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.

LAURA UICAB

Program Assistant

Growing up in a family of educators, it was only natural for Laura to gravitate towards working with children. Laura often helped her family create lesson plans and even assisted in the classroom. After spending time caring for her young nephew during the pandemic, her interest in child development went from spark to passion. Laura began studying Child Psychology at LACC, while she gained experience working at the YMCA. Laura recently joined the ACE team to continue her goal of providing children with endless opportunities to be creative, while expanding her knowledge in child development.

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!

Jesse Andrews

Jesse is from Van Nuys, California. He's currently in school studying economics and accounting. Jesse is also very involved in working with kids, whether that involves coaching them how to play chess or tutoring them after school. Some of his passions include writing, music, and art. In fact, two of his major goals are to become a professional screenwriter or musician. We are excited to have Jesse on board with the ACE team !

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.

Alton Pitre

Alton was born and raised in Los Angeles, and is a graduate from Morehouse College. Alton loves expressing himself in many different ways from journaling to photography and even sports. He has experience coaching and playing basketball while still mentoring the youth. His passions include reading poetry and playing chess in his free time.

Anna Minakora

Originally from Ukraine, Kharkiv Anna is now one of our new instructors here at ACE. She has 6 years of experience teaching not only sports but dance and art as well. On the weekends you'll find Anna doing aerial gymnastics and ballet . Her goal is to teach professionally in the entertainment industry. We are eager to have Anna with us at ACE !

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!

Charlotte Robinson

Charlotte is a Los Angeles local, who attended Santa Monica College and Los Angeles Musical Theater Studios. She also has experience working on kids theater. Some of her goals are to continue musical theater, dance, and acting. During her free time, Charlotte loves to surround herself with nature and keep active. We are excited to have Charlotte on board with the ACE team !

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!

Amber Jones

Originally from Ohio, Amber now lives in Los Angeles California. She's a graduate from Capital University with a bachelor in Arts and is currently in grad school working for her masters in Psychology. She plans on using her degree to become a marriage and family therapist. Amber has had many experience working with kids, from being a ESL teacher to a touring performer for kids shows. We are delighted to have her as a part of the ACE team!

Janella Smith

Janella is from Tarzana, California. She has attended Cal State Northridge and has over 25 years of teaching experience. Before working with kids she was actually working as a librarian, where she was inspired for her goal to become a children’s short story author. Janella loves traveling, journaling, and going on new adventures. On the weekends you can find her by the ocean writing one of her future short stories.

David Robinson