Our Teachers

Mr. Dinesh is the on-site owner of the Goddard School. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Textile Technology, Mr. Dinesh worked as a textile engineer. He has since owned several successful businesses in the service, retail and hospitality industries. He is excited and proud to be a part of the Goddard School and is committed to providing the highest quality preschool experience for the children in our community.

Tejal is a Co-Owner of the Goddard School of Wesley Chapel. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Education and Counseling Psychology. Along with Mr. Dinesh Patel, her vision is to offer the families in our Wesley Chapel area a quality, upscale educational childcare environment where a strong foundation is laid for future academic success. She is also passionate about building a strong sense of community among our Goddard families, as well as eager to see our children learning beyond the classroom through additional programs and events that are hosted at our school.

Mrs. Dlal is currently the Director of Operations at the Goddard School. Mrs. Dee has been in the childcare industry since the age of 16 and has held her Director's Credential since 2006. She is the mother of 3 beautiful school age children. She prioritizes spending time with her family and they can often be found at the pool or trying new restaurants. She is currently a student seeking her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education. She is excited to bring her expertise to the Goddard School and looks forward to creating and maintaining relationships with all her families.

Ms. RaShonda is the proud Director of Education at the Goddard School of Wesley Chapel. She has 7 years of experience in Early Childhood Education as a teacher and an additional 10 years of experience as a school administrator. She is an alumni of Ashford University, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science with a concentration in Education. She also received her Master's of Science in Education with a specialization in Leadership from Keiser University. She is currently a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University, where she is working on a Doctorate of Education (EDd) in Curriculum and Teaching. Ms. RaShonda is a mom of 5 and typically spends her free time coaching cheerleading, attending sporting events, and spending time with her family. She looks forward to getting to know you and your children and inspiring a love of learning.

Working as an early childhood educator is one of the most important roles I have ever held. I believe that assisting children in having a strong foundation to help develop their character is truly important. Not only do I enjoy teaching children the fundamentals, I am constantly learning from my students. I pledge to provide each child with love and care- and most importantly, respect. What makes me most successful is that I am patient and hard working. I believe that most strongest skill is that I am genuinely caring, innovative, and creative. I love my students unconditionally, and they love me back.

Mrs. Becky is one of the lead teachers in the Pre-K 1 classroom. She began working in Early Childhood education 27 years ago. Since her start in this field she has gained experience working with all age groups, but Pre-K is her favorite. Mrs. Becky has all her certifications including her CDA and VPK credentials. She is currently in school working towards her Directors license. Mrs. Beckys favorite part about working with kids is watching their eyes light up when they get to experience new things.

Ms. Jazmine is one of our lead Pre-K teachers. She has lived in many states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and South Carolina. She attended Alliance University, South Carolina State University and York Technical College while pursuing a major in psychology. Working with children has been her dream since she was a child. Ms. Jazmine has her CDA and all of her VPK credentials. She began her lifelong dream of serving children back in 2012 when she started working at her first child development center. She is overjoyed with getting to know, understand, and love every single child in her class. She enjoys doing her best to help children reach their goals and also support their success in activities they enjoy. Ms. Jazmine can not wait to have you and your child in her classroom.

Mrs. Carolyn is the lead teacher in the Preschool 2 classroom. She was previously a lead in the Bridge 1 classroom. She has her 45 hours for DCF and over 3 years of childcare experience, she has also spent time nannying. She has worked with children with ages ranging from infants to 5 years old. Mrs. Carolyn loves teaching because she enjoys watching children learn and grow everyday. Her favorite subject is art because that’s where everyone can express themselves from within with endless possibilities. Mrs. Carolyn has been married for 10 years and has 3 beautiful children named Maximus, Mia & Leonidas, who keep her busy with their activities. In her free time she enjoys spending quality time with her family & making new memories everyday. She can not wait to get to know you and your baby!

Mrs. Jenn is the assistant teacher in the Preschool 2 class! She has a passion for working with children, families, and other educators. She has been in the early childhood field for the past 36 years. She moved to Florida from Massachusetts in the summer of 2020. In Massachusetts, Mrs. Jenn held her Director II certification and worked in many different capacities throughout her career. She started as a classroom assistant teacher, educating infants through school-age children. From there she worked her way to a director position. Most of Mrs. Jenns career has been opening and directing childcare programs and leading large teams. She also worked as a Regional Director for an afterschool program located inside several Boston Public Schools. She also spent some time supporting families, as an Early Head Start Home Visitor. Mrs. Jenn can often be found spending time with her husband, kids, and grandkids! She is so excited to get to know you and your family.

