Juan Alvarez
Principal at Doig Intermediate School

Juan Alvarez, principal of Doig Intermediate, brings over two decades of experience in education within the Garden Grove Unified School District in Southern California. Beginning as a substitute teacher, he progressed to a Special Education teacher role and later served in the district's Instruction Office. With five years as assistant principal at Santiago High School, Juan has a proven track record of fostering academic success and supporting multilingual students and educators. A product of the Garden Grove Unified School District himself, Juan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California, Irvine, and obtained his teaching credential and a Master of Arts in Special Education from Chapman University. Committed to empowering students and furthering excellence in education, Juan leads with compassion and dedication at Doig Intermediate.

Lisa Woelfer
English and AVID Excel Teacher at Doig Intermediate

Lisa Woelfer brings over a decade of dedicated teaching experience to the field, with a specialized focus on supporting English language learners. As an AVID Excel teacher, Lisa has empowered students to excel academically and linguistically, fostering an environment of growth and inclusivity. Her passion for education is evident in her commitment to personalized instruction and innovative teaching methods. Lisa's expertise lies in creating dynamic learning environments that cater to the unique needs of English language learners, ensuring every student reaches their full potential. Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Educational Administration from Concordia.

Dr. Sacha Bennett
Manager, Teaching and Learning

Dr. Sacha Bennett leads the AVID Advancing Multilingual Learner programming, which includes AVID Excel, AVID Emerge™, Academic Language and Literacy, and English Language Development Summer Bridge. Sacha previously served as a secondary literacy coach, a teacher specialist, and a district program facilitator. Sacha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fullerton. She has a Doctorate in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University.

Steve Elia

Program Specialist, Teaching and Learning

Steve Elia has been an educator for over 35 years—first as a mountain guide at wilderness-based schools, later as an English language arts and English language development teacher and bilingual coordinator, and now as a program specialist on AVID’s Teaching and Learning team. Steve also currently serves as school board president in Bishop, California. He is a contributing author of AVID Excel: Volumes 1 & 2, Teaching With Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach, and California English and has presented at state and national conferences for over 20 years. Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Vassar College and received his Master of Education from National University.