7th Grade Teacher
6th - 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher

Zena Yamamoto, a native of Southern California, joined the St. Brendan School community in the fall of 2018. Zena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California State University, Fullerton and a Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Southern California.  She additionally holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a California Single Subject Credential in English from Azusa Pacific University.  She teaches literature and writing to middle school, as well as being the 7th grade homeroom teacher. Zena has taught at St. Mark’s School in Altadena and Pasadena Polytechnic School, where she loves developing creative curriculum for their summer program.

A mother of six children, Zena has directly experienced and loved children at all ages and stages. It is perhaps during her time as a stay-at-home mom that Zena developed her abiding belief that all children are unique, each with beauty, integrity, and profound gifts.  With her own children and the many children she has taught, Zena has had the honor of nurturing these gifts.

A lifelong Catholic and member of two small-faith communities, Zena is thrilled to incorporate her love of God into her teaching.  When not teaching, Zena adores spending time with her husband, “Saint Steve”, her children, and regally goofy corgis.  Zena devotes countless hours to gardening while reading many books on Audiobooks. Every summer, she participates in a beachside basketball beatdown tournament with the eight members of her family, where the only “skill” she possesses is fierce defense, elbows “inadvertently” included!