Meet our staff
Leadership
Cody Hunter (he/him), Early Childhood Education Director
Cody has a BA in TESOL/Applied Linguistics and has worked as an English Teacher for three years. He has worked at the elementary level as a Special Education Assistant and Before and After School Teacher for two years. He has been in the early childhood field since 2016 with the majority of that time as a Preschool teacher, including three years at Kids Can. He became director in November 2022. He believes a strong early childhood education promotes community engagement and a lifelong love of learning.
Maricela (she/her), Early Childhood Assistant Director
Maricela has been with Kids Can since 2017. She was the Kids Can Early Childhood Education Outstanding Educator for 2022. She loves working with children and giving them the love a support they need. She enjoys watching kids grow up and develop their unique personalities. Maricela went from working with school-age children to being a Toddler teacher and is now the Assistant Director of the Early Childhood program. She understands that children spend a large part of their day at Kids Can and works to make sure they have a nurturing environment and the tools they need to succeed.
Infant Team
Cristal (she/her), Lead Teacher
Cristal has been in the Early Childhood field for ten years. She has worked at Kids Can since 2021 as a Toddler teacher and is excited to be part of Kids Can’s first infant program. Cristal loves being around children because they are unpredictable and funny. She wants to make a positive impact on each child’s life. She is a big fan of basketball.
Tara (she/her), Lead Teacher
Tara has been working in childcare for over 7 years with children ages 6 weeks to 10 years, mostly working with infants. Her favorite thing about working in early childhood education is watching all of the little personalities develop and how excited they get to learn something new. She loves to travel and has been to 26 states.
Destiny (she/her), Associate Teacher
Destiny has been at Kids Can since February 2023. She has been working with children of all different ages for six years. She loves being a port of the kid’s growth and watching them learn new skills. She feels that seeing them go from crawling to walking, being sky to gaining confidence, and exploring are the best part of the job. She loves doing activities and finding creative ways for children to learn. Outside of the classroom, she loves balloon art and making arches for parties. Some day she hopes to be a director at her own early childhood education center.
Keiara (she/her), Associate Teacher
Keiara started at Kids Can in February 2023 and has been working with children of all ages for over ten years. She believes being an early childhood teacher is important because this is one of the most impressionable times of a child’s life and she enjoys being a part of their learning experiences. She has five beautiful children of her own and is excited to grow with Kids Can.
Adeline (they/them), Assistant Teacher
Adeline has been working with children professionally for almost 5 years, with mostly infants, toddlers, and school-agers. They enjoy the creative aspects of early childhood education, from making crafts to singing songs to infants. They enjoy music, making art, and hope to enrich the lives of children through creative arts by getting a degree in Arts Education.
Keyanna (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Keyanna has worked as a baby sitter for 11 years and has been with Kids Can since March 2023. She enjoys interacting with children and seeing them make progress in the classroom. She believes her work in early childhood education is important because she can set a positive example and be a mentor. She loves to read novels, sing, and learn new languages. She hopes to continue her career helping in early childhood or with the elderly.
Zoe (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Zoe started at Kids Can in March 2023. She has been working with kids for three years and has enjoyed it every day! She loves to see the children grow and learn. In her free time, she likes to make tie blankets and color.
Toddler Team
Brenda (she/her), Lead Teacher
Brenda started her early childhood career as a volunteer in high school. She has worked four years with infants, two years with toddlers, and over three years with younger preschoolers. She was an Assistant Director for a year and a Director for a year. She enjoys working in early childhood because children are super funny and you learn something from them every day. You get to help shape the future. She loves plants and has about 50 plants at home. She has two dogs, loves to read, play video games, and do puzzles. She planned to complete her CDA credential and go to school to learn ASL.
Ann (she/her), Associate Teacher
Ann started at Kids Can in March 2023. She has previously worked with children at a community center through an internship in college. She believes the early years are often overlooked but so important in building a foundation for a child’s future.
Kodee (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Kodee started at Kids Can in November 2022. She previously worked at Kids Can for the Out-of-School program at Gilder Elementary during the summer of 2021. She enjoys coming to work and seeing the kids grow and learn so much. Kodee has 14 siblings and her career goal is to open her own business.
Kume (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Kume has worked at Kids Can since March 2023. The thing she enjoys most about working in early childhood education is that it is something new every day. The kids are full of energy and ready to play. She is South Sudanese and loves volleyball.
Nancy (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Nancy has been working at Kids Can since March 2023. She has always enjoyed working with kids and has helped take care of her family members’ children. She enjoys playing with the children, teaching them new things, and inspiring them to do better. She enjoys spending time with her family.
Selina (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Selina started at Kids Can in March 2023. She has been working with children for almost five years. She loves watching kids grow and seeing their different personalities.
Preschool Team
Belen (she/her), Lead Teacher
Belen has been a Preschool/Pre-K teacher at Kids Can for seven years. She was the Kids Can Early Childhood Education Outstanding Educator for 2023. Belen has received her Child Development Associate. She loves watching children grow and they always put a smile on her face.
Magali (she/her), Lead Teacher
Magali has been working at Kids Can since January 2023 and she has been a Preschool teacher for six years prior. She loves the energy the children have, the hugs they give, the stories they tell, and the way they brighten her day. She has younger children and believes early childhood education is important and it is our job to help students grow. She would like to continue to become a better teacher in every aspect of the job. She was born on Friday the 13th and turned out okay!
Daisy (she/her), Associate Teacher
Daisy started at Kids Can in March or 2023 and has been working with children since 2016. Her favorite activity with the children is arts and crafts. She enjoys when children go home and tell their families about their teachers, friends, and what they have learned. She loves horror movies, camping, hiking, and Korean food. She hopes to continue to grow her career at Kids Can.
Tarnisha (she/her), Associate Teacher
Tarnisha has been working at Kids Can for two years. She started her early childhood education career as a babysitter and as a volunteer Youth Choir Director and Sabbath school teacher for five years. The thing she enjoys most about working with children is watching how quickly the children develop and form a bond with their teachers. She believes early childhood education is important because learning starts at birth and teachers must be available to engage with children and help them learn through play. She loves anime and K-dramas. She dabbles in fine arts and performing arts. She plans to graduate with a BA in Early Childhood Education.
Maria (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Maria started at Kids Can in March 2023. She has always had a positive experience working with children and enjoys watching children grow and learn. She likes that she is able to make a difference in their lives. She enjoys running, yoga, and baking. She hopes to continue her career by expanding her knowledge of child development.
