San Jose Swim Instructors

Akshat

Akshat began swimming for local youth swim teams when he was 6 years old. His favorite events to compete in are freestyle events and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the butterfly. He has experience working with kids of all ages as a coach at the gym for over a year. 

In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, painting and listening to music. His favorite movie is Lady and the Tramp and his favorite movie characters are Aladdin and Jasmine from Aladdin. He is excited to introduce his students to competitive swimming and teach them about water safety. 

Additional Skills: Trilingual - Hindi & Spanish

Alec G.

Alec has been swimming since he was four years old and began competitively swimming since he was eleven. His favorite stroke to swim is backstroke and his favorite event is the 50 freestyle. He has experience working as a swim instructor and as a swim team coach for ten years.

He went to school at Sacramento State where he majored in social studies and took child development classes. He enjoys being outdoors and hanging out with his friends. His favorite book is The Giver and his favorite movie is Lilo and Stitch. He enjoys seeing his student’s progression and teaching them new skills.

Alec O.

Alec has been swimming since he was 4 years old and swam competitively for several youth swim clubs. He swam for his high school's swim team and his favorite event to compete in is the 100 free. He swam with the junior lifeguards and worked as a lifeguard. He has 2 years of experience working as a swim instructor and worked with kids as an elementary school tutor. 

In his free time, he enjoys making art and playing video games. His favorite movie is Chicken Little and his favorite animals are hyenas. He is excited to have fun in the water with his students. 

Anabel

She taught herself how to swim at the age of 10 and her favorite stroke is backstroke. Anabel helped raise her youngest sister and has been babysitting since the age of 14. Her favorite aspect of being a swim instructor is watching her students apply corrections to their stroke and succeed on their own.

Anabel currently attends San Jose City College to major in English. In her free time she enjoys painting, dancing, and hiking. An interesting fact about Anabel is she likes goldfish!

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish; Adult Lessons

Andrew

Andrew swam competitively in high school for 2 years. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. He has experience working with kids as a babysitter for several years. 

In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking and learning about cars. His favorite animals are dogs and his favorite movie is Remember the Titans. He is excited to introduce his students to competitive swimming. 

Anthony

Anthony has been swimming since he was 8 years old by taking lessons here at Waterworks. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the backstroke. He has experience working with kids as a babysitter. 

In his free time he enjoys playing football and helping others. His favorite movie is Spider-Man and his favorite food is buffalo wings. He is excited to help his students grow in the water.

Ashley C.

Ashley has been swimming since she was 5 years old and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the backstroke. In addition to swimming, she has experience competing in track & field for 7 years and playing basketball for 2 years. She has worked with kids of all ages as a teacher, teacher's assistant and a child mentor. 

She goes to school at SJSU where she is studying sociology. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, reading and spending time with loved ones. Her favorite character is Mulan and her favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast. She is excited to teach her students new swim skills. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Ashley G.

Ashley swam competitively for 3 years and has been swimming ever since she can remember. Her favorite event to swim is the 200 free and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience teaching 3 students how to swim and has worked with kids as a babysitter and camp counselor. 

Some of her hobbies include baking, reading and watching cartoons. Her favorite movie is Cars and her favorite animals are snakes. She is excited to teach her students new swim skills.

Aurora

Aurora has been swimming since she took swim lessons in the 5th grade. Her favorite stroke to swim is the butterfly and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the breaststroke. She has a passion for helping others and has a determination to teach her students new skills. 

She goes to school at De Anza College where she is studying communications. In her free time, she enjoys poetry, art and hiking. Her favorite cartoon character is Eeyore and her favorite food is ramen. She is excited to help her students become stronger swimmers. 

Ben

Ben has been swimming for over 9 years and has been swimming competitively for 5 years. He swam on his high school's varsity swim team and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the backstroke. 

Some of his hobbies include gaming, golfing and biking. His favorite food is fried rice and his favorite animals are cats. He is excited to see his student's progress in the water.

Brody

Brody has been swimming since he was a toddler and took swim classes to perfect his swim technique. He swam on his high school's varsity waterpolo team for 3 years and has been swimming on a competitive swim team for 2 years. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. 

