Our Teachers

As owners of The Goddard School of Manassas, Rebecca Chen, together with her husband Lian, have always valued the fundamental role that quality education plays in fostering socialization, creativity and learning in children. As proud parents, of two young daughters who attended and successfully completed The Goddard School educational philosophy, Rebecca and Lian realized that other families could benefit from Goddard’s Fun, Learning Experience or F.L.E.X. An alumnus of the University of Maryland, Rebecca is a passionate educator with 16 years of experience including working with children with autism at Montgomery County Public Schools. As a teacher Rebecca sought to always ensure school, career and more importantly life-readiness was available to all her students. Thus, in 2019, Rebecca and Lian’s joint aspiration culminated in the offering of the highest quality early childhood experience for the communities of Manassas City and Prince William County.

Ms. Michelle has over 10 years of experience working with children, she has taught first and second grade students in a private school setting and was a Vice Principal in a private elementary school where she oversaw the Administration department along with her other duties. Ms. Michelle has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and an Early Childhood Education diploma. Ms. Michelle believes that it is more important to nurture and spark a love for exploration in kids than it is to simply teach them facts; facts may change over time, but a love for exploration will remain with them for the rest of their lives and will lead them on great adventures to discoveries.

Ms. Abby has over 5 years of experience working with children of all age groups. She earned her associate's degree in social sciences, specializing in Teacher Education, from Northern Virginia Community College. Ms. Abby loves helping children navigate the world around them as they learn and grow. She is excited to see the challenges and adventures that the future holds.

Ms. Yue (Grace) has over 2 years of experience working with children of various ages. She holds her bachelor’s degree in management as well as a Kindergarten teaching certificate. Ms. Grace has a son who is 4 years old, and she enjoys traveling, watching movies, and spending time with her family.

Ms. Betzy has many years of experience working with children and is passionate about her work. She holds a professional development certificate from the Virginia Department of Education and is certified in First Aid/CPR. Ms. Betzy enjoys doing art activities and being creative with children. She is the mother of 3 children and her passion lies in helping kids develop a love for learning.

Ms. Rebekah has 7 years of experience in teaching and has worked with children of all ages. She holds her Child Development Associates and is certified in First Aid/CPR. Ms. Rebekah loves to see children learn and grow every day. Ms. Rebekah loves spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Ms. Lamyea has over 7 years of experience working with children of all ages. Her favorite thing about working with children is being able to witness them achieve new milestones. In her spare time Ms. Lamyea likes to paint, go on hikes, and learn to cook new recipes. Ms. Lamyea is currently pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education.

Ms. Hayley has over 10+ years of childcare experience, ranging from infant to school age, with a focus on young toddlers. She has her CPR/First Aid certifications and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She knows that she can make a difference and help children succeed. The teaching environment at Goddard is excellent. She loves getting to meet her families, checking out new restaurants, and going for walks with her dog.

Ms. Haliy has 14 years of teaching experience working with children from infants to high school. Ms. Haliy holds Child Development Associate certificate, and bachelor’s in computer science. Ms. Haily feels that since every child is unique, it is the role of the teacher to nurture and encourage that uniqueness. A muti-lingual speaker, Ms. Haliy speaks English, Persian, Dari, Pashto, Urdu and Arabic and is currently learning Spanish. As a mother of two children, she enjoys traveling with her family to learn and experience new places, cultures, and food.

Ms. Violetta has over 4 years of experience working with children of all ages. She is a recent psychology graduate with a passion for understanding and supporting the development of young minds. Since 2021, Ms. Violetta has been working with children, gaining valuable experience that has deepened her commitment to making a positive impact in their lives. Her background in psychology provides her with the tools to better understand the unique needs of each child, and she is excited to continue growing in this field, also helping children reach their full potential.

Ms. Sandra has been working with children as a lead teacher for almost 10 years and has enjoyed every second of her time in the classroom. She is an assistant teacher in our Get Set classroom, as well as our Spanish enrichment teacher. Seeing a child smile and learn is her joy and passion. As a mother, Ms. Sandra understands the importance of education at an early age. Her priority is keeping children safe and ensuring that she provides a positive learning environment for all the students. She is passionate about helping her students flourish and always encourages them to believe in themselves. Ms. Sandra is the mother of two beautiful and loving children. They have a dog (cockapoo) that is 11 years old who they love dearly. During her free time, she loves playing soccer with her husband and children.

Ms. Allie attended Greensboro College where she studied Early Childhood Education as well as Spanish Education. With over a decade of teaching experience in Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms, she brings with a wealth of experience to our preschool classroom. Ms. Allie believes that all children are unique and require a stimulating environment that allows them to develop roots with multisensory play, and grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is her goal to create an atmosphere where students are invited to share their ideas, take risks, and blossom into their full potential.

Ms. Zuhal is a dedicated Early Childhood Educator with 3 years of experience working with children of different ages. She holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which supports her commitment to providing a nurturing and educational environment. Ms. Zuhal is passionate about fostering her students' growth, helping them reach developmental milestones, and encouraging a love for learning. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Zuhal enjoys spending quality time with her family.

Mr. Kelly graduated California State University of Chico with a bachelors in Child Development and a minor in psychology. He has worked closely with children and adults on the spectrum as a registered behavior technician (RBT) dealing with anything from minor learning disabilities to major cognitive and developmental deficits. As a RBT he has worked closely with families to ensure their children receive the best care possible. He has 12 years of experience working with children ranging from as young as 2 and as old as 17. Mr. Kelly enjoys trying new restaurants and seeing the latest movies in theatre so feel free to give him any recommendations.

Ms. Darcy has over 8 years of experience working with children, and before teaching she was a volunteer at an elementary school in their kindergarten classroom. Ms. Darcy holds a degree in healthcare, but her love for children is what drew her into teaching. Ms. Darcy has four adult children, three beautiful grandchildren and two amazing golden retrievers. She loves to bake, draw, paint, swim and watch movies.

Ms. Cienna has over 10 years of experience working with children from infants through school age in many different capacities. She has earned her Associate’s Degree in Social Sciences with a special interest in Child Development and Psychology. Ms. Cienna is very passionate about helping children learn and grow in all areas of their development. She strives to create a fun, creative and positive environment that nurtures every child’s individual needs. Ms. Cienna is also a mom of 3 boys so much of her free time is spent at various sporting events cheering them on.

Ms. Julia has loved art since she could hold a pencil and has been drawing ever since; she wants to help every student grow a love for art as well as self-expression while developing creative skills and abilities. With prior childcare experience, Ms. Julia is an aspiring teacher and is working towards her bachelor's degree in elementary education in hopes that she can make a difference in student’s lives.

Ms. Alma has over 25 years of experience working with children from infants to school age. Her time spent working as a nanny and with children with autism encouraged to purse her CDA. She sees her role in the classroom as an opportunity for children to learn in an atmosphere of respect, kindness, and belief in each other’s potential. Ms. Alma believes she has found fulfillment by helping children shape the future. In her spare time, she enjoys baking both sweet and savory pastry.