Meet Our Staff

Chris

Owner & Director

I have owned and operated a Step Ahead Preschool & Childcare since it began in 1998.  I hold a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Ed., from Central Washington University.  As a mother and former Kindergarten Teacher, my goal is to provide children with a quality environment where learning is fun.  I am so proud to have a great staff that has helped me build this program.  We have touched the lives of many Treasure Valley children.  My husband and I are very fortunate to have two wonderful daughters and an amazing son-in-law.  We are a busy family who enjoy travel, skiing, boating and endless hours of watching softball.

Tawna

Preschool Program Manager

After graduating from NNU in 1997 with an Elementary Ed. Degree and an endorsement in Early Childhood, I started teaching at a middle school in Marsing, Idaho.  Two short years later, I left the middle school life to begin teaching at A Step Ahead. I’ve never looked back.

Being a preschool teacher is my dream job. I enjoy seeing young students grow in a multitude of ways including academically, socially and artistically.

When not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family.  With three out of four daughters married and grandkids starting to grow our family even bigger, I have a full schedule.  I spend my days camping, fishing, movie going, picnicking, reading, exploring and volunteering at my church.

Kathy

Teacher

After graduating with a  degree in Elementary Education from Boise State University, I worked int he Meridian school district for 6 years. I joined the team at A Step Ahead Preschool in 2007 and have enjoyed becoming a part of this wonderful team.

My husband and I live in Meridian and have two wonderful children. In our spare time we enjoy being outdoors.  We love kayaking, golfing, biking and walking along the Boise greenbelt or hiking in the foothills. We also enjoy supporting our BSU football team and love going to all the home games. GO BRONCOS!

I look forward to working with your children. I am always amazed at just how much they learn. I know this is going to be another great year!

Amanda

Teacher

I started working for A Step Ahead Preschool in 2010 as a Teachers Assistant. I am thrilled to be assisting in classrooms as well as working on the childcare side at A Step Ahead. We moved to Meridian in the summer of 2009 from Washington State and I absolutely love it here! My husband and I have three terrific children, two sons and a daughter. My daughter attended A Step Ahead Preschool and is a well adjusted and very smart student! The curriculum and teachers at A Step Ahead truly prepare your child for ‘the next step’. I am excited to get to know your child this year and I look forward to the many learning adventures we’ll have!

Cristi

Teacher

I’ve been with A Step Ahead Preschool & Childcare since 2010. I assist in the preschool program. My background in education is preschool, preK and Special Education. I am happily married to my best friend, Chris since 1992. In my free time I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, fall, NFL, live music, poker, reading, hula dancing, cooking and meeting new people. I’m a little obsessed with Halloween and Dr. Seuss. My son plays college soccer so that keeps us really busy each summer and fall. I look forward to all of the fun adventures in store for us this school year.

Gillian

Teacher

I graduated from Boise State University with a degree in Elementary Education. After I graduated from BSU, I worked at a Montessori School for 2 years. I have been at A Step Ahead Preschool since January 2005 and I love it! I live in Boise with my husband, Ben, and our two beautiful children. I am a native of Idaho and I enjoy all outdoor activities including: hiking, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, jet skiing, and snow skiing. I also enjoy reading books, scrapbooking, and playing with my kids.

Jena

Teacher

I graduated from the University of Idaho in 2005 with a degree in Elementary Education.  After college I started with A Step Ahead, and have really enjoyed teaching for Chris.  I took a few years off from teaching to start a family.  I now have three small children who have also loved being at A Step Ahead.  In my free time, I enjoy traveling, spending time with my family and friends, cooking, painting and being outdoors.

Ariel

Teacher

What a privilege it is to teach at A Step Ahead Preschool.  After teaching second grade for two years, I joined our ASAP team in 2014.  I am married to an amazing soldier and we have two equally remarkable daughters…who keep us on our toes!  We love to spend time together camping, watching movies, reading books, and making projects.  Cheers to another great year at A Step Ahead!

Dani

Teacher

I am so fortunate to have worked as a Teacher’s Aide at  A Step Ahead Preschool since 2009.  To be a part of these kiddos lives is such a privilege.

