Diplotots Team

Drawn to the world of early childhood education because she wants to
nurture and be a huge part of a child’s early development, Nefeteria has
been in the field for over 11 years. She finds watching her children learn
and grow and also supporting them and their curious minds the most
satisfying part of this role.

Nefeteria is from Washington, DC and her parents are biracial. Her first
language was Vietnamese. She has an older sister and a younger brother.
She is the proud mother of a beautiful daughter. When she has some free
time, Nefeteria likes to shop, relax, and spend time with her daughter.

Contributing her enthusiasm, dedication, and eagerness to grow as an
Educator, Nefeteria has a short-term goal of becoming a preschool teacher.
Thinking longer term with Brynmor, she aspires to be an Executive Director
and help with opening new centers.

As a child growing up, Beverly always wanted to be a teacher. She realized her dream and has been in the education field for over 25 years. She graduated from high school in North Carolina and then moved to Washington, DC. She got her start at the daycare in her church and was inspired to learn more about early childhood education. She attended classes and obtained her Child Development Associate credential.

The most satisfying part about teaching for Beverly is knowing that the children in her care trust and believe in her and feel confident that they will be safe with her. She has seen how children’s brains are like sponges and she is always amazed at what they are capable of learning. At Brynmor, Beverly hopes to lend her knowledge and new ideas to our team. She also has goals of furthering her own education.

Beverly treasures spending time with her family and has two daughters and a five-year-old grandson. She very much values the time spent with her grandson. She enjoys attending church, singing, and watching Netflix.

Tamara Broidy brings more than 30 years of experience to her role as an Early Educator. She holds a CDA in Infant and Toddler Care, along with CPR and First Aid certifications. Her inspiration to work with children began early, watching her mother care for neighborhood kids and serve as a foster parent. That example sparked Tamara’s lifelong passion for helping children learn, grow, and feel loved.

She believes in creating a collaborative and caring environment where children can explore, play, and build confidence. Her goal is to guide each child’s learning journey while ensuring they always feel safe, supported, and valued.

Outside of work, Tamara enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. She also loves relaxing outdoors with family and friends, listening to music, and grilling together.

Emma has been with Diplotots since 2022 and has been in the early childhood education field for six years. Before working at Diplotots, she also worked for many years in private childcare in McLean, VA. She focuses on engaging children’s interests and letting them learn through play. This year, Emma began working on her CDA credential so she may grow and achieve more in the field that she loves, early childhood education.

Residing in Virginia, Emma has been living in the US for over 22 years. She has two brothers, and she was raised by a single mother. Her mother and one of her brothers work in a retirement home for priests. Her family also has a catering business. In her free time, Emma loves to build miniature houses, listening to music, and reading novels. Her absolute favorite hobby is baking.

Always grateful to have a job that allows her to give support and nourishment to the little ones that come to her Center everyday, she strives to give them the love and attention that they deserve. She is motivated by knowing that she is teaching children the skills that will help them to achieve their goals in life.

Meaghan comes to Brynmor with experience as a pre-kindergarten teacher in Baltimore County, MD.  For the past seven years, she has also worked as a nanny, babysitter, and swim lesson instructor with children from infants to seven years old. Her goals include working with children to help them achieve their own developmental milestones.

Born in Del Ray, Alexandria, Megahan grew up on the eastern shore of Maryland in a small town off the Chesapeake Bay.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education through Frostburg State University and Towson University.  Her free time is spent crafting with her Cricut, gardening, and enjoying time with her two cats Lilly and Willow.

Meaghan loves to see children progress, grow, and shine in their social/emotional, gross and fine motor, and academic goals.  She hopes to become an even stronger early childhood educator and build great relationships with her students and their families.

John comes to Brynmor from the public school system and has worked in the food service field for six years.  He wants to help children receive adequate nutrition so they are ready to learn.

Living in DC, John likes to visit museums and attend sporting events.  He also enjoys reading in his spare time.  John is certified as Food Protection Manager through the District’s Department of Health.

