Murrieta Team

Behavior Specialist

Aliza Klos-Young, BCBA
Aliza received her Bachelor of Psychology from California State University San Marcos. She began working for an in-home and school-based ABA company in 2013. During her 10 years with this company, she earned her BCaBA in 2015, then obtained her Master of Education through Arizona State University and then she received her BCBA credential in 2019. She had the opportunity to work with students of varying ages from early childhood to adults, varying abilities, and diagnoses, and in a variety of settings including schools, communities, in-patient facilities, residential, and homes. Aliza supported families through her position as an early intervention coordinator, Project Impact trainer, and consultation services as a senior clinical manager with schools and other professionals. Through her exposure to older students who had missed out on early intervention, she found her passion for early intervention and empowering families at the beginning of their journey in accessing services. Aliza is also a certified non-violent crisis prevention and intervention trainer, and she is passionate about teaching clinicians and parents strategies that are accessible and grounded in science. She has previously worked with the Alexa’s PLAYC team and is excited to continue her collaboration and growth with them. In her free time, she enjoys caring for her many plants and she spends time with her Siberian husky and tortoiseshell cat.

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.