¡conócenos!
Staff at La Escuelita Arcoiris have lived and worked all around the globe and bring to our team a wide range of education, experience, and expertise. We are united by our love of language, respect for nature and our dedication to remaining curious!
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Keep reading to learn some fun facts about our dedicated team.
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We are always looking for new educators to join our growing community! Do you have a background in childcare? Does spending time outside, exploring nature leave you feeling energized? Are you a fluent Spanish speaker or are you going to school for or have a degree in Spanish? Reach out to our Directors here to begin the interview processes!
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¡Siempre estamos buscando nuevos educadores para unirse a nuestra creciente comunidad! ¿Tiene experiencia en el cuidado de niños? ¿Pasar tiempo al aire libre, explorando la naturaleza, te deja lleno de energía? ¿Hablas español con fluidez o vas a ir a la escuela o tienes un título en español? ¡Comuníquese con nuestros directores aquí para comenzar el proceso de entrevista!
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Please check back to learn more about our new educators!
Your Name Here - Educator
Walkiria Preston - Director of Education
Walki's family is from Uruguay and Spanish was her home language growing up. She attended university at Point Park and received a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She went on to get a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from California University of PA. She worked with La Escuelita as a teacher for over a decade, familiarizing herself with each of our four age groups. After gaining expertise as Director for two local childcare facilities, she returned to La Escuelita as Director of Education in 2021. When asked why she chose to work with preschoolers, Walki shared, “It's amazing to be able to witness the transformation in a person within the first 6 years of their lives. Scaffolding students' learning by providing the right tools, support, and guidance is my favorite part of my role as an educator. I feel honored to be able to witness 'Ah-ha moments', when something just clicks, and they become motivated to learn more!"
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In her free time, Walki most enjoys sitting outside on a breezy day, reading a book. Outside of work you'll find Walki's family exploring nature and hiking. She also enjoys spending time with friends and finding new places for food and cocktails in the ever-growing culinary scene here in Pittsburgh.
Ellen Tafel - Director of Operations
Ellen, our Director of Operations, learned Spanish while living in Mexico City, when she moved there right after college with her husband. Living and working as a resident for four years as the Special Projects Coordinator for a bilingual k-12 school gave her the opportunity to truly immerse herself in the language and culture. When they returned to Pittsburgh to raise their family, their children continued to benefit from that experience, growing up in a bilingual household.
Ellen received her degree from Edinboro University with a BA in Philosophy and Anthropology. Over the years her career choices have remained focused on working with children. She made the permanent switch from classroom to administration 15 years ago and we are grateful for the order she provides to the controlled chaos that is early childhood education. Ellen is the second longest serving employee here at La Escuelita, having been part of our story for over 20 years!
In her free time, Ellen enjoys keeping up with her own three kids, weekend getaways, camping, and traveling to anywhere beachy. She loves outdoor concerts, music and dancing.
Alana DeGregory - Administrative Coordinator
Alana grew up in Pittsburgh where she earned her BA in Special Education, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL), and Spanish & Latin American History and Literature. She studied abroad at both the Universidad de Salamanca and the Universitat de València. Afterwards, she stayed on in Valencia, Spain to teach English as a Foreign Language for several years. Alana feels a strong connection to working in education, sharing: “I find children to be particularly inspiring because they have not yet become destination-focused, giving them a chance to see beauty and truth in ways that can escape us as adults. Their perspective is refreshing and necessary. Making time to be present with them grounds us and provides joy and clarity.” In her free time Alana loves growing food, flowers, and plants. She is passionate about flavors and spends as much time as she can researching with fork in hand. When she isn’t in the garden or eating, she enjoys downtime with her partner and two fur babies. Anything that has to do with animals, has her heart. Traveling is how she unwinds.
Teresa Lurati - AARP Volunteer
Teresa goes by Tere here at La Escuelita. She was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and learned Spanish as her first language. She loves children and has worked all her life as a nanny. She has also joyfully raised 2 of her own children and now happily enjoys chasing after both of her grandchildren. She requested to volunteer at La Escuelita because she loves being able to spend her day surrounded by children, contributing to their development, and connecting with the latino community. When she isn’t volunteering at La Escuelita, Tere enjoys cooking (especially homemade raviolis!), knitting, feltwork (look around the Oficina and our classrooms for her beautiful creations!) and decorating for every holiday and occasion!
Megan Rooney - Founder & Creative Guide
Megan is from Portland, Oregon. After graduating with a BFA in Theater from University of Montana, where she was inspired by her Spanish professors, she began traveling Mexico, Central and South America to gain fluency. In 1999 Megan founded La Escuelita Arcoiris. Ten years later, while leading our preschool, Megan earned her degree in Early Childhood Education.​ When asked what inspired her to begin La Escuelita, Megan responded, "I love this fantastical phase of life from 0-5 years old. Before the logic seeps in, humans are innocent, spontaneous, curious investigators. They are natural dancers and musicians. I love to think that this spirit remains strong if celebrated and fomented throughout the early years.”
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In her free time, Megan loves being on the water, from our 3 rivers to camping along lakes and oceans. She plays an old-time fiddle and enjoys watching dancing feet move to her beat. She is passionate about the power of storytelling to make human connections and inspire empathy and perspective to help us confront problems.