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El Monte Union High School District

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Meet Our Administration

Meet Our Administration

  • A man in a blue suit and tie smiles for the camera.

     

    A longtime community resident, Dr. Zuniga attended elementary school in the Mountain View School District before his student days at El Monte High School.  Dr. Zuniga began his career in education as a teacher and coach at El Monte High School.   He then assumed Assistant Principal positions at South El Monte High School and Arroyo High School, and in 2007 was promoted to Principal at South El Monte High School.  In 2012, he was named Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. In 2016, he was named Interim Superintendent until his appointment as Superintendent.

    Dr. Zuniga resides in Arcadia, California and is very involved in the local community.  He previously served on the Board of the El Monte City School District, is an active member of the Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Association, and is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Association of California School Administrators.   

    Degrees and Certifications:

    Dr. Zuniga received his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and his Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Azusa Pacific University. He recently completed his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California.

  • A man in a blue suit and striped tie smiles at the camera.

     

    Dr. Michael Lin previously served as the Chief Business Official at the San Marino Unified School District and has over a decade of experience as a site principal where his schools were recognized with the Title I Academic Achievement Award (La Rosa School, 2011), the California Distinguished School Award (Carver School, 2018), and the National Blue Ribbon Award (Carver School, 2020).

    He also has experience as a district office administrator in Educational Services overseeing Assessments & Accountability and Instructional Technology. Prior to his administrative roles, he taught high school Mathematics and AP Computer Science at Mark Keppel HS. He worked for a large investment bank on Wall Street before finding his calling as an educator following the events of 9/11. 

    A two-time PTA Honorary Service Award recipient from his two previous school districts, Dr. Lin is professionally-certified as a Chief Business Official by the California Association of School Business Officials. He also holds an Administrative Services Credential and a Single Subject Teaching Credential in the State of California. Dr. Lin has also served as a publicly elected member of the Temple City Unified School District Governing School Board from 2018-2022.

    Degrees and Certifications:

    Dr. Lin completed his bachelor’s degree in engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art on a full-tuition merit scholarship. He earned his MBA from the Zicklin School of Business in New York. His doctorate degree in Educational Leadership was earned from Azusa Pacific University.

  • A woman with long dark hair smiles warmly at the camera, wearing glasses and a light gray blazer.

    Dr. Laura Rivas is the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the El Monte Union High School District. She brings over 25 years of experience in education to this role, having served as a teacher, categorical programs advisor, assistant principal, principal, and director of secondary education.

    Prior to joining the El Monte Union High School District, Dr. Rivas spent four years as the Director of Secondary Education with the Rowland Unified School District. Before that, she was at Warren High School in Downey for 10 years, serving first as assistant principal and then as principal from 2013 to 2019. During her time as principal at Warren High, the percentage of students completing their A-G requirements, a measure of college and career readiness, increased by nearly 15%. Warren High School also received the California Gold Ribbon Award in 2015 under her leadership.

    Dr. Rivas is described as an accomplished educator and strong communicator, dedicated to student success. She is a passionate supporter of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), believing it is a framework to achieve equity in education by providing comprehensive support for students' academic and social-emotional needs. She emphasizes collaboration and partnership in education, working with administrators, teachers, parents, and students to improve student outcomes.

  • A woman with long black hair and glasses smiles warmly at the camera.

    Robin Torres is the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the El Monte Union High School District. She officially took on this role on July 1, 2020.

    Torres has a long history with the El Monte Union High School District, spanning 35+ years. She began her career in 1985 as a physical education and life science teacher at El Monte High School. A credentialed Adapted Physical Education Specialist, she coached various sports, including girls volleyball and boys/girls cross country, taught sports medicine, and served as student leadership coordinator.

    Her administrative career began in 2000 as assistant principal for activities at Mountain View High School. After a year, she returned to El Monte High as assistant principal for student services. From 2005 to 2010, she was assistant principal for instruction, dividing her time between El Monte and Rosemead high schools. In 2010, Torres became the head of the El Monte-Rosemead Adult School, where she helped develop career technical education and parent education programs. She returned to El Monte High School in 2013 and served as its principal for seven years before her promotion to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.