Our Teachers

Hello, my name is David Raye and my wife Donna and I are the proud Founders and Co-owners of The Goddard School in Third Lake. We have been providing an integrated education and childcare program since 2004. After two decades as an executive in the corporate world, my two children, Emily & Evan, inspired me to dedicate my life to delivering high-quality education for infants, toddlers, preschool and kindergarten children. I earned a Bachelors degree from Rutgers University and an MBA in Executive Management from St. John’s University, New York. In my free time I enjoy traveling and spending time with my wife, Donna and our two adult children.

Hello I'm Terry, On-site Owner here at The Goddard School in Third Lake. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology from Bradley University. I'm proud to say that I have worked at The Goddard School in Third Lake since the school opened in 2004! I have had the unique opportunity to work in almost every position here by starting as a lead teacher in August 2004. In January 2006, I was hired as the Education Director and then became the Executive Director in 2016 where I remained until offered the on-site owner opportunity in May 2023. I was also a parent throughout the years with my 4 children who attended from Infancy - Kindergarten! In my free time I enjoy traveling and spending time with my kids! I look forward to many more years here at The Goddard School as the on-site owner!!

Hi, my name is Ms. Sally and I am the Director here at The Goddard School in Third Lake, originally the Education Director, beginning in 2016. I began working in Early Childhood in 2002. I worked as a Lead Teacher and then also began a dual role of supervising and teaching in 2007. I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education and in July 2021, I completed my Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. I am married with two daughters. I love our Goddard family and look forward to many more years here.

My name is Karen and I am the Assistant Director for the Goddard School in Third Lake. I love getting to know YOU and YOUR family as I engage with your child in the classroom and interact with you in the office. I have worked here since August 2005. For two years, I taught in the Lion’s Room in the afternoon and became Assistant Director August 2007. I graduated from Trinity International University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications as well as 18 hours of Early Childhood courses from Taylor University in Indiana. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband Dan, crafting, and visiting my three adult children and my grandchildren.

Hi! My name is Ms. Allie and I began working with young children in 2015! I started working at The Goddard School in June 2020 after completing my Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies at University of Wisconsin-Stout. I started as a floater then became a lead Preschool teacher in Seahorses. After about a year, I became a lead PreK teacher in Fireflies for almost two years before becoming the Assistant Director of Operations. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family.

Hi, My name is Amy and I'm excited to be working with the infants at The Goddard School! I have been working in childcare for over 15 years, 10 of those specifically with young children. I have an associate degree in early childhood education. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, crocheting, and hiking. A fun fact about myself is that my husband and I met as Civil War reenactors.

Hi! My name is Brianne and I am excited to be returning to work at The Goddard School! I have been working with children for over ten years and have my CDA. I was a lead PreK teacher in the Fireflies classroom and am now a lead teacher in Ladybugs. I have three children of my own, two girls and a boy. I enjoy reading books, crafting, and being outside, especially camping, in my free time.

Hi! My name is Ms. Dani! I’m excited to bring my energy to the classrooms at The Goddard School Third Lake. I am currently attending college and am working towards my degree in Early Childhood Education. I love to spend my free time with my family. My hobbies include camping and hiking and anything outdoors. I love soccer and have played for about ten years! A fun fact about me is that I am an Eagle Scout!

Hi! My name is Ms. Dawn! I have been teaching since 1998 and have worked primarily with toddlers and two year old children. I am passionate about fostering young children’s growth both socially and emotionally. The Brown Bear room has been my home since I started working at The Goddard School in 2007. I look forward to meeting you and your child!

Hi! My name is Hannah, and I am a co-lead teacher in the Lions classroom. I have been working with children since 2014. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in special education from the University of Kentucky. I have a son, Benjamin, who attends Goddard. In my free time, I enjoy golfing and playing my Djembe drum.

Hi! My name is Ellie and I am excited to be working with the children at The Goddard School as a floater and the after school teacher! In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family. My hobbies include singing and playing video games. A fun fact about me is that I am from England!!

Hi! My name is Jillian and I am excited to be working with children at The Goddard School! I have been working with children for over eight years and previously worked as an inclusion aide at the Warren Special Recreation Center. In my free time, I enjoy hiking at forest preserves.

Hi! My name is Ms. Jordan! I started working in childcare in 1998 and have worked as a lead teacher in every age group! I am the lead teacher in the Polar Bears classroom working with preschool/pre-k! I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University. In my free time, I enjoy spending time outside, swimming and hiking with my son and my dog Rocky!

Hi! My name is Ms. Haley! I began teaching in 2015 and joined The Goddard School in 2017. I have worked in a variety of classrooms and age groups here and am currently a lead teacher in the Tortoise classroom! I have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family.

Hi! My name is Katie and I am excited to be working at The Goddard School! I have worked with children since 2020. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my daughter and seeing the joy on her face when we visit new places. I love rescuing animals and riding horses. A fun fact about me is that I play both the viola and the alto saxophone!

Hi! My name is Ms. Krystal! I currently teach pre-kindergarten. I began teaching at The Goddard School in 2004 and have primarily worked in preschool-kindergarten. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Studies. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends!

Hi, my name is Ms. Kaitlynn! I began teaching at The Goddard School in 2015 as a floater and then moved to the Tortoise classroom where I worked with preschoolers. I worked as a Lead Teacher in the Little Birds classroom and now I am a Lead Teacher in the Little Lambs classroom. I obtained my Early Childhood Associates Degree from the College of Lake County. When I’m not at Goddard, I also work as a Licensed Cosmetologist and enjoy spending time with my fiancee and my mother.

