- Abby Andrea
- Ai Kuwayama
- Alexandria Moler
- Bethany Mendenhall
- Bob Mueller
- Brianna Gable
- Cali Tolbert
- Cindy Solomon
- Cole Davis
- Daniel Dominguez
- Danna Yunis
- Dylan Pitts
- Heather Lawrence
- Heidi Wilson
- Jennifer Melford
- Jo-Ann Humphus
- Kashmone Hamilton
- Katherine Sasseen
- Kayleen Ruiz
- Keith van der Walde
- Kelli Pedone
- Laura Wheeler
- Lisa Lamont
- Lisa Molkenbuhr
- Lucy Gonzalez
- Megan Hollyfield
- Natalie Quinn
- Nikki Winters
- Sam Williams
- Sonya Schafer
- Sugar Ray Holden
Abby Andrea
Abby is a current SDSU student pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. She is an ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor, and took the Group Fitness Instructor Training ENS Credit Class at the ARC before getting her certification. Abby is a firm believer that fitness should be used as a way to nourish one's body not to punish it! Abby has a background in gymnastics and strength training and is hoping to share her love of fitness with the SDSU community.
Ai Kuwayama
Ai is originally from Japan and she graduated with a Masters in Kinesiology in Integrative Wellness from Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), NASM Certified Personal Trainer, AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor, AEA certified aqua instructor and 500 Registered Yoga Teacher. In addition to teaching group fitness classes, Ai is the Fitness & Wellness Supervisor for Aztec Recreation. She has been teaching Group Exercise classes for 14 years and is very passionate about both teaching and taking Group Exercise classes. Ai believes in the powerful ability of group exercises to improve and promote individuals’ physical and mental well-being.
Alexandria Moler
Alex Moler is an undergraduate student at SDSU majoring in Kinesiology, Fitness Specialist. In the future she plans on working in the sports medical field running her own consultant business and helping clients achieve their fitness and health goals. All things related to health and fitness became a passion of hers when she tore her ACL twice playing soccer. Rehabilitation and group fitness became a huge part of her life during her recovery from two knee surgeries. After attending multiple group fitness classes, she got her certification to become a group fitness instructor. As an instructor she hopes to inspire others to stay active, healthy and reach their fitness goals while participating in a safe and welcoming environment. Come join her on this exciting new journey, SDSU community!
Bethany Mendenhall
Bethany was born and raised in San Diego, and graduated from SDSU in 2019 with a B.A. in psychology. She has been teaching both cycling and yoga classes at the ARC since 2019. In addition to teaching group fitness, Bethany teaches ENS Beginning Yoga, co-teaches ENS Group Fitness Instructor Training, and is one of Aztec Recreation's Fitness and Wellness Program Assistants. Her love of fitness stems from a place of self-love and she firmly believes that one of the best ways to take care of yourself is to keep both your body and mind active and healthy. As an instructor, Bethany's main goal is to help you discover and celebrate how strong you already are, exactly as you are. When she’s not at the ARC, you can find her at a local coffee shop or live music venue.
Bob Mueller
Hello, my name is Bob Mueller. I'm a retired Naval Officer who has been an avid road cyclist for over 30 years. I don’t race, but enjoy long day rides in our local mountains. I’m a Sierra Club, Chapter Outings Leader for the Bicycle Section and lead regular rides of 40 to 100 miles for the Club. I have also lead organized bicycle tours in Colorado, Washington State’s San Juan Islands and Olympic Penninsula, Vermont and New York. If you want to develop muscles and form to cycle long and strong, check out my class and take a spin.
Brianna Gable
Brianna is an undergraduate student at SDSU studying business. She grew up in San Diego and has always enjoyed fitness. She played many sports growing up such as volleyball, tennis, and rugby. Brianna is ACE group fitness certified and teaches cycle classes, as well as other class formats. Her love for group fitness began in high school after taking her first spin class. Ever since, she has wished to have the opportunity to teach a class of her own. As an instructor, she strives to spread her knowledge about fitness and wellness. She also hopes to positively impact participants and give everyone the opportunity to grow physically and mentally. Brianna is looking forward to an amazing year with all of you!
