Instructors
All of the instructors at Varsity Driving Academy are DMV Certified. They go through a 60 hour course, live scan finger printing, and a rigorous background check through the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. Mark McKinney makes sure that every individual performs in an exemplary manner. We believe instructing new and previous drivers should always be done with great patience in a positive and safe environment for our driving school.

Daisy
Licensed Instructor
Prior to becoming a driving Instructor Daisy served 5 years in the Army. She is currently in the reserves and a college student. Daisy describes herself as patient, approachable, informative and responsible. She believes in giving constructive feedback to all her students which is essential when behind the wheel. Over 8 years of driving experience she makes it a point to build her students confidence safely one step at a time.

Ricardo
Licensed Instructor
Ricardo is a California Certified Licensed Driving Instructor as well as a Certified School Bus Driver for NMUSD. A combined 11 years of commercial experience, hard work and dedication make him an excellent driver & instructor. Ricardo participates annually in a School Bus Skills competition where he represented his District and won first place in Orange County and third place in the Southern Region last year (2017). This advanced training develops understanding on the importance of continues driver practice and education. It also strengthens Ricardo’s empathy of tackling new challenges, such as a new student learning to drive. Ricardo is bilingual (Spanish & English). Ricardo enjoys Chess, photography, riding his bicycle, walking and road trips.

Pete
Licensed Instructor
Pete is a native Californian who has been instructing for over 4 decades. His passion for driving and motor-sports have enabled him to train and help drivers at many levels. He feels new drivers benefit from patient, encouraging and knowledgeable instruction to begin building safe and proper habits from the very start! A lifelong pleasure of driving is a skill to be developed and enjoyed. Modern vehicles require safe drivers with the skills to handle today’s roads and highways. Good habits begin from the very first lesson.

Allison
Licensed Instructor
Allison has been a driver for over five years. Prior to becoming an instructor, Allison was a volunteer at UCI Medical Center and is now studying to major in criminal justice. She considers herself to be a focused and calm individual which gives her the ability to be very patient when instructing. Allison’s objective is to make sure all students stay focused, motivated, and are aware of the importance of safety behind the wheel.

Sean
Licensed Instructor
Sean is an Orange County native. He has been driving professionally for over 10 years. Whether is has been behind the wheel of an ambulance, delivery truck or just his personal car. Sean’s goal is to pass his knowledge and experience to his students and teach them the importance of operating a vehicle with caution and care.

Anthony
Licensed Instructor
Anthony Becerra has been driving safely on the road for 8 years. He has experience in Video production and was a live broadcast producer for 2 years in North Hollywood. Anthony has worked with a lot of on air talent and has learned that when it comes to teaching everyone is different and requires a different approach. He considers himself to be patient, easy to talk to, and sincere. His main goal is to help students become the safest drivers on the road all while sharing his love for teaching and driving.

Don
Licensed Instructor
Don has been in the driving industry for over 30 years and is also a licensed traffic school instructor. He is a very patient instructor who understands the emotional aspects of the driving task. He believes a part of driving is not just learning the mechanics, but also how to be good defensive drivers to handle difficult situations.

Stephanie
Licensed Instructor

Jon
Licensed Instructor

Connor
Licensed Instructor

Hong
Licensed Instructor

George
Licensed Instructor
George has been in the driving instructing industry for over 20 years. He has previously held a commercial driver’s license with a passenger endorsement. His demeanor and expertise makes him a wonderful instructor. He enjoys teaching his students and creating safe drivers on the California roads.

Jeff
Licensed Instructor
Jeff has been driving over 40 years and is native to Orange County . He looks forward to working with new and current drivers. During his lessons having fun while becoming a safe and confident driver is a goal that Jeff sets for all his students. Applying the instruction given during his driving lessons in addition to practice time between teens and parents helps creates a team effort which aids students to become safe defensive drivers.

Kam
Licensed Instructor
Kam has been driving for 35 years and has been training for 15 years. He approaches driving instruction with a positive and patient attitude – eager to help his students succeed. He see’s driving as a privilege that comes with huge responsibility and he enjoys seeing his students’ progress.

Khoa
Licensed Instructor
Khoa has over 10 year driving experience. His goal is to help as many students as possible become a safe and excellent driver. He is super approachable, easy to talk to and enjoys meeting new students. He understands that different students have different personalities and there are different methods of teaching depending on the student.

