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Meet The Purple Crayon Team
Ms. Stefanie
Founder and Director
Ms. Stefanie obtained her Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education from New York University and has certifications in both of these educational fields. With over fifteen years of experience working with children from ages one through five, she’s equipped to help young children thrive in their educational environment. She’s worked as a classroom teacher, an early childhood special needs consultant to schools and teachers, and a small group instructor for special needs children. In 2014, she decided to start Purple Crayon to serve the Bath Beach, Brooklyn community. Her goal was to create a high quality preschool program that values play with a balance of structure. Besides her educational experience, she also has a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University School of Business and worked as an accountant for more than seven years. Although her time in the corporate world was exciting, she felt drawn toward the teaching field due to her enthusiasm for educating others and her love of being around young, inquisitive minds. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching young children is to be able to help children form an understanding of the world around them and to instill a love of learning.
Ms. Jaclyn
Assistant Education Director
Ms. Jaclyn graduated with her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education and has her New York State Early Childhood and Student with Disabilities teaching certifications. Throughout her high school and college years she has been working with young children, which has inspired her to continue on with her Master’s in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Jaclyn has helped to run a camp for young girls and has been a teacher for parent-child classes at The Little Gym. She joined Purple Crayon in 2015 as an assistant teacher and has worked her way up to be the lead teacher teaching various age groups throughout the years, and now as the assistant education director. One of Ms. Jaclyn’s major goals is to be a positive role model in children’s lives.
Ms. Agnes
Operations Assistant and Assistant Teacher
Ms. Agnes has her Associates Degree in Computer Science and studied for her Bachelor's Degree with a major in Marketing. Her private sector experience includes a stint at Versace, the fashion company, as junior accountant. Ms. Agnes is a mother of three and it led her to adjust her course to focus on her children and faith. She became the treasurer of the Filipino Arts and Music Ensemble, a 501(c)3 organization that promotes culture through music and arts among children, and continues to do so to this day. She also was a Sunday school teacher teaching faith and morals to school age children and is currently one of the stewards of a church-based organization. She is dedicated, passionate and loves working with all children who she regards as gifts that give so much inspiration and messages of love and hope. In Ms. Agnes' free time, she enjoys spending it with her three grown-up children and loving husband to explore new places, museums, and nature trails together.
Ms. Ariel
Operations Assistant and Administrative Associate
Ms. Ariel is studying Media Arts and Japanese at Hunter College and has over 7 years of administrative experience in a preschool environment. She enjoys being around young children and is happy to offer a helping hand to families and her fellow teachers. In her free time, she likes to relax, draw, study Japanese and play computer games.
Ms. Ashley
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Ashley has been working with youth for over three years. While completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies at Stony Brook University, Ashley realized she enjoyed working with kids. Through the organization, Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), she was able to become an environmental geology assistant teacher working with students in 9th grade. Although she enjoyed her time with older kids she knew she wanted to venture out and gain teaching experience with younger children as well. Ashley discovered Purple Crayon in 2023 and became an assistant teacher helping in various classrooms. Ashley plans to continue working with children in the future to help them grow, not only academically but socially and emotionally. During her free time, Ashley enjoys watching movies and volunteering at the animal shelter.
Ms. Brianna
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Brianna is a Brooklyn native and has been an early childhood educator for over 5 years. Her experience spans from caring for children as a nanny, to working with children in a play based private preschool setting. She also has training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which she used to help young children children with special needs to develop and learn new skills. Her ultimate goal is to ensure children feel welcomed and loved while they are hard at work developing their social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and speech milestones. She enjoys cooking and baking, and she also has a corgi who has her undivided attention during her free time!
Ms. Christina
STEAM Teacher
Ms. Christina obtained her Master of Science degree in Childhood Education and Early Childhood Education from New York Institute of Technology. She has over 15 years experience teaching preschool and elementary children. Throughout her high school and college years she enjoyed working with children, instructing after-school physical activity and being a swim instructor. The enthusiasm young children have, and their love of learning inspired her to pursue a career in education. She joined Purple Crayon in 2019 as a lead teacher. Today, she enjoys spending time in all the classrooms teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). One of her major goals is to help children have fun exploring the world around them while solving problems, making discoveries, and developing critical thinking and collaboration skills. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, and her pets and going on nature walks.
Ms. Dulce
Floater / Assistant Teacher
Ms. Dulce graduated in the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Banking and Finance. She pours her heart into raising her three children, instilling in them the values of compassion, kindness, and generosity. She finds great joy in teaching children the importance of respect, love, and kindness. Ms. Dulce enjoys traveling and discovering new horizons, finding beauty in everyday moments. She also gives her time through community service and volunteering to help those in need.
