Faculty and Staff Directory

The La Jolla Country Day School faculty, administration and staff are strong, diverse and talented individuals who have been drawn together for a common purpose. Ours is a vibrant community with an exciting charge—to create a stronger, better place where our children and those of future generations can grow to become excellent individuals, citizens and adventurers of the world.

Below is a list of the administration, staff and faculty. To locate a member, click on the drop-down menus below to search by division, department or last name. Faculty and staff bios are also available below.

Faculty/Staff Directory

  • Photo of Kelly Kennedy
    Kelly Kennedy
    Director of Human Resources
    (858) 453-3440 x378
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness by ensuring our team has the necessary resources so they can focus their energy on spreading their greatness throughout our community. As the director of human resources, I guide our leadership team on a variety of employment topics—maintaining the integrity of the school and helping shape a desirable place to work.”

    Kelly Kennedy joined the La Jolla Country Day School community in 2015 when she relocated from Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining Country Day, she served as the assistant vice president, human resources, for Foundation For The Carolinas, a community foundation that connects organizations to philanthropic opportunities. 

    She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Santa Clara University, and currently holds her Senior Professional in Human Resources with a California designation (SPHR-CA) certification and Senior Certified Professional certification from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP). She is also an active member of the San Diego chapter of SHRM and the San Diego HR Forum.

    Born and raised in Honolulu, Ms. Kennedy grew up loving sunshine and being outdoors.  When not on campus, she is likely at the beach, hiking, reading a good book, or practicing yoga.
  • Photo of Kristy King
    Kristy King
    Director of the Learning Resource Center
    (858) 453-3440 x351
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by helping students recognize their own strengths and areas of growth in order for them to continue building their own skills for success and a strong future. Accepting and overcoming personal challenges develops the mindset for greatness to be achieved.”
    Kristy King believes every child deserves the opportunity to grow academically, socially, and personally through exploration in and out of the classroom environment. Creating a trusting relationship with students, parents and teachers is paramount for fostering progress and lasting results. Ms. King recognizes how wonderful childhood can be and strives to provide a positive experience for all students at LJCDS. She will often say that she has one of the most rewarding careers as she experiences the “ah-ha” moments with her students.
     
    Ms. King earned a Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, with a major in rhetoric and media studies. She then earned her Master of Science in speech-language pathology from Boston University. She has worked extensively with children of all ages, from birth through high school age. Ms. King’s experiences have been in early intervention, private practice, private school, preschool and public school settings.
    Ms. King enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two Torrey children. You can find her reading a good book, practicing yoga, or enjoying the beach on the weekends.
     
    Click here to read a Q&A with Kristy King.
  • Photo of Aakash Kumar
    Aakash Kumar
    Upper School Dean of Students
    (858) 453-3440 x391
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by helping all students feel comforted and supported to make mistakes, ask questions, and dive into their own passions—providing opportunities for students to build on what they already know and continue to be lifelong learners. Science is all about taking chances and exploring interesting phenomena, and I inspire greatness by helping to build strength and confidence to use science as a new way to look at the world.”

    Aakash Kumar completed his undergraduate degree at Georgia Tech in Biomolecular Engineering and is currently working to finish his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is working on a project titled “Using Augmented Reality to Teach Physics.” 

    Before he started his Ph.D., Mr. Kumar was a high school math and science teacher in Arkansas, and he chose to go back to school to learn more about how to best help students learn science. He is so excited to have the chance to use all this knowledge every day and continue to learn from his students and fellow teachers.

    Mr. Kumar has an extremely chatty (he calls this an “accent”) lab-mix named Onyx, who is still adjusting to being a West Coast beach dog instead of a New Yorker. His favorite book is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and he watches way too much TV to pick a favorite show, although currently it’s a toss up between The 100 and The Good Place. The journey taken by the characters is what speaks to Mr. Kumar, and it is also why he, his fiancé Richelle, and Onyx spent two weeks traveling across the country to get to San Diego. They both love travelling and are hoping to head to Italy next summer and India after that.

    Mr. Kumar’s hobbies include running, hiking, playing video and board games, and cooking. He is passionate about all kinds of gaming, staying positive amidst all of life’s uncertainty, and finding ways to connect the world to the students in a classroom.
 

Faculty and Staff Spotlights

La Jolla Country Day School

9490 Genesee Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440

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