Our Goddard School Teachers

Jyoti Verma, co-owner of The Goddard Schools located in Henderson and Las Vegas (South), NV, earned her Master of Science degree in MIS and Marketing, and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts (Economics Major). She was always passionate about children, education, and community hence, wanted her life-work to crystallize around those three focal points. She’s excited to operate a business that plays an important role in the community by providing exceptional service for children and that is centered on her most important priority—family. Ms. Jyoti is proud to be a part of The Goddard School and is committed to providing the highest quality preschool experience for the children in the community.

Gagan Verma, co-owner of The Goddard Schools located in Henderson and Las Vegas (South), NV, earned his MBA from Columbia University, NYC, and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from DCET. He also passed levels I & II of the CFA Charter. After a successful career with fortune 100 companies in risk management, corporate finance, and management consulting, he joined his wife in 2020 to operate their childcare business that aligns with their values and provides exceptional early childhood educational and developmental services for children. Mr. Verma also had the privilege of serving on the board of Spread the Word NV, the largest child literacy-related nonprofit in Nevada. He is very 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 this community. Mr. Verma is CPR and First Aid certified and has completed a background check with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.

Gia was born in Granada Hills, CA, and raised in Mohave Valley, AZ. She has been in the Early Childhood Education Field since 2000, received her AA in Early Childhood Education from CSN and her BA in Business Administrative from NSC. She works in the field because "You deserve to go to work each day and be happy! I always say we have the BEST families, faculty and facility!" She enjoys spending time with her family, attending sporting events, shopping at Target & Amazon, and is an obsessed dog mom of 2 Pitbull's named Paisley and Jax. Some of her favorites include Mexican food and pizza, dips, coffee, and the color green. Fun Fact: I have been to Nicaragua twice to rebuild a school and serve children; it was life-changing!!

Sequoia was born in Fountain Valley, CA, and raised in Flushing, MI. She has been in the Early Childhood Education field since 2011 and is attending CSN pursuing her Early Childhood Education degree. She teaches because “I love children; watching them learn and grow is one of the most rewarding things you can do!” She enjoys taking her children to the beach and Target in her spare time. Some of her favorites include: Italian food, Dutch Bros, Dr. Pepper, Reeses, and her favorite color is black. Fun Fact- “I was born on Christmas!”

Ms. Jasmine was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She has received her BS in Criminal Justice and has experience as an assistant teacher and camp counselor. She teaches because "I love to watch children grow and their character develop!" In her spare time, she loves to binge watch movies and series. Some of her favorites include macaroni pie, Rasta Pasta, cranberry juice, sprite, chips, honeybuns, and the color purple. Fun Fact: I've been to Japan, and my family is from the twin island of Trinidad & Tobago.

Ms. Destiny was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She is new to the early childhood education field, but she is excited to learn. She teaches because "I want to make a positive impact on students' lives." In her spare time, she likes thrifting, watching movies, listening to music, and spending time with her family. Some of her favorites include birria tacos, water, pink lemonade, and hot Cheetohs; her favorite color is black. Fun Fact- "I have 5 dogs."

Ms. Val was born and raised in Ukraine. She has experience in the early childhood field as a childcare worker and babysitter. She teaches because "I love watching children learn and grow!" In her spare time, she enjoys reading and walking. Her favorites include sushi, coffee, and kettle corn. Her favorite color is green. Fun fact: "I love to play with my grandkids!"

Ms. Alayna was born and raised in Madera, CA. She has experience as an ABA therapist and is new to the Early Childhood Education field. She teaches because "I love watching kids learn new things!" In her spare time, she enjoys reading and taking her dogs to the park. Her favorites include tacos, water, and any hot chips. Her favorite color is purple. Fun Fact- "I love playing board games!"

Ms. Lia was born and raised in Waimanalo, Hawai'i. She has 3 years of experience in the ECE field. She teaches because "Working and teaching in childcare is extremely rewarding. I enjoy being a part of their growth!" In her spare time, she enjoys going to new places such as new beaches, lakes, and hikes. She also enjoys trying different restaurants. Her favorites include Hawaiian food, strawberry acai lemonade, and anything Li Hing Mui. Her favorite color is purple. Fun Fact- "I have 5 dogs!"

Ms. Hailey was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is new to early childhood education but is excited to learn and grow. She teaches because "I love having a positive impact in children's lives." In her spare time, she likes to read and garden. Her favorites include pizza, Pepsi, and popcorn; her favorite color is purple. Fun Fact- "I have five brothers."