Some of his hobbies include playing sports and listening to music. His favorite movie is Toy Story and his favorite animals are cats. He is excited to help his students learn how to swim.

Bryan

Bryan has been swimming since he was 4 years old and his favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the backstroke. In addition to swimming, he has played football, soccer and track for most of his life. He taught his younger siblings how to swim and has experience working with kids as an activity coordinator at a golf course. 

Some of his hobbies include gaming, playing sports and being outdoors. His favorite movie is Spiderman and his favorite animals are snakes. His favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is making an impact on his student's lives. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Caitlin

She joins Waterworks Aquatics with 10 years of childcare experience from babysitting children as young as 6 months old. Her love for the water came at a young age after taking swimming lessons as a child. Caitlin’s favorite aspect of teaching swimming lessons is sharing the love she has for swimming and seeing her students overcome their fear of the water.

Caitlin is attending West Valley College with a focus on Biology. During her free time, she enjoys playing roller hockey and video games. One interesting fact about Caitlin is that she always gives it her all no matter what the challenge may be.

Additional Skills: Special Needs, Technique

Camila

Camila has been swimming since she learned at 1 years old. She swam competitively in high school and her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the breaststroke. Before become a swim instructor, she helped kids in the water as a lifeguard here at Waterworks. Additionally, she has worked as a babysitter for kids of all ages. 

She goes to school at De Anza College where she is studying health science. Some of her hobbies include reading, weightlifting and spending time with her loves ones. Her favorite movie is Mulan and her favorite animals are cats. She is excited to help her students reach their swim goals while making each lesson fun. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Camila

Camila swam with a youth swim club for 9 years and swam on her high school's varsity swim team. Her favorite event to compete in is the 200 medley and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the backstroke. She has experience working with kids as a teacher's assistant and babysitter. 

In her free time she enjoys painting, reading and baking. Her favorite food is orange chicken and her favorite movie is Maleficent. She has a passion for helping others learn new skills. 

Charlie

Charlie learned how to swim when he was four years old. He played football on his high school’s junior varsity team. He has been taking care of his younger nephews and enjoys bonding with children. He enjoys cars and his favorite animals are dogs. His favorite book is The Maze and his favorite tv show is Ben 10. He is excited to teach his students how to achieve their goals.

Corina

She is a self-taught swimmer and has enjoyed swimming her whole life. Corina gained experience working with children as a mother of two. She also has experience working with children with special needs as her younger sister has special needs. Her favorite part about teaching swim lessons is seeing her students excitement when they do a skill set correctly.

Corina is currently studying at Silicon Valley Education Foundation. A few of Corina’s hobbies include spending time with her children, reading, practicing the guitar, and going to the gym.

Desiree

Desiree swam competitively on her high school's varsity swim team for 2 years and continues to compete at the collegiate level. Her favorite event to swim is the 100 free and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the freestyle. She has experience working with kids as a babysitter.

She goes to school at De Anza College where she is studying kinesiology. Her favorite movie is Tangled and her favorite animals are orcas. She is excited to share her passion for swimming with her students.

Diego

Diego has been swimming ever since he can remember. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. He has experience working with kids as an after school leader and youth director. He has a passion for helping children learn new skills.

He goes to school at SJCC where he is studying graphic design. Some of his hobbies include djing, legos and spending time with his family. His favorite movie is Cars and his favorite food is wings. He is excited to introduce his students to the water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Francisco

He began swimming at age 15 and swam competitively throughout high school. Some of his favorite events include the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, backstroke in the 200 medley relay, and he often was the anchor in the 200 freestyle relay. He gained childcare experience through babysitting children between the ages of 2 and 5. Francisco's favorite part about teaching swim lessons is when the children begin to love swimming as much as he does.

Francisco is currently studying Business Marketing at DeAnza College. When Francisco is not in the water he enjoys watching sports and anime, biking, and playing video games.

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

Gabby

Gabby has been swimming ever since she can remember and her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. She has over 4 years of experience teaching swim lessons at Waterworks where she has worked with both kids and adults of all ages. 