This is John’s first role in early childhood education, and he takes pride in his work and in being a team player.  He always listens to people to learn their perspectives and strives to be a team member that others rely on at Brynmor.

Katrina has been in the early childhood education field for over 20 years. She worked for a home daycare and then with ECE programs in Washington, DC. Her degree is in family and consumer sciences with a concentration in child development. Helping children learn and seeing them develop and grow is a passion for Katrina.

She grew up in the Prince George’s County area and still lives in Maryland. Katrina has a son and two brothers. One of her hobbies is line dancing and a favorite quote of hers is “It doesn’t matter if you fall down. What matters is that you get back up.”

At Brynmor, Katrina hopes to continue to grow as an educator and to find new ways to make a real difference in the lives of the children in her classroom. She is committed to the success of the Diplotots children and families.

When her children were younger, Tawana volunteered at the elementary
schools that they attended. The school principals saw her potential to be
an educator because she was so talented working with children. That got
her into the field where she has grown for the past 17 years. Tawana has a
passion for nurturing and caring for young children.

Now living in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Tawana grew up in the
DMV area. She has been married for 26 years and has three adult
children. She enjoys reading motivational books, dining out, and dancing.

Observing how young children develop and grow through positive role
modeling is very motivating for Tawana. She loves seeing them flourish in
her classroom. At Brynmor, she will contribute her wealth of core
knowledge of early learning in a way that shapes her student’s academic
journey.

In addition to completing internships in Maryland public schools, Tea was a teacher for ten plus years in a family-owned childcare center in Washington, DC.  She has her Associates degree in Education from Montgomery College and knew even as a young child that she was going to be a teacher.  

Tea grew up in DC and lives here with her mom and brother.  They just recently said goodbye to their family’s dog who lived to be 19 years old.  Tea loves all things make up, skincare, and perfume.

At Brynmor, Tea hopes to contribute her love and passion for our field and will work to make a lasting impact with children and families.  She believes that educators help contribute to making the world a better place through their love and dedication.

Since she was a little girl, Rynika has always wanted to be a teacher.  She has been in the early childhood education field for over 16 years and loves working with different age groups.  Watching children learn through play and with their peers is a very rewarding experience for her.

Rynika is from Washington, D.C. and is the second oldest in a family of three children.  She loves to shop and spend quality time with her family.

Engaging and interacting with children and creating activities where they can learn and grow is a talent of Rynika’s.  She is excited to be at Brynmor to grow in her career and undertake a new chapter in her professional journey.

India began her career working with children as a corps member in City
Year fifteen years ago. She has since held roles in the field, including as a
substitute teacher, paraprofessional, and teacher team leader. India got
into the educational world because she wanted to be the teacher that she
needed as a young person. Everyone needs a hero, especially children.
Missing that in her own educational upbringing, she wants to provide that
experience to the children that need it the most.

As a native Washingtonian, India was educated in the DC Public School
system. She holds her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and her
Master’s degree in Elementary Education. India has served in the Army for
five years. She has three children – two boys and a daughter (who attends
Brynmor). Her bestie is her Mom and her favorite thing to do when she has
free time is to connect with family and friends.

India strives to witness children developing every day. She is happiest
seeing the change that happens daily in this age group. Bringing sunshine
as well as her knowledge, India will confidently lead and support her team.

Michelle has a love of helping children learn on their own and has been in
early childhood education for over 20 years. She strives to help children
move forward in their growth and achieve important milestones.

Being a Washington, D.C. native, Michelle finds a sense of purpose in
working in the District. She loves to take walks in the capital and also
enjoys going to listen to live music. Her grandchildren are her pride and
joy, and she treasures time spent with them.

Michelle sees her role as someone who wants children and their families to
grow at Diplotots and she wants to help pave the way for them. She values
building relationships with her peers as they work together in this goal.

Nala has been inspired by her mother and by wonderful educators who played an important role in her life. Besides watching her mom raise her and her siblings, Nala visited her mother at work and saw the way that she interacted with and educated each child in her care. The teachers that she had from elementary to middle school and even in high school showed her the difference between simply teaching and actually educating students. They met Nala where she was and showed great support and listening.