Craig
Licensed Instructor
Craig has been a driver for over 40 years. While he has worked closely with teenagers in the recent past, he enjoys communicating and interacting with people from all age groups and backgrounds. His motto is “patience produces progress,” and this is the philosophy he brings to our team of instructors. Craig believes Orange County is a great place to learn how to drive and is impressed with Varsity Driving Academy’s commitment to produce quality drivers.

Travis
Licensed Instructor
Travis has been driving for over 20 years. He graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree and worked for many years as a substitute teacher. He now has been a driving instructor for over 2 years and enjoys being able to continue guiding students through the correct path daily. Travis considers himself to be very patient, efficient, and positive. Some of his favorite hobbies include sketching and watching blockbuster action films.

Pedro
Licensed Instructor
Pedro has been driving for over 7 years. He is currently attending Santiago Canyon College pursuing an associates degree in Psychology. He wants to make sure all his students know the responsibility of being on the road. His main goal is to teach all his students how to safely drive with confidence. His kindness, patience and encouragement is what his student drivers love about him.

Sam
Licensed Instructor
Sam has been driving for over 25 years. He is an entrepreneur, photographer, and outdoor adventurer. He drives over three thousand miles a month as part of his entrepreneurial career and has experience driving on race tracks as well. He has taught a countless number of teens how to drive and has learned to adapt to different teaching styles. When it comes to instructing , he thinks it is important for a student to be comfortable with making mistakes and have confidence in the ability to correct those mistakes.

Jack
Licensed Instructor
Jack has been driving for over 40 years and has been a driving instructor for a little over 5 years. He was a fire captain/paramedic with the Orange County Fire Authority for 32 years. He enjoys working with each student to help them achieve their goals when it comes to driving. Jack is very approachable and believes patience is an important piece of every lesson.

Andrew
Licensed Instructor

Alex
Licensed Instructor

Behind the Wheel Training – Orange County California
Teens have a specific set of requirements they must meet to get a driver’s license. The DMV has set these requirements and each step is especially important. But you can say that behind the wheel training is the most important step out of all the requirements. Behind...

What is a Car Tune Up?
There are a few things that we must do to keep our cars in top shape as time goes on. You must always change the oil when needed, change the tires, check other fluids, and get a tune up. Many of those things you can learn to do on your own. But what is a car tune up?...

Safety Tips for Orange County Drivers and Pedestrians
Operating a vehicle is very big responsibility. You can seriously injure someone or even worse without much effort at all. In fact, in 2018, 6,227 pedestrians were killed by cars and over 137,000 people were injured. It is important to utilize safety tips for Orange...

How to Keep Orange County Teen Drivers Safe Behind the Wheel
Driving is an especially important aspect of life but it is also a dangerous one. The stats are scary but necessary for both parents and teens to fully understand why it is important to properly learn how to drive. For example, in 2018, almost 2,500 teens were killed...

Tips Your Teen is Ready to Drive Alone
One size fit all is rarely ever true, especially as it pertains to real world experiences. For example, the DMV has set a time frame that says we can start the process of learning how to drive when we are 15 ½ years old. We are told that we are ready to drive once we...

How to Choose a Driving School in Orange County
Driving school is a big step, a milestone in our lives that we look forward to for years. Congratulations on making it to this step. It is time to choose a driving school which is the beginning of this rewarding endeavor. The important thing is that you make the right...

Aliso Viejo Driving School Practice Tips
The first step in learning how to drive is all about reading and learning the laws. You will then need to pass a written test at the DMV to receive a learner’s permit. The learner’s permit only becomes valid after the first session with a certified trainer. The...

International Student Drivers Training
There are a lot of things to do when moving to the United States from another country. One of those things is to get a driver’s license so that getting around becomes easier. International student drivers training is the first step. It is important to know the driving...

Failed Driver Test Tips
There are few things that feel as bad as when you’re a teenager who just failed a driver test. Students work months to get ready for this test and then to fail can be devastating. However, it is important to remember that this is not the worst thing that could happen...

Reasons to Sign Up for Adult Driving Classes
Varsity Driving Academy offers students easier ways to complete driving school, training, and ultimately, getting a driver’s license. But teens aren’t the only ones who need to take classes, some adults do as well. There are many varied reasons to sign up for adult...