About the Preschool Faculty

Kristine Vardanyan - Preschool Director
For over 10 years, Kristine Vardanyan has been involved in different capacities in the field of early childhood education. Her varied roles have included: Master Teacher, Mentor Teacher, Executive Director, Child Advocate, and College Lecturer. She received a degree in B.S. from California State University, Los Angeles. She then earned a degree in Master of Arts in Human Development with an emphasis on College Teaching from Pacific Oaks College, which is one of the leading institutions in the United States that focuses on early childhood development. Kristine has proudly and successfully led the Saint Sebastian Preschool through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation process. Currently, Kristine is pursuing a Doctoral degree in Education from Loyola Marymount University.

Bessy Arriaza - Preschool Teacher
Bessy Arriaza is very excited to be a member of our Preschool team. Bessy has been teaching preschool for the past ten years, working at two other preschools in the Los Angeles Area. She will be transferring to California State University at Los Angeles (CSULA) where she will be completing her Bachelor’s of Art in Child Development. Afterwards, Bessy plans to earn her Master of Arts in Child Development. Bessy has always dreamt of being a teacher and is happy to be part of the St. Sebastian School community. Working with children and their families is her lifelong passion and one of the most rewarding professions. She has taught at St. Sebastian Preschool for 3 years.

Christine Yerikian
Christine Yerikian is proud to be a part of our St. Sebastian preschool team. Since she was a young child herself, she knew that she wanted to be a teacher. She looks forward to coming to her second home everyday to help facilitate our children’s growth and work with the parents as a team. What Christine loves the most about working with children is their constant need to always learn. She believes that children learn the most when they are in an environment that is respectful and in tune with their interests and needs. Christine has been working at St. Sebastian preschool for four years and is currently two classes away from receiving her Associate of Arts Degree in Child Development.