Cali Tolbert
Cali began teaching group exercise classes during her time in college at James Madison University and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science. More recently she received her Masters in Integrative Wellness from PLNU and is the former Fitness & Wellness Coordinator for Aztec Recreation. She is a certified AFAA Primary Group Fitness Instructor, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, and a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach. Her favorite formats to teach include yoga, dance, TRX, and cycle but she enjoys teaching just about any format. One of her strongest beliefs is to make your heart happy which includes, but is not limited to, your physical well-being. When she is not helping and motivating others achieve their fitness goals, you can find Cali with her dogs, Brodie & Merlot, at the beach, trail running, or hiking!
Cindy Solomon
Cindy earned both her Bachelors in Kinesiology (2017) as well as her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (2023) from San Diego State University. She began teaching group fitness classes at the ARC in 2015 as a way to stay in shape after high school and become more connected with the SDSU community. Since then, she has taught a multitude of classes mainly consisting of cycling and cycle core classes for the general population as well as for the SDSU Swim and Dive Team and the Club Triathlon Team. Cindy strives to provide classes that challenge participants to push themselves more than they thought they could. She aims to promote an active and healthy lifestyle through her classes in which members can enjoy the simplicity of a great workout. She hopes for people to leave her class feeling like they accomplished something and are eager for more next time.
Cole Davis
Cole is the Fitness & Wellness Coordinator for Aztec Recreation. He graduated from James Madison University in May 2020 with a B.S. in Exercise Science after dropping his business degree in lieu of pursuing his dream of a career in the fitness industry. During his years working at JMU’s University Recreation Center Cole worked as a manager, personal trainer, and group exercise instructor with clients of all different shapes, sizes, colors, & ages! He is a Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and Exercise Physiologist. He also has experience teaching a variety of group fitness formats with a focus on Strength & HIIT. Cole loves helping individuals build self-confidence, strength, and comfortability within their own bodies.
Daniel Dominguez
Born and raised in Argentina, Daniel came to San Diego in 1997 to work as a Ph.D. doing research in the SDSU Psychology Department. He became an ARC member as soon as the gym opened and started practicing yoga regularly in 1999. Along the years, Daniel participated in yoga classes and yoga retreats with many wonderful instructors at the ARC, learning different styles of yoga. He obtained his yoga teacher certification in CorePower Yoga, in 2008. Around the same time he graduated from IPSB as a Holistic Health Practitioner and Massage Therapist. Since then, Daniel has been teaching yoga and doing bodywork in different institutions around San Diego and South America. In 2011, Daniel completed a SUPcore certification as a Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and SUP Yoga instructor through Surftech SUP Academy (SSUPA) and has been teaching SUP and SUP Yoga at Mission Bay Aquatic Center ever since. Daniel’s passion for Nature and traveling has brought him to teach yoga (volunteer work) and practice SUP in the Amazon (Peru), experience he plans to repeat annually before visiting family and friends in Argentina.
Danna Yunis
Danna has been a student of yoga for ten years and is a 500-hour certified yoga instructor. She started her journey as a teacher in Astanga yoga in 2013, after which she attained her 200-hour certificate in 2018 and 300-hour certificate hour certificate in 2020 Vinyasa yoga. Yoga is her favorite way to connect to people and share the tools of healing that she gathered through her world travels and through seeking healing for herself.
Danna honors the tradition of yoga by teaching it as a spiritual practice. Her classes are powerful, both spiritually and physically. Danna teaches heated yoga, Yin yoga, Vinyasa and Hatha. She is also a proud mama, social justice activist, writer, and self-proclaimed chef!
Dylan Pitts
Dylan Pitts is an undergraduate student at SDSU majoring in Kinesiology, Pre-Physical Therapy. He is an ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor, and passed the Group Fitness Instructor Training ENS Credit Class at the ARC before getting his certification. His passion for health and fitness began when he fractured a vertebrae from playing lacrosse in high school and went through the physical therapy recovery process. Dylan believes in personal growth and creating a welcoming and fun fitness environment!
Heather Lawrence
Heather is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher and a forever student of yoga. From her personal practice of devotion, to her love affair with heated power yoga, Heather has fallen in love with yoga again and again as a means of connecting with ourselves and with life itself through our bodies. Holding a Bachelor's in Dietetics (nutrition) and a Master's in Pastoral Counseling, Heather is passionate about multi-faceted wellness, in body, mind, and spirit.
