Our Team
La Jolla Presbyterian Church Preschool is built on the strength of our nurturing and inspiring staff.
Leadership Team
Mrs. Barbara
De La Loza
Preschool Director
Barbara is honored to serve as the Preschool Director of La Jolla Presbyterian Church Preschool. She possesses an Associate’s Degree in Child Development from MiraCosta College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and a Master’s Degree in Child Development and Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College in Boston, MA. Before becoming the La Jolla Pres Preschool Director in 2014, she obtained twenty-three years of experience as a preschool college professor teaching Child Development and Early Childhood Education at MiraCosta College. Throughout her twenty-three years of experience, her journey has led her through many years as a Sunday School volunteer, nine years as a Program Coordinator for the YMCA, over ten years as a Early Childhood Education Instructional Specialist for MiraCosta College, a year as a full-time assistant director for Shandon United Methodist Church Preschool and Kindergarten in Columbia, SC, and a lifetime of loving and caring for children. She is passionate about working with children and feels blessed to be able to learn from them each day.
Miss Jesslyn Hewitt
Administrative Assistant
Jesslyn brings a professional background in corporate healthcare data analytics and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management. Having grown up in a family of educators, she has a deep respect for early childhood education and the lasting impact educators have on young learners. Guided by her faith, Jesslyn is grateful and honored to support our preschool community and contribute to a nurturing, well-organized environment where children and families feel known, valued, and cared for.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring San Diego’s beaches, playing pickleball, reading, cooking, and spending time with her dog, Duke.
Mrs. Nancy Duty
Resource Specialist
Nancy is very excited to be a part of the excellent staff here at La Jolla Presbyterian Church Preschool. She has been joyfully working in the field of early childhood education for over 32 years. Nancy and her daughters have taught children's church and Sunday school. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Cal State University East Bay with a specialty in Early Childhood Education. She has worked in a variety of children's programs, teaching children ages 3 to 6. Working with preschool children has been Nancy's life work and she learns something new with each child she is privileged to meet. Nancy is an avid Padres fan and loves to attend games with her husband and her daughters, Amber and Elisabeth.
Miss Lillian Johnson
Outdoor Classroom Teacher
Lillian feels so blessed to be a part of the La Jolla Presbyterian Church Preschool family! She moved to San Diego in 2019 to attend college and has been here ever since. She earned her Bachelor's in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University, where she focused her studies on art education and youth theater as well as theatrical directing. During her time in college, she was blessed with the opportunity to become a preschool teacher, where she discovered her love for early childhood education. Lillian is passionate about showing children the joys of exploring, growing, and learning with the Lord at their side. She is so excited to share with the children her love of movement, music, nature, and all the outdoors has to offer them. Outside of teaching, Lillian is a theatrical director and actress, an avid reader, a baker, and a proud dog-mom.
