About Ms. Zapata

Ms. Zapata has been involved in the performing arts her entire life! As a child, she performed in community dance recitals and musical theater productions and participated in the band (symphonic, jazz, marching) and choir programs offered at her schools. In high school, she fell in love with the marching arts, and went on to perform with nationally competing winter drumlines (WGI), such as OCI and Pulse Percussion, and Drum and Bugle Corps(DCI), such as the Academy and Pacific Crest. She went on to receive her degrees in Instrumental Music Education (BM) and Percussion Performance (BM), as well as her single subject teaching credential (music) from CSU Long Beach. She also holds an MA in Elementary Education from SDSU, an Associates degree in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from Palomar College, and an MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from USD. She has completed the first two levels of Orff certification training through the San Diego American Orff-Schulwerk Association, as well. Outside of Cardiff Schools, Ms. Zapata has previously worked with various youth orchestras and high school marching band and concert percussion programs throughout Southern California. 

 As a lifelong animal-lover and advocate for avian conservation, you can also find her caring for parrots in a variety of settings! She is the Executive Director of Free Flight - a nonprofit parrot sanctuary in Del Mar, a regular transport volunteer for SoCal Parrot - a nonprofit rescue/rehab/release sanctuary for wild parrots throughout Southern California, and cares for her own flock of five rescue cockatiels at home: Romeo, Louie, Sizzle, Oreo, and Tofu!