Nala has been born and raised in Washington, DC. Her parents were married for 33 years until her father passed away in 2020. She is the youngest in her family and has three brothers and two sisters. In her downtime, you’ll find her watching Law and Order SVU, Chicago PD, drama movies, and shows on Lifetime. She also paints cartoon characters and creates abstract art.

At Diplotots, she loves watching the children learn and grow into smart and creative little people. Witnessing them explore to find themselves and figure out what they like and don’t like is satisfying to see. It warms Nala’s heart to see at the end of the day when children are not ready to leave and to know that they had a great day. Her goal is to have the opportunity to grow and learn at Brynmor while sharing her warm energy and creativity.

Claudia Mejía brings both experience and education to her role, holding a Child Development Associate credential, along with additional training in child development. Originally from El Salvador, where she earned a law degree, Claudia discovered her passion for working with young children while volunteering at her daughters’ Catholic school.

She believes every child is unique, full of curiosity, and capable of learning through play, imagination, and creativity. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes using music, movement, and hands-on activities to nurture children’s physical, social, and emotional development. At Brynmor, Claudia hopes to show love and respect to every child while supporting the mission and vision of the center.

In her free time, Claudia enjoys walking, cooking, and reading true stories. She loves spending time with her family, whether cooking together, playing in the park, going to the library, or traveling.

By observing her Aunt Diane nurture and love children as a child care provider, LaShawn knew that she wanted to be an educator. She has been in the field for over 30 years and credits these early influences for her inspiration and appreciation of young children.

LaShawn is a native Washingtonian and received her college degree in Social Work from the University of the District of Columbia. During her free time, she enjoys doing crossword puzzle, watching movies, and traveling. Her family consists of her sister, her nieces and nephews, and her uncle. Although she does not have children of her own, she is appreciative of being in the presence of your children.

While at Brynmor, LaShawn hopes to contribute and apply her years of knowledge of educating children using the HighScope curriculum. Witnessing the excitement of the children in her care, she loves to see their growth and development flourishing as they become eager learners. LaShawn is committed to the Vision and Mission of Brynmor and to the success of every child.

Celina has dedicated nearly a decade to working in childcare, as a teacher, caregiver, and Registered Behavior Technician.  However, her passion has always been in early childhood education, especially with infants.  She is fascinated by the early stages of development and how nurturing environments can shape a child’s foundation for lifelong learning.  With a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and a master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology, she aims to combine her education and experience to create enriching, responsive, and developmentally appropriate spaces for young children to thrive.

Originally from North Carolina, Celina moved to DC this winter.  She has a strong connection to her community which stems from her upbringing in North Carolina.  She is excited to get to know her new home and learn more about DC.  Some of her free time activities are scrapbooking, trying new restaurants, going to concerts and the theater, and just relaxing with a good book or show.

Being part of a family’s support system and making a difference in their journey is extremely rewarding to Celina.  She loves to discover how each child is unique and how to best help them learn through play, structured learning, and emotional support.  At Brynmor, she wants to make a lasting impact on the systems that support children and families while continuing to personally learn and evolve.

Roneisha Turner brings enthusiasm, care, and a strong desire to help children grow to her role as an Early Childhood Educator Apprentice. She was drawn to the field by her love of working with young learners and the joy of seeing their personalities, confidence, and curiosity blossom.

Her approach focuses on creating a safe, welcoming space where every child feels seen, supported, and encouraged to explore. Roneisha believes that children learn best through play and discovery, and she enjoys helping them build independence and a lifelong love of learning.

Outside of work, Roneisha loves to dance, explore new activities like painting and trying different foods, walk local trails, and spend quality time with her family.

Felecia has been committed to helping children learn throughout her 32-year career. She has worked in other programs and also with the DC Public School System. Her own love of learning spurred her to go into the education field so she could help others learn. She is a warm and nurturing presence in the classroom.

