Murrieta Team

Early Childhood Education Program Manager

Gabriela Padilla
Gabriela earned her bachelor’s degree in child and adolescent development at Point Loma Nazarene University. Throughout her education, she began volunteering and working for programs for children, adolescents and families coping with the challenges of a variety of medical conditions. She enjoys creating meaningful experiences for children and families with the goal to identify and support their needs. Prior to coming to Alexa’s PLAYC, Gaby worked at Father Joe’s Village as an infant specialist, working with families experiencing homelessness, and as a toddler teacher at a small play-based community preschool in North Park. During her downtime, she spends time volunteering, decorating her studio, running by the beach and spending time with family and friends.

Preschool Teachers

Stephanie Prado
Stephanie has been working with children 0-5 for the past five years. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Child and Adolescent development with a concentration in early childhood and a minor in special education. She feels as though it is important to make sure that each child is comfortable and seen as an individual in the classroom. Stephanie was born and raised in San Pedro. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and loved ones, listening to music, and partaking in photography.

Diana Tinajero
Diana has a BA in Psychology from Cal State LA. She has been with Rady Children’s Hospital since 2018 and has had the privilege of working with Speech therapy, Audiology and DEC. In May of 2021, she transitioned to Alexa’s PLAYC Murrieta to pursue teaching. She enjoys hiking, shopping, watching movies and spending time with her dog Presley.

Rubina Kiernan
Rubina graduated with her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in elementary subject matter from California State University San Marcos. She has been teaching students in different learning environments for over eight years but has found a passion in teaching preschool. Rubina feels that it is beautiful and rewarding to witness the growth of knowledge and capacity students have at a young age in early education. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, baking, camping, and hanging out with her two dogs: Bella and Buster.

Felicia Severhill
Felicia earned her bachelor’s degree in child development from Humboldt State University. She has more than 10 years of experience working in a play-based preschool setting. She is excited to incorporate all her knowledge and experience into her role as a preschool teacher here at Alexa’s PLAYC. During her spare time, Felicia likes to spend time with her family, enjoys cooking and being outdoors.

Lisa Dela-Cruz, (Floater)
Lisa has worked in education for six years with experience in TK through eight grade. She is currently continuing her education to become an early education teacher specializing in special education. She enjoys working with young children discovering and learning new skills, achieving milestone, and developing new life experiences. Her family, which includes her husband, a young adult, and two teens are her biggest fans and supporters. Lisa’s family also includes her fur babies; a Belgian shepherd, a bull terrier, and a black cat. During her free time, Lisa enjoys watching her teens play baseball and softball, dancing, camping, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Elma Huerta (Floater)
Elma began her career working as a behavioral technician delivering one-on- applied behavior analysis therapy to children with autism in an in-home setting. Through this position, she gained experience working with children with autism while also increasing her range of knowledge on early childhood development. In her free time, Elma enjoys relaxing and catching up on the latest tv series, hosting movie or craft nights with her family, and walking flea markets uncovering awesome treasures.

Behavior Technicians

Tayler McClellan
Tayler received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood studies with a concentration in early childhood intervention from California Baptist University. She has taught preschool for more than four years. In her spare time, she enjoys coaching the cheerleading team at the University of California Riverside, shopping and working out.

Lauren Fischer
Lauren graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Humboldt State University. Lauren is currently furthering her education in the fields of child development, psychology, and philosophy at Mt. San Jacinto College. Lauren previously worked with children (0-5) utilizing applied behavioral analysis for the last two years. In her spare time, she enjoys fishing for rainbow trout, camping, and hiking.