About Our Staff
Executive Director/Co-Founder
Stacey Bell, M.Ed. is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Emerson Foundation. Stacey, one of the founders of Emerson Academy, has returned to the organization after a five year hiatus. Stacey has been working with people with special needs for over 30 years in a variety of capacities. Under her leadership, The Emerson Foundation hopes to expand our services to the community while continuing to provide excellent early childhood education to the children and families we currently serve and hope to serve in the future.
Program Director
Yvonne Gomez- Brown is currently the Program Director at Emerson Academy and has been here for a little over 2 years. She has been in childcare for over 10 years and truly has a passion for working with children. Yvonne was Born is Austin, Texas and raised here in Round Rock. She has 5 beautiful kids and a dog named Luna. She has been with her husband, Dominic for over 10 years. In their free time, her family enjoys hosting BBQ’s, camping and watching movies together. Her favorite part of being a part of The Emerson Academy family is watching our students reach their goals and having the ability to help families at our center.
Curriculum and Training Coordinator Alison “Ali” Santos – Ali is excited to be a part of your child’s growth and development. She have been working in the Early Childhood Development for over a decade, including raising two children of her own. Aubrey is 10 years old and Adam is 8 years old. Ali has Child Development Associate’s Degree from Penn Foster University. In my spare time she coaches my children’s softball and basketball teams. She loves teaching through experiences and learns to grow and learn along side her students.
Infants 6 weeks -12 Months
Ms. Yvette – Hello! My name is Yvette. I have been teaching at Emerson Academy for six years. I have over 15 years experience in Early Childhood Education. What I love most about my job is watching
the children develop skills as they become more independent.
Ms. Hannah – Hello, my name is Hannah. I was born in California, but have lived in Texas for most of my life. I have been working at Emerson Academy for over a year and I love spending my days with the babies! My goal for every infant in this classroom is for them to feel safe, secure and loved.
Toddlers 12 months-24 months
Ms. Margarita – I was born in Escondido, California. My family and I moved to Texas when I was 6 years old. I have a 5 year old daughter named Genesis. She is truly my biggest blessing. I am currently taking classes to obtain my Child Development Associate. I want to become a better teacher. I enjoy working with children because I get to make an impact in their lives. I also get to help each child reach their development milestones.
Ms. Connie – Hello, my name is Connie. I am originally from Georgia but I have had the privilege of living all over the world, including Germany. I’ve lived in the Austin area for six years and am very close with my family. I have worked at Emerson Academy for six years with twenty one years of experience in early childhood education. What I love most about teaching is spending the day with the kiddos!
Ms. Allie – Originally from California, my husband and I moved to Texas 5 years ago. We have a daughter
named Opal, and two dogs that keep us busy. I have an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Golden West College. I have been teaching at Emerson Academy for two years and have over 10 years of experience in the ECE field. I love opportunities to create engaging and inclusive learning environments that aid in the growth and development of my students.
Ms. Criss – Hello! My name is Criss and I am a mother to five wonderful kids ages 8-13. I love to read, journal and hang out with my family. I have been working in Early Childhood Education for over 16 years, 4 of those years right here at Emerson Academy. I love the opportunity that I have everyday to help shape little minds.
Ms. Maria – Hello! My name is Maria and I was born in Georgia. I moved around a lot with my family and landed in Texas at the age of 12. I have a nine year old dog name Yoy, whom I love to spoil! I am currently pursuing my Child Development Associates (CDA). I have been working at Emerson for over a year and I love coming to work and seeing the kids’ smiling faces. Working at Emerson Academy doesn’t feel like work…that’s why I love my job!
Ms. Alyson – Originally from California, my husband and I moved to Texas 5 years ago. We have a daughter named Opal, and two dogs that keep us busy. I have an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Golden West College. I have been teaching at Emerson Academy for two years and have over 10 years of experience in the ECE field. I love opportunities to create engaging and inclusive learning environments that aid in the growth and development of my students.
Toddlers/Pre-K 2 1/2 years – 4 years
Ms. Priscilla – I have been a teacher at Emerson Academy for six years. I have worked with all ages, including infants and school aged children. I enjoy being tasked with providing learning experiences that the children will hold onto for the rest of their lives.
Ms. Skyler – Hi! I’m Skyler. Some people call me Sky. I am originally from Arizona, but moved to Texas five years ago. My best friend is a Sheepadoodle who never leaves my side. I’ve been teaching at Emerson Academy for over a year now, but have over seven years of experience teaching early childhood education with a background in Applied Behavior Analysis. I love teaching kids new things and watching them grow!
Ms. Blanca – Hello, my name is Ms. Blanca. I recently earned my Child Development Associate’s Degree (CDA). I have been working at Emerson Academy for two and a half years, with experience with infants through school aged classes. I love teaching and making memories with my students. I am passionate about creating a fun and engaging learning environment.
Ms. Gianna – Hi! I’m Skyler. Some people call me Sky. I am originally from Arizona, but moved to Texas five years ago. My best friend is a Sheepadoodle who never leaves my side. I’ve been teaching at Emerson Academy for over a year now, but have over seven years of experience teaching early childhood education with a background in Applied Behavior Analysis. I love teaching kids new things and watching them grow!
Ms. Marisa – Hello, my name is Marisa and I have been working at Emerson Academy for over 10 years. I have experience working with all age groups but I have a true passion for teaching Pre-K. I earned my Associate’s Degree in Journalism from Austin Community College, but I really enjoy learning about children and their development. I have extensive training in Conscious Discipline and truly believe that understanding the brain science backed by research is a game changer for teaching young children. I love getting to help children and their families learn to navigate their child’s path to success.
Ms. Stephanie – My name is Stephanie. I moved to Austin eight years ago with my amazing family. I’ve been married for 19 years and have three wonderful children ages 17, 15 and 12. I also have a dog named Hiccup! I have many years of experience working in Early Childhood Education and I truly love what I do. Watching children explore and learn fills my heart with joy!
Ms. Jaida – Hi, my name is Jaida. I have been working with Pre-K students at Emerson Academy for over a year. I have over two years of experience working in Early Childhood Education, including Montessori. I am passionate about creating a fun and nurturing environment by building positive relationships with each child in my classroom. For fun I enjoy reading, playing video games and cooking. I have a sweet dog named Mercedes who is very energetic and keeps me on the go!
Support Staff
Pedro Chapa – Hello, my name is Pedro. I have many years of experience working in restaurants, child development centers and commercial food preparation. I love to cook good, healthy food for people to enjoy. I have a great deal of experience with the federal food program and I am proud to be helping families feed their kids while learning at Emerson Academy.