ACE TEAM

SARAH MCKEE

Owner / CEO

Sarah McKee has spent her entire career working with children. At thirteen years old, she began coaching preschool gymnastics to help pay for her own gymnastics competitions. Sarah learned from a young age the value of hard work and the importance of giving back in everything you do. After graduating from college, Sarah continued to coach gymnastics, while also working as a coordinator for a children’s non-profit organization in Los Angeles. With a desire to merge her two passions, Sarah and her husband Sutton McKee, acquired ACE Enrichment in 2016, with the goal of offering every child in Los Angeles and beyond an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful, high quality educational and athletic programs after school.

TORIE CULBERTSON

Program Director

Torie discovered her passion for working with children when she became a nanny during college. Torie was studying to be a physical therapist, but her newfound love for children and upbringing instilled a desire for her future career to go in a different direction. Growing up, Torie spent most weekdays in a variety of after school extracurricular activities while her single mother juggled multiple jobs. When Torie found ACE, it was a perfect fit. She immediately connected with the mission statement, “ALL children deserve the best opportunities!” Torie officially switched careers and is a vital part of helping create engaging and interactive spaces for students to explore and develop.

Meet Our Instructors

Alexandria Ayala

Alex is originally from Taunton, Massachusetts. She attended Emerson College in Boston and majored in Communication Disorders and minored in Marketing. She has trained in various styles of dance for over 20 years including hip hop, ballet, jazz, tap, and more. Alex has over 10 years of experience in teaching children. She held her own fundraiser for Autism Speaks and has taught children with learning restrictions and disabilities for a majority of her teaching career. Alex is pursuing a career in music and dance. She enjoys traveling, trying new foods, shopping, and fitness. We are grateful for Alex’s commitment to teaching children and are proud to have her as a part of the ACE Team!

Lola Akinola

Lola is originally from New York, NY. She attended the City University of New York. Lola has been teaching with ACE since 2019. She is trained to teach children in many different areas such as cooking, cheer, art, and much more! Lola is also a recipe developer and actor. She loves cooking and baking to create nutritious and delicious recipes. When she’s not in the kitchen, you can find Lola outdoors at the beach or on a hike. Lola loves sharing her passions and knowledge with ACE students. We are grateful for her commitment to the ACE program!

Sylvain Wolfe

Sylvain has been teaching with ACE since 2021. He is from Santa Monica and is attending Santa Monica College. Sylvain has been teaching younger kids in sports and other activities since he was a teenager and also has experience as a nanny and childcare provider. His long term goal is to be a coach and athletic director. Sylvain is passionate about music, cooking, sports, and film. We are grateful to have Sylvain as a part of our team, not only is he a great teacher, but he cares deeply for each student that participates in his classes!

Will McAfee

Will has been teaching with ACE since 2022. He is originally from Arkansas, but also grew up in Missouri and Colorado. Will moved to Los Angeles to attend performing arts school. He graduated from AMDA LA with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Theater. Will has been dancing for 15 years and continues to train! Will is a professional dancer and hopes to move into doing more choreographing in the future. He enjoys skateboarding, mountain biking, and learning to crochet. We are grateful for the care he puts into each of his classes. Will has been a great asset to the ACE Team!

David Robinson

David is originally from San Diego. He moved to Los Angeles to attend Santa Monica College and is pursuing a career in music. David has been working with children for many years through a variety of settings that include private music lessons and after school care. He has been teaching with ACE since 2022. He enjoys spending time in nature, learning new things, and playing music. David has been a great asset to the ACE Team!

Brandon Delsid

Brandon is from Fresno, California and studied acting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in Los Angeles. Brandon has spent much of his career teaching and directing kids of all ages. He has a passion for film and all things stage, particularly musicals. Brandon loves to sing and act. In everything he teaches, Brandon hopes to help students experience the beauty of all things art. And we are delighted to have him as a part of the ACE team!

Taya Thonen

Taya is from Olathe, Kansas and moved to LA to continue her professional career as a commercial dancer, actress, and model. Taya has been teaching dance for over 10 years to students 2-18 years old. One of her future goals is to create a mindfulness youtube channel for students centered around yoga, dance, art and meditation. In her free time, Taya enjoys the outdoors, reading and meditation. We're so grateful to have Taya a part of ACE!

