ADMINISTRATION

Talya Franklin (she/her)
– College President
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (951) 493-6753 ext: 102

Mohammad Shahisaman (he/him)
– Dean of Instruction
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (951) 493-6753 ext: 107
Mohammad graduated from California State University Fullerton with a B.A. and M.A. in English. He began his tenure at The Young Americans College in 2015 as the Breadth of Knowledge Department Chair. In 2020, he became the Dean of Instruction and is focusing on expanding equity, diversity, and inclusion within the college’s curricula.

Dr. Kisha Bashkiharatee (she/her)
– Dean of Students
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (951) 493-6753 ext: 108
Kisha moved to California from a small town in Louisiana to continue her education and follow her passion and help others. After attaining her degree, she worked in a variety of settings, including mental health clinics and urgent cares, foster family agencies, and shelters using both therapeutic techniques and the arts to bring wholeness to others. The opportunity to work at with The Young Americans has given Kisha the opportunity to continue combining mental wholeness with her love for the creative arts.

Thomas Schultheis (he/him)
– Dean of Admissions
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (951) 493-6753 ext: 103
Thomas Schultheis received his Master of Arts in Strategic Communications from National University and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from James Madison University. He has created curriculum, taught at conferences, and given keynotes with organizations around the country. He is a Teaching Artist with Dramatic Results. Thomas is the Theatre Consultant for the REACH Grant and on the Musical Theatre Competitions of America Creative Team. Additionally, he worked for 15 years at the Disneyland® Resort with Disney Performing Arts. He performed on Broadway in Grease! and tours of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago, and South Pacific. Thomas founded The Educators Collective, bringing together exceptional leaders in education, and created The Educators Collective Virtual Summit.