Faculty & Staff > Rachel Szalay
Rachel Szalay
Assistant Head of School
Rachel joined TCPS in 2011 as a Kindergarten teacher, a role she loved and held for ten years before stepping into her current position as Assistant Head of School. She holds a B.A. in Speech Communications from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and later earned her M.A. in Education and teaching credentials from Point Loma Nazarene University here in San Diego.
Before joining TCPS, Rachel taught K–3 music and served as a teacher trainer with the Peace Corps in Belize, where she also coached girls' soccer and co-led a girls' empowerment club. A native of Pennsylvania, her passion for education began during six formative years teaching preschool.
Outside of school, Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband and four children. She finds joy in cooking, singing, reading, creating art, and cheering on her kids at their sporting events. She’s also an active volunteer with a local women’s organization and a proud fellow of the San Diego Area Writing Project.
At the core of Rachel’s educational philosophy is a deep commitment to exploring identity and fostering a strong sense of belonging among students. She affectionately describes TCPS as her “happy place” and is a proud TCPS Tiger through and through.