Meet the Team
Dedicated & Trained
Administration
Trayce Marino
Head of School
Trayce Marino is the Head of School at the Montessori School at Emory. Trayce has a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University, an AMI Montessori certification at the elementary level, and a Masters degree in Montessori Education from Loyola University. She has been with the Montessori School at Emory for 19 years as both a teacher and in administration.
Trayce has two sons that have come up through Montessori School at Emory.
Kara Hebert
Office Manger
Kara joined the MSAE family in 2019 as an elementary classroom assistant teacher. She is now the Front Office Manager. Kara has been in the education field for many years as well. She spent the first 16 years of her career teaching 5 year old children in a traditional educational environment. She is very passionate about the Montessori philosophy and enjoys reading and playing sports during her downtime. Kara also enjoys spending time with her four adult children continuing to support and guide them.
Bridgette Johnson
Business Manager
Bridgette has a been working with young people for more than 15 years. She holds a BA in Behavior Science with a minor in Psychology. Bridgette brings her love or all things creative to the MSAE community. Outside of school she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children and her grandchildren.
Nikki Torres
Pedagogical Support Coordinator
Nikki Torres provides pedagogical support at the Elementary and Adolescent level. Nikki has a long history in Montessori education. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hood College (MD), Nikki pursued her AMI Montessori Elementary (ages 6 -1 2) certificate from Washington (DC) Montessori Institute, AMS Montessori Secondary (ages 12-15) certificate from Houston (TX) Montessori Institute, and Master of Education degree from Loyola University Maryland. Nikki has taught at the Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Adolescent levels at Montessori schools in Chicago and Atlanta.
Specialists
RoShana Paxton
Student Support Coordinator
RoShana Paxton has been in the education field for 24 years. She attended Jackson State University, where she majored in Special Education and minored in Psychology. In 2003, she obtained her Early Childhood degree at Georgia State University. She has a Bachelors in Social Science with a minor in Psychology and a Masters degree in Education with a concentration in Family and Community. RoShana has three daughters (one that is school age) and 2 grandchildren. She loves art,music and sneakers.
Izzi Robles
Drama Teacher
Izzi Robles is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she majored in Performing Arts and received minors in Vocal Performance and Casting. Izzi has been teaching at MSAE for the past two years and loves these kids! After school, she teaches private vocal and acting lessons. You might also catch Miss Izzi performing in musicals in the Atlanta area!
Toddler
Trina De-Mar Tucker
Spanish Teacher
Trina De -Mar Tucker earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Georgia State University and her Master of Science in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University. She has been teaching Spanish for over ten years and joined the team at MSAE in 2023, teaching Spanish to students ages 5 through 14. Outside of school, Trina enjoys volunteering in her community.
The Kiwis
Pilar Ossa
Kiwi Class Guide
Pilar Ossa has been a Toddler guide since 2008. She is originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela and moved to the Atlanta area in 2003. In 2007, Pilar finished her Aid to Infancy Training at the Montessori Institute of Atlanta. She has been with us here at MSAE in the toddler community since 2008. “I absolutely love it!”
Samantha Huff
Kiwi Class Assistant
Samantha has been the Kiwi assistant since 2019. She has over 13 years of experience working with young children. She loves her Kiwi toddlers and in her off time spending time with her family.
Khalida Nudrat
Kiwi Class Assistant
The Peacocks
Stephanie Murphy
Peacock Class Guide
Ms. Stephanie Murphy is an AMI Trained A-I Teacher and has guided toddlers at MSAE for over 20 years. Ms. Stephanie is truly blessed with the gift of patience, compassion, and the desire to touch the hearts, minds and to genuinely enhance the development of young children.
Sadaf Rashid
Peacock Class Assistant
Sadaf Rashid holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Karachi University in Pakistan. She found her passion in working with young children and is currently working on her CDA. Sadaf enjoys each day in the Peacock classroom.
Ayan Abdi
Peacock Class Assistant
With over four years of experience working with young children, Ayan brings a quiet energy to the Peacock classroom. She loves working with the Peacock toddlers and helping them discover new things.
The Hummingbirds
Zsanna Whittaker
Hummingbird Class Guide
With over 7 years of experience working with toddler age children Zsanna brings her patience and love to school each day. She holds Child Development Certification and AMI Foundations in A to I Certification. Zsanna is always looking to learn more about her Hummingbirds and how to give them just wheat they need to grow and develop. In her free time Zsanna enjoys being with her 5 children.
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Nature Thompson
Hummingbird Class Assistant
Nature Thompson brings her sweet and kind spirit to all she does. With over five years of working with young children Nature loves helping guide the Hummingbird toddlers to reach their full potential.
Cheman Sindi
Hummingbird Class Assistant
Cheman is charismatic and energetic with 6 years of providing educational assistance to students of various levels. She enjoys helping the Hummingbirds realize their full potential. She enjoys spending time with her big family when she is not working.
Primary
The Cardinals
Preeti Nagru
Cardinal Class Guide
Preeti Bhagat-Nagru has been the guide in the Cardinal Room for over 17 years. She received her training at the International Montessori Training Institute, and received her M.Ed. from Loyola College in Maryland. She has a flair for arts and crafts and the children in her class have benefited from it as their handwork is beautiful
Sametra Shavers
Cardinal Class Assistant
Sametra has been with MSAE as a Primary assistant since 2019 and holds degree in Computer Information Systems/Business Administration. She is currently working on her Child Development Associates certification. She enjoys karaoke and dancing.
