LISA ANN DILLON

Lower School Director

If you’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of our History and Literature trainings, you will probably have heard Lisa Ann Dillon share fond memories of growing up in St. Louis, MO, and stories about fishing trips in the midwest! You also won’t be too surprised to find out that Lisa Ann has a B.F.A. in Theater Arts, given her obvious love of - and gift for - bringing stories to life. She can often be found reading aloud to her kids, and even to herself! After receiving her BFA from Webster University in St. Louis, Lisa Ann continued her education at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, receiving her credential and taking many Master’s level classes in the realm of Human Development. When she entered the credential program at Pacific Oaks College, she met professors who loved to teach and who were masters at making learning accessible for all. She remembers having been a poor student growing up who struggled to retain what she studied. When she discovered that she was a kinesthetic learner and that she could learn things on a deep level - that is when Lisa Ann’s fire was lit. She wanted to help other children develop that awareness and so pursued a teaching career. While living in Southern California, Lisa Ann taught at two different private schools grades K - 4, over a 9 year period. Her family relocated to the SLO area and, while on break from teaching to stay home with her first child (now a young man embarking on UMS @ SLOCA), Lisa Ann learned about the school from a few folks in town. “When I came and saw what was happening on campus” she says, “SLOCA had me at ‘Hello’." Ever since that fateful day in 2006, Lisa Ann has been hooked on our school, our community, and Classical Education. “Whether Classical Ed is administered well or poorly,” she says, “all students will learn! I think we are doing it beyond well and I have witnessed ordinary students become extraordinary scholars. It allows teachers to teach to the whole person which I have always cared about and by moving through the stages of the trivium, it meets the developmental needs of children at each stage.” When asked what she intends to learn in the year ahead, “Hm…” she responds, “I want to learn to cook.”