Meet our team
Meet Our Administrators
The administrators at iQ Academy California – Los Angeles (IQLA) are ready to share their innovation, expertise, and enthusiasm with your family. The leadership is dedicated to empowering our school community.
Nickolas Stecken | Head of School
Nick is a third-generation teacher in his family and has worked in online schools for 10 years. He firmly believes that the online setting is a more flexible, accessible, and effective way to educate our students. Academically, he earned his credential from California State University – Northridge after achieving a degree in history. Prior to joining the online education system, he worked in the technology sector. Nick has a great appreciation for IQLA's ability to personalize the educational approach and find ways to serve each student better.
Cathy Wilson | Director of Student Engagement
Cathy received her bachelor's degree from California State University San Marcos and her master's in educational administration with an administrative credential from National University. She is currently completing her Doctorate in Applied Learning Sciences at the University of Miami. She began her career teaching in brick-and-mortar schools and has taught in classrooms from kindergarten through 8th grade. Cathy started teaching online in 2012. Prior to becoming the director of student engagement for iQ Academy, she served as an elementary teacher, middle school teacher, kindergarten–2nd grade lead teacher, and academic administrator for the elementary and middle school programs. Cathy believes whole-heartedly in the individualized model of education that iQ offers our families. iQ offers customized academic plans to our students and opportunities to engage with their teachers and peers in a meaningful way.
Jazmine Prinn | Elementary Academic Administrator
Jazmine holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education. She began her career teaching in a brick-and-mortar school in 2005 and taught high school English for about eight years before becoming an instructional coach and eventually a literacy director for one of the largest charter districts in Los Angeles. Jazmine then joined DirectEd, an educational management firm, where she could marry her institutional knowledge with online learning across several schools and hundreds of teachers and school support staff. That's where her spark for online education started, thus carving her pathway toward the endless opportunities that online schooling provides. She is excited and committed to making this option accessible to all families as they explore the best fit for their student's academic journey.
Janine Terrazas | Middle School Academic Administrator
With a career in education spanning more than 25 years, Janine Terrazas has developed a depth and breadth of experience across multiple subjects and grade levels. Janine holds a bachelor's degree in comparative literature from the University of California at Irvine and a master's degree in educational leadership from California Lutheran University. A servant-leader who uplifts and supports those she serves, Janine's work is informed by her two core values: the importance of social-emotional health and lifelong learning. Janine's purpose in life is to grow, learn, and help others along this path. She believes that social-emotional health is crucial for true learning to occur. True to her beliefs, Janine takes a holistic approach to education, leads with transparency and fairness, and conducts herself with love and compassion. Janine has a passion for guiding at-risk youth to push beyond their comfort zones in achieving their full potential and looks forward to cultivating a genuinely integrated social-emotional program.
Kristy Alexis | High School Academic Administrator
Kristy Alexis has been in education since 2012. She has a BS in biology and MS in education administration. She started her teaching career in South Florida as a biology and environmental science teacher. She has worked on environmental research teams, endangered species projects, and STEM and technology school grants. She believes in school choice and knows iQ Academy is the perfect school for many students. She has been working in online education for the past five years and is a firm believer that virtual schooling is the future of education for many students and families. She looks forward to leading and fostering a growing successful high school program—one that offers A-G curriculum, career technical field pathways and certifications, project-based learning, e-sports teams, and clubs.