She goes to school at West Valley College where she is studying geography. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking and playing with her dog. Her favorite movies are the Avengers films and her favorite tv show is Spongebob Squarepants. She has a passion for teaching her students about water safety. 

Grecia

Grecia began swimming at the age of ten and some of her favorite strokes include Butterfly and Freestyle. Grecia swam competitively for two years during high school and received a Varsity Swim certificate. Grecia gained experience working with children of all ages as a babysitter for the last fourteen years.

Her favorite part about teaching swimming lessons is being able to see as her student’s progress and become better swimmers. Grecia is currently attending Gavilan College and studying Natural Science. During her free time she loves to go on hikes, travel, watch movies and go on walks.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Ismael

Ismael has been swimming since he was 5 years old. He swam on his high school's varsity swim team for 2 years and his favorite event to compete in is the 50 free. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the backstroke. 

He goes to school at Evergreen Valley College where he is studying studio arts. In his free time, he enjoys making art and eating ramen. His favorite animals are cats and his favorite book is The Thief Lord. He is excited to help his students overcome their fear of the water. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Israel

Israel has been swimming ever since he can remember and his favorite stroke to swim is the backstroke. He has experience working as a church leader where he helped kids of all ages. 

He goes to school at San Jose State where he is studying computer engineering. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, watching tv and being around his family. His favorite movie is Pirates of the Caribbean and his favorite animals are dogs. He is excited to help his students reach their goals in the water. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish 

Israel M.

Israel has been swimming ever since he can remember and his favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. He has taught his younger family members the basics of swimming and has worked with kids as a tutor. 

In his free time he enjoys powerlifting and helping others. His favorite movies are Star Wars films and he loves Mexican food. He is excited to teach his students new skills. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Joey

Joey has been swimming since he was 2 years old and has been swimming competitively for 12 years. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the butterfly. He has 3 years of competitive water polo experience and 3 years of competitive weightlifting. He has taught lessons to kids and adults of all ages for 1.5 years. Additionally, he has worked with kids as a day care teacher for 1 year. 

He goes to school at Mission College where he is studying fire science. His favorite movie is La La Land and his favorite animals are cats. His favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is helping his students improve in the water. 

Johan

Johan began swimming at the age of five and has been swimming ever since. He has experience working with children as a babysitter and also taught his nieces and nephews how to swim. If he were to describe himself in three words, he would say fun, caring, and loud. Some of his hobbies include swimming, skating, running, hiking, and playing video games. His favorite movies include Frozen, Finding Nemo, and Wreck it Ralph and his favorite desserts include cheesecake and tres leches cake. He is very excited to help his students improve their swim techniques and become better and faster swimmers.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Jonny

Jonathan started swimming at the age of seven at the YMCA. In addition to swimming, he has played basketball for two years. He has worked with kids as a referee for three years. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball. His favorite food is pizza and his favorite animals are dogs. His favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is being able to teach his students a very important life skill.

 

Jose

Jose has been swimming ever since he can remember and swam at a summer camp at 15 years old to perfect his technique. In addition to swimming, he has played football and received an award when he was 14 years old. He has experience working with kids as a babysitter for over 7 years. 

He goes to school at SJSU where he is studying business administration. In his free time, he enjoys baking, trying new foods and playing badminton. His favorite movie is Up and his favorite book is The Great Gatsby. His favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is seeing each student grow. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Juan

Juan has been swimming since he was 7 years old. His favorite stroke to swim is the backstroke and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the freestyle. In addition to swimming, he has experience playing football, soccer and baseball. He has worked with kids as a babysitter.

Some of his hobbies include watching sports and spending time with his loved ones. His favorite movie is Spiderman and his favorite food is burritos. He is excited to help his students become more confident in the  water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Krystal

Krystal has been swimming since she was 4 years old. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. In addition to swimming, she competed in baseball and soccer. She has experience working with kids as a babysitter since she was 15 years old as well as working at a daycare. 

Some of her hobbies include playing sports, writing and drawing. Her favorite movie is Moana and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to help her students overcome their fear of the water. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish 

Leilani

Leilani has been swimming since the age of 6 and swam competitively throughout San Jose and the Bay Area. Her experience includes triathlon participation. While employed at Planet Snoopy, Leilani gained experience working with children of all ages. She was able to interact with many children and help keep them safe on rides. During her free time, Leilani enjoys hiking and camping.

