Ms. Alison, Site Director
Alison grew up in Washington state where she studied Elementary Education at a local community college. She had the opportunity to transfer to a school in Hawaii where she studied Linguistics. A few years ago, Alison moved to Chicago and became a nanny for three wonderful girls.
Alison discovered her passion for child development at the early age of 9, when her first nephew was born. This passion was reaffirmed while she served two terms in AmeriCorps teaching English in Elementary schools. Alison is excited to learn the ins and outs of preschool teaching so one day she can open her own preschool. She has over 10 years of childcare experience.
In her free time Alison enjoys being out in nature and exploring all Chicago has to offer. She often spends her time reading, biking, or volunteering at a local animal shelter.
Mrs. Nefira, Infant Lead Teacher
Nefira was born and raised in Bosnia. Coming from a large family, even as a little child, she was always interested in babysitting and taking care of her younger siblings, nieces and nephews.
She immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 20 and lived in Arizona for several years before moving to Chicago. She stayed home to raise two children, and later applied for an assistant teacher position at her daughter’s daycare center to stay close to her. Mrs. Nefira loved it so much that she decided to pursue a career in early childhood education and received an associate degree in the field. Before New Einsteins, Nefira worked as a lead teacher at Bright Horizons for 16 years. She is happy and passionate about working with young children and enjoys teaching them new and exciting things every day.
Nefira loves spending time with her family, traveling to new places and meeting with people from diverse communities. She is looking forward to babysit her own grandchildren someday.
Ms. Heaven, Infant Assistant Teacher
Ms. Heaven is a Chicago native who recently graduated from Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy. At her young age, Ms. Heaven has already gained a great deal of experience teaching and working with youth. In the years past, Ms. Heaven worked as a teacher's assistant at a summer camp. Heaven loves working with kids because she believes that kids are the purest form of humanity. She firmly believes aiding in their development is an indescribable privilege. In the future, Heaven would love to grow in this field by pursuing a career as a lead Pre-K teacher or as a child therapist.
Ms. Nchimunya, Young Toddlers Lead Teacher
Ms. Nchimunya was born and raised in Zambia, where she graduated from college and spent 5 years working as a preschool teacher with children ages 2 to 5. She now lives in Chicago and hopes to enroll at DePaul to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. In her spare time, Nchimunya enjoys learning the newest trends in hair braiding and loves exploring Chicago with her husband.
Ms. Natalie, Young Toddlers Assistant Teacher
Ms. Natalie was born and raised in Indiana. She moved to the greater Chicago area to open opportunities for herself and her 3-year-old son. Ms. Natalie has been in the field of early childhood education for the past 6 years. She is passionate about working with kids because she loves seeing how they learn and grow every day. Ms. Natalie is planning to go back to school and earn a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education to further her career as a lead teacher. On her free time, Natalie loves writing poetry and spoken word. She also enjoys spending her weekends reading and listening to music with her son.
Ms. Kimberly, Older Toddler Lead Teacher
Kim was born and raised in Chicago in a big family. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at DePaul University in 2018. She has been working with children of all ages since 2005, taking care of her younger siblings, babysitting for various families and working as a teacher’s aide and assistant in daycare settings. Ms.Kim loves working with children because it is fascinating to see them achieve their milestones. She has been leading the Older Toddler classroom at NEA for the last 6 years and is looking forward to many more.
During her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, attending numerous festivals throughout Chicago and going on exciting new trips.
Ms. Alex, Older Toddler Assistant Teacher
Ms. Alex was born in Chicago and grew up a neighborhood close to home for many of us - Ravenswood! She graduated from Amundsen High School and immediately began working as an assistant teacher at a local daycare. Her favorite aspect of working with children is observing their growth and ability to learn new skills each day. Alex is enthusiastic about continuing her education plans to obtain her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in the next few years.
When Ms. Alex isn't in the classroom, she can be found making delicious pastries from around the world or getting creative with different nail designs.
Ms. Claudia, Preschool Lead Teacher
Claudia joined New Einsteins Academy in September 2016. A native Chicagoan, she grew up in a culturally rich Mexican family. In 2006, she obtained her Bachelor's in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Spanish from DePaul University. While at DePaul, she received an award for academic excellence from the Department of Latin American Studies. Much of her experience in early childhood comes from having four beautiful children. Claudia also has experience working with kids with various levels of disabilities (physical, mental and cognitive), including two of her own children. Claudia is excited for the opportunity to incorporate Spanish songs and activities into the daily curriculum.
Outside of work, Claudia loves to spend time with her family, going on road trips and visiting parks, museums, games, and concerts. Her favorite color is blue. She is a big fan of Chicago Blackhawks, White Sox and New England Patriots.