Ms. Danita began her journey in the Early Childhood Profession as a Preschool Music and Pre-K Teacher. From there, she directed children's summer theater, and served as the Director of Children's Learning Center @ Florida Hospital Tampa. Her experience also includes teaching In-Service Continuing Education at the Local, State and National Levels. She holds a CDA. Her favorite teachers have always been the children. They taught her how to earn respect, listen intently, laugh more, sing louder, whisper, make funny voices, but most of all, they taught her patience. Giving them the opportunity to free their insecurities allows them to shine through their strengths while reinforcing successes through specific praise. Danita enjoys watching her student's progress while learning together with enthusiasm and positive energy. She spends free time with her family, power walking, yoga, shopping for unusual antiques and learning about Florida History.

Mrs. Flossie is the Lead Preschool 1 Teacher. She has earned her 45 DCF hours as well as her CDA. She has worked in childcare for 39 years and has a plethora of knowledge and experience to share. Her favorite subject to teach is Language and Literacy because she can help her students increase their knowledge and understanding of different stories. She enjoys teaching children so that she can see them grow and become their own person.

Ms. Mariam has been working at Goddard since 2022. She works with all age groups so she gets to know almost every kid. Ms. Mariam has earned her 45 DCF hours as well as her CPR and first aid. She enjoys working with kids because it makes her happy to see them learn something new. In the future she plans to study anesthesiology or becoming a pediatrician. She can speak both English and Arabic. Ms. Mariam is so excited to build a relationship with you and your kiddo.

Mrs. Idi is the lead teacher in the Bridge 1 classroom. In the past she has been an assistant teacher in the Toddler 2 room and in the Twos room. Mrs. Idi has been working with children for over 19 years, she has her 45 DCF hours, and is currently working on her CDA. She is a proud mother of 5 kids. Her free time is spent volunteering as a team mom for The New Tampa Wildcats Football and Cheer youth organization where she is also a Executive board member. Mrs. Idi truly believes children are the best teachers and she is so excited for all the memories we are going to make and all the strides in learning we will have!

Ms. Angel is a part of our support staff team here at Goddard! She currently has her 45 DCF hours as well as her CPR and First Aide credentials. She was born and raised in New Jersey, but moved to Florida for college and is currently working towards her masters in social work. Ms. Angel has been working in early childcare for over a year, and currently spends half her week at Goddard and the other half interning at a local high school. She can often be found reading, gardening, and spending time with family. Ms. Angel is excited to be a part of the Goddard School Family and is passionate about childcare and fostering students creativity and knowledge.

Mrs. Quyen is the lead teacher in our Toddler 2 classroom. She has been in the childcare industry since 2009 and especially enjoys working with older toddlers. She has her 45 DCF hours as well as her National CDA Credential. Additionally, she has CPR and first aid certifications. Mrs. Quyen can often be found spending time with her family and friends. She has a grown daughter, who resides and works in Los Angeles, after graduating from USC. Mrs. Quyen adores children and loves working with them. She finds watching them grow up to be successful one of lifes greatest joys. To her, teaching is the most rewarding profession in the world.

Mrs. Jessica is the assistant teacher in the Toddler 2 classroom. She is from Colombia and came to the United States in the beginning of 2023. She has a Bachelors degree in Science in Mathematics and a Masters degree Science in Statistics. She loves working with children and being able to watch children grow comfortable in their new environments. She finds it very rewarding when children start to open up to her because it means she has become someone they trust. Outside of work she likes to swim, walk, and dance to all different kinds of music. She prides herself on punctuality and enjoys learning new things ever day. Mrs. Jessica can not wait to meet you and your family.

Ms. Carmen has a deep love for children and over 20 years of experience in the child care industry. Her journey began in 2007 when she started caring for her niece. This sparked a passion and in 2010 she opened a group family daycare where she gained invaluable experience nurturing and guiding young minds. In 2018, Ms. Carmen moved to Florida and expanded her horizons by working in various school settings. Throughout her career she has had the privilege of working with children of all ages and finds joy in helping them learn, grow, and develop their full potential. Ms. Carmen has her 45 DCF hours as well as her CDA and is fueled by her passion for early childhood development.