Additional Skills: Competitive Swimming - 4+ Years

Lilia

Lilia began swimming at the age of seven with the help from her dad. As a previous swim instructor, Lilia has had the chance to work with both children and adults when it comes to swimming. Her favorite part about teaching swimming lessons is seeing as her students advance from one level to the next. She is currently attending West Valley College where she is studying Engineering. When she is not swimming she enjoys exercising, reading and watching movies.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Lizette

Lizette learned how to swim by taking swim lessons when she was 5 years old. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach others is the breaststroke. She played on her high school's water polo team for 3 years. She taught her new teammates how to tread water and basic water polo skills. She has worked with kids as a teacher's assistant for 2 years. 

She goes to school at SJSU for business and has taken several educational teaching classes. Some of her hobbies include rock climbing, hiking and playing card games. Her favorite character is Pink Panther and her favorite place to eat is In N Out. She is excited to help her students build their confidence in the water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Manny

Manny has been swimming since he was 8 years old. He has several years of experience working with kids as young as 2 years old as a babysitter. 

In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and eating tacos. His favorite movie is Toy Story and his favorite animals are guinea pigs. He is excited to help his students advance through swim levels and become stronger swimmers. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Marianna

Mari learned how to swim when she was four years old and her favorite stroke is Freestyle. She gained experience working with children through babysitting ages three months through twelve years. Her favorite thing about teaching swimming lessons is the knowledge that she is teaching a new lifelong skill. Mari is currently studying Law at De Anza College. A fun fact about Mari is that she loves to watch cartoons!

Meleah

Meleah began swimming as an infant and has been drawn to the water ever since! At the age of 7, she made her first splash in the world of competitive swimming and continued this career until college. She was the varsity captain of her high school's swim team all four years and elected captain of her college team at Santa Clara University her Freshman year. Her favorite events are the 100 Backstroke and the 200 IM.

Meleah has several years of babysitting experience, beginning when she was just 14. She truly developed her passion for working with children while stage managing a production of The Wizard of Oz in 2018. Soon after closing night, she began her career here at Waterworks and has been in love ever since. Meleah has a true passion for teaching what she loves and is absolutely thrilled to work with children as young as 3 months all the way up to adults.

Additional Skills: Special Needs, Competitive Swimming - 10+ Years & Varsity Captain

Murilo

Murilo has been swimming since he was 3 years old and swam on competitive youth swim teams for 4 years. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. He did lifeguard training for 2 years and has worked with kids as a babysitter.

Some of his hobbies include working on cars and driving. His favorite animals are cats and his favorite food is strogonoff. He is excited to help his students become safer swimmers.

Additional Skills: Trilingual - Portuguese & Spanish

Nallely

Nallely has been swimming since she was 10 years old. She swam competitively for two years in high school. Her favorite stroke is Breaststroke. As a babysitter, she has worked with children ranging in age from seven months to twelve years. Her favorite part about teaching swimming lessons is seeing her students overcome their fear of the water to achieve their swimming goals. Her hobbies include reading and staying active.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish, Swim Team - 2 Years

Nathan

Nathan played water polo competitively for 4 years. His favorite stroke to swim is the breaststroke and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the freestyle. He has experience working with kids as a basketball camp counselor for 2 years.

Some of his hobbies include surfing, playing water polo and mountain biking. His favorite food is pizza and his favorite animals are dogs. He is excited to see his students develop their skills in the water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Nhate

Nhate taught himself how to swim at the age of 6. He previously worked with children ages 6-12 through a Buddhist youth community, where he helped them learn about Buddhism, and assisted with their homework. Nhate is excited to teach his students and help them feel comfortable and safe in the water!

He currently attends Chabot College to study Psychology. Nhate loves music and enjoys playing the piano and singing.

Additional Skills: Adult Lessons

Nyla

Nyla learned how to swim when she took swim lessons here at Waterworks. Her favorite stroke to swim is the freestyle and her favorite stroke to teach her students is the butterfly. She has experience working with kids as a STEM teacher and as a library volunteer. 

