocal coach, and owner of Pacific Beat Recording in San Diego. Originally from Oklahoma and a ninth-generation descendant of Johann Sebastian Bach, she combines deep musical roots with a soulful, authentic style that has captivated audiences around the world.

With more than 7,000 live performances throughout her career, Taylin has toured internationally with the USO and shared the stage with country legends including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Toby Keith. Her passion for storytelling and performance continues to fuel her work as both an artist and educator.
For more than 20 years, Taylin has coached singers of all ages and experience levels, helping students build strong vocal technique, confidence, stage presence, and authentic artistry. As the owner of Pacific Beat Recording, she also mentors and produces artists, guiding them from vocal development through the recording process.

Whether she's on stage, in the recording studio, or in the classroom, Taylin is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of performers by helping each student discover their unique voice and the confidence to share it with the world.

Mark Tyler

Finance Director

Mark’s connection to Point Loma Arts Academy began in 2006 as a parent. Both his children enjoyed this fun summer experience for many years and his daughter remains involved today. He cares about PLAA because he knows how important it is for families to have a program where their kids can be themselves, and explore music and art while developing lasting friendships. He believes having this resource in our neighborhood adds to our sense of community and promotes appreciation for the arts in the next generation.  
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​Mark is a retired business owner whose involvement in the Point Loma community includes managing at Point Loma Little League and coaching at Peninsula Softball. He is a philanthropist who supports the arts and access to sports in underserved communities. Mark has intermittently volunteered at PLAA over the last 20 years, most famously as the apple slicer for our beloved apple pie snack. He is currently volunteering at PLAA as finance director.

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​Yahaira Murillo

6-8 Art Teacher

Yahaira Itzel Murillo (she/her/ella) is a multidisciplinary artist and expressive arts facilitator who has worked with youth in underserved communities for over 10 years. She got her Master's in Psychology from Antioch University in Santa Barbara and will graduate from the Expressive Arts Institute of San Diego. She enjoys every type of art, but particularly painting with oil/acrylic paint, creating collages and writing poetry.

Beyond her individual artistic practice, she leads community gatherings, art exhibitions and women’s groups with the intention of creating a space for marginalized communities. She has a passion for working with youth, and is a firm believer that every child is an artist who deserves to explore their creativity.

Yahaira is new to the PLAA staff this summer and is excited to work with the youth and become part of the PLAA community!

Beckett Hanson

Accessibility & Inclusion Coordinator

Beckett is a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned  bachelor's degrees in Anthropology and Sociology. His studies fostered a deep appreciation for the diversity of human experiences and perspectives, which he brings to his role as Accessibility & Inclusion Coordinator. Beckett is dedicated to creating a environment where campers feel celebrated and empowered to be their authentic selves.
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At Point Loma High School Beckett served as the Activities Leader for Circle of Friends, where he planned and facilitated lunchtime events for students with disabilities. This experience fostered a lasting passion for creating inclusive environments where everyone is able participate in the fun!

Outside of his academic pursuits, Beckett works part-time in property management and enjoys staying active through tennis, beach volleyball, and pickleball. Beckett is also a talented DJ who loves bringing people together through music—so campers may catch one of his legendary sets during dance classes, snack time, or an unexpected dance party!

This is Beckett's first year with PLAA and he is excited to be part of the camp community, helping create a fun, welcoming, and memorable experience for every camper as our resident hype man!

Ilyana Huges

Dance/Movement Teacher

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Ilyana Carlee (she/her) is a performer, choreographer, and teacher in San Diego. Since a young age, she has trained at various studios, her most influential training being under DeShona Pepper Robertson at Stivers School for the Arts. 

Ilyana continued her dance training and choreographic exploration at Howard University, earning a BFA in Dance. Since moving to San Diego in 2023, she has trained at DISCO RIOT, Malashock Dance, and San Diego Dance Theater, and has performed with DISCO RIOT, San Diego Dance Theater and NACHMO. 