Jess Alba

Jess grew up in Portland, Oregon. She graduated with a BFA in Dance from AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Jess has been woking as a professional dancer for over two years in Los Angeles. Her dream is to eventually go on an international tour with an artist. Jess taught and choreographed dance all over the country, including for countless children’s programs. When Jess isn’t teaching or dancing, she enjoys photography, crochet, the gym and most of all, art! We are thankful for all the creative energy Jess brings to the ACE team.

Melissa Barrow

Melissa is from Mount Olive, New Jersey. She graduated from AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts with a BFA in Dance Theater. Melissa is a professional dancer and has performed with Cirque D Solei, Broadway to the Rescue, as well as for music videos, commercials and more. When Melissa isn’t performing, she has a passion for teaching and working with Children. She loves hiking, cooking, food and shopping. Melissa brings her passion and creativity wherever she goes and has been an awesome part of the ACE team.

Kunga Sagar

Kunga is a Los Angeles local and grew up in Santa Monica, CA. He graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Film. The oldest in his family, Kunga grew up taking care of many young siblings and relatives, helping him develop his passion for teaching. He spent time teaching English to young monks at a Tibetan Monastery in India, as well as volunteering at YMCA afterschool programs. When Kunga isn’t teaching he enjoys watching and studying film and television, playing basketball and listening to music. We are stocked to have Kunga as a part of the ACE Team.

Scout Nankin

A Los Angeles native, Scout, attended the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance/ LACHSA. Scout has years of experience teaching dance and working with children. One of Scout’s goals is to become a choreographer. In their free time, Scout enjoys cooking, traveling, painting and exploring the outdoors. We are grateful to have Scout be apart of the ACE team!

Diana Sanchez

A Los Angeles native, Diana attended LACC. Diana has been working with children for over 10 years, specializing in work with children who have special needs. Diana's passions include cooking, doing nails, long walks, and coffee. Her current goal is to learn coffee art. Diana is a valuable instructor with ACE and we're grateful to have her on the team!

Miriam Galdamez

A West Los Angeles native, Miriam, attended Christian School. Miriam is a youth paster and has over 10 years of experience teaching children. She loves sports, music, and coffee. She hopes to open her own coffee shop. We are grateful to have Scout be apart of the ACE team!

Lilly Donkel

Lilly was born in Chicago, IL. She attended UCLA for education and law. She has been working with children most of her lives in various roles such as swim instructor, camp counselor, nannying. Lilly loves exercising, cooking, and live music. She is passionate about looking out for others. She has worked as a lifeguard and is ultimately working to become a lawyer and teacher.

Hope Maloney

Hope grew up in Hartford City, Indiana. She attended the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles. Hope is a dancer, choreographer, stylist, director and movement coach. She has over five years experience teaching children. A creative spirit inside and outside of the classroom, Hope enjoys drawing, painting, makeup, reading and watching TV. Hope has been a great addition to the ACE team.

Gerri Nikole Love

Love grew up in Douglasville, Georgia and attended college at New York University where she studied acting. While in New York, Love taught for Curtain Up, Opening Act and various children’s dance classes. Love has a passion for acting and teaching her skills to children. When Love isn’t teaching or acting, you can find her snuggling with her fur babies, singing or dancing. We love the passion Love brings to the ACE team!

Teresa Luna

Luna is from Dallas, Texas. She graduated from the University of North Texas at Dallas. Luna has a passion for teaching and was previously an elementary school teacher for four years. When not in the classroom, Teresa enjoys traveling and finding great places to disappear into a good book. She is an avid runner and hiker. We are grateful for the passion Teresa brings to ACE and proud to have her as a part of the team.

Sierra Don

Sierra is from Fresno, CA where she earned her BA in Theatre Arts - Dance with a minor in Child Development at California State University, Fresno. She then moved to Oakland, CA where she earned her MFA in Choreography with a Teaching Pedagogy focus at Mills College. She has been teaching various styles, levels, and ages of dance for 14 years. Since moving to LA in 2021, Sierra has taught as a college dance professor, directed youth dance programs, and more. We are grateful to have her as program assistant and instructor!

David Robinson