Our Teachers

Diane Bowden is the owner of the Goddard School in Apex. After being in the corporate workforce for over fifteen years, she wanted to own a business that could make a significant contribution to the community by providing an exceptional, high quality preschool experience for children. Diane is a graduate from the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State. She has spent the majority of her professional life working in the pharmaceutical industry. I am excited and proud to be a part of the Goddard family. I am committed to providing an experience that will enrich every child's emotional, social, intellectual and physical development, while providing the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Ms. Trina is the school's Director. Ms. Trina earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996. She received her NC Early Childhood Education Credential and NC Early Childhood Administration Credential from Wake Technical Community College. Trina is certified in infant, child/adult CPR and SIDS and is a NC certified CNA-I. Trina is a Level III administrator. In addition to managing the day to day operation of the school, Trina is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment in which children can learn, explore, imagine and discover new skills. Her passion for education ensures the school is using the most current, academically endorsed methods needed for long-term success in school and in life. Trina loves children and counts each Goddard child as part of her family. Ms. Trina’s favorite children’s book is “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers.

Ms. Shanae is the school's Assistant Director. Shanae attended Johnston Community College where she earned her NC Early Childhood Education Credential. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Shanae is certified in infant, child, & adult CPR and First Aid as well as Playground Safety. Ms. Shanae has over 12 years experience working in an early childhood education setting. Shanae believes play is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. She enjoys working closely with the faculty to create classroom environments where they use the child’s/children’s interests to guide their learning. Ms. Shanae’s favorite children’s book is “Corduory” by Don Freeman.

Ms. Emily is a lead teacher in our Lil' Shrimp Infant classroom. She attended St. Augustine University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. She has been working as an Early Childhood Educator since 1993 and obtained her NC Early Childhood Education Credential from North Carolina Central Community College. Emily is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child CPR and First Aid. Emily has a passion for the infant age group as she enjoys designing activities to stimulate brain development and get the babies in touch with their environment. Ms. Emily’s favorite children’s book is “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin.

Ms. Diamond is a lead teacher in our Lil' Shrimp Infant classroom. She is currently attending Wake Technical College where she is working toward earning her Early Childhood Education Credential. She has been working as an early childhood educator since 2012 and is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child CPR and First Aid. Diamond believes the best way to help babies grow into curious, confident learners is to provide them with warm, consistent care so they can form secure attachments to their caregivers and begin to develop relationships. Ms. Diamond's favorite children’s book is “I Love Fall” by Alison Inches.

Ms. Seng is a lead teacher in The Sea Horses classroom. Seng attended the State University of Fresno where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Seng is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Seng has over 15 years of experience working in the early childhood education field. She has a passion for this age group as she enjoys designing activities to encourage the development of gross motor skills. On a daily basis, she teaches the children skills such as pulling, pushing, jumping, hopping, throwing, tossing, catching and climbing to assist in the development of large muscle control. Ms. Seng’s favorite children's book is “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch.

Ms. Lopa is a lead teacher in The Sea Horses class. Lopa attended Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India where she earned a post graduate degree in Comparative Literature. Ms. Lopa is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child and First Aid. Ms. Lopa has over 8 years experience working in an early childhood education setting. Lopa believes play is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. She enjoys creating a classroom environment where she uses the child’s/children’s interests to guide their learning. Ms. Lopa's favorite children’s books are the “Pete the Cat” series by Kimberly and James Dean .

Ms. Shirelyn is a lead teacher in our Jellyfish classroom. She earned her Associate in Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Wake Technical Community College. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, she is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. Ms. Shirelyn has been teaching at The Goddard School for 9 years. She loves the excitement and challenges that she faces every day as a Preschool teacher. Her goal is to bring out the best in each child as she challenges them in a fun and positive way. She enjoys inspiring independence and fostering growth/development so that each child is provided with a strong foundation for learning. Ms. Shirelyn’s favorite children’s book is “Giraffes Can't Dance” by Giles Andreae

Ms. Mackenzie is a lead teacher in The Jellyfish class. Ms. Mackenzie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Psychology from Meredith College, Raleigh, NC. She is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. Ms. Mackenzie recognizes the importance of outdoor play. She designs activities that give the children opportunities to explore, discover, run, jump, climb, roll, yell and sing. She enjoys enabling children to be children! Ms. Mackenzie's favorite children’s book is “Halibut Jackson" by David Lucas.