Most recently, she was an intern in the (R)Evolution Artist Program with DISCO RIOT, and is currently a founding collaborator with Negative Space Dance Collective. She also teaches children's dance classes throughout San Diego. 

Her art is deeply influenced by her experiences as a Black woman. She is inspired by both her ancestral lineage and surroundings, creating work inspired by love, grief, community, and the Black experience. 

This is her first summer at PLAA and she’s so excited to share her love of dance with all the kids! ​

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Rachel Smith

2-3 Art Teacher

Rachel Smith has been teaching Art to students in local schools in TK-8th grade for the past 25 years.  She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University in Art Education with a minor in Photography.

She's an art educator, photographer and graphic designer. She enjoys working with kids and opening them up to new ideas and techniques. Most of all she loves seeing her art students have fun!

​This is her first year teaching at PLAA and she’s excited to create with the 2nd and 3rd graders!

Toria Shi

Ceramics/Clay Teacher

Toria Kahni Shi is a multi-hyphenated artist from San Diego, CA. Shi recently graduated with an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts following undergraduate degrees from UCI Irvine.

​Shi’s art practice is rooted in care, complexity, and collective evolution. Shi builds welded ceramic instruments that create the sonic beds for gestural/choreographed performance worlds.

Caroline Casinghino ​

Theater Teacher & Program Assistant

Caroline came to PLAA in 2014 and fell in love with it on her very first day. She stayed with the academy as a camper until she became a TA in 2021.

In 2025, She rose to the occasion and became Co-Director of the afternoon theatre program. She says ”I think that the true magic of camp is that the majority of our staff have been around camp for a lot of their lives. This great sense of tradition has kept me coming back every year, and I have gone from having the joy of getting to be a camper, to getting the joy of being able to work with all of your amazing campers!”

​Caroline is excited to return for her 12th year at PLAA, and for hopefully many more years to come.

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Analiese Christenson

Theater Crafts Teacher

Analiese Christenson is a rising Junior at Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts studying Civics, History, and Fine Arts. As an aspiring illustrator, muralist, and set designer she joins the PLAA staff to lead the set design class as apart of the theater team.

​Her favorite musicals are Matilda, Mamma Mia, and Legally Blonde and her set design art style is influenced by Shona Heath and Niki de Saint Phalle. “I am so excited to join the PLAA community and get to explore, experiment, and enjoy some awesome art and play this summer!”

Josie Zubkoff

Program Support Staff

Josie first came to PLAA as a camper when she was six years old, and loved it so much she never left! Josie has always loved doing art, and PLAA helped her explore that passion. Her favorite mediums to experiment with are clay, paint, printmaking, and drawing.

Since graduating from being a camper, she has worked as a Ceramics Teacher’s Assistant, K-1 Co-Teacher, and now as classroom and administrative support staff. She is super excited to be back at camp for the 14th year.

Finn Johnson

Big Paint Teacher

Finn has been part of Point Loma Arts Academy since he was five years old. He joined the PLAA staff in 2021 and has been our instructor for Big Paint teacher for the past 3 summers, helping campers explore artistic expression in a fun, free-form classroom environment.

Finn is currently entering his sophomore year at Cal Poly Humboldt, where he is studying Freshwater Fisheries. His passion for the natural world extends beyond the classroom, and he enjoys spending his free time fishing, listening to progressive rock, playing video games, and embracing all kinds of nerdy hobbies!

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Dori Zubkoff

Kitchen Director

Dori will be cooking and baking up a storm to make awesome food for your kids this summer! During the rest of the year she is a student at UC Berkeley studying forestry. She is excited to make camp an awesome experience and will be happy to discuss any dietary restrictions or concerns with parents.

Teaching Assistants (TAs)

Keira Schwartz
Hannah Ledoux
Micheal Hoag
Siena Hoag​
Lucy Boyce
Stella Cerri
Gabe Francovalle

Point Loma Arts Academy Staff Summer 2025