Humanities

Humanities at Vistamar

Human experience, witnessed through history and expressed through literature, is most effectively studied as an integrated whole. The connections between different fields of knowledge are made explicit. Interdisciplinary topics, projects and discussions maximize the crossover benefits of investigating the historical context of literature and exploring the cultural production of political action. In 9th and 10th grade, this takes the shape of Humanities Core and Project courses which intertwine the traditional subjects of History and English. In 11th and 12th grade, required and elective courses allow for deeper dives into discipline specific studies, while still maintaining an interdisciplinary approach.

Department Objectives

These are the five key outcomes for Vistamar Humanities Students

Empathy – they have walked in others’ shoes across time/space and understand the many perspectives and cultures of the world
Synthetic learners – they see how literature, history, and other aspects of life are interrelated and interdependent
Communicators – they comprehend, write, and present their ideas effectively, confidently, and articulately in many different ways
Constructors of knowledge – they recognize how knowledge is constructed and are guided to create their own narratives
Active learners – they see education as a lifelong process that fosters their curiosity and informs how they interact with the world

Course Information

Humanities 9 (Core and Project): Global Studies
Humanities 10 (Core and Project): Ancient Civilization Studies
AP Human Geography
American Literature
AP English Language & Composition (11th)
English 12: LA Stories
English 12: Writer's Workshop
AP English Literature & Composition (12th)
US History
Honors US History
Honors Applied Economics
AP US Government and Politics (11th and 12th grade elective)
Psychology (Honors option) (11th and 12th grade elective)

Meet the Faculty

List of 8 members.

Sarah Older Aguilar

Department Chair, Humanities Faculty
Bio
Sarah Older Aguilar earned a BA from UCSB and a PhD in Comparative Literature from UCLA, where she taught Spanish language, freshman composition, and world literature courses before arriving at Vistamar. Combining her love for learning languages and experiencing new cultures, Sarah has studied abroad in Spain, France and Brazil. During her tenure at Vistamar, she has continued to pursue her academic and professional interests as an National Endowment for the Humanities scholar in Mexico City and a Writing Project fellow at UCLA's Center X.
Regan Buck Bardeen

Humanities Faculty and Global Education Coordinator
Bio
Dr. Regan Buck Bardeen joined the Vistamar community in 2022 as a member of the Humanities faculty and the Global Education coordinator. She holds a BA in History and Women’s Studies from the University of Kansas and a doctorate in African History from UCLA, which is how she came to know and love Los Angeles. Dr. Buck Bardeen has developed and taught a wide variety of history and Global Studies courses,both at universities and since 2017, as a teacher in LA independent schools. From her first study abroad experience, a high school exchange between Lawrence, Kansas and Eutin, Germany, to her doctoral research in Ibadan, Nigeria, Dr. Buck Bardeen has embraced every opportunity to learn about global communities through cultural immersion. She is excited to teach and learn alongside Vistamar students on their own journeys! Meanwhile, when she is at home, Dr. Buck Bardeen loves exploring LA with her family, digging up the garden or reading a great novel.
Stephanie Garcia

Humanities Faculty
Daniel Hernandez

Humanities Faculty
Bio
Daniel has taught history, has been a literacy tutor, and has been an instructional leader for the past ten years. He holds a BA in English from Syracuse University and a Masters in General Education.
David Pham

Humanities Faculty
Bio
Mr. David Pham discovered his joy and ability to teach back in middle school, setting him on his path as an educator. He earned a B.A. in political science and a minor in education at the University of California, Irvine and a M.A. in education at Stanford University. Along this journey, David held a variety of jobs, including layout editor for a college student publication, managing a non-profit youth arts organization, assisting at a law office, and working the 2010 U.S. Census. As an educator, he worked in public and independent high schools in the L.A. area before joining Vistamar School in 2016. David is proud of his contributions to the school. He enthusiastically jumped on board Vistamar's culture of growth by helping to redesign a United States history program that emphasizes depth over breadth. He also contributed to the return of Vistamar's Mock Trial team and developed a Criminal Trials exploratory class for students to learn about court procedure. An avid fan of baseball and fantasy baseball, David understands the value of versatile players who play multiple positions. So it's not surprising that he has taught a wide variety of subjects in his nine-year career, including ancient world history, modern world history, U.S. history, A.P. economics, A.P. United States government, and English.
Casey Quirarte

Humanities Faculty
Bio
Dr. Casey Quirarte joined the Vistamar community in 2021 after having Vistamar on her professional mind since our doors first opened in 2005. She is thrilled to begin her tenure as a member of the Humanities faculty, teaching 9th and 10th grades. Before joining Vistamar, Casey worked in Los Angeles Independent Schools as an administrator, program specialist, and Humanities instructor for 15 years. She has an A.A. from Santa Barbara City College, a B.A. from California State Long Beach, M.Ed and Ed.D degrees in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University, and she was a Fullbright-Hays scholar in Morocco. Casey is from Hermosa Beach, is a bibliophile, dog mom, firefighter wife, certified yoga instructor, and her favorite sport is beach volleyball.
Jennifer Silver

Humanities Faculty
Bio
Celebrating her 22nd year teaching, Mrs. Jennifer Silver is thrilled to have joined the Vistamar Humanities faculty in 2017. With undergraduate degrees in English and Psychology and an M.A. in Humanities, she is a longtime cross-pollinator across academic disciplines. She is the current president of the Southland Council of Teachers of English, one of the nation's largest English teacher associations. When not grading, planning, or learning from her students, you can find Mrs. Silver experimenting in the kitchen, traveling, writing nonfiction, or kayaking with her husband.
Kara Ukolowicz

Humanities Faculty
Bio
Kara holds a degree in English and Communications from UCLA and a Masters in Education and a teaching credential from Pepperdine University. Kara is a Shakespeare enthusiast and an avid reader. She has been teaching for 14 years and strives to use literature and the arts to engage and empower students to build a better world.