Ms. Abrita is a lead teacher in our Dolphins classroom. Abrita has 5 years experience working with children in this age group. Her educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, an MBA and 18 hours of Early Childhood Education. In addition, she is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. School readiness is the primary objective of the Pre-K class. Ms. Abrita develops cognitive goals and activities to help Pre-K children become proficient in simple literacy, critical thinking and problem solving. Ms. Abrita's favorite children's book is "Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister

Ms. Kelli has been teaching at The Goddard School since 2005. She is a lead teacher in our Sharks classroom. She earned her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education at Central Carolina Community College. Kelli is also certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Kelli has over 20 years of experience working in the field of early childhood education. She has a strong understanding of the expectations placed on children entering kindergarten and creates an environment to meet the children’s academic, social and emotional developmental milestones. Ms. Kelli’s favorite children’s book is “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss.

Ms. Syarra is a lead teacher in our Sharks classroom. Syarra attended Wake Technical Community College where she earned her Early Childhood Education Credential. Syarra is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid Ms. Syarra has 8 years experience in an early childhood setting. As a Pre-K teacher, Ms. Syarra enjoys providing the children with opportunities for independent discovery and problem-solving skills. Her goal as an educator is to help each child reach their own personal developmental goals and milestones, while exploring and progressing at their own pace. Ms. Syarra's favorite children’s books are “The Magic Tree House ” series by Mary Pope Osborne.

Ms. Renee is an assistant teacher. She attended Wake Technical Community College where she earned her Early Childhood Education Credential. She has over 19 years of experience working in the early childhood education field. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Renee is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Renee has worked with children of all age groups, but truly enjoys working with three year old’s. Everyday her classroom is exciting, different and new. Her lessons incorporate lots of visuals and projects that incorporate “practice by doing”. She enjoys creating activities that inspire critical thinking as well as creativity. Ms. Renee's favorite children’s book is “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss.

Ms. Rosa is an assistant teacher in our Starfish classroom. She has been working as an Early Childhood Educator for over 20 years. She attended Wake Technical Community College where she earned her Child Development Associate credential . In addition to having completed her SIDS training, she is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Rosa recognizes the importance of reading to children on a daily basis. Reading to toddlers boosts their cognitive and language development. Ms. Rosa loves selecting books with lots of action, pictures and details, particularly those with cause-and-effect relationships or a problem that the characters must work to overcome. Ms. Rosa's favorite children’s book is “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss

Ms. Holly is the afternoon floater in our Dolphins classroom. Holly is currently a senior in high school and is also a Goddard School alumnus. Holly loves working with children. She enjoys watching children grow and develop into confident, self-sufficient learners. Ms. Holly's favorite children’s book is “Wynken, Blynken and Nod” by Eugene Field.

Ms. Naija is a lead teacher in our Guppies classroom. She has been working as an early childhood educator for over 2 years. Ms. Naija attended Shaw University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She is currently attending NCCU where she working on her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, she is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Naija recognizes the importance of developing cognitive skills, such as language skills, and problem solving skills when children are young. She pays attention to what children are interested in, and then plans themes or projects that help children expand their knowledge and skills in different areas, all while having FUN! Ms. Naija’s favorite children’s book is “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Ronald Dahl

Ms. Monica is a lead teacher. She earned her BS in Family Consumer Sciences from North Carolina Central University. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Monica is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Monica has 10 years experience in the childcare industry. She has worked with children of all age groups, from infants to school age, but truly enjoys working with one year olds. Everyday her classroom is exciting, different and new. Her lessons incorporate lots of visuals such as puppets and felt boards. She enjoys creating activities that keep the children engaged. Ms. Monica’s favorite children’s book is “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown."