Mr. Sanjeev is the owner of The Goddard School of Fairfax and is happy to provide a school where children can flourish. Mr. Sanjeev's background in child behavior & development, along with his early education policy work, forms his passion for wanting to create a strong foundation for children's development of exploration and curiosity. In order to see children excel, Mr. Sanjeev is proud to present this state-of-the-art facility to the community where children can learn and grow in a fun and safe environment, guided by teachers with the highest qualifications. Mr. Sanjeev went to elementary, middle, and high school in Fairfax before earning his undergraduate degrees from UMass and his graduate degree from GMU. Mr. Sanjeev and his wife, Ms. Roshani, have a son that also attends the school!

Ms Bailey is originally from Kansas City, Missouri and attended college at Washington University in St. Louis. She graduated in 2011 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Women & Gender Studies, with coursework in child development, educational psychology, developmental psychology, and the psychology of creativity. While working in Prince William County Schools, she gained experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy. She took an interest in Early Childhood Education and joined the field as a Junior Kindergarten teacher from 2012-2015. As an Assistant Director she worked directly with teachers and curriculum development in a Reggio Emilia inspired program. She also created a nature program at the school to encourage outdoor learning and to mentor educators. Bailey became an Executive Director in April 2020 and joined Goddard in April 2023. In her free time, Ms Bailey loves cooking, camping, traveling, and kayaking.

Ms. Afriyie earned her Bachelors in Early Childhood Education and Business from Frostburg State University and has always had a passion for education. She has over 10 years of experience in this industry and can't wait to bring all that she has learned to the Goddard School of Fairfax! Ms. Afriyie is a first generation DC Native with roots from Trinidad and Tobago; in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two nieces and her two god daughters!

Ms. Ruby is originally from Vietnam, born and raised in Ho Chi Minh city. She came to the U.S many years ago as an international student. She has a B.S in Human Development, and an M. A in ESL & Multicultural Education, both from Virginia Tech. Ms. Ruby has always wanted to be a teacher since she was little. She would place all her stuffed animals around the dining table and pretend to teach them. Ms. Ruby loves to cook, read, take a walk or bike in the parks in her free time. She also owns a huge Hello Kitty collection. Ms. Ruby used to work at another Goddard School in Ohio where she lived for 3 years before moving back to VA. She is very happy to be at The Goddard School again. She has been a preschool teacher for over 6 years, and her most joyful thing is to watch the children grow up and develop every day. She can't wait to meet new students and families!

Mrs. Sumaia is the Lead Teacher in our Infant program. She is very excited to join the Goddard family. She is a mother of five beautiful children and one grandson! Mrs. Sumaia has cared for children across the globe spanning her years of experience in Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and now here in Virginia! She is CDA certified and has completed the Virginia Preservice Training for Child Care Staff. Not only highly qualified, but Mrs. Sumaia also has a great passion for guiding and teaching children. She loves to inspire learning and find the results extremely rewarding. Her greatest teaching strength is her ability to understand that each child is unique. She works hard to cater to each child’s needs. She is warm and incorporates her compassionate energy in everything she does to support children. She is missed and loved by parents from around the world. She is grateful to be part of our new Goddard team in Fairfax.

Ms. Raven grew up with parents in the military, which motivated her love for serving and teaching others. As she pursues her bachelor’s degree, she intends to use her education and experience with children to ultimately become a Science and/or History teacher. Before graduating from Patriot High School, she began her education journey as a teacher assistant at Gainesville Montessori before continuing with Ghent Montessori. In her free time, Ms. Raven loves to sing, play guitar, and crochet ! She also enjoys spending time with her niece and little brother.

Ms Andrea has experience volunteering in elementary schools and helping out in a kindergarten class. Her favorite part about working with children is watching them get excited when they reach a milestone. Andrea has three siblings and her family has roots in El Salvador. She grew up in Frederick, MD and is excited to join Goddard Fairfax!

Ms. Keziah is a college graduate with over 5 years of childcare experience. She is originally from a small town in North Carolina. In college, she studied music and often writes songs in her spare time. Other hobbies include reading, painting, watching her favorite shows, and spending time with friends! She has a nurturing personality and loves to help little ones grow, develop and learn! She is excited to a part of The Goddard School team!

