Our Office
Sarah Cervantes and daughters
Our Instructors
Bob Tonthat
Students find me to be their favorite instructor because I am easy to get along with. In my many years of teaching, I have heard so many stories from my students about driving instructors that lose their temper or yell at their students. I cannot understand why anyone would want to be mean to an inexperienced driver. I can tell you that teenagers like teachers who are patient and explain instruction in a clear and simple manner. I just love traffic safety. I enjoy teaching students about the laws and rules of driving. I want my students to understand traffic safety. And I know the best way to do that is to be relaxed and easy going. The office tells me I am requested so much because of my precise careful teaching in an easygoing style.
Beatriz Cervantes
I have been a driving instructor on and off for Bakker's Driving School for the last 6 years. I have an ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of my students as they learn. I instruct slowly and gently, which is why, when the lesson is finished, my students walk back in their front door wanting to drive. More than any other subject, "learning to drive" must have a patient instructor. Slow patient instructing helps students learn fast. My schedule can get busy. Plan a month or two in advance to get the times and dates you want on my schedule.
Julian Alfaro
The owner of the school says I was born to teach. I pay close attention to what my student is saying and how he is doing to help him get through difficult driving situations. Students need simple easy instructions and then quiet to allow them to drive safely. Many teachers talk too much and interfere with their student's learning. I am naturally calm, this has a calming effect on my students. A calm teacher with a gentle voice has relaxed students. A nervous jittery teacher has nervous students. If you have never driven in your life, you cannot imagine how fast you will learn with a good teacher. If you are nervous and afraid to drive, I am the right teacher for you. I like my job.
Rick LaGoe
The Bakker's Driving School office says the feedback from my students to the office is that I have a gentle positive teaching style, which makes students learn fast. I am known for being a competent but a patient instructor. If any student has a problem passing a drive test they often have me instruct those students so they can have a better chance of passing on their next try. I really enjoy teaching students. While I have a reputation among students for being competent and gentle I come from a background of extensive training on how to teach.
While in the Marine Corps I was assigned to be the body guard for the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan for 2 years. My job was to ride with the Ambassador and his driver, making sure the driver abided by all the local traffic laws and directing him in any defensive maneuvers we had to do. To train me for this job, I was sent to the F.B.I Academy for 6 months for training which included an intensive course in Defensive Driving. The course taught me how to explain and teach to my drivers safe driving habits and maneuvers in very stressful situations.
While teaching driving lessons now, I use what I learned over the years including how to maneuver a car correctly in complex driving situations always impressing on my students defensive driving and of California rules of the road. I have been a driving instructor since 1996. For five of those years I taught adults to drive and pass the drive test. Anyone can teach teenagers to drive, but the real skill in being a driving instructor is getting adults to be able to pass a drive test. With years of listening to examiners tell me how my adult students did as they went through the drive test and got their drivers license, this experience has really helped me refine my ability of preparing students for their drive test today. So when teaching your teenager how to drive, you can be sure I am accurately preparing them for a California drive test with a foundation in defensive driving skills. My students text me their score when they pass their drive tests. It is important to me to know my students did well.
I have been a driving instructor since 2008. My favorite part of instructing is teaching students defensive driving principles and preparing students for the drive test. I take great pride in my work when I hear that my students have passed their drive test. Good instructors are constantly refining their own skiils so they can help a student understand the mind of a DMV examiner and what they expect. Additionally on a 2nd lesson competent instructors recognize right away when a student is looking down too much and needs to retrain their eyes to look up ahead more, help them refine lane changes and imrpove their parking skills. I am a vetran instructor teaching in a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid. I can teach for any driving school I want. But it is a privilege to teach for Bakkers Driving School.
Denis' 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid
Mike Acasio
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Driving for the first time is one of the special events in your life you’ll always remember. Imagine driving yourself to school, to your friend’s house, the movies or running errands for your parents. But, before you can drive, you need to pass your driving test. I would like to help you reach that goal, not just passing your driver’s test and getting your license, but to help you learn to drive safely. Respecting the rules of the road and other drivers will make your driving experience safe and successful. Everywhere Mike works, he is recommended to friends and neighbors. He has developed a reputation for having a gentle, soft teaching style. Very professional.
Roosevelt Courtney
The office tells me I am one of the most requested teachers at Bakker's. I teach the drive test material so thoroughly that my students have the highest 100% rating of all the teachers at Bakker's. I know that your driving instructor is the one teacher you'll never forget. I hope to make your driving experience enjoyable.
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Ron Sharp
Ron's 2013 Toyota Prius
I have been teaching since 1998. My specialty is first time never driven before students. This is actually a special skill that all teachers don't have. While all students learn at different rates, my students always walk away from a driving lesson with me feeling they have learned so much and are so happy and want to drive. My secret in teaching nervous students so successfully is having them focus on the task at hand, by communicating clearly what to do and being calm. I have found that my being calm myself helps my students be calm which allows them to do well on their lessons.
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Ozzy Asmat
My name is Asmat Rafiqzad or as my friends call me Ozzy. I have a lot of experience with the specialty of DMV drive tests for Teenagers and adults. I understand the drive test and what DMV examiners expect and what they don't like, as my business cards say "100 plus drive tests". I enjoy preparing students of all ages for their drive test and consider myself having done my job when my students pass their drive with well taught defensive driving concepts that they would not have gotten from a less dedicated teacher. I am the type of teacher that has the reputation with the school office of always keeping my appointment commitments with my students
Ozzy's 2005 Toyota Corolla
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When I finished my tour with the Marines I fell in love with my high school sweetheart Skylee. We have a 2 year old son, Jayson. Most of my students after their first 2 hour lesson will be able make turns smoothly and be able to do lane changes in light traffic and even have some experience in parking. The office tells me I have developed a reputation for being patient and easy going with my students.
Carol Boyd
I am extremely patient and easygoing. I understand how to work with different students’ abilities and teach them how to become safe and excellent drivers.
I love to teach. My background includes substitute teaching in the San Diego and North County School Districts. Having a calm and even nature really helps when relating to students in helping them gain confidence with their driving skills. Originally from New York, I became accustomed to driving in all kinds of conditions. I now appreciate the California Highways and roads as opposed to New York streets. I love spending time with my family at the beach and hiking Torrey Pines State Park.