Ms. Sthephani was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has one year of experience in the early childhood field. She teaches because "I love kids and enjoy working with them!" In her spare time, she likes to hang out with friends and family. Her favorites include Teriyaki Madness, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Mexican candy, and chips; her favorite colors are pink and red. Fun Fact- "I have a small business growing; I make flower bouquets!"

Ms. Leeana was born and raised in Henderson, NV. She is new to the Early Childhood Education field but is excited to learn and grow. She teaches because "I love kids and I love seeing them grow and learn!" In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, visiting animals, dancing, and spending time with family. Her favorites include steak, Dr. Pepper, and Hot Cheetos. Her favorite color is pink. Fun Fact- "I'm the oldest daughter in my family!"

Ms. Makenzie was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She attends CSN and is working towards getting her psychology degree. She has experience working in the ECE field for about two years. She teaches because "I love being able to help and connect with children while giving them a safe and nurturing environment to thrive in!" In her spare time, she is either doing homework or reading. Her favorites include Applebee's, Cane's, Dutch Bros, Monster energy drinks, and Dot cinnamon sugar pretzels. Her favorite color is green. Fun fact: "I have two dogs, and I am currently working on getting my master's in psychology!"

Ms. Brianna was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is currently pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education. She teaches because "I love seeing children light up when they learn something new; it gives me a huge sense of pride in what I do." In her spare time, she enjoys reading. Her favorites include pasta, matcha, and spam musubi. Her favorite color is purple. Fun Fact- "I have 6 siblings!"

Ms. Riley was born in California and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She has experience teaching special education for CCSD. She teaches because "I love seeing growth in a child's education and confidence as they learn!" In her spare time, she enjoys reading, skateboarding, and watching comedy movies and TV shows. Her favorites include sushi, pasta, Chai tea, chips, and chocolate. Her favorite color is green. Fun Fact- "I love tarantulas!"

Ms. Cherish was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has one year of experience as a twos teacher. She teaches because "I love being a part of making a positive impact on children!" In her spare time, she enjoys doing her hair and makeup, anything that has to do with beauty and cosmetics, and working out. Her favorites include sushi, Coca-Cola, and munchies. Her favorite colors are grey and pink. Fun Fact- "Being a childcare worker was my first job and I've never looked back!"

Ms. Xenaya was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has 1 year of experience in the early childhood field. She teaches because "I enjoy watching children strengthen their skills, while playing and interacting with others. I love seeing their beautiful smiles!" In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games. Her favorites include pizza, strawberry milk, and hot Cheetos. Her favorite color is pink. Fun fact: "I have two dogs and one crazy cat!"

Ms. Rosa was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She has experience in the Early Childhood Education field with all age groups and has volunteered in schools and babysat. She teaches because "I like to share knowledge and see progress develop over time!" She loves to explore the mountains, spend time with family, and watch movies in her spare time. Her favorites include Mexican, Dr. Pepper, kit kat, hot Cheetos with lime, and the color blue. Fun Fact- "I have two dogs; a dachshund and a husky!"

Ms. Martha was born and raised in Guatemala, Central America. She graduated from college as an Elementary School Teacher. She then gained experience as a paraeducator at LUSD in California and had her own home daycare. She teaches because "No other job gives me the challenges, joys, creativity, and inspiration. I like to see how children grow and learn!" In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, and cooking. Some of her favorites include Chinese food, pink lemonade, and cashews; her favorite color is red. Fun Fact- "I love movies...but I can't handle scary movies!"

Ms. Simone was born in Guatemala and raised in California. She has her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and is new to the Early Childhood Education field. She teaches because "I love to encourage children to keep discovering in life!" In her spare time, she enjoys reading books, taking walks outside, and baking. Her favorites include tacos, coffee, and trail mix. Her favorite color is blue. Fun Fact- "I was adopted as a baby from Guatemala!"

Ms. MC was born and raised on the island of Maui. She received her BA in Asian Studies, obtained her CDA certificate, and has many years of early childhood education experience. She teaches because "It is rewarding to watch children understand and demonstrate what I've taught them!" She enjoys traveling, playing video games, and spending time with her family and friends in her spare time. Some of her favorites include Korean BBQ, Italian, Lemonade, dark chocolate, and the color black. Fun Fact-"Japan is my favorite place to travel, and I've been there twice!"

