Faculty

Janie Perales

Office Manager-Registrar

I am María Juanita Perales, “Janie”.  I am originally from McKinney, Texas. A city north of Dallas.  I was married at Holy Family Episcopal Church.  I served as Religious Education instructor for the First Communion Class.

Our Heavenly Father gave me the honor of being the mother to two fine young men, Alex & Jamie Reyes and mom to a beautiful young woman Annalisa Marie Perales.  My greatest joy is to spend time with my family.

My mission started years ago. My first job was as a teachers assistant at Holy Family Episcopal School. Later I was the Office Manager for St. Michael’s Catholic Church in McKinney, Texas. My journey has continued to the Rio Grande Valley where I served as Secretary to The Bishop and Vicar General to the Diocese of Brownsville.  I did additional work for Catholic Charities (Food Program Coordinator and Intake for Rapid Rehousing for the Community) and St. Joseph & St. Peter Seminary.  My journey continued to be part of the foundation of Juan Diego Academy Catholic Regional High School. There I served as Office Manager & Registrar.

Our Lord has granted me to be fulfilled with ministry work.  Our Heavenly Father has granted me attributes that I would like to share with you. I am very excited to be part of the St. Matthew’s community.

Hernan Jimenez

Custodian

Hernan Jimenez has worked at St. Matthew’s for the past 13 years. He considers St. Matthew’s to be his second home. The thing he likes most about the school is the wonderful kids and the respect they and everyone in the school community show for the buildings and grounds. When not working at St. Matt’s, Mr. Jimenez enjoys working in his yard, doing odd jobs, and helping others. He is gifted with the ability to fix things and he enjoys sharing his gift with everyone in the school community.

Yingching Chang Jeter

Music Teacher

Yingching Chang Jeter, a native of Taiwan, received her Bachelor’s Degree in Bassoon and Piano Performance from Tunghai University, ROC. In 1992, she came to the United States and completed a Master’s Degree in Music Education from The University of Texas at Austin. A year later, she received her second Master’s Degree in Bassoon performance from San Diego State University.

Mrs. Jeter retired from South Texas ISD World Scholars and South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy in May, 2023 where she established the music program for those two schools. In 2007, Mrs. Jeter passed both oral and written exams for teaching Mandarin Chinese. In 2011, she became a faculty member as a double reed instructor at UTRGV. She is excited to pass on her passion for music to the students of St. Matthew’s.

Melissa Isabel Cerda

First Grade Teacher/Coach

Born and raised in Edinburg, Texas,  Coach Cerda is a wife, mother of three, a sister, a daughter, a friend, and most of all, a child of God. She currently serves as a Lector, an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and a Catechist at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Faysville.. Coach Cerda is in her second year at St. Matthew’s with 28 years experience assisting teachers in two public elementary schools in Edinburg. She earned her degree in Kinesiology in 2022 at UTRGV. Coach Cerda is eager to teach, encourage, and motivate students to the best of her ability in order for them to enjoy P.E. class believing our children are our future.

Cynthia Alaniz

Spanish, Sign Language, 2nd & 3rd ELA

“Living life is not just about creating, experiencing and walking the path you have always dreamt about. It is also about the struggles and the pain you sometimes have to face. All in all, these things, are what makes you the person you are meant to be right at this moment.”
Written by Cynthia E. Alaniz (2/15/2024)

Ms. Alaniz was born and raised in Edinburg, Texas. She graduated with a Dual Associate of Arts Degree from South Texas College in American Sign Language and Secondary Education. She also attended the University of Texas – Pan American where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish with a minor in English. Before joining St. Matthew’s in 2021, Ms. Alaniz’s past teaching experience includes Early Childhood, High School, and Middle and High School students in an Alternative setting. Her passion for the Art of Languages leads her to teach Spanish and American Sign Language to students in Kinder through Fifth grade and English Language Arts and Reading to second graders here on our campus.

And lastly, for the past fourteen years, Ms. Alaniz has served as a Catechist for OCIA I & II (formerly known as RCIA) at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Edinburg, Texas. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, rooting for her favorite sports teams and spending time with her family.

Grace Buchanan

Sacred Studies

My Joy is in the Lord, and in sharing the love of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with those around me. I have been involved with St. Matthew’s since the early 80s as a parent, photographer, substitute teacher, extended day attendant, and youth minister. The primary outreach of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church is the spiritual growth and well-being of our students and staff. I am blessed to begin each day with our amazing students as they worship and praise our Lord.

Itza Ornelas

PK2 Teacher

Born and raised in Mexico, Mrs. Ornelas is a lifelong Catholic, and obtained an AA as Montessori Early Childhood Teacher from the Northern Montessori Educational Center in Mexico. She has over 15 years of experience as Lead/Assistant teacher in Mexico, Dallas, TX and the Rio Grande Valley. Mrs. Ornelas joined the St Matthew’s Family in Aug of 2020.

Mrs. Ornelas is married 27 years to her husband Omar. The couple have two daughters: Marene, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and Aimee, a graduate of the Ohio State University. Mrs. Ornelas’ hobbies include gardening, sewing, crafting, and working out.

Lindsay Skalitsky-Barron

PK2 Teacher Aide

Lindsay Skalitsky-Barron was born and raised in McAllen, Texas. She is currently attending South Texas College to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. She has been married to her husband for 12 years, and they have two beautiful daughters together, Madison and Mylah. She loves being a mother, and her family means everything to her. She hopes to make school at St. Matthew’s full of love, laughter, and learning. 

Carmen Murillo

PK2 Teacher Aide

A mother to three children, Rey 42, Ricardo 36 and Illianna 32, Carmen has two beautiful granddaughters Kallie 14 and Tori 24. Her children are her world. She was born in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Her mother was of Mexican descent and her father was of Mexican American descent from Los Fresnos, Texas. Her parents migrated to Texas when she was a little girl. Most of her childhood was spent living in Austin, Texas, where she attended school. In 1980 she started her career with the City of Austin working in the Public Works and Transportation Department, where she was promoted from Clerk to Supervisor of Contracts and Compliance in the Construction and Professional Services Department. After 23 years of service, she went to work for the Austin Independent School District as the Secretary for the Parent Involvement Department. She feels blessed to have had this job while her children were still in school.

In 2008 she restarted her career in the Procurement Department for the State Comptroller’s of Public Accounts in the IT Department. In 2015, she was blessed to retire from the state of Texas. Two years ago, Carmen and her husband, Rudy, decided to build a home and move to the Valley for retirement where they are very happy. Before her employment here, Carmen substituted for our school. She enjoys being part of the school staff and looks forward to working with both colleagues and the dear children here. In her spare time, Carmen enjoys being a Zumba and fitness instructor.

Martina Lyles

PK3 Teacher

Martina Lyles has worked in early childhood education for 29 years. She has worked in a variety of school settings including Montessori, private, and public schools. Mrs. Lyles attended UTRGV, and has Early Childhood Certification as well as Montessori Certification. Mrs. Lyles has lived in several states throughout the years allowing her the opportunity to gain multicultural experience in early childhood education. Lyles has 4 daughters and 1 granddaughter. She enjoys airplane rides, especially if they take her to Maine to visit her beautiful granddaughter.

Marisela Rangel

PK3 Aide-Extended Day Director

Marisela Rangel, has worked at St. Matthew’s School for 20 Years. She loves working with children, being with her family, and gardening. She has two children Erica 39, and Adrian, 22. She is a grandmother of two, Tristian 12, and Aiden 4, they both keep her very busy, and she loves them unconditionally.

Sonia Parra

PK4 Teacher

Mrs. Sonia Mata-Parra is a graduate of the University of Texas at Brownsville with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and 18 years of experience in education as a teacher and an educational consultant. She joined the faculty of St. Matthew’s in 2012.

Mrs. Parra’s passion in life is educating her students. She strives to create a strong foundation that will help them excel into becoming independent thinkers and learners. Mrs. Parra believes in the loving, structured, Christian environment that St. Matthew’s provides for all children.

Mrs. Parra is married 21 years to husband Jose. The Parras have three loving sons: Jose, Joshua & Joseph.

Angela Salazar

Kindergarten Teacher

Raised here in Edinburg, Texas, Angela Salazar is a graduate of Edinburg High School and the University of Texas Pan American with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree. She has a passion for movies, books (fiction and poetry), and music (KPop). In her free time, she enjoys time with family and is a proud Godmother of three. She has been part of St. Matthew’s Episcopal School for the last eight years and loves the overall feeling of community and family that the school and church provides.

Dianeisy Elizondo

First Grade Teacher

Dianeisy Elizondo was born in McAllen, Texas, and raised in Hidalgo, Texas. She graduated from UTRGV with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in history. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends. She also loves to learn about new cultures, languages, historical events, famous people, and food. She has a toy poodle named Brownie who loves to run around and be playful. In the future, Ms. Elizondo hopes to travel all around Europe. She loves St. Matthew’s because of the school’s atmosphere and involvement with the community.

Stephanie Rangel

2nd-5th Grade Science and Math

Born and raised in McAllen, Mrs. Rangel attended McAllen High School and graduated from The University of Texas-Pan American with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She has been a teacher in private and charter schools. Mrs. Rangel loves teaching and her goal is to help students develop a love for learning. In her spare time, Mrs. Rangel enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and two dogs.

Jose Noe Padron Jr.

4th & 5th ELA; 2nd-5th Social Studies

Noe Padron, a fun loving adventurer from Edinburg, Texas, graduated from UTRGV with a bachelor’s degree in English. He is always seeking new experiences and embracing life’s surprises. Whether it’s exploring the great outdoors, trying new cuisines, or diving into creative projects, he’s all about living life to the fullest. He has a passion for language and culture. When not out and about, you can find him curled up with a good book or watching documentaries. He loves the St. Matt’s community.