Some of her hobbies include crafting, watercoloring and playing sports. Her favorite movie is Cars and her favorite food is Korean BBQ. She is excited to introduce her students to new swim skills.

Princella

Princella swam competitively on her high school's varsity swim team for 3 years. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. In addition to swimming, she has been involved in mixed martial arts for 8 years. She has experience working with kids as a martial arts teacher. 

In her free time she enjoys studying film, hiking and volunteering for the community. She loves Disney princesses and her favorite animals are cats. Her favorite thing about teaching swim lessons is helping her students become more confident in the water.

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Princess

Princess began swimming at the age of four with the help of her mother. Her favorite stroke to teach her students is breaststroke and her favorite event is the 50-yard freestyle. She swam competitively all four years of high school and played water polo for one year. She has experience working with children as a Waterworks Aquatics Deck Guard and through babysitting for friends and family.

She goes to school at West Valley College where she is studying Business Administration. In her free time, she enjoys swimming as well as hiking. Her favorite movie is Rapunzel and her favorite animals are dogs. She is excited to help her students become safer in the water while still having fun. 

Samantha

Samantha has been swimming since she was 4 years old and her favorite stroke to swim is the backstroke. In addition to swimming, she has experience playing volleyball for 1 year and soccer for 10 years. She has worked with kids of all ages as a babysitter for over 7 years. 

She goes to school at De Anza College where she is studying to become a nurse. In her free time she enjoys painting and watching her favorite movie, Lilo & Stitch. Her favorite book is The Great Gatsby and her favorite animals are wolfs. She is excited to help her students become more confident in the water. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Spanish

Shay

Shay has been swimming since she was 5 years old. Her favorite stroke to swim and teach her students is the freestyle. In addition to swimming, she has competed in soccer, flag football, wresting and jujitsu. She has experience with kids as a babysitter for her younger siblings. 

In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym and dancing. Her favorite movie is The Little Mermaid and her favorite food is sushi. She is excited to help her students achieve their goals. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - ASL

Shri

Shri has been swimming ever since he can remember and swam competitively for over 8 years. His favorite event to swim is the 50 free and his favorite stroke to teach his students is the freestyle. He has experience working with kids as a summer camp counselor and tutor. 

Some of his hobbies include playing football, listening to music and swimming. His favorite movie is Aladdin and his favorite food is sushi. He is excited to help his students grow in the water,

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Hindi

Toni

Toni has been teaching students of all ages with Waterworks since 2015. Her favorite strokes to teach are freestyle and breaststroke. She has also played volleyball and softball. In high school, she was a lifeguard at Raging Waters. She has experience as an ABA therapist and as a para teacher for special needs students.

In her free time, she enjoys fishing and her favorite food is spaghetti. She looks forward to helping her students get over their fear of the water and with their dives.

Additional Skills: Special Needs

Tyson

Tyson began taking swimming lessons at the age of eight and his favorite stroke is Breaststroke. As the former manager for a girls’ softball team, he feels very comfortable teaching and helping children learn something new. Some of his hobbies include fishing, playing baseball, and cooking.

Viet

Viet has been swimming since he was 10 years old and continued to take swim lessons through high school to perfect his swim technique. His favorite stroke to swim and teach his students is the freestyle. He has experience teaching the younger kids in his family, including his sister and cousins how to swim. 

He goes to school at San Jose State University where he is studying biological science. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym and playing video games. His favorite movie is Cars and his favorite books are the Percy Jackson series. He is excited to see each student progress throughout their swim lessons. 

Additional Skills: Bilingual - Vietnamese

Wenji

Wenji has been swimming since she was six years old and her favorite food is french fries. She has competed competitively in both open water and triathlon events, and her favorite event to swim is 100 meter relays. She has a big passion for helping students who are afraid of the water overcome their fear and her favorite thing about teaching is seeing her students become water safe.

Wenji has been teaching swim lessons since 2013, and besides swimming she also loves crafting, sewing, and urban gardening. Wenji is also fluent in Malay and Chinese, and has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.