Pasadena Swim Instructors

Abby

Abby has been swimming since she took swim lessons when she was 6 years old. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience teaching her younger siblings how to swim and has worked with kids as a summer camp counselor and tutor. 

Some of her hobbies include walking her dog, thrifting and going to the gym. Her favorite food is sandwiches and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to help her students become safer swimmers.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Mandarin

Aisha

Aisha has been swimming since she was 5 years old and a youth swim team. In high school, she competed on school's swim team where she won several awards. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience working as a lifeguard and teaching her family members how to swim. She has worked with kids for 4 years as a dental assistant. 

She goes to school where she is studying to become a surgical technologist. Some of her hobbies include crocheting, reading and journaling. Her favorite movie is Moana and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to help her students become safer swimmers.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Alex

Alex has been swimming ever since he can remember. His favorite stroke to swim is the freestyle and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the breaststroke. He has experience teaching his younger brother how to swim and has worked with kids as an after school event volunteer. 

He goes to school at PCC where he is studying graphic design. His favorite movie is Sharktale and his favorite food is chicken wings. He is excited to see each student's progress.

Additional Skills: Trilingual - Arabic & Armenian

Aly

Aly learned how to swim when she was five years old and began swimming competitively at age eight. She swam for her high school’s varsity swim team for four years, and worked previously as a lifeguard at Waterworks Aquatics. Aly gained childcare experience by babysitting, teaching karate, and tutoring. She also has experience assisting her swim instructor in teaching students the different strokes.

Aly is currently studying Animal Science and Animal Training at Citrus Community College. When she is not in the water she enjoys listening to music, reading, hiking, and watching Disney movies.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish, Varsity Swim Team - 4 Years

Alyssa

Alyssa learned how to swim as a baby and her favorite stroke to swim is the breaststroke. She has been involved in karate, girl scouts, public service and more. She has been working as a babysitter for three years and as a girl scouts troop leader for four years.

She is going to college at Cal State LA and can be described as patient and dedicated. She enjoys drawing, baking and playing electric guitar. Her favorite Disney character is princess Jasmine and her favorite book is The Giving Tree. She wants students to have fun while learning how to be safe in the water.

Ami

Ami has been swimming ever since he can remember. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the backstroke. In addition to swimming, he played on his high school's varsity football team for 3 years. He has experience working with kids as a daycare teacher. 

Some of his hobbies include sewing and watching movies. His favorite movie is Dumbo and his favorite animals are dogs. He has a passion for helping kids learn new skills.

Antionette

Antionette learned how to swim when she was a young child, and has been with Waterworks since 2019. She received her B.S. in Kinesiology from California State University, Los Angeles in May 2024. Now, she attends the University of La Verne to earn her M.S. in Athletic Training.
 
She enjoys going to the beach, being outdoors, and exercising. Her favorite food is poke and her favorite color is green. She prioritizes helping her students become safe and comfortable in the water, and likes to show parents what their child is capable of.
 
Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor

Ashley

Ashley learned how to swim when she was a young child. She goes to school at CSU Dominguez Hills where she is studying human services and has taken child development courses. Some of her hobbies include reading, watching anime and trying new foods. She would describe herself as patient and her favorite animals are elephants. She is excited to her student’s progress and confidence grow in the water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish

Barton

Barton started swimming at a young age in lakes, rivers, creeks and puddles of waters in Western Nebraska. He loves to swim and work with children of all ages and has been a Beach camp counselor for 6 years. He was also a leader in the School of Rock Program, as well as for After-School All-Stars for 4 years in Los Angeles.  

Barton has a lot of teaching experience and is a fun-loving instructor who can match your child’s energy for hilarious and productive lessons. He loves to help swimmers feel comfortable and confident in the water, as well as be able to teach them skills that will ensure their safety while they are in the water.