Ms. Eva has been working in the early childhood education field since 2013. She has experience with all age groups but especially loves teaching two year olds. While living in Portland Ms. Eva attended Portland Community College to further her knowledge in early childhood education. She has worked with many different programs such as Montessori, Emergent Curriculum, and Reggio Emilia all of which have helped expand her knowledge of curriculum and age-appropriate teachings. Ms. Eva is a fluent Spanish and English teacher. Additionally, she has her 45 DCF hours, CPR, and First Aide credentials. Outside of work, Ms. Eva can be found spending time with her husband and two kids.

Ms.Rhonda (Lulu) is our Bridge 2 assistant teacher. Lulu has been working in childcare for a little over 3 years. I love hiking, canoeing, and horseback riding. Even more so, I love working with kids. Watching them learn and grow is the most rewarding part of my job. I hope that all of my students grow to successful, smart, and know that they are capable of anything that they set their minds to.

Ms. Estefany serves as the lead teacher in the Bridge 2 classroom and brings nearly five years of experience in early childhood education. She holds certifications in CPR and First Aid, completed 45 hours of DCF training, and has earned both her Director's Credential and CDA. Passionate about working with young children, particularly those aged two and three, she believes in treating every child with the same care and dedication as she would her own. Ms. Estefany is committed to furthering her professional development, with aspirations to open her own daycare in the future. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym and spending time at the beach. She is a devoted mother to her son, who has enriched her understanding of motherhood. Ms. Estefany finds great joy in guiding children through their learning journeys, celebrating their achievements, and witnessing their excitement as they grow and discover new things.

Mrs. Shukriya is a part of the office support staff. She has been in childcare since 2018. Mrs. Shuk has her 45 DCF hours and is currently working towards her CDA. At Goddard, she helps manage the office in the mornings and ensures that all the classrooms are following health and safety standards. Mrs. Shuk can not wait to build relationships with each and everyone of you.

Ms. Jacqueline is part of the support staff at Goddard. She was born in Georgia, but has lived in Florida her whole life. She has four siblings, two nephews, and three nieces. Ms. Jacqueline currently has her 45 DCF hours and is looking into gaining more certifications in the future. Prior to joining the Goddard family she has worked within other facilities with one year olds to school agers, but loves two year olds.

Mrs. Sarmistha is a part of the support staff team here at Goddard. She is originally from India and has a masters degree in History. Before coming into childcare, she worked in many different sectors such as banking and office management. Mrs. Sarmistha has been in childcare for the past few years. She enjoys working with kids and watching them discover something new everyday. She believes that we can learn just as much from kids as we teach. Outside of learning and playing with your kiddos she enjoys watching movies and spending time with her daughter.

Ms. Monica Lopez is a dedicated preschool and Pre-K teacher with over a decade of experience nurturing young minds. She began her journey in early childhood education in the U.S. in 2019. Monica holds a bachelor’s degree in geography and has completed 45 hours of training through the Department of Children and Families (DCF). She also possesses a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and is currently pursuing her Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Instructor credential. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, Monica brings a valuable multicultural perspective to her teaching. Her multilingual skills and extensive international experience enable her to connect effectively with diverse students and families, fostering an inclusive and enriching learning environment.

My name is Julia and i am from Cleveland Ohio and moved to Tampa 3 years ago. I have been working with kids since I was old enough to babysit and was a nanny for 2 years. I enjoy working with kids because I find it rewarding when you get to teach them skills they will use forever as well as bonding and building trust with them. Outside of work I enjoyed spending time with family and friends as well as volunteering at The Humane Society of Tampa Bay. I am excited to be a part of the Goddard family and can't wait to build relationships an teach your little ones.

My name is Keyla, and I am originally from Brazil. Coming from a family of teachers, it was a natural calling for me to pursue a career in teaching with a passion in early childhood education and infant care. Although I have experience with children of all ages ranging from infants to teens, I have spent the past 2 years as an infant lead teacher in a daycare learning center. While working with twin premature infants back in 2020 as a nanny I was inspired to become a certified newborn specialist and continue my education path. I am always striving to learn more in order to be able to provide more to the children I get the opportunity to teach. I enjoyed doing my DCF 45 hours, and my CPR classes, I am also in the process of obtaining my CDA. My favorite part of being a teacher is watching the kids reach their milestones and learn; I love seeing them grow and it is rewarding to have a part in their development and achievements.