Natika was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and has been working in the early childhood education field for seven years. She comes from big families on both her mother and father's sides and is currently engaged! Natika earned her CDA and is currently in the process of obtaining her B.A. in ECE. Her favorite part about working with children is seeing their faces glow when they are introduced to new activities and ideas. In her free time, Natika loves to cook, binge watch TV shows, and make content on TikTok.

Alaijah was born and raised in Fairfax County and is the oldest of six siblings (and the second oldest out of nine grandchildren!). She has some coursework from NOVA majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child Development. Alaijah also loves doing hair and graduated from cosmetology school in January 2023. Her favorite part about working with children is learning their different personalities and watching them grow each day. In her time off, Alaijah loves to paint, do hair & makeup, and watch movies.

Karina was born and raised in Virginia and is the oldest of 3 children. She has always enjoyed working with infants and toddlers and loves getting to know their personalities and watching them grow. Karina received her Infant and Toddler Certificate, Early Childhood Development Certificate, and Career Studies Certificate from NVCC. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and listening to music.

Ms Madison obtained a Bachelors in Psychology and Art Therapy at the University of Lynchburg in 2022. She is passionate about helping others and enjoys helping children learn and grow. Ms Madison believes in helping children learn to regulate their emotions through safe practices, such as creating a space designated for calming down. In her spare time, Ms Madison enjoys reading, painting, and singing. Ms Madison is vey excited to be a part of the Goddard family!

Ms. Katy has a background in Special Education, and she has been working Early Childhood Education setting since 2017. She has always loved working with children and watching them learn and grow each day! In her free time you would find her watching movies and playing with animals. She is so excited to be a part of The Goddard School Family!

Hanan earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Clinical Counseling, specializing in mental health. Before joining Goddard, Hanan dedicated her time to imparting valuable behavioral therapy skills to children with autism. She is a lifelong Virginian and has a twin sister! In her free time, Hanan enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and being surrounded by friends and family. She loves fashion, decor, trying new cuisines, and traveling with her husband. Hanan's favorite part about working with children is being able to contribute to their growth and development and being a supportive role model.

Ms. Olivia is excited to start her career at The Goddard School! She has lived most of her life in Bolivia, and she is fluent in Spanish. She really enjoys working with children as they bring her joy with their curiosity. She is excited to utilize her skills, experience, and also her background in education to shape our next generations. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her dog, Lincoln.

Idania was born in a small town in El Salvador and moved to the states with her family at the age of 3. She has three older siblings and a Korean Jindo dog rescued from China! This is Idania's first job in the field of education aside from helping her mother babysit when she was younger. Her favorite part about working with children is watching them flourish into individuals. Idania loves being able to witness them reaching different milestones as they are learning. In her free time, she loves listening to latin music (her dog loves it too!) and spending time with her family, watching movies, and taking photos of nature. Especially the beautiful sunsets.

Nadya has over two years of experience in Early Childhood Education after receiving her Bachelors degree in 2021. Nadya attended George Washington University, where she studied Psychology. As an international adoptee, Nadya is keenly aware that children need attention and support during their educational and developmental years. Nadya loves to incorporate art into every lesson plan to increase focus and creativity as well as a grounding tool for people dealing with anxiety and stress. Outside of work, Nadya enjoys spending time with her friends, fiancé, and her two fur babies (Tiggy the cat and Mimi the dog). She also loves fashion, beauty, art, and all things family.

Sydney grew up in the historic town of Warrenton and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from George Mason University. She worked as a Registered Behavior Technician for young children with ASD, ADHD, and other behavioral diagnoses before joining Goddard. Sydney taught skill acquisition and behavior reduction through evidence-based intervention strategies. Her favorite part about working with children is seeing each child's unique personality and witnessing their growth. In her free time, Sydney enjoys music, reading, art, and spending time with friends.

Ms. Ayesha is a lead teacher at The Goddard School. Ms. Ayesha and her husband, along with their two beautiful daughters, moved to United States from Pakistan. She is a passionate preschool teacher and enjoys working with children. Her favourite activity is to build arts and crafts with kids and watch their individual uniqueness reflect. She loves when those eyes light up for small things, and they smile when they are excited. Her goal is to achieve that everyday, and make each day phenomenal for them!

