Meet The Teachers

Lauren is very excited to be joining Meadowlake as the new Preschool Director this fall.  After teaching 4-year-olds for 25 years at Davidson United Methodist Church and spending two more years there as an administrative assistant, she decided to give retirement a try, but felt called back to the preschool world this year.

Lauren has a degree in Special Education from Appalachian State University and spent seven years in the public schools before becoming a preschool teacher.  She currently teaches a monthly science lesson to preschoolers in Davidson.

Community outreach is an area in which Lauren is very involved.  She has directed a tutoring program for refugee families in the Charlotte area for the past twelve years and is a mentor for several high school students.

Lauren believes strongly in developing the whole child: spiritually, socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually in a play-based environment.   Instilling a lifelong love of learning is her goal every day and she can’t wait to get to know the children and their families at Meadowlake.

Lauren and her husband live in Huntersville with their three dogs and have two married children.  She loves to spend time outdoors, especially in the mountains and at the lake with her friends and family.

Christine was born and raised in Ohio and has also lived in Italy, Utah, and Virginia. She and her husband married and moved to North Carolina 12 years ago.  She graduated from BYU back in 2010.

She has a son (7) and daughter (5) who are the greatest joys of her life. When her son graduated from the Pre-K class the award he received was “Most likely to become a teacher at Meadowlake Preschool” but she beat him to it!  In her free time, she loves spending time with friends and family as well as reading, baking, and traveling.

She has served in the leadership of the children’s program at her church for the last 7 years.  Christine finds it a privilege to get to know each and every child she works with while celebrating their unique personality.  She is passionate about creating an environment for children that supports and encourages a love for learning from a young age. She looks forward to getting to know each of your precious little ones and helping them grow in a fun and nurturing classroom!

Jen lives in Huntersville with her husband and 3 kids, Andrew (20), who attends Western Carolina University, Ashlyn (17), and Aiden (15).  Jen has a Communications degree and enjoys traveling, reading, yoga, dogs, and spending time with her family.

A stay-at-home mom for 14 years, this is her 6th year at Meadowlake Preschool, and she loves the small knit community and closeness that Meadowlake has to offer.  Jen loves each and every one of her students and enjoys getting to know each one.  She loves watching them learn and explore the world around them.  She can’t wait to get to know her new students this year!

Nikki graduated from UNCC with a degree in Elementary Education.  She taught first and second grade before starting a family.  That’s when she decided to start working part time so she could spend more time at home with her children.  She and her husband have two sons.  She has enjoyed working with and teaching children for the past twenty plus years!  This is Nikki’s 10^th year at Meadowlake.

Phyllis has lived in North Carolina her entire life.  She was an assistant manager for Southern Bell for 31 years prior to teaching.  She has been with Meadowlake Preschool as an assistant teacher since 2001.  Phyllis has two daughters, Traci and Nikki.  She loves to read, spend time with her family, and work with preschoolers.

Stacy is from Harrisburg, PA and has lived in Huntersville for the past 18 years.  She graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a BS in Business Management and a BA in Economics.  She became a stay-at-home mom when she and her husband had their first child.

Her daughter is 18 and a freshman in college, and her twin boys are 16 and they attend Lincoln Charter School.  After staying home to raise her kids, she decided to become a preschool teacher, and taught at the Lake Norman YMCA in the 2’s class for 4 years before coming to Meadowlake in 2017.  She is looking forward to seeing her former students and meeting her new students this school year!

Ornela moved from Greece to the United States 13 years ago and brings with her a deep passion for early childhood education. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Greece and, after spending seven wonderful years as a stay-at-home mom, she is thrilled to return to the classroom as a preschool teacher.

Now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ornela and her husband are raising their two wonderful children—a 7-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. Her daughter, Athena, attended Meadowlake Preschool for two years, and during that time, Ornela fell in love with the warm, welcoming school community. She enjoys cooking, going on walks, playing with her kids, and volunteering at their school, where she is also an active member of the PTO.

Ornela is so excited to get to know each of your precious little ones and feels honored to support them as they learn, grow, and thrive in a fun and nurturing environment during these special early years!