Ms. Brittny was born and raised in Salinas, CA. She has ten years of experience in Early Childhood Education and teaches because "I love education and want to make a difference." In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family. Her favorites include Sushi, smoothies, and hot chips. Her favorite color is turquoise. Fun fact: "I love to play softball!"

Ms. Rachelle was born and raised in California. She obtained her CDA and has worked in early childhood education for two years. She teaches because "I enjoy seeing their little faces light up every day. Children make the job rewarding, and I want to be a big part of them growing up and succeeding in life." In her spare time, she likes spending time with her family. Some of her favorites include Mexican food, Starbucks, Dr. Pepper, and ice cream; her favorite color is pink. Fun Fact- "If I didn't work with children, I would work with animals!"

Ms. Savannah was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon. She has two years of experience in the ECE field. She teaches because "I love to see the growth & development in students as they learn new skills." In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, hiking, reading, and going to the lake. Her favorites include pasta, lemonade, and oatmeal creampie. Her favorite color is blue. Fun Fact- "I took a 2-week-long road trip across the country!"

Ms. Lisa was born and raised in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. She obtained her CDA and she has 20 years of experience as a Special Education teacher working with preschool to elementary students. Lisa teaches because "It is gratifying for me to see children progress mentally, physically, and socially." She enjoys teaching Math, Science experiments, Sight Words, and Reading Fluency. Her students are kind, express their feelings well, have learned important self-help skills, and are ready for Kindergarten both emotionally and academically. She likes to relax at home or shop at Target in her spare time. Her favorites include Mexican food, Italian food, desserts, chocolate, coffee and the colors black and pink. Fun Fact: "I am an Amazon shop-a-holic and love to collect Starbucks cups!"

Ms. Heather was born and raised in Apple Valley, CA. She is new to early childhood education and is currently obtaining her CDA. She teaches, "I love children and watching them grow and learn." In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her kids, going on walks, and shopping. Some of her favorites include Mexican food, pizza, strawberry lemonade, coffee, and cookies; her favorite color is pink. Fun fact: "I am double-jointed in six of my fingers!"

Ms. Marisol was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She has over 10 years of working in the Early Childhood Education field. She teaches because "Beyond having a passion for caring for children, I enjoy watching children develop into loving adults!" She enjoys traveling, working out, and baking in her spare time. Some of her favorites include sandwiches, chicken, coffee, donuts, and the colors white & black. Fun Fact- "I am spontaneous!"

Ms. Leslie was born in Bullhead City, Arizona, and raised in Laughlin, Nevada. She is new to the early childhood education field and is currently in school for education. She teaches because "I LOVE kids!!" In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies. Her favorites include carne asada, water, and cookies. Her favorite color is purple. Fun fact: "I love Ironman!"

Ms. Lori was born and raised in Waianae, Hawaii. She has five years of experience in the ECE field. She teaches because "The next generation is our future." In her spare time, she enjoys floral design and traveling. Her favorites include lau lau, iced tea, and brownies. Her favorite color is red. Fun fact: "I love creating floral hair pieces!"

Ms. Ranjitha (Ranji) was born and raised in India. She has a Diploma in Electronics and Communication and experience as a school teacher in India. She teaches because "I love children and want to spend all of my time making sure they succeed!" In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and watching TV. Some of her favorites include Indian food, water, Pani Puri (an Indian snack), and the color black. Fun Fact- My family and I love our family gamenights!

Ms. Areli was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She is currently new to the early childhood education field. She teaches because "I enjoy working with children and supporting their learning and development!" In her spare time, she enjoys working out and spending time with her family. Her favorites include pasta, seafood, Sprite, Takis, and Oreos. Her favorite color is gray. Fun Fact- "I love cats!"

Ms. Tricia was born in Cedar City and raised in Beryl, UT. She has her CDA in toddler development and has 5 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. She teaches because "I love to see the joy on kids' faces when they learn something new. I love to see their growth and confidence rise!" In her spare time, she enjoys scrapbooking, swimming, and spending time with family. Her favorites include Mexican and Italian food, Dutch Bros, trail mix bars, and chips. Her favorite color is blue. Fun Fact- "I've eaten a rattlesnake and have been stung by a jellyfish!"

Ms. Jocelyn was born and raised in California. She is new to the Early Childhood Education field and is eager to learn. She teaches because "I love kids!" In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her sister. Her favorites include pizza, Coke, and Boba. Her favorite color is green. Fun Fact- "I love food!"