 I love my church, photography, crafting and doing anything outdoors! Between my husband and I, we have 4 kids, one daughter-in-law and one son-in-law. We also have six grandkids! We all love to go camping, go to hockey games, celebrate holidays together and just love to hang out at the house. My family is my joy!

Working with kids and watching them learn and grow is such a blessing to me. I cannot imagine my life without their hugs and smiling faces every day. 

Samantha

Teacher

I am so excited to be teaching at A Step Ahead this year! I have been teaching preschool since I graduated from Boise State University in 2010. My amazing husband, Curt, and I are huge fans of Boise State Football and love nothing more than to go to all our teams home games! I have two amazing boys who keep me busy outside of teaching. We love to spend our time together enjoying anything outdoors including: playing at parks and using our passes at Zoo Boise.  

Rose

Teacher

I joined the A Step Ahead team in 2011. I have a wonderful husband and one amazing daughter. As a family we are very active. We enjoy being outdoors: hiking, mountain biking, camping, and boating. We also enjoy taking our dogs with us everywhere!

 I love signing/dancing and try to incorporate that into how I teach. Helping your children be active is huge for me, I want them to have fun while they are learning!

Lisa

Teacher

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I graduated college with a degree in Elementary Education and taught elementary school for about 10 years. I then took some time off to raise our four beautiful children. I have been at A Step Ahead for many years now and love our school. I have had the privilege of teaching different preschool age classes and I adore them all. Being a preschool teacher brings me such joy and I love working with your children every day. I believe that the foundation for becoming a lifelong learner begins in preschool. My goal is to ensure your child feels safe and loves coming to school, while having fun and learning important skills that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Jessica

Teacher

I began at A Step Ahead Preschool and Childcare in August of 2010. I am so lucky to be able to work with the oldest ones on the Childcare side of A Step Ahead. The children are so much fun and I can’t help but love them. It is such a joy to watch them blossom before me. My husband and I are also busy with four children of our own and one son-in-law. Bringing up three brilliant young women and one amazing little boy keeps us hopping! We spend as much time as a family as is possible. Together we all enjoy many outdoor activities and sporting events. We also love to cheer on the Boise State Football team together! Go Broncos!

Kaitlin

Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

Sydney

Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

Kendal

Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

Jodi

Teacher

I began at A Step Ahead in July of 2019. I have always dreamed of being a teacher and after 15 years at Micron I decided it was time to make the dream a reality. I love working with the staff at A Step Ahead as well as the children, they have all made me feel welcomed and loved.

I married my best friend Cameron in 2005, we are both Idaho natives and love the outdoors. We love spending time fishing, hiking, camping and running with our two labs on many of the trials that Boise has to offer. I also enjoy volunteering at my church, teaching Sunday school, as well as cooking and quilting. 

Qwyn

Teacher

I just graduated from Liberty University majoring in behavior science and am working on my masters in Christian Counseling with an emphasis in children and families. I love working with children and being able to see them grow! I’m excited to be a teacher’s aid here at A Step Ahead. My husband and I had our first baby this summer, a little girl named Liberty, she is the cutest! We are counting down the days until she can attend preschool here! We stay busy exploring Idaho, working on home projects, spending time with family and serving in our church! 

McKenzie

Teacher

I have been a teacher’s aide since 2015 here at A Step Ahead. I have loved working with other teachers and getting to know my students and their families. 

I have a wonderful husband and 2 kids who love attending  A Step Ahead with me! We love to travel, be outdoors and spend time with our friends and family. My family brings me so much joy!

I look forward to many more great years ahead!

Reagon

Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

Alyssa

Teacher

I knew I wanted to work at A Step Ahead Preschool while taking a class at my high school called Early Childhood Development. In this class we got to intern at different preschool facilities in Meridian and help put together fun/interactive lesson plans. After my internship at A Step Ahead I realized my passion for teaching. 

I plan to attend the University of Idaho in the fall of 2020, but prior to that, I hope to teach and encourage your children that anything is possible if you put your mind to it!

Alisa

Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

Ayesa

Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!