In her free time, Felecia loves to go fishing, do some shopping, watch movies, and spend time with her family. She has two children and one grandchild. She is also calls Washington, DC home and grew up here.

Now with Brynmor, Felecia will contribute her creativity and friendliness to our program. She wants to share her passion for teaching with Brynmor families. Every day she looks forward to seeing happy children and their smiling faces and knows that they will have fun learning.

As an over 13 year veteran of the early childhood education field, Latoya brings her care and experiences to Brynmor at Diplotots. While in high school, she volunteered every day after school at the center where her mother worked to earn her community service hours. She fell in love with how fun and fast paced the environment was – there is never a boring day working with children!

Latoya was born and raised in the DC area and lives there now with her son. They also have six fish and two guinea pigs called Ethel and Lucy. In her free time, she enjoys building miniature houses, reading, watching nature documentaries, and traveling. Latoya set a goal for herself of visiting all seven continents, and she has three left to visit before her goal is complete.

For Latoya, there is great satisfaction in seeing the children in our care thriving and knowing that we make an impact every day in the lives of children and their families. So much of what a child will become and how they will move through the world is shaped within the first few years of life. At Brynmor, Latoya hopes to bring her adaptability, experience, and child development knowledge to our team.

Carla began her work in childcare in 1991 at a church daycare. She worked in the summer youth program and the director asked if she wanted to stay because of the way that she interacted with children. Helping children learn through play and seeing their growth and progress makes this career meaningful for Carla.

Carla has lived in Washington, DC all of her life. She has three beautiful children – one son Namios and two daughters Matrinique and Natori. She also has three wonderful grandsons – James, Joel, and Antoine. Spending quality time with her family is always a focus for her. Some of her pastimes are shopping, traveling, and watching scary movies.

She has always been passionate about working with children of all ages and watching them grow as learners. Carla hopes to contribute her style of teamwork, loyalty, and understanding to the Brynmor family and is looking forward to this new chapter of learning.

Kay has worked with children since she was a teenager and has enjoyed her twelve years in the field. She grew up in a big family and always helped take care of her two younger siblings which started her love for this work. Knowing that she has made a positive impact on a child’s development is the most satisfying part of her job.

Having an ethnic background from Sierra Leone and Lebanon, Kay feels pride in her heritage. She has older and younger brothers and a younger step-sister. She also counts a mini Golden Doodle Lucki as a member of her family. Going on hikes, trying different foods, and working out all occupy Kay’s free time.

At Brynmor, Kay would like to further her career and continue to grow as an educator. In addition to being a strong team player, she hopes to contribute
positive energy to her classroom and the school as a whole.

Mitra has experience working with children in a preschool setting and loves this age group. She is originally from Afghanistan and worked in a preschool there and also in Albany, New York. She has her Bachelor’s degree in English literature. Mitra is rewarded by seeing children grow in a safe and loving environment.

The oldest of five children, Mitra has two younger brothers and two younger sisters. She lives in Lorton and likes to go shopping and spend time with friends in her spare time. Mitra practices make up skills as a hobby and also likes fish. Her favorite authors are William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen.

In working with children by helping them develop their creative sides and through singing with them, Mitra finds great enjoyment. She wants to be a positive role model at Brynmor and be a great partner to all of her peers.

Irene has been in the early childhood education field for the past ten years and calls this time period the best of her professional career. In high school, she was an assistant teacher in a kindergarten classroom and that’s when her interest in child development began. When she became the mother of twins, she realized that thier best learning happened through play.

Believing that a hands on, positive and curious mindset is critical in our field, Irene gains satisfaction from knowing that she is a part of a loving, healthy, and safe environment where all children can explore and use their imaginations to learn about the world around them. Her goal as an Educator at Brynmor is to create lifelong relationships with the children and families that she serves. She will encourage curiosity, and self-expression which will allow each child to discover their unique personalities.

Irene is a proud Hispanic and was born in Massachusetts. She’s been married for 29 years. Both of her sons serve in the military and Irene is looking forward to having grandbabies. In 2019, she completed her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Northern Virginia Community College.