Our Goddard School Teachers

Hiral Mehta and Hemant Patel are the owners of The Goddard School® of Raleigh (North). They are committed to Goddard’s mission of making the world a better place through early childhood education and development. Hiral and Hemant want families to feel like they’ve found a home away from home where children will discover the wonder of learning as they build confidence, make lasting friendships and explore the world around them. They are dedicated to making sure their School meets the highest standards of health, safety and security with teachers who are warm, nurturing and highly skilled. When Hiral and Hemant aren’t busy at Goddard, they love spending quality time with their children.

Ms. Laticha earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and her Master's degree in Counseling from Grand Canyon University. She has been teaching young children since 2007 and loves to watch them grow and learn in her class.

Mrs. Brenda graduated from Stanly Community College with a degree in Administration. She has been working with children since 1985. She has been with Goddard since 2025. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and grandchildren. She says she loves teaching because she loves being the beginning of a child's educational journey.

Ms. Lauren graduated from Louisburg College, Everest University and Grand Canyon University. She has an Associate's Degree in Elementary Education, a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's in Early Childhood Education. She has worked in the field since 2010. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending with her girls. Ms. Lauren loves teaching because she loves watching the infants go through their many different milestones and building relationships with them and their parents.

Ms. Cameron has a medical background and completed her Certified Nursing Assistant program in 2020. She worked as a nanny for three years. She started teaching at Goddard in October of 2023. She loves bonding with the children and watching them grow. In her free time, Ms. Cameron loves to spend time with her children and enjoy music, events and activities with them.

Ms. Tracy graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Development. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Birth to Kindergarten from Appalachian State University. She has been teaching young children since 2007. She has worked at Goddard since 2010. In her free time she enjoys hiking, cooking and doing crafts and puzzles. She also loves spending time with her husband and their three children.

Ms. Lisa graduated from The Berkerly Business School with a degree in Business. She earned her Early Childhood Credentials in 2016. She has taught children since 2006 and has experience in the toddler and infant settings. She has worked at Goddard since March of 2022. In her spare time, she enjoys Diamond Painting and shopping. She says "My passion is teaching children and helping them grow."

Mrs. Ouafae is pursuing her education in early childhood. She has been working with children since she was 16 years old. She said she loves teaching because she can see the children learn and explore their world. In her free time, she enjoys baking, walking and working out. She also loves spending time with her family.

Ms. Monika graduated from N.C. College of Engineering and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. She has been working in education since 2013. She started working at Goddard in May of 2023. In her free time, Ms. Monika enjoys reading books, watching TV, going to Top Golf and visiting new places. She says she loves teaching because she "Loves children and feels happy to see them learning and growing."

Ms. Upasana graduated from Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh in India with a degree in Chemistry. She has been working with children since 2019 and started at Goddard in 2025. In her free time she enjoys cooking and reading books. Her favorite children's books to read are Dr. Seuss books. She says she loves teaching because it is a rewarding job.

Ms. Mays has earned her North Carolina Accreditation in Early Childhood Education. She has been working in early education since 2016. She also has experience teaching English as a second language to Pre-K and Kindergarten students in Jordan where she grew up. She said she enjoys teaching because she loves seeing the children grow, interact and learn new things. It is her passion to have a positive impact on her children, she treats them like they are her own. She has worked at Goddard since October 2024.

Ms. Shirletta graduated from East Wake High School. She went on to further her education in Early Childhood Education at Wake Technical College. She has always had love and passion to teach. I’ve been in the childcare field since I was 18 years old. I cherish teaching children, I’m always excited to see the growth over the course of time. She is the mother of one precious, energetic boy. She loves to hang out with my family and do new things with my son in my spare time. She especially loves music, trips to the beach and Mexican food. Some of her favorite things to do with children are art and crafts and creating new and fun ways to learn. Some of her favorite children’s books are “A Bad Case of Stripes”, “Where hands Go”, “Just Like Me”, and all “Dr. Seuss” books.

Ms. De'Andra (Ms. Dee) has been working with children since 2019. She has been around children all her life due to her mom having her own daycare. She has experience working as a floater, an infant teacher, and a 1-year-old teacher. She is also a mother of two. In her free time she enjoys shopping. She looks forward to working with you and all the children in Get Set.

Ms. Indyah is currently enrolled in classes to complete her CDA. She has been working with children since 2020. She started at Goddard in September 2025. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and journaling. She also loves to eat good food. Her favorite children's book is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Mrs. Brittney graduated from the Bright Horizons CDA Program. She completed the CDA Credentials and Licensed Esthetician. She has been working with children since 2016. She started at Goddard in 2025. In her free time she likes to do make up and spend time with her boys. Her favorite children's book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. She says she loves teaching because she gets to help children learn and understand material and gain confidence in themselves. She believes it is not just about the lesson but about making a difference in someone's life.

Ms. Neita graduated from Ashworth College with an Associates of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Child Development. She has been working in education since 2005. She started at Goddard in September 2021. In her free time she loves to watch movies, especially Christmas movies. She says she loves teaching because she can make a positive impact on children's lives. She finds joy in seeing them learn and grow. She also enjoys connecting and interacting and engaging with students.

Ms. Shertonia (Ms. Toni) graduated from Enloe High School. She has been working in education since 2018. She started at Goddard in July of 2025. In her free time she enjoys doing finger crochet and volunteer work. Her favorite children's book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. She enjoys teaching because she gets to help expand the minds of the future.

Ms. Majda earned her Child Development Associate Credential in 2021. She has worked in the early education field since 2021. She has worked at Goddard since July 2024. In her free time she enjoys baking, walking and reading. Ms. Majda says she has a passion for children and loves spending time helping them grow and learn.

Kisha earned her Bachelor's Degree in Early Care and Education from UNC Greensboro. She has been teaching since 1996. She has worked at Goddard since August of 2021. In her free time she enjoys shopping, eating and spending time with her family. She also enjoys journaling and meditating. She says she loves teaching because she can see the positive impact she has on children's development and in their lives.

Ms. Pam earned her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Marywood University in Scranton, PA and her Master's degree in Classroom Technology from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She has experience working with children since 2001. Ms. Pam loves teaching children and seeing them develop physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to Raleigh with her husband, son, and two dogs. In her spare time, she loves to read, travel and spend time with family.

Kayla is currently attending North Carolina Central studying Early Childhood Education and Business. She has been in the childcare field since 2022. She started working at Goddard in 2025. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, shopping, and traveling. She loves teaching because she looks forward to seeing the children grow while having fun learning!

Ms. Kiersten graduated from Wake Technical Community College with an Associates Degree in Applied Art. She has been working in education since 2025. She started at Goddard in August of 2025. In her free time she likes to take walks, play the piano and do craft projects. Her favorite children's book is If You Give a Mouse A Cookie. She says she loves teaching because she loves seeing the imagination of the children at all different ages.

Ms. Dominique graduated from Needham Broughton High School. She has been working in education since 2023. She started working at Goddard in October 2025. In her free time she likes to draw pictures, take walks near the water, try new food places and do her hair. Her favorite children's book is Down By the Bay. She says she loves teaching because she loves having a positive impact on the children and being part of their village.

Ms. Samantha graduated from Wake Tech in 2015 with her GED. She also completed her Bio work Certificate in 2017. She has been working in education since 2017. She started at Goddard in November 2025. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, writing and baking. She also loves going to thrift stores. Her favorite children's books are The Giving Tree and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. She says she loves teaching because she loves seeing the children get excited when remembering new things they have learned. She also loves being able to see how far they have come.