Heather also works as a spiritual teacher and counselor at Agape San Diego, a spiritual resource center on campus at SDSU. You can hear some of her teachings and spiritual conversations on her podcast, Chickmonks.
Heidi Wilson
Heidi has been a fitness professional for over 27 years and she holds 2 Masters Degrees from SDSU; one in Public Health (MPH) and one in Exercise and Nutritional Sciences (MS). She is a 4th degree Black Belt (Master Rank) in Taekwondo, a Black Belt in Aikijujitsu (under Master Wayne Collins), and Black Belt in Escrima (under Master Bayani Abueg). She is certified USA. Boxing Coach and a Title Belt holder for the Masters Division USA Boxing 145# female over 50 years of age.
Heidi teaches academic classes in health, sports nutrition, kinesiology, and various fitness classes and martial arts classes. Her true passion is teaching women how to defend themselves. She teaches multiple sections of ENS 138-Women's Self Defense in both the Fall and Spring Semesters at SDSU.
Jennifer Melford
Jenny has been an athlete her whole life and her love for movement and sport go back as far as she can remember. Jenny graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science, where she also earned a scholarship to play Division 1 soccer. It was during this time that Jenny discovered Yoga. Though she was drawn to Yoga initially for the physical challenge it offered, she ended up falling in love with the holistic nature of the practice, and the deeper sense of ease and well-being that were a result of her regular practice. She now holds five different Yoga certifications as a teacher, although she will always consider herself a student of the practice.
Jenny is also a certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine, a Health and Wellness Coach, a Nutritionist, and a Grief Counselor. In her free time Jenny loves hiking, camping, snowboarding, hanging with her family and puppy, and seeing live music!
Jo-Ann Humphus
Jo-Ann is an SDSU alumnus, and earned her BA in Psychology. She has been a regular at Aztec Recreation since its opening and has been serious about her physical activity ever since. After taking almost all of the classes Aztec Recreation had to offer, Spinning® was the one exercise she couldn’t get enough of. Jo-Ann is a level 3 Mad Dogg Athletics Spin® Certified Instructor, holds an AFAA certification in Primary Group Fitness, and is also trained as a R.I.P.P.E.D and CoreBar instructor. She has been teaching Spinning® at Aztec Recreation since 2006, and uses rock and roll-based music for a fast-paced exhilarating ride, focusing on building endurance. Jo-Ann also teaches Circuit Challenge, a high intensity class guaranteed to push your limits. Jo-Ann really enjoys the physical and emotional benefits from teaching. "Having newcomers return, and become regulars is one of the greatest rewards I can receive. It’s a great cardio workout, and a wonderful way to start the day."
Kashmone Hamilton
Kashmone Hamilton graduated with her Masters in Public Health in 2014 from San Jose State University. She began her fitness journey by practicing and performing dance. Kashmone began taking U-Jam fitness class in 2010. She received her certification in U-Jam Fitness in 2014 in San Diego CA. She is also a certified AFAA Group Fitness Instructor. Kashmone’s passion for dance and making fitness fun and engaging is the driving force as an instructor.
Katherine Sasseen
As a professional massage therapist and dancer, Katherine found yoga a fairly natural path of continuing education. She took her first class in 1995 and loved how it made her feel. The fact that yoga is good for people is a bonus. Katherine has been learning and practicing various styles of yoga ever since and began teaching in 1998, having apprenticed in the Vinyasa Style of White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA. Katherine enjoys helping people find their own way in Yoga, helping bodies and minds to expand and heal and feels blessed to guide her students to discover the fruits of a regular practice. Katherine says she never stops marveling at the gifts Yoga brings. Katherine has been in the Healing Arts since 1992 as a Certified Massage Therapist, Yoga Instructor & Therapist, and Healing Herbal Practitioner. Namaste.
In addition, Katherine is also a songwriter! Visit Katherine’s You Tube Channel for yoga and pranayama videos.
Kayleen Ruiz
Kayleen Ruiz is an SDSU undergraduate student studying Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Therapy. She took the ENS 138 Group Fitness Instructor Training credit class and is an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor. Kayleen loves teaching Strength/Cardio classes including Total Strength and Aztec Abs. She grew up playing many sports and developed a passion for health and fitness at an early age. She is dedicated to sharing her passion with the SDSU community and can't wait to grow as a leader with the help of the SDSU community!
Keith van der Walde
Keith is a passionate athlete and is involved in activities as diverse as cycling, tennis, yoga, running, boxing, weight lifting and swimming. Always in search of the hardest and most efficient and strategic workout, Keith discovered Yoga Sculpt in 2013 and was immediately hooked. Blending weights with yoga postures, this class is every bit as fun as it is challenging, offering the full-body benefits of yoga, coupled with the metabolism boost and conditioning benefits of exercises that hit major functional muscle groups, enhance flexibility, tone, balance, and build core strength. Convinced that there is little better way to spend an hour each day, Keith regularly practices Yoga Sculpt and enjoys nothing more than providing the experience for others. By introducing themes in class that inspire and elevate his students, Keith provides an immersive environment that facilitates growth and reinforces the magnificent potential of each participant. Keith is an aerospace engineer and artist who has started a company around his inventions and believes there is no limit to what we are able to dream and achieve.
Kelli Pedone
Kelli is a born and raised San Diegan and graduate from SDSU (B.S. in Kinesiology). She was a marching and concert band musician for most of her life, but became interested in fitness when she started taking group classes in college. She thoroughly enjoyed the lively environment and welcoming instructors, so she was inspired to take the ENS 138 Group Fitness Instructor Training class and work at the ARC! Kelli is excited to teach a variety of different classes and motivate participants to have some fun with their workouts. In her free time, she enjoys exploring San Diego with her friends, thrifting, and playing percussion. In the future she plans on attending a graduate program to become a licensed Prosthetist and Orthotist, and therefore continue her goals of promoting healthy lifestyles for individuals of all abilities and backgrounds.
Laura Wheeler
Laura aka “LaLa” has been a Group Fitness Instructor since 2017. Her main passion is dance fitness and she has certifications in UJAM Fitness, Zumba and TRX Suspension Training. She also has experience teaching H.I.I.T and Boot Camps and is one of Aztec Recreation's Fitness and Wellness Program Assistants. Laura graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007 with a B.F.A in Performance. She is a mom of two beautiful kids and a pup named Bruce. She is also a military spouse, happily married to a trumpeter in the Navy. Since being a military spouse, she’s been fortunate to teach all over the world! Yokosuka Japan, Newport Rhode Island, Virginia Beach Virginia and now here in sunny San Diego. Instructing has helped her transition to new places and meet new people. To her, teaching group exercise classes is a way to have fun. Who says working out has to be “work”?! She believes anything that can get your heart pumping and your smile shining is what makes teaching the best.
Lisa Lamont
Lisa is a Stott Pilates certified Pilates instructor and a Mad Dogg Athletics Certified Spinning® instructor. She has worked in the fitness industry for over twenty years.
Lisa Molkenbuhr
Lisa is an Aztec alumnus who earned both her Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Master's degree in Social Work from SDSU. She has been an AFAA certified group fitness instructor for 9 years. Lisa's initial love for group fitness classes started with Turbo Kick, which was her first instructor certification. It didn't take long for Lisa to add additional formats to her repertoire, including R.I.P.P.E.D, Schwinn and Body Combat. Resistance training classes have become a new passion for Lisa, who says "Helping people build lean muscles and a strong body...there's just nothing better! Having a room full of like-minded people, all working hard and trying to get stronger and more fit, is the best boost of energy I could ask for". Lisa loves teaching any and all formats, finding group fitness classes the most rewarding form of exercise, both physically and emotionally! When not teaching group fitness, Lisa works as a psychiatric social worker at Alvarado Medical Center's Emergency Department.
Lucy Gonzalez
Lucy was born and raised in San Diego, and graduated SDSU in 2015 with a B.A. in Communication. She later went to PLNU and obtained her M.S. in Kinesiology in 2019. She is a certified personal trainer and has her 200hr yoga certification. She has experience teaching a variety of formats with a focus on strength and cardio and yoga. She has also experienced working with college athletes both in Cross Country and soccer. Lucy has been part of the fitness industry for 7 years. Her biggest passion is to help change people's lives through fitness and help them achieve their goals. She enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, running, and loves working out. She tries to make her classes fun and enjoyable for students by bringing enthusiasm, knowledge, energy, laughs and much more to her classes. As a fitness professional she promises you will not only get a great workout, but you will also learn about fitness while having some fun!
Megan Hollyfield
Megan began practicing yoga in 2012 as a form of physical therapy. Yet the more she practiced the physical postures; the more yoga became a refuge to work on her mental strength. Apparent that the mind-body connection is invaluable, she dove into a teacher training to deepen her own practice. Now a certified 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher, she hopes to share the benefits of focus, determination, and positivity to all her students.
After realizing she enjoyed teaching power, sculpt, and hot yoga classes, she started to branch out to teach other formats at the SDSU Aztec Recreation Center. Megan now teaches many additional formats such as Total Strength, Barre Blast, and Cardio Dance. Whenever you step into one of her classes whether to relax with yoga or workout, you will find a positive atmosphere and a class geared to challenging both the mind and the body.
Natalie Quinn
Natalie is currently a student here at San Diego State. She is majoring in Kinesiology with an emphasis on physical therapy. She hopes to become a physical therapist while still teaching workout classes on the side. Natalie is a certified ACSM Group Exercise Instructor and SCW Barre Instructor. Natalie grew up playing soccer, tennis and dance, so she has always loved to move her body and stay active. She enjoys being able to work out with a group of people because everyone motivates each other to do their best and have fun. She is looking forward to teaching in-person classes because she primarily taught classes through zoom during COVID-19.
Nikki Winters
Nikki has been dancing since she can remember and trained mostly in ballet. After she turned 18 she danced with various professional ballet companies. It wasn’t until she joined up with a company called Physical Rhythm Project that was ballet/hip-hop fusion that she found her love for street dancing. Sponsored by NIKE, she then taught hip-hop classes in Portland, Oregon and discovered her love for group fitness. She since has been teaching various fitness classes on both the West and East Coast, with various certifications since 1992 and has been teaching at Aztec Recreation since 2001. She currently is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, a wife to an amazing husband, and a mom to two awesome boys.
Sam Williams
Sam is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher who recently completed her degree in Kinesiology (pre-physical therapy) at SDSU. After taking her first Yoga class at the ARC in 2019, she fell in love with the practice and 4 years later decided to become a Yoga teacher herself. Her goal in teaching Yoga is to bring her own experience full circle and share her love for Yoga and mindfulness with the same community that inspired her journey. She utilizes her role as a teacher to inspire students to connect deeply with themselves and to trust that they can overcome both internal and external challenges. When she isn't practicing or teaching Yoga, Sam is hiking, studying, painting, or enjoying a beach day in the beautiful San Diego weather.
Sonya Schafer
Sonya's fitness journey began at a young age through playing various sports which helped her build a passion for being physically active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays Sonya enjoys hiking, biking, running, and swimming to connect the physical body with the natural world. Sonya found Yoga in college as a means to stretch between all the activities and became drawn to the infinite benefits the practice has to offer. Sonya graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management in 2015 and completed her 200 hour Yoga teacher training with Corepower Yoga in 2020 where she teaches a wide variety of Yoga classes. Sonya aspires to share her love of Yoga to encourage others to begin their journey of connecting the mind and body, to ultimately find a state of balance from within.
Sugar Ray Holden
With over 28 years of experience as a USA certified Boxing Coach, Ray has trained a wide variety of students including UFC fighters, pro/amateur boxers, actors, children of all ages and seniors. He teaches progressive boxing techniques and strategies and also works as a boxing official and referee.
At the age of eight, "Sugar" Ray became interested in boxing. Along his journey in the sport, Ray had many great coaches and mentors including Martial Artist Wayne St. Hill, Master "Chicken" Gabriel, and former Team USA Olympic Boxing Coach Robert Coon (also Head Coach of the United Institute of Amateur Athletics Boxing Team where Ray became a member in his early teens).
As an instructor and avid boxing historian, Ray's main goal is to give back to the SDSU community through the experience in his boxing class using positive energy, and sharing his passion for the sport.
