Meet the Team!

---

Emily Piceno grew up in Irvine, CA. She received her BA in Education at the University of Kentucky. She taught in public and private school for five years and has worked with students K-12. She has presented at international conferences over classroom engagement based on her research and findings.  She has run STEAM camps over the summers for the past 10 years for K-8th grade students. She is a credentialed Multiple Subject Teacher in the State of CA.  She is also an accredited IEW writing instructor.  Her energy, enthusiasm, and understanding of the best practices makes her a great leader at Creative Academy Tutoring Center.

Loren "Bubba" Barnett was born and raised in Irvine, CA.  He graduated co-valedictorian from high school at the age of 16.  As working parents of two girls, he and his wife wanted a place where his homeschooling daughters could go work with a professional teacher to help them progress in her studies. This is why he teamed up with Emily to open Creative Academy.  

When not at the tutoring center, you may find him on the soccer field.  He is a former professional soccer referee who now focuses on instructing and mentoring new or up-and-coming referees, while also still refereeing at the collegiate level himself.

Karla Hernandez Leon was born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.  She received her BS in General Business Administration and her MS in Computer Science at Louisiana State University in Shreveport.  She was the Communications Coordinator at LSUS.  Her experience and love for Spanish, her mother language, brought her to Creative Academy as a tutor and Spanish teacher.

Karla is also a fitness enthusiast and former national champion weightlifter.