About the Founder & Directors
Leslie Kitchen
Leslie was born and raised in San Diego and spent 40 years living in East County, where she graduated from Christian High School. She enjoys scrapbooking, staying active, spending time with her granddaughters, attending church, and traveling with her husband. Leslie and her husband have three grown children, a wonderful son-in-law, and two granddaughters, ages 6 & 3.
​
Her homeschooling journey began with her youngest daughter, whom she homeschooled in 1st and 2nd grade, took a break, then resumed through middle school and all the way to graduation. Now, she's thrilled to be supporting her granddaughters’ homeschooling adventures as well.
​
In Fall 2019, Leslie founded Homeschool Enrichment Centers (HEC) to provide her daughter with enriching learning opportunities. Since then, she’s been deeply grateful for the hundreds of students who’ve participated in HEC classes, believes in the freedom of families choosing how to educate their children and loves helping families find joy and confidence in their homeschooling journey. She’s especially excited to now share this mission with her daughter Carly, who leads social media and the Inland Empire campuses.
Carly Esquerra
Carly, Leslie’s daughter, was born and raised in San Diego. She graduated from Christian Unified Schools in 2010 and went on to earn her degree from California Baptist University in 2013, where she also met her husband, Luke. Carly later completed her Master’s in Psychology, which served her well in her role as a behavior therapist nanny for high-profile families—a position she held for several years before becoming a mom.
​
Carly loves spending time with her family, staying active, attending Bible study, and hosting gatherings for fellow moms.
​
In 2023, Carly joined the HEC team alongside her mom with the launch of the Riverside campus. Her dedication and creativity quickly led her to take on the roles of Inland Empire Director and Social Media Director. All the engaging reels and inspiring homeschool content you see online are a testament to her talent!
​
Carly began homeschooling her eldest daughter in first grade and is now thrilled to be homeschooling both of her girls. They love being part of the HEC community and learning alongside their mom!