Brian

Brian has enjoyed swimming throughout his life, so much that he taught his younger brother and friend how to swim. He also has experience babysitting children ages 1-12. He is excited to teach swim lessons because he gets the chance to work with children of varying ages and abilities.

Brian is currently attending Pasadena City College and is focusing his studies on Kinesiology. In his free time, he enjoys biking, hiking, swimming and working on cars.

Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor, Technique, Adult Lessons

Carlos

Carlos has 7 years old experience competing in swimming and water polo. He was a CIF finalist for the 100 free and was a state water polo champion in the 2020 western conference. His favorite event to compete in is the 100 butterfly and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the freestyle. He has worked in the water as a water polo coach and has previous experience as a swim instructor. 

He goes to school at LAVC where he is studying computer science. In his free time, he enjoys practicing water polo and playing chess. His favorite movie is Star Wars and his favorite animals are lions. He is excited to share his passion for swimming with his students. 

Additional Skills: Spanish, Russian & Japanese

Chloe

Chloe has been swimming since she was 3 years old and joined a youth swim team at 10 years old. She competed on a synchronized swim team and currently swim in an open-water swim group. Her favorite event to swim is the 100 IM and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the freestyle. She has 2 years of experience teaching swim lessons here at Waterworks. Additionally, she has worked with kids as a daycare teacher and babysitter.

She goes to school at Pasadena City College where she is studying biological engineering. Some of her hobbies include playing the trumpet and reading. Her favorite food is Japanese food and her favorite animals are cats. She is excited to help her students perfect their swim strokes.

Claudia F.

Claudia has been swimming since she was 4 years old and quickly began swimming competitively on a local kids swim team. She continued to swim competitively throughout high school and her favorite event to compete in is the 100 medley. She has experience as a junior lifeguard and has assisted in teaching swim lessons. 

She goes to school at Pasadena Community College where she is studying early childhood development to be become a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys biking, swimming and learning about art. Her favorite movie is Encanto and her favorite cartoon character is Mulan. She is excited to share her love for swimming with her students.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Claudia G.

Claudia began her swimming endeavors when she was a child. Later, she joined her school’s swimming team until she was 14 years old. Her favorite swimming stroke to teach is Freestyle. 

Claudia is most excited about being able to help her students learn the importance of water safety, as well as be able to hone their swimming abilities. Claudia wants her students to have fun in the water while also being water safe.

Cody

Cody started swimming at age 5 and his favorite stroke is the Breaststroke. He has experience working with children ages 5 to 8 as a babysitter. His favorite part about teaching swim lessons is helping his students learn a skill they will use for the rest of their lives.

Cody is currently studying Journalism at Rio Hondo College. An interesting fact about Cody is that he loves sports!

Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor, Technique, Adult Lessons

Connor

Connor has been swimming ever since he can remember and swam competitively for a youth swim club. His favorite event to compete in is the 50 free and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the breaststroke. He worked as a lifeguard for 2 years at a summer camp. 

He goes to school at Azusa Pacific University where he is studying kinesiology. Some of his hobbies include hiking, climbing and surfing. His favorite movie is Hercules and his favorite animals are dogs. He is excited to see each student grow in the water.

Courtney

Courtney has had a passion for swimming and being involved in water activities since she was a young child. She swam competitively for four years and made her school’s varsity swim team during her first year. She has experience helping out her old swim team with perfecting their technique and strokes. Additionally, she has worked with kids for several years as a children’s entertainer.

She went to school for business where she found her focus in the health care field. In her free time, she loves playing sports and making art. Her favorite movie is Tangled and her favorite books are from The Harry Potter series. She is excited to show her students more about the world of swimming.

Additional Skills: Varsity Swim Team - 4 Years, Special Needs Instructor

DJ

DJ began swimming at the age of four with a local city team and continued for 6 years. His favorite stroke is Freestyle. DJ previously worked as a lifeguard for two years, starting when he was 16 years old, where he gained experience working with children of all ages and skill levels. In addition, he has helped raise many of his younger cousins and siblings as he is the eldest child. He is looking forward to making connections with his students, and watching them learn and develop as swimmers!

