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.
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.
Mia Ridling
Drama Teacher
Mia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She is also a proud alum of MSAE! She brings with her experience as a teaching assistant in the Chattahoochee High School Theatre Department and is very excited to be directing our elementary and middle school students this year.
Josh Roberts
PE Teacher
Josh's energy and enthusiasm are infectious. A seasoned track and field athlete, his goal is to get students moving and build confidence. Along with teaching PE to our elementary and middle students, Josh also runs an afternoon running club once a week for our younger students.
Toddler
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
Khalida has been with the Montessori School at Emory since May 2024. She has over six years of experience working with young people. Khalida loves working with our youngest community, and they adore her. Khalida shares her love of cooking and arts and crafts with the Kiwi class.
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.
Puffin Class Assistant
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
Brittany joined the Montessori School at Emory team in September 2024. With over five years of experience with young children, the joy she brings to her position is apparent. .
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.
Bridgette Johnson
Chickadee Class Assistant
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.
Destiny Hill
Chickadee Class Assistant
Destiny is excited to be a part of the Chickadee community. She comes to MSAE with experience working in a Montessori environment and a commitment to Montessori principles. All the Chickadee students feel Destiny's caring presence.
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.
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
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.
Tianna Fain
Upper 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.
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 Rehder
Elf Owl Guide
Nicole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photography from Columbia College in Chicago and her AMI Montessori Elementary Certification from the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. She has been working in Montessori education as a teacher, administrator, and trainer for over eight years. Her dedication to the students she teaches and belief in their ability to reach their full potential is apparent in all she does. Her unique and extensive experience is a valuable component of our adolescent program.
The Elf Owls
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.
Kaileen Hebert
Elementary and Office Support
Kaileen brings a wonderful spirit and kind heart to her work with our elementary students and in her work in the front office. Kaileen holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Georgia Southern University and is passionate about the Montessori approach to education. Outside of school, Kaileen enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and her pup.