Hi! My name is Ms. Kristen and I starting working at The Goddard School in Third Lake in April 2022. I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education at Aurora University. I have worked in as a substitute as well as an Assistant Teacher throughout the school. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and drawing!

Hi, My name is Lysette and I am excited to be in the Caterpillar classroom as a co-lead! I've worked with children for over 5 years and have an Associates Degree of Arts. In my free time, I enjoy taking my dog, Ash, to the dog park! I also love traveling, hiking, and dancing is my favorite hobby. A fun fact about me is that I love baking and I am bilingual!

Hi, my name is Kyrah! I started working at The Goddard School in 2023 as a floater and am now an assistant teacher in Seahorses. Before working here, I went to cosmetology school at The Salon Professional Academy. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and doing hair and makeup. A fun fact about me is that I have 3 black cats, Loki, Sumo, and Cora.

Hi, My name is Mackenzie and I am excited to be working at The Goddard School as an assistant teacher! I previously worked with children ages 2 to 8 in another setting for about 3 years. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love drawing, painting, and anything involving music! A fun fact about me is that I played the clarinet for 9 years and was in the marching band for 5 years!

Hi, my name is Noah and I am excited to be working at The Goddard School as a co-lead in the Polar Bear classroom! I have an associate's degree in arts and am currently studying to earn my teaching degree. I have previously worked as a camp and sport counselor at the Grayslake Park District. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and video games. A fun fact about me is that my last name means cheese marker in German.

Hi, my name is Vanessa! I am the lead teacher in the Little Birds classroom. I have worked in childcare for 10 years and love being with the little ones! I have a daughter of my own, Dylan, who I enjoy spending my free time with along with horseback riding and being at the barn! I rode horses all four years of high school. A fun fact about me is that I was adopted!

Hi! My name is Ms. Amber! I’m very happy to be working at The Goddard School in Third Lake. I have worked in Early Childhood for over 7 years and hold a Child Development Associates degree. I spend my free time with my two children and my pets. Some of my hobbies include video games, playing Pokemon Go and reading. A fun fact about me is that I own 2 guinea pigs, Piggie Smallz and Busta Swines!

Hi, My name is Hayley and I am excited to be working at The Goddard School as an assistant teacher in Little Birds. This is my first time working in childcare, and I am eager to learn from my co-workers. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, painting, and doing crafts. A fun fact about me is that I used to play the guitar and banjo!

Hi, my name is Jackie, and I am excited to be working at The Goddard School as a lead teacher! I have been working in early childhood for 2 years and am working toward my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. In my free time I enjoy reading, shopping, and cooking! A few fun facts about me are that I played softball for 3 years, I went to college in Arizona, and I speak fluent Spanish.

Hi, my name is Marissa! I am excited to be at The Goddard School as the Lead Teacher in the Tortoises classroom! I have worked in childcare for about 6 years and have a bachelor’s degree in communications from The University of Texas at Arlington. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, painting, and working out. A fun fact about me is that I have an orange cat and a pink snake!

Hi, my name is Lexi, and I am excited to be a part of the Caterpillar/Seahorse team as the closer! I am currently going to school at The College of Lake County to obtain my associate’s degree in early childhood education. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and watching movies. A fun fact about me is that I have one white streak of hair that I was born with, and I can play three instruments!

Hi! My name is Ms. Pam! I’m happy to be working here at The Goddard School! I have worked in early childhood education for the last six years. I started here as a floater and am excited to join the Foxes classroom as an assistant teacher. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and watching movies. I also enjoy doing all kinds of arts and crafts projects.

Hi! My name is Mr. Tom and I started teaching in 2010. I began working as a Floater, then as an Assistant Teacher in the Kindergarten classroom. I am now the Lead Pre-K Teacher in the Lions classroom! I currently hold a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. I am fluent in Dutch! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, including my significant other, two step-daughters, and my son, Daniel, who attends Goddard! I also enjoy gardening, skiing, teaching chess, cooking and playing the guitar.

Hi! My name is Cynthia, and I am excited to be apart of the infant team! I have been working with children since 1996. I have a bachelor’s degree in special education from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. In my free time I like to spend time with my family, travel, and play sports. A few fun facts about myself are I am bilingual, Spanish and English, and I am afraid of heights but I love skydiving!

Hi, my name is Vivian, and I am excited to work with all age groups as a floater! Although this is my first time working in a childcare center, I have experience working with children as a nanny. In my free time, I enjoy sewing and cooking along with spending time with my family! A fun fact about me is that I make clothes for other people.

Hi, my name is Julianna! I am excited to be working at The Goddard School as a teacher in the Brown Bears classroom. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eckerd College. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my parents and my dogs. Some of my hobbies include molding with clay, gaming, going for walks, and swimming. A fun fact about myself is that I lived in Germany for two years as a child!

Hi! My name is Ms. Anna and I am excited to be the cook at The Goddard School! I have been in the professional cooking and baking industry for over 10 years. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, reading, and cross-stitching. A fun fact about me is that I served four years in the U.S Coast Guard!

Hi my name is Tessia and I am a lead teacher in the Fireflies classroom. I started working in early childhood education in 2021. I have my CDA focused on preschool aged children along with some college credits. In my free time I enjoy spending my time with my children and spending time outside. A few fun facts about me are that I played the trumpet for 12 years and I won 1st place at an Illinois skills competition for early childhood education and 6th place at nationals.