Yesenia Castro-Michell is a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute at UC Berkeley's School of Education.
Yesenia has worked in education since she was a student in Los Angeles Unified Schools District (LAUSD). She has worked in a variety of contexts, including at UCLA, SFUSD, CSUSM, SSU, and OUSD serving in capacities that range from IEP Coordinator to Department Chair for Computer Science. Yesenia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Fine Arts. She has a Masters in Instructional Science Technology, a credential in Art and Computer Science, and an Administrative Credential for Early Childhood Development. Yesenia is also the founder of CASTLedu.org
Currently, Yesenia works as an Art Teacher at Frick United Academy of Language in OUSD, where she integrated her educational philosophies from CASTLedu to build on the concepts she calls “Joyful life-long learners” involving STEAM concepts and tools for learning and problem solving. She is also currently working on her National Board Certification. She serves as ILT Professional Development Lead and Secretary of SSC/SELLS In 2024, Yesenia was the recipient of the OUSD Equity & Champion Award for Students with Disabilities.
In her free time, Yesenia enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family, reading and learning new things, making art, traveling, dancing, listening to jazz, solving puzzles, remodeling her home, growing her jewelry collection, learning about trending fashion, 3D Printing, keeping up with tech trends, gardening/grafting plants, and writing grants to fund projects for her school and community.
