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.

Cristal Hunter-Arzola (she/her), Infant Coordinator

Cristal has been in the Early Childhood field since 2010. She has worked at Kids Can since 2021 as a Toddler teacher and was excited to be a part of the first Infant program. Cristal was Lead Teacher in the Infant 1 room prior to taking on the Infant Coordinator role. Cristal believes that supporting infants with a caring and nurturing environment will have lasting impacts on their educational outcomes. Cristal loves being around children because they are unpredictable and funny. She wants to make a positive impact on each child’s life. 

Maricela Rivero (she/her), Toddler Coordinator

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 then Assistant Director of the Early Childhood program. She now oversees the two Toddler rooms as Toddler Coordinator. 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. 

Belen Vargas (she/her), Preschool Coordinator

Belen was a Preschool/Pre-K teacher at Kids Can for eight years. She was the Kids Can Early Childhood Education Outstanding Educator for 2023. Belen has received her Child Development Associate. She was Lead Teacher in Preschool 2 prior to becoming the Preschool Coordinator. Belen enjoys teaching literacy skills and seeing how children use their creativity to lead their learning in new directions. She loves watching children grow and they always put a smile on her face. 

INFANT TEAM

Tarnisha (she/her), Lead Teacher
Grecia (she/her), Lead Teacher
Lee (they/them), Associate Teacher
Destiny (she/her), Associate Teacher
Mikyela (she/her), Assistant Teacher

TODDLER TEAM

Brenda (she/her), Lead Teacher
Nancy (she/her), Associate Teacher
Miesha (she/her), Assistant Teacher

PRESCHOOL TEAM

Magali (she/her), Lead Teacher
Daisy (she/her), Lead Teacher
Aylin (she/her), Associate Teacher
Maria (she/her), Associate Teacher
Julia (she/her), Assistant Teacher
Johanna (she/her), Assistant Teacher

SUPPORT STAFF

Tere (they/them)