Ms. Gina
Teacher
Ms. Gina has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from The College of Mount Saint Vincent, and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Childhood Education. Ms. Gina has been working with young children for over 10 years in different educational settings. After graduating from college, Ms. Gina took on the role of Assistant Director at The Huntington Learning Center. She quickly moved up to the Director of Education, where she created, implemented, and monitored educational programs K-12. Ms. Gina also developed relationships with students, families, and teaching professionals from surrounding schools. During her time at Huntington Learning Center, Ms. Gina worked side by side with teachers and students which inspired her to pursue her teaching career. Ms. Gina loves working with young children and watching them grow and learn about the world around them. In her free time, she enjoys DIY projects, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.
Ms. Jane
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Jane received a diploma in Early Childhood Education in China and a diploma in Music Education from Shaoguan University in Guangdong province. She also has obtained her Level 2 certificate in the Chinese Putonghua Proficiency Test. She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. Ms. Jane is an assistant teacher and also teaches Mandarin at Purple Crayon. She is a caring individual who loves to play and learn with the children she teaches. She hopes that with her help, the children will fall in love with Chinese and make it their second language.
Ms. Katherine
Teacher
Coming Soon!
Ms. Lina
Teacher
Ms. Lina earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Childhood Education from Brooklyn College and has been working with young children for over eight years in a variety of educational settings. Her passion for teaching began in high school, where she first discovered her love for working with children. She began her professional journey at The Purple Crayon as a Mandarin teacher on Saturdays and, through dedication and experience, grew into her current role as a Lead Teacher. Ms. Lina is caring, patient, and passionate about helping all children thrive, especially those with bilingual backgrounds. She finds joy in creating a nurturing environment where children feel supported as they grow, learn, and explore. In her free time, Ms. Lina enjoys traveling, music, and spending time with family and friends.
Ms. Michele
Teacher
Ms. Michele graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from CUNY College of Staten Island in Early Childhood Education and has her New York State Early Childhood Teaching Certification. She started her career in a preschool classroom setting for over six years. During her experience in the classroom, she realized she wanted to learn more about special education and was accepted into a masters program for special education. While she pursued her studies in the masters program she worked as a special instructor to children with autism in a one-to-one setting. Through her many experiences, she discovered her passion was to be in the classroom setting where she can work with many children and collaborate with other teaching professionals. With this in mind, she found her way to join Purple Crayon in 2017. In Ms. Michele's free time she enjoys spending time with her twin girls and shopping for the latest clothing trends.
Ms. Ozlem
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Ozlem graduated from Kingsborough College with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. She is working towards her Bachelor Degree in Radiology. Ms. Ozlem has been working with children ages 2 to 4 years old for over three years. She loves being around children because of their boundless curiosity, genuine laughter, and unfiltered perspectives of the world, which bring so much joy and positivity. Being around children allows her to nurture their potential, share experiences, and created cherished memories that shape their future and hers. During Ms. Ozlem's free time, she enjoys going to the movie theater with her family and eating out.
Ms. Ruth
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Ruth graduated from Goucher College with a Bachelors of Psychology, and realized soon after her passion for working with young children. She has experience with kids of all ages from working in various DOE educational programs. She loves helping children understand the world around them through play and socializing with others. In her spare time, she likes to read, go on runs, and explore the city.
Ms. Vince
Teacher
Ms. Vince recently graduated with her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Brooklyn College. She has her NYS teaching certification in Early Childhood Education and has also completed the extension for Students with Disability courses and is working towards her NYS certification in this area to complement her Early Childhood Education certification. She is also pursuing a Bilingual Extension to her certifications. Ms. Vince started working with children when she was 16 years old and has been working with children from ages 2-5 for over 10 years. She was a babysitter first at 16 for 2 years. She also became an after school teacher for children in elementary school to tutor them and help them with their homework for 5 years. She has taught in early childhood classrooms (ages 2-4) for over 3 years now. During her free time, she enjoys taking walks and trying new recipes!
Ms. Yinger
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Yinger graduated from the Music Department of Taishan Normal University in Guangdong, China. She has a diploma in Early Childhood Education and a Second-Level certificate in Mandarin. She has been in the education field for over 26 years after graduating in 1997 (including 16 years in China and over 10 years in the United States). Ms. Yinger is a caring and patient teacher who enjoys playing with the children and creating fun games to stimulate the children's interest and curiosity. She aims to create a love for learning, which will then lay a strong foundation for future development.
Ms. Yuridia
Teacher
Ms. Yuridia is currently finishing her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education at Brooklyn College. She discovered her passion for education in 2017, after working as an assistant teacher for a one-year-old classroom and working her way up to being a Lead Pre-k teacher. Ms. Yuri has experience working with preschoolers and up to first grade. She is patient and engages her little learners in practicing their skills through interactive lessons that promote growth and student confidence. When she is not in the classroom, she enjoys activities with her family like watching a good movie or finding new and exciting places to eat.