Ms. Karla obtained her bachelor's degree in 2020 at George Mason University. She has over four years of experience working with children at childcare centers and private nannying. She is fluent in Spanish and is passionate about helping children reach milestones. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and walking around the local parks. She is very excited to have joined the Goddard family!

Travis is our Outdoor Resource Teacher! He supports classrooms when they utilize our outdoor spaces each day by planning and guiding fun gross motor activities. Travis was a swim instructor for 10 years and earned his Associates in Teacher Education at NOVA. His mother is from Japan and is a local preschool teacher--he learned a lot helping out at her school when he was younger! His father is an Air Force pilot and he also has a younger brother and sister. Originally, Travis is from California--he also lived in Japan for a while before moving to Virginia for secondary school. In his free time, he loves rock climbing, playing video games, and watching super hero movies. Travis' favorite part about working with children is seeing a student's eyes light up when they learn something new!

Ms. Shaniya supports all classrooms at Goddard Fairfax. She can work with any age group and her smile and laugh brighten every room she enters! Shaniya was born in South Carolina but raised in Virginia. She has taken several Health Sciences courses at NOVA and her first job working with children was at a trampoline park! In her free time, Shaniya likes to go to the pool and just stay in at home. Her favorite part about working with children is having conversations with them and feeling like a kid again when she plays with them!

Ms Catherine supports all classrooms at the Goddard School of Fairfax. She has 10 years of experience working in Childcare and private schools. She has worked with children from age 2 through 2nd grade. She has done course work in Early Childhood Education at George Mason University and has a CDA. She is excited to start this new chapter with the Goddard School and looks forward to building new relationships and making a positive difference in the children’s lives.

Amy was born and raised in NOVA and her two children attend Goddard! She attended George Mason University and graduate cum laude with a degree in Social Work. Amy was president of the Social Work Student Association and also happens to be a certified fitness trainer! In her time off, She loves spending time with her children, working out and designing exercise programs, Netflixing, and she is currently trying to learn how to roller skate. Amy's favorite part about working with children is watching them overcome what once frustrated them and making them feel safe and loved while their family is away.

Damaris is originally from a small town in South Carolina. She comes from a big family with 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Damaris earned her associates degree in criminology, law, and society and is currently finishing up her bachelors. She wants to also pursue a masters degree in Social Work. Damaris enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and biking and exploring new places. She also enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. Damaris' favorite part about working with children is seeing their smiles and how eager they are to learn new things. It makes her feel like she is making a difference in their lives when she is able to help them learn and grow!

Gabrielle is originally from Alabama and has an older brother and twin sister. She has been an Aunt since she was twelve years old, too! Gabrielle is currently in the accelerated Masters program at George Mason, earning her degree in Early Childhood Education. She is also a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority on campus. Gabrielle started as a substitute teacher in Loudoun County schools and also worked as a special education teacher assistant. The summer before joining Goddard, Gabby was a teacher assistant in an Extended School Year program. Her favorite part about working with children is getting to help them learn and grow. She enjoys seeing them smile and comforting them when they are upset. In her time off, Gabby loves hiking--especially in Great Falls or Shenandoah in the fall. She also enjoys finding new coffee shops and binging Netflix!

Destiny is originally from the midwest but travels all over to visit family (Florida, California, North Carolina, and Michigan). Since moving to Virginia, she will never enjoy a regular gas station after experiencing WaWa. Destiny attended George Mason University to study creative writing but plans to change her major to Early Childhood Education. She has worked with children ages 2-5 in the education field for over 3 years. Destiny's favorite part about working with her students is seeing their personalities develop and watching them grow into the people that will change our world one day. In her free time, she loves hiking, yoga, and reading.

Maddie hails from Woodbridge and is the only girl to four brothers! She has three dogs and two cats and loves to read, bake, cook, paint, and play board games. She is currently and undergrad working toward her Bachelor's in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Madison a member of the Phi Eta Sigma honors program and was on the Deans List for her first year in college! She is excited to start her first experience in early childhood education with Goddard. She loves that she gets the opportunity and privilege to teach life lessons, useful skills, and impart knowledge to students.