Academic Schedule
Academic Schedule
Academic Schedule
Individualized Study
Individualized Study

The Lighthouse Christian Academy
Teachers and Staff

Josh Young Principal, Bible, History
Josh Young received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UCLA and his Master of Divinity from The King's University. Josh is a graduate of LCA who also married a LCA graduate. After spending several years at an engineering firm, he left the corporate world to make impact in the lives of young people. He started working at LCA in 2012 as an administrator and teacher. He became the principal in 2018. Josh has the desire to see students achieve their full potential. He also serves as an assistant pastor at the Lighthouse Church and volunteers as a chaplain for the Santa Monica Fire Department. Josh loves his family and Jesus.

Mike Ashcraft English, Spanish
Mike has been teaching for many years both in the United States and Guatemala, where he was a missionary for almost 16 years. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from UCLA, graduating Magna Cum Laude. While on the mission field in Guatemala he founded a school. Now, back in the United States, Mike teaches English and Spanish. He is the pastor of the Lighthouse Church in Van Nuys and enjoys his family, journalism and soccer.

Zach Scribner Science, Math
Born and raised in the Lighthouse Church, Zach attended the Lighthouse schools from kindergarten through high school and graduated from LCA in 2009. He graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He has worked at the Lighthouse schools for the last eight years in various roles including football coach. He desires to see students excel and looks for the good in people. He has served as the youth pastor for the Lighthouse Church.
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Rebekah McNamara Science
Received her Bachelors of Arts in Sports Science with an emphasis on Rehabilitation from Concordia University in Irvine, CA. She graduated in 2009 and began teaching at LCA that fall. She taught at LCA from 2009-2012 and left in 2012 to raise her family. She came back to teaching in 2020. She has been born and raised in the Lighthouse Church and has attended the Lighthouse Schools from K-12. She believes in the vision of the church and school and desires to create an atmosphere where the students love school and want to draw closer to God.

Rachel Peterson English
Rachel grew up right here In LA. She graduated from The Lighthouse, earned her BA from UCLA and her Masters and Teaching Credential from Pepperdine University. She is the oldest of 5 siblings but not the tallest! She loves animals of all kinds and her family has had every type of pet imaginable: snakes, hamsters, lizards, rats, fish, cats and dogs. And while she is an avid reader she also like sports and the outdoors. She has played a variety of sports and summited a few mountains around the world. And because of all the difficulty in traveling she started doing crossfit and has competed Tough Mudders and Spartan Runs. It is her belief that God delighted in creating us all unique and talented but it is up to us to discover who we are. All you can be is the best possible YOU! And the best way to do that is through personal reflection, God's guidance, people who care for you, hard work and patience. While she is an English teacher she has a great love of all knowledge. Being a lifelong learner ensures that you will never be bored, have an unending source of creativity, and will always be learning something cool about God and his creation.

Kathy Payton Independent Study Program
Kathy Payton has been working with the Lighthouse Schools for almost two decades. Kathy heads up the Independent Study program, which offers students a self-paced, modified curriculum tailored to their learning needs. Her patience, comprehension and firm yet gentle hand make her the loving teacher who is everyone's favorite.

Pat Neos Administration
Hailing from the East Coast, Pat Neos tames the load of secretarial work. Her oldest son is a pastor in Port Hueneme as well as public school teacher. Her youngest son is a pastor in Hesperia and a principal/teacher there. Church and education runs through her family and we are blessed to have her at our school.