Dr. Tina Tsai, Ph.D.
Founder/Lead Instructor
Dr. Tina Tsai is the founder of The Literacy Guild (TLG) and manages curriculum and instruction for the program. She has a Ph.D. in Education from USC, an M.A. in Education from Claremont Graduate University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Claremont McKenna College. Along with 20 years of professional teaching experience at all grade levels including as a graduate school professor, she obtained a California Multiple Subjects Clear Credential with BCLAD (bilingual) in 2000. She also writes and publishes in educational research, print and online publications, and original novels. Her goal in life is to change the face of education so that all students have rich and truly productive educational experiences they can value and draw upon for life.
Lisa Lu, M.S., LMFT, PPSC
Program Manager
Lisa Lu is currently the Program Manager for The Literacy Guild (TLG) and oversees scheduling, enrollment and program communications. She has a Master’s Degree in Counseling and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and also has a Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) for academic school counseling. She received her B.A. in English Literature from UC Berkeley and has experience teaching English to middle and high school students. She speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and some Spanish. Besides working at TLG, Lisa also provides college counseling to help students succeed academically and prepare for college. She enjoys working with students of various ages and believes that all students, with the right motivation and tools, have the ability to reach their highest potential.
Elizabeth Frausto, B.A.
Teacher
Elizabeth graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in English. She has experience working with all grade levels and is certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). She enjoys reading, writing, stand-up comedy, traveling, and spending time with her family. In addition to teaching at TLG, Elizabeth is also an Instructional Assistant at Santiago Canyon College and plans on pursuing graduate studies in English. She strives to help her students acquire the tools needed for success as lifelong learners.
Joyce Wang Moncayo, M.A.
Teacher
Joyce graduated with a M.A. in 20-21st Modern American Literature from Durham University in the U.K. and earned her B.A. in English Literature from Cal State Fullerton. Now that she is back from northern England, she is ready to rekindle her love for teaching and helping students find their voice through their writing. After tutoring and teaching students of all grade levels, Joyce wants to focus on making sure that every student is challenged to reach their full potential. Joyce graduated with a M.A. and B.A. in English, and she is also fluent in Spanish; in her free time she enjoys reading books in both languages. However, whenever she can’t pick one, she enjoys reading books that experiment with the open-endedness of language and intertwine languages to create something new for those who live in-between them.
Dayra Lopez Magana, B.A.
Teacher
Dayra graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Portuguese. She plans to continue gaining teaching experience in order to pursue a PhD in English. Eventually, she wants to teach English Literature at a college level. She loves working in the field of education because she gets the most satisfaction from passing down knowledge, as well as from learning something new every day! In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, exercising, painting, listening to new music, practicing the keyboard, and doing DIY projects. She also enjoys learning random facts and solving riddles – feel free to test her if you have any!
Bianca Lopez, B.A.
Teacher
Bianca has a B.A. in Social Work from CSULA and a California Multiple Subject Clear Teaching Credential with an English Learner Authorization. She has over 15 years of teaching and tutoring experience with elementary, middle school, and high school students. She also recently received her TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, journaling, crafting, and playing with her golden retriever. She also loves meeting new people and going on road trips with her husband and daughter.
Chelsea Tuason, B.A.
Teacher
Chelsea graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Linguistics. She has a passion for reading and writing, especially poetry. She grew up writing and performing spoken word poetry at competitions in Southern California. She has experience mentoring and leading other students in writing programs at her school. Currently, she is in school to become a speech-language pathology assistant in order to help young students develop their language skills. In her free time, she enjoys video games, crocheting, and writing murder mysteries for her friends to solve.
Evelyn Lee, B.A.
Teacher
Evelyn graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in English, continuing to explore her love for literature by teaching students. She is planning on pursuing a career in criminal law, but doesn’t want to step away from English just yet. She taught students throughout her years in college from all grade levels and understands that education is not a singular path. In her free time, Evelyn enjoys kickboxing, baking, reading, and anything chocolate!
Annette Ortiz Diaz, B.A.
Office Manager
Annette Ortiz Diaz is a studio manager, freelance video editor, and musician. She loves watching films, from foreign language films, independent shorts, all the way to Hollywood blockbusters and Disney/Pixar favorites. When she is not working, you can find her performing in either of her two rock bands or taking her young children out to Disneyland. If you are planning a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth, feel free to ask her for tips on navigating the parks. Her favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz.