Our Principal
Dr. Axinia Zepeda
Leading to Create a School Family with High Quality instruction
Dr. Axinia Zepeda was born and raised in Houston Texas, to two immigrant parents. She has a younger brother who lives in Grapevine, TX. She is a product of public education with Houston ISD having attended River Oaks Elementary, Clifton Middle School and The High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.
Dr. Zepeda received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston- Downtown in Interdisciplinary Studies of Education, with a Minor in Psychology. She also completed her Master of Education in Educational Administration and her Doctoral degree in Executive Educational Leadership with Houston Christian University.
Dr. Zepeda has had 18+ years of experience working with children. She truly loves working with children of all ages and has a strong passion for working with Early Childhood students. Dr. Zepeda was a Prekindergarten teacher at Farias Early Childhood Center with Houston ISD as well as a Teacher Specialist at James Berry Elementary and Fonwood Early Childhood Center, an Assistant Principal for five years at Durham Elementary before becoming a principal at Garcia Elementary. She feels that being able to see the growth in a 3, 4, or 5 year old is amazing to watch happen. The lights in their eyes brighten because learning is and should always be FUN!
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, small arts and crafts, photography, traveling and enjoying the beach.
As the proud principal of Leonel Castillo Early Childhood STEM Academy, she looks forward to improving instruction for all children and creating a positive and caring school family.
Phone: 713-674-3740
Email: axinia.zepeda@tejanocenter.org
Degrees and Certifications: Master of Executive Education with a Principalship EC-12 Certification; Doctorate - Executive Educational Leadership
Awards and Achievement: Harris County Department of Education- R.T Garcia Early Childhood Winter Conference- Leader of the Year- 2025-2026