Mrs. Olga, Program Director

Olga has an incredible passion for teaching with over 17 years of experience in the early childhood field. At the age of 16 she started giving private English lessons in her hometown in Russia and received a great deal of recognition for her teaching skills from the students and parents.

Born and raised in Russia, Olga attended Linguistic State University in Nizhny Novgorod, where she graduated in 1996 with a BA in Linguistics and Teaching ESL. She also has a BS in Applied Behavioral Science from National Louis University in Chicago.

Olga has lived and worked in Chicago for more than 18 years. Prior to joining New Einsteins Academy, she was a Montessori teacher at Park View Montessori School. She has also worked as a preschool teacher for a private school in Evanston.

Apart from dedicating her life to making a difference in young children’s lives, Olga loves travelling, cooking and learning new languages. One of her newest hobbies is learning how to enjoy the bountiful rewards of parenting while being a working mother.

Ms. Nicole, Site Director

Ms. Nicole was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in child development. In May 2022, she graduated from Erikson Institute with a master’s degree in early childhood education. Ms. Nicole has been working at New Einsteins Academy Bucktown since 2016 as a lead toddler teacher and is thrilled to have an opportunity to advance her career as a site director for NEA’s 3rd location. She has always had a passion for working with young children because she admires the unique ways they learn about the world around them. Ms. Nicole believes that children learn best through play and enjoys being able to share her love for reading with her young students. Ms. Nicole loves the fact that New Einsteins Academy provides an engaging curriculum that allows children to expand on their social and emotional skills daily as they learn how to navigate building relationships with their peers and teachers in the classroom.

In her spare time, Ms. Nicole enjoys reading, running, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and going to concerts.

Ms. Galya (Helen), Infant Assistant Teacher

Ms. Halya grew up in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States with her family in 2022. After graduating from Lviv National Banking Institute with a master’s degree in finance and working in the industry for a while, Halya took a break from her career to stay home with her daughters. That’s when she realized that her true passion was working with young children and helping them learn and grow. She changed her career path and got a job in a daycare in her hometown of Lviv and is now looking forward to gaining more experience in the field of early childhood education as her family assimilates to life in the United States.

Ms. Galya spends her free time learning English and exploring Chicago with her family.

Ms. Erika, Lead Infant Teacher

Ms. Erika was born and raised here in the beautiful city of Chicago. Professionally, she has been working with children since 2020 but has been surrounded by children and helping them grow since she can remember herself. Although she loves working with all ages, she feels the most passionate about infant care. Ms. Erika believes that babies’ natural curiosity and different personalities help her learn and grow as an early childhood educator every day. Her favorite activities to do with infants are learning circles, singing songs, and doing fun sensory activities! She is dedicated to making sure all her tiny students feel loved, welcomed, and safe while in her care.

Ms. Erika holds a bachelor’s degree in human development from the University of Illinois and is planning to go back to school for a master’s in early childhood education soon. She is very excited to be joining the NEA – Logan Square team and looks forward to learning and helping all her kiddos grow!

During her free time, Ms. Erika enjoys exploring the city, spending time with her family, trying out new recipes she finds on TikTok, and baking delicious treats for her family!

Ms. Lisa, Younger Infant Lead Teacher

Ms. Lisa was born to a Puerto Rican family in Chicago. She is the daughter of two Chicago high school teachers, so you can say teaching runs in her blood. She took college classes to advance her career in the early education field and brings over 20+ years of experience working with young children in a daycare setting, 10 of which she spent as a preschool teacher at NEA. She likes taking a creative approach to helping children problem-solve and become more confident learners. Lisa believes there are learning opportunities all around us, we just need to look around!

around! Outside of her classroom, Ms. Lisa’s interests include film, music, karaoke, and improv – she is a proud Second City graduate! She also loves traveling and, most of all, spending time with her two young grandbabies.

Ms. Grace, Infant Assistant Teacher

Ms. Grace was born in Arlington Heights and has lived in Chicago for over 7 years. She graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality leadership and has over 8 years of experience babysitting children of different ages. Her most recent nannying job inspired her to further her career in early childhood education. She is very passionate about creating a warm and inspiring learning environment for children.

In her spare time, Grace enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends. Grace loves learning and playing new games. Her favorite game as a little kid was Chutes and Ladders, and her current favorite board game is Cribbage.

Ms. Karla, Young Toddlers Lead Teacher

Ms. Karla is a native Chicagoan. She discovered a deep passion for early childhood education when she interacted with children at her first job at Build-A-Bear. Before starting her teaching journey, she had studied computer science and engineering at Harold Washington. Ms. Karla plans to go back to school to receive a degree in the field of early childhood education. Ever since switching her major, she hasn’t looked back! Ms. Karla has been in the childcare field for about 2 years now and can’t wait to advance her career doing the work she loves.

In her free time, Ms. Karla enjoys playing video games, painting, and designing tattoos.

Ms. Iryna (Ira), Young Toddler Assistant Teacher

Ms. Ira was born in the Ternopil region of Ukraine. After graduating from Vasyl Stefanik Precarpathian National University with a master’s degree in social science, Iryna worked as a child psychologist with children with special needs at a non-for-profit charity organization "Home Named After Mercy” and at the Inclusive Resource Center, where she created a loving and nurturing environment for the mental development of her students. She is thrilled to be a part of the NEA team and is committed to supporting a great educational environment.

Iryna likes hiking, traveling, and self-educating in the areas that spike her interest.

Ms. Maria, Preschool Lead Teacher

Ms. Maria was born and raised in Chicago and has over five years of experience working with young children. After volunteering at Camp Quality, a nonprofit organization that provides year-round programs and companionship for pediatric cancer patients, Maria’s love for providing nurturing care and education grew, and she decided to make Early Childhood Education her career path. Ms. Maria has her preschool CDA license and is about to receive an associate degree in special education. She plans to transfer to National Louis University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the future.

During her free time, Maria likes to play soccer, go shopping and explore new restaurants in Chicago. She is eager to join the NEA community and can’t wait to build relationships with the children and their families.

Ms. Stephanie, Preschool Assistant Teacher

Ms. Stephanie was born and raised in Lawrenceville, a small town in Southeastern Illinois. In 2019, she graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in photography. Ms. Stephanie grew up around many children, and her love of working with kids solidified when she started babysitting during the summers throughout high school and into college. She enjoys giving children the opportunity to have fun and tries to provide them with educational experiences they will remember.

In her spare time, Ms. Stephanie is a documentary and street photographer, submitting her works to galleries all over the United States. She also enjoys doing photography for special events. When she's not taking photos, she loves spending time with her boyfriend and two cats, Cheese and Toph.

Ms. Oksana, School Aide

Oksana was born and raised in Ukraine and studied at V. Stefanyk Prykarpatsky National University, where she graduated in 2009 with a master's degree in history. Oksana knew from childhood that she would be a teacher. After graduating from the university, she got a job as a teacher in her native school, where she gladly shared her experience and knowledge with children and received recognition for her skills from children and parents.

Ms. Oksana and her family recently moved to Chicago. She became a volunteer at the local school where her children study. She is proud to be a part of the New Einsteins Academy family, where she is surrounded by wonderful children.

Oksana spends most of her free time taking care of her family. They like to travel a lot, play board games, read, and cook together. She is also fond of growing lavender and dreams of developing her own lavender field one day.