DJ currently attends Pasadena City College to major in Film. In his free time he enjoys playing football, baseball, paintball and video games.

Additional Skills: Adult Lessons, Special Needs Instructor

Dariel

Dariel learned how to swim when she was 6 years old and her favorite stroke is freestyle. She was a cheerleader for over 10 years and was named Most Dedicated for three years in a row. She has experience teaching the kids in her neighborhood how to swim and worked as an assistant baseball coach for 4 years. 

She goes to school at Cal Poly Pomona where she is studying graphic design. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, singing and camping. She is passionate about helping her students develop new skills. 

Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor

Daveon

Daveon has been swimming since he was 3 years old and his favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. In addition to swimming, he has experience in boxing, rock climbing and football. He has experience working with kids as a babysitter. 

Some of his hobbies include photography, rock climbing and exploring. His favorite food is ravioli and his favorite animals are german shepherds. His favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is seeing his students improve. 

Detlef

Detlef swam on club teams for 7 years and swam for his high school’s swim team. His favorite stroke to teach is breaststroke and his favorite event is the medley. He trained with the Red Cross as an instructor and was a merit badge instructor for the boy scouts. He has 5 years of experience working as a lifeguard and taught swim lessons for 6 years.

He is very creative and likes to practice graphic design. He enjoys reading the Lord of the Rings books and his favorite animals are cats. He is excited to fine tune his student’s swim technique.

Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish, Swim Team - 4 Years, Special Needs Instructor

Dominique

Dominique has been swimming since he can remember. At the age of fourteen he joined the Junior Lifeguard Program and continued for two years. In addition to swimming, he has played almost every sport and currently continues to play baseball and football. He has experience working with children through coaching baseball and working as a lifeguard.

In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, smithing, barbequing, cooking, baseball, football, and fishing. His favorite movie is Iron Man 2 and his favorite animals are huskies. He is most excited to see his students reach their swimming goals and succeed as swimmers.

Elysa

Elysa learned how to swim by taking swim lessons when she was three years old. Her favorite stroke to teach is freestyle and her favorite events to swim are breaststroke. In high school, she played competitive basketball for Arcadia High School. She has taught her friends and family, ranging in ages 5-40, how to swim. She has worked with kids by volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, summer day camps and after school programs.

She goes to school at Mt. San Antonio College where she is studying business administration. She enjoys hiking and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to see her student’s progression in the water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish, Special Needs Instructor

Ena

Ena has been swimming since she was 5 years old and swam competitively in high school for 3 years and her favorite event to compete in is the 100 free. She has experience working as a lifeguard and has worked with kids as a children's ministry volunteer. 

In her free time, she enjoys hiking and reading. Her favorite movie is The Notebook and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to teach her student's lifesaving swim skills. 

Franklin

Franklin started swimming at the early age of 4. When he was 13, he joined a swim team for 2 years at a local recreational park. Franklin began babysitting for family friends during his early teenage years and spent his summers working for Summer Kids, where he led up to 50 children in both arts and crafts. 

His favorite thing about teaching swimming lessons is being able to teach in a variety of ways to accommodate his students needs.  

Franklin attends CSULA to focus on Civil Engineering. During his free time he enjoys playing the guitar, running, and watching football. An interesting fact about Franklin is that he is always full of energy and charisma and never has a dull moment.

Giselle

Giselle learned how to swim when she was 3 years old and went on to swim competitively for 8 years. She played water polo and was on the swim team for Pasadena High School all four years. She continued to play water polo for Pasadena City College. She was named MVP for both her high school and college teams. She has experience lifeguarding for two years and taught swim lessons to both kids and adults.

She goes to school at Cal State Fullerton where she is studying criminal justice. In her free time, she enjoys practicing water polo and making Italian food. She enjoys teaching students the importance of water safety, as skill she says will stay with them throughout their life.

Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish, Swim Team & Water Polo - 4 Years

Helayna

Helayna has been swimming since she was 6 years old and her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. In addition to swimming, she has played tennis for 16 years, including on her jv and varsity high school teams. She has experience working with kids as a babysitter for 2 years and is currently taking courses to help her work with kids with disabilities. 

She goes to school at Cal State Northridge where she is studying kinesiology. In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, playing tennis and reading. Her favorite movie is The Princess Diaries and her favorite books are romance novels. She has a passion for keeping others safe and helping her students master water safety.

Jacky

Jacky has been swimming since she was 7 years old and took several years of swim lessons to perfect her swimming technique. She has been cheerleading since she was 16 years old and ran track & field for 2 years. She has experience working with kids as a childcare assistant for 3 years. 

She is going to school at Cal State LA where she is studying to become a social worker and has taken several child development courses. In her free time, she enjoys painting, watching movies and hiking. Her favorite movie is The Little Mermaid and her favorite book is The Hate You Give. She has a passion for helping others and is excited to teach her students proper swim technique. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Jason

Jason has returned to Waterworks to teach! He previously taught at our Pasadena and Arcadia locations and is excited to be back. Jason has experience coaching in other sports such as cross country and track and field. Additionally, he has volunteered for the Girl Scouts outdoor camping retreats. Jason loves to swim and is passionate about teaching children.

Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor

Jeffrey

Jeffrey has been swimming since he was 7 years old and his favorite stroke to teach others is backstroke. In addition to swimming, he has learned how to kayak and paddleboard. He has over 2 years of experience working with kids of all ages with special needs as a horse-riding instructor. Additionally, he worked as an assistant for a cross country coach. 

He goes to school at CSU Fullerton where he is studying kinesiology. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, being around his friends and playing Frisbee golf. He is excited to show his students how exciting the water can be.

Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor

Kimberly

Kimberly began swimming at the age of three and has been swimming ever since. As a swim instructor for the past twenty years, Kimberly has extensive experience when it comes to teaching swimming lessons. Her favorite stroke is Freestyle and her favorite event is the 100 Individual Medley.

She is currently attending East Los Angeles College where she is studying Liberal Arts. Some of her hobbies include swimming, reading, writing, and movie nights with her family. 

Kyra

Kyra has been swimming since she took swim lessons in 5th grade. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience working with kids as an elementary school volunteer for 2 years and worked as a PE teacher for 2 years.

She goes to school at Pasadena City College where she is studying communications. Some of her hobbies include working out, pickle ball and reading. Her favorite food is sushi and her favorite animals are cats. She has a passion for working with kids of all ages.

Leilani

Leilani has been swimming since she was 1 year old and her favorite stroke to teach and swim is freestyle. In addition to swimming, Leilani was a part of AFJROTC in high school and competed in color guard. She cares deeply for water safety and has worked 2 years as a pool supervisor for her neighborhood's HOA community pools.

In her free time, Leilani enjoys visiting roller coaster parks and her favorite park is Six Flags Magic Mountain. Her favorite Disney movie is Turning Red, and her favorite food is sushi. She is excited to advance her students' skills in the water.

Lucia

Lucia learned how to swim when she was 4 years old and swam competitively for 3 years in high school. Her favorite event to swim is the 50 free and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the breaststroke. She has experience working with kids as a babysitter for 3 years. 

Her favorite movie is Toy Story and her favorite food is sushi. She has a passion for helping others and his excited to help her students become safer in the water. 

Lydia

Lydia has been swimming since she was 4 years old after taking swim lessons and her favorite stroke to teach is the backstroke. She has experience teaching swim lessons as part of her junior lifeguard training as well as at a summer camp. Additionally, she has worked with kids as a teachers aid for 5 years. 