Sherrunda Jackson
Cardinal Class Assistant
Sherrunda has over 5 years of experience working with young children. She is currently in the process of renewing her Child Development Associates Certification. Outside of school she enjoys spending time with her family.
The Puffins
Kristin Lemmerman
Puffin Class Guide
Ms. Kristin has been with MSAE for over ten years. She graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1992 with a degree in International Relations. She earned her Montessori Certification from the Montessori Institute of Atlanta and her M.Ed. from Loyola University in 2010.Besides writing, Ms. Kristin's hobbies include cooking, gardening and woodworking. She is fluent in Spanish.
Stephanie Taylor
Puffin Class Assistant
Stephanie has been working with children for 18 years. She has her Child Development Associate certification and is currently studying for her BA in Education. She enjoys journaling and writing poetry
Winnifred Nivens-Scott
Puffin Class Assistant
Winnie learned about Montessori in Jamaica and fell in love with the philosophy. She recently joined the Puffins Primary class team as the afternoon classroom assistant.
The Bluebirds
Arzoo Tejani
Bluebird Class Guide
Arzoo earned her B.A. in Education and Commerce in India. After several years of teaching experience in a private school in India Arzoo moved to the US and received her AMI Certification in 2012. She had been with MSAE for over ten years.She loves to spend time with her family and play with her son, Aariz.
Tonya Williams
Bluebird Class Assistant
Tonya has been at MSAE for 19 years. She has a passion for Montessori and love for the children in her care. Tonya has participated in AMI assistant training and holds a certificate in guiding Phonetic Reading. Outside school Tonya enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with family.
Brittany Gilmore
Bluebird Class Assistant
The Chickadees
Jesse Corley
Chickadee Class Guide
Jesse Corley is in her second year as the primary guide for the Chickadee class. She completed her AMI primary level training at the International Montessori Training Institute of Atlanta and her M.Ed at Loyola University Maryland in 2016. She has a BA in Film and Video from Georgia State University. Jesse has five years of experience working in Montessori primary and toddler environments. In her free time she enjoys exploring life with her two daughters, Cleo and June.
Aveen Tahir
Chickadee Class Assistant
Kaileen Hebert
Chickadee Class Assistant
Elementary
The Flamingos
Chelsea Richey
Flamingo Class Guide
Chelsea Richey joined MSAE in August of 2021. She previously taught Lower Elementary at the Montessori Institute in Broward just outside of the Everglades. She received her AMI certification through the Atlanta Montessori Institute after graduating with a degree in Cognitive Psychology from North Georgia College and State University. She always knew she would become a teacher, and as a child enjoyed guiding the neighborhood children on creek hikes or showing them the best way to climb a tree.
Tianna Fain
Lower Elementary Class Assistant
Tianna joined the MSAE team in 2021. She has a true passion for learning and growing that is infectious to the students she works with. Tianna has completed her Montessori Assistants training at the elementary level and is always striving to learn more. Tianna is also a licensed cosmetologist and does hair and make up in her free time.
The Sandpipers
Stacey Albright
Sandpiper Class Guide
Stacey received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma and in 1999. In 2004 she began her career in administration at Montessori at Riverstone Montessori Academy in Marietta before moving into the classroom as an assistant and deciding to take the her AMI Elementary training and obtain a Masters of Education from Loyola University. Stacey join the MSAE team in 2013. She has guided students at the Adolescent, Upper Elementary and Lower Elementary levels. She enjoys reading and watching her girls play roller derby.
Sahsani Williams
Lower Elementary Class Assistant
Sahsani came to MSAE with over 6 years of experience working with young children. She holds an AMI assistants certification and loves working with our Kiwis. Sahsani enjoys art, music and reading.
The Emus
Melanie Roeming
Emu Class Guide
Melanie Roeming holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Georgia and her AMI elementary teaching certification from the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. She has been a Montessori teacher at the Upper Elementary level since 2015, both in the public and the private sector. Besides her passion for Montessori education, Melanie enjoys exploring the outdoors. With her experience as an environmental educator with the Elachee Nature Center, she loves to extend the classroom out into the natural world.
Jack Marino
Emu Class Assistant
Jack is in his second year as an upper elementary assistant in the Emu class. His experience being a Montessori student from toddler through middle school helps him now guide the students in his care. He enjoys sharing his passion for the arts with unique lessons that engage student's creative side. Jack is currently studying Film Production at the Georgia Film Academy.
Adolescent
Jason Austin
Elf Owl Guide
Mr. Jason joined the MSAE community August 2021. Armed with a passing familiarity with the Montessori philosophy, a love of learning, and the belief that he could make a meaningful impact on the lives of the students, Jason took on the position of Adolescent guide that has since changed his life. With a background in research as a Geologist at the University of Georgia and Duke University, the scientific approach of the Montessori philosophy was attractive to him the first time he encountered it. This interest and practice brought him to the realization that teaching adolescents is the job that he did not know he wanted all his life. Jason enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the outdoors.
Nicole Fedorow
Elf Owl Guide
Support Staff
Madison Lamb
Kitchen Manager
Madison Lamb is the Montessori School at Emory Kitchen Manager. Madison has many years of experience working with young children. She uses her creativity, love, and passion for cooking to prepare enjoyable meals for our children daily. Outside school, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, laughing, and seeking new challenges.
Lupe Trujillo
Custodial and Maintenance
Lupe Trujillo always has a smile and a kind word for everyone she encounters. She takes great pride in making sure that the school is cared for and things look beautiful. When Lupe isn't working she loves to spend time with her family and friends.