She goes to school at CSU Los Angeles where she is studying criminal justice. In her free time she enjoys hiking, practicing photography and eating pasta. Her favorite book is The Outsiders and her favorite Disney character is Stitch. She is excited to help her students level up and become experienced swimmers. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Megan

Megan swam competitively for her high school’s swim team and make it to the varsity team. She worked as the Waterfront Director for YMCA, where she would train and manage a group of lifeguards. She has previous experience working at Waterworks for 5 years where she would teach kids and adults of all ages.

Megan has a Bachelor of Science in child development and went on to work in child care. Her favorite Disney character is Ariel and she loves cats. She is excited to help her students build their confidence in the water.

Additional Skills: Swim Team – 4 Years, Special Needs Instructor

Mel

Mel has been swimming since she was 6 years old and her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the breaststroke. She has worked as a lifeguard and received swimming merit badges. She has worked with kids as a babysitter for 3 years and as a teacher's aid at a preschool. 

She goes to school at Rio Hondo College where she is studying psychology and has taken several child development courses. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking and exploring new places. She is excited to connect with each student in the water. 

Melany

Melany has been swimming since she was 5 years old and went on to swim competitively on her high school's water polo team for 3 years. Along with playing water polo, she has experience in sports like basketball and track & field. She has worked with kids of all ages as a physical therapist for children at a injury rehabilitation center.  

She goes to school at Cal Poly Pomona where she is studying business administration. In her free time, she enjoys running, watching Avengers movies and eating pasta. Her favorite movie is Captain America and her favorite animals are cats. She has a passion for challenging her own strengths and helping her students with their swim goals.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Mia

Mia has been swimming since she was 3 years old. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the backstroke. She has previous experience working with kids and students with special needs. 

She goes to school at Pasadena City College where she is studying nursing. Her favorite movie is Tangled and her favorite animals are cats. She has a passion for helping her students become more confident swimmers.

Additional Skills: Trilingual - Spanish & ASL

Mireya

Mireya swam competitively for 4 years and swam in junior guard. She won several water polo certificates and junior guard ribbons. She would help teach swim lessons as well as help her mother, who is a kindergarten teacher.

She goes to school at Pasadena City College where she is studying health engineering. In her free time, she enjoys being creative by drawing. She loves Hawaiian food and her favorite movie is Mulan. She is excited to help her students learn new skills.

Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish, Water Polo - 4 Years

Naomi

Naomi has been swimming since she was 2 years old and took swim lessons to perfect her skills. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience working with kids as a babysitter for kids of all ages. 

In addition to swimming, she has competed in cross country and track & field. Some of her hobbies include reading and playing pickle ball. Her favorite food is Thai food and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to help her students perfect their skills in the water.

Nico

Nico has been swimming since he was 4 years old and was trained by his uncle who was a professional water polo player. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the butterfly. He has experience working with kids as a basketball coach. 

He goes to school at Glendale Community College where he is studying biology. In his free time, he enjoys lifting weights and spending time with family and friends. His favorite movie is Toy Story and his favorite books are from the Harry Potter series. He is excited to make a difference in his student's lives. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Armenian

Nikki

Nikki has swam competitively ever since she was young with Sierra Madre. Her favorite stroke to perform and teach is the Backstroke. She was also a former lifeguard for Waterworks Aquatics. She has great experience with kids, being a babysitter for years.

She is excited to help students learn techniques and have fun at her lessons. Nikki also loves to bake and play soccer. Her favorite book is Harry Potter and loves to eat pizza. Nikki is funny, caring and outgoing.

Pamela

Pam started swimming when she was five years old after taking swim lessons. Her favorite stroke to swim is backstroke and she has a lot of experience play different sports. She taught her younger cousin how to swim and coached high school soccer, cross country and track and field.

She enjoys running, reading and hiking. Her favorite Disney movie is Hercules and her favorite book is Inkheart. She is excited to splash around in the water with her students and show them how fun swim lessons are.

Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish, Special Needs Instructor

Rachel

Rachel learned how to swim when she was five years old. She started swimming competitively from the Armada swim team when she was thirteen. In high school, she swam for the varsity school swim team for three years. Her favorite strokes to teach are freestyle and backstroke and her favorite event to swim is the 200 free. She has experience watching after her younger family members, ages 2 weeks to 3 years old.

She is passionate about art and enjoys knitting blankets. She is excited to watch her students improve and become independent in the water. 

Additional Skills: Varsity Swim Team - 4 Years

Rachelle

Rachelle began swimming when she was five years old by taking swim lessons. Her favorite stroke is the butterfly stroke and her favorite event to swim is the 100 yard freestyle. She began track and field at the age of eleven and won several medals. She also played softball where she won multiple trophies and earned high school awards. She has worked with children by volunteering at the Duarte Library and reading books to kids. She has further experience tutoring and babysitting.

She goes to El Paso Community College where she is studying nursing and child development. She loves animals and her favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid. She is looking forward to seeing her students accomplish their swimming goals.
 
Additional Skills: Bilingual – Spanish

Rebecca

Rebecca has been swimming ever since she can remember and joined the junior lifeguards for 3 summers. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience working with kids as a camp counselor and babysitter. 

She goes to school at Pasadena City College where she is studying film and television. Some of her hobbies include hiking, filmmaking and camping. She is excited to see her students grow!

Samantha

Sam has been swimming since she was 2 years old and swam competitively in elementary school. She has experience working as a babysitter for kids as young as 1 years old.

In her free time, she enjoys gardening, practicing her swim strokes and reading. Her favorite book is The Great Gatsby and her favorite movie character is Ariel. She is excited to teach her students about water safety.

Additional Skills: Special Needs Instructor

Thomas

Thomas has been swimming since he was 4 years old. He joined a youth swim team for 3 years and his favorite event to swim is the 200 IM. He worked as a lifeguard for 7 years and has been teaching swim lessons for the last 6 summers. Additionally, he has worked with kids as a camp counselor. 

He went to school at the University of Arizona where he studied political science. Some of his hobbies include running, reading and playing sports. His favorite movie is Cars and his favorite food is tacos. He is excited to help his students become more confident swimmers.

Ty

Ty has been competitively swimming since he was a child and is currently swimming for the Flintridge Prep School swim and water polo team. His favorite stroke to teach is freestyle and his favorite event is the 50 freestyle. He has worked as a counselor at a summer camp and has volunteered at the Boys and Girls club. 

In his free time, he enjoys swimming, surfing and playing football. His favorite movie is The Lion King and his favorite books are the Harry Potter books. He is excited to teach his students the valuable life skill of swimming.

Val

Val learned how to swim when she was seven years old and has loved the water ever since. She gained experience working with children through volunteering at a head-start school. Her favorite thing about teaching swimming lesson is the knowledge that she is passing on a new life skill. Val is currently studying Child Development at Pasadena City College. A fun fact about Val is that she loves everything Disney!

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish, Adult Lessons, Special Needs Instructor

Valery

Valery has been swimming since she was 5 years old. She has experience working here at Waterworks at a lifeguard for several years. She has a passion for making sure each student is safe in the water. 

In her free time, she enjoys crocheting and learning about film. Her favorite movies are the Harry Potter series and her favorite animals are cats. Her favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is helping perfect her student's technique. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Yudit

Yudit swam on her high school's swim team for all 4 years and her favorite event to compete in is the 100 free. As team captain, she led her team to the first round of CIF each year. She has experience working with kids as a daycare worker and a babysitter. 

She goes to school at Mt. SAC where she is studying psychology and has taken several child development courses. Some of her hobbies include making playlists, going to the beach and working out. Her favorite movie is Finding Nemo and her favorite book is Where The Red Fern Grows. She is excited to help her students build their confidence in the water. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish