Team Bios
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Natasha
I am Natasha and I am the owner/director of Children's Tree House Preschool and Childcare, LLC. I graduated from Winona State University in 2005 with my bachelor degree in elementary education. I found my passion in early childhood education right out of college and I continue to grow and explore new ways in making every child's experience at the center a memorable one! My love for children drove me to open a center in the area with loving staff and a comfortable place to bring your child, giving you peace of mind while your child is in our care. I live in Onalaska with my husband, Rob, and our two children, Breckyn, who was born in 2006 and, Talyn, who was born in 2010. In our free time we love to spend time with our family and friends and work and play around our home. I can honestly say that I have AMAZING staff and I know that this center would not be as remarkable as it is without each and every one of them making a difference in your child's life! It's my obligation to you to find staff that are dedicated, caring & educated to care for your child. Several of the staff have been a part of my “family” here at the center since we opened in 2007, I've had the pleasure of forming lifelong friendships with so many within the center. My hopes are that this gives you a little insight into our “home” and the comfortable, loving atmosphere that the children grow and engage in on a daily basis. We would love to hear from you or have you visit us and all our little friends at our Tree House! |
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Jackie
Hi, I'm Jackie. I am the Administrative Assistant here at Children’s Tree House. I have worked here since 2007 and in childcare since 2000. I have taught in various age rooms, from infant to school-age, spending the majority of my childcare experience in the 2 1/2 year old classroom. I have been in the administrative position since 2013. My position here lets me work with families right from the start, doing tours, enrollment and children’s files. I love this aspect because I get to form amazing relationships with the families of the center. I also am in charge of setting up field trips and center visitors. I oversee the teachers here at the center. Working one on one with the teachers I get to help them grow and develop into quality caregivers. Which is a very rewarding part of my job, I believe that my role is to guide and inspire staff and students in experiences that challenge as well as educate. I take pride in helping staff understand and build the tools of knowledge that they need to achieve their objectives with the students in their care, as well as their own personal enrichment goals. I feel that building trusting relationships from quality communication and acceptance is an important foundation to have with staff. Appreciating the diversity and uniqueness of the individual person helps me to provide an understanding on how to work with staff, and to know their potential as a developing team. I am a very motivated and creative person with a strong work ethic and a passion for the education of young children. Being the oldest girl of six children and having dozens of younger cousins to babysit for, have both played into my career choice greatly. I love seeing the joy and wonder in children's eyes as they learn something new that I have taught them. I love all the ups and downs of my job. I love that every day is a new day and not one is the same as the last. I get to do something different everyday, get to learn something new everyday. I attended WTC to obtain my Early Childhood Administrative Credential, and I am always looking for opportunities to further my education in The Early Childhood field. I like that childcare is always evolving and there are always new things to learn. I live in Onalaska on a hobby farm on Brice Prairie with my husband, Darryl, my teenage daughter, Gwenny and my very large Bernese Mountain dog, Sampson. I enjoy spending my spare time outside; gardening, biking, kayaking and hiking. My family loves going to movies, checking out new restaurants and taking camping trips to the rustic outdoors. Over the years, Children’s Tree House has become my second home. I really enjoy working here; it's a fun, loving, and safe environment. All of my co-workers are helpful and understanding. Everyone here truly loves each child. All of the staff, parents and children have become such an important part of my life, they are my family. |
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Chrissy
My name is Chrissy and I am the enrollment coordinator at Children's Tree House. I have been part of the Tree House family since 2009. I began part time as an assistant while earning my degree in Early Childhood Education from Western Technical College in La Crosse. After graduation I went full time as lead teacher in the toddler room. In 2018 I took on the administrative assistant role. My favorite part about working with young children is seeing them develop in all areas, all while having fun playing! It’s very rewarding to see a child reach a goal he or she has been working toward. Each child is different with a unique personality, so there is never a dull moment and I enjoy spending time bonding and building a relationship with each child. I grew up in Indiana with two older sisters and a younger brother. We spent a lot of time playing outside, swimming, and going on camping trips with our family. Some of my favorite things growing up were art, fashion, animals and nature. Just before my fourth grade year, we relocated to Wisconsin. I now live in Onalaska with my husband, Christian, my son, Rylan, and our dogs, Maggie and Brody. I spend a lot of my free time reading, cooking and baking, DIY projects, exercising, and enjoying the outdoors with my family. Teaching young children is what I’ve found to be my passion. I truly cannot imagine a more rewarding career. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me, and I look forward to getting to know you and your family! |
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Sara
Hi families, My name is Sara. I am the cook at Children's Tree House and have been at the center since 2016. I was a lead teacher up until I took on the role in the kitchen in the summer of 2020. It is so rewarding to watch these kids soak up everything like a sponge. The excitement they show when they present us new things is one of the most rewarding feelings! It is so much fun to see the world through their eyes. And to be apart of their learning journey is incredible. Working in childcare has always been a dream of mine. I am so excited to be a part of the amazing Tree House family. I spent a lot of time babysitting my younger sisters, my nieces and nephews, godchildren, neighborhood kids , and my parents friends children. Spending that much time with kids, I knew I had a huge soft spot and a desire to help mold our future generations. A little bit about myself. I was born and raised in La Crosse, and I have a large and blended family. I am one of 8 kids. I was born and raised in La Crosse, then moved to West Salem when in was really little. I currently live in La Crosse with my fiancée and our daughter, Maevyn. Our daughter loves to go outside, so as long as weather permits, we are enjoying the great outdoors. I am also a die hard Packers fan ( Go Pack Go!). I try to spend as much time as I can with my friends and family! |
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Toni
Hello, My name is Toni and I am a lead teacher in the Pippin room! I started at Children's Tree House in 2017. I have been working in Child Care since 2005. I have always had a passion for working with young children. I entered the field of Child Care to ensure that families receive quality care and education for their children. Being a mother myself, I want every child's care to meet the high standards that I expect for my own children. I love being able to help children grow physically and developmentally and getting to experience children doing things for the first time. I live in Onalaska with my husband Brandon and our four children; Cambree, Libertee, Cora, and Kolton. In my free time I like to relax and enjoy time with my family. |
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Hailie
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Lala
Hello families! My name is Lala. I am the teacher assistant in the Sunrise room. I have been part of the Children’s Tree House Staff since January 2021 and I love every minute of it. I recently moved to La Crosse from Black River Falls, Wisconsin. I have been working in childcare for eleven years. I have always loved working with children. It is my passion, and it truly is a rewarding job. I am number five out of thirteen children, so I have always been around kids, whether it was babysitting or just spending quality time with my nine younger siblings. I am currently enrolled at Western Technical College in the Human Service program. My goal after I graduate the program is to work with troubled youth and advocate for children in foster care, as I am an adoptee. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my wife, working out, hiking, fishing, going on adventures, cooking, baking, watching Netflix, writing music, singing, dancing, spending time with my younger siblings, and just being goofy. I can honestly say that Children’s Tree House feels like home. I am so happy to be apart of the Children’s Tree House Family. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me. I look forward to getting to know you and you family. |
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Sami
Hello families! My name is Sami and I am a lead teacher in the Gala room. I started working at Children’s Tree House in 2018. I love working with young children and seeing them learn new things every day. It is so satisfying to see your children understand and use their new knowledge in your classroom. I studied Early Childhood Education at Western Technical College and graduated in 2018. During my time at Western, I was able to work with a couple of different child care centers and see different ways to teach children. My first placement was at Children Tree House and my last placement was at Campus Child Center at UW-L. Both places helped me learn and grow into the teacher I want to be. I grew up in La Crescent MN with my twin sister Kim, brother Chris and mother Tina. My family is very important to me as I come from a very tight-knit family. I have a sassy little cat named Stevie and she is Some of my hobbies include knitting, painting, drawing, and baking. I choose this career after many years of babysitting/ nannying for my family members. During my three years of schooling I worked at Subway and for the last year there I was the Certified Team leader. While in school I was a member of the ABC club at Western and I had the opportunity to go to two different Early Childhood conferences. At one of the conferences, I got to meet and take a picture with one of my favorite children book authors Todd Parr. He has some of the best books to help teach children about different things from how being different is okay and how making mistakes is okay |
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Nicole G
My name is Nicole and I am extremely excited to be a part of this fantastic staff here at Children’s Treehouse. I am a lead teacher in the Honeycrisp room. Being in the toddler classroom has been a fun, and crazy, experience. I started here in September of 2018 and have had such a great time. I am currently am enrolled at UWL working toward finishing my bachelor’s degree in elementary education. When I am not in school or working, my main job (and favorite job) is being a mom to an adorable little boy, Cooper John. Cooper and I live in La Crosse with Cooper’s Dad, Payton. In our free time we love hanging out outside and going swimming. I also am the assistant coach of the Onalaska/Holmen/Aquinas/GET Girls Swim Team! |
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Brianna
Hello! My name is Brianna and I am a lead teacher in the Honeycrisp room. I started working at Children's Tree House in 2016, I worked in the 6-12 month room for 2 years and have been in our older one year old room for the past 2 years. I love being apart of your children's daily routines and making each day special for them. Every child is unique in their own way and my favorite part about working in child care is being able to watch your children grow and learn each day. It's an amazing feeling and so rewarding to know that I am helping your children grow and providing them with the absolute best care they deserve in the process. As a mother of 2, I strive to give your children the same amazing care I expect for my children. I love watching their excitement and creativity as we do our daily activities and they accomplish their goals. I grew up in the Wisconsin Dells area with my four older siblings. We loved spending time outdoors boating and camping. I then moved to LA Crosse to work towards a degree of Elementary Education at UW LA Crosse. I currently live in Mindoro with my husband, Taylor, and two children, Bentley and Freya. We also love being outdoors! We raise ducks and chickens and every day is a new adventure! I look forward to getting to know your family and providing your children with the excellent care they deserve! |
Reagan
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MaKenna
My name is Makenna and I am the Riverbelle room's assistant teacher. I started working at Children's Tree House in October, 2020. I've always loved kids and I have always been interested in learning how we all develop differently. I am currently enrolled in Western Technical College working on generals, then I will be headed to UWL for Psychology. I grew up in a blended family. I am one of six kids, and I am the third oldest, so I have learned how to take care of my three little brothers which was absolutely chaotic, but amazing. I am so excited to be able to help kids grow like I did for my brothers. Children's Tree House reminds me of home. No day is going to be the same, but there will definitely be some fun and wild adventures. |
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Darien
Hello! My name is Darien, and I am a lead teacher in the Ambrosia room. I started working at Children’s Tree House in July of 2019, and it has been nothing but amazing. I love to be around children everyday and watch them learn, develop, and reach new milestones. Getting to see all of the children makes my day, every day. I love to see all of their bright smiles when we do art projects and have dance parties. I graduated from Westby High School in 2019 and immediately wanted to start looking into childcare. I grew up in Chaseburg, Wisconsin, a small town with less than 300 people. My nine siblings kept me on my toes every day, and I babysat the younger ones quite often. “A sibling is the lens through which you see your childhood,” as I am ten years older than my youngest sister, I tend to see quite a bit of my childhood through her. My mom and step dad moved to Virginia in 2018, but my dad and stepmom still live in Chaseburg. I moved to La Crosse with my boyfriend after we graduated high school to be closer to work and school. In my free time I love to paint, cook, and spend time on the phone with my mom, my grandma, and my little sisters, as well as just relaxing, watching Netflix, and going on hikes! |
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Liberty
Hello Children Tree House families! My name is Liberty. I am a lead teacher in the Gingergold classroom. I started at Children's Tree House in November of 2019. I have loved every minute of working here, and I have loved getting to know and watch these amazing children grow. It is so rewarding and priceless to watch these kiddos grow up and develop all of their skills. I graduated from Holmen High School in 2019, and I am now studying at Viterbo University as an Elementary Education major with minors in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I grew up right here in Holmen, Wisconsin. I have two brothers that are just a tad younger than me, two young step siblings, two cats, and a dog, who is my pride and joy. In my free time, I love doing new things. Hiking in new areas, painting, baking, spelunking, and even swing dancing. I also love spending time with my friends and family. At the end of the day, I want to say I have lived a full and rewarding life! |
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Danika
My name is Danika and I am a lead teacher in the Gingergold room. I graduated high school in 2017. I started school that fall at Western Technical College in La Crosse in the early childhood program. I started working at Children’s Tree House in September of 2017. I love being able to work with the children and watch them learn and understand new things! About me: I grew up in the small town of Spring Grove, Minnesota. I’m the youngest of three. I have two shih tzu’s. When I was growing up my parents had owned a restaurant in rural Spring Grove. I was born the first night my parents had opened the restaurant in September of 1998. I have always been around children since I was younger. I had always gone babysitting with my older sister. I started babysitting when I was 12 years old. During high school I was active in marching band, jazz band, concert band, and volleyball. While at Western I was active in The ABC club which is a club through our program which stands for All ‘Bout Children, I was also a part of phi theta kappa. I’m excited to get the chance to work with your children! |
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Hannah
Hello, my name is Hannah and I am the teacher assistant in the Gingergold room. I started working at the Children's treehouse in the summer of 2020. When I'm not working at the Tree House I do respite care. I have my para educator license and used to work in the school districts. In 2020 I welcomed a little baby boy into this world. I moved here from Tennessee in 2020 with my husband and son and our giant german shepherd. I have a true passion for the younger population. I love watching them learn and grow. I love waking up each day knowing I can make a difference in these young hearts. I am so happy to be part of the Children's Tree House family! |
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Jill
Hello! My name is Jill and I am the lead teacher in the Fuji room. I’ve been with Children’s Tree House since 2012, and in childcare since 2004. I graduated from Western Wisconsin Technical College (yes, I’m that old!) in 2004 with an associates degree in early childhood, and have taken many classes and courses since. I started out as a float, getting experience with all ages before having my own classroom. I was born and raised in La Crosse, and moved to Onalaska in 2012. I live in Onalaska with my husband Nick, our daughter Hennli, and our son Jax. In my spare time, I like to go on adventures with my family. We spend a lot of time on the river, playing outside, and the occasional surprise vacations. I also enjoy crafting, getting together with friends, and participating in local run/walks with friends. Working at Children’s Tree House has been truly rewarding. Not only do I get to see my own children learn, grow, and socialize daily, but I get to help other children do the same thing. The best parts of my days are hearing the funny stories and the things that they say, seeing all of their accomplishments, and knowing that I played a part in each of their lives. |
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Lily
Hi everyone! My name is Lily and I am an assistant teacher in the Fuji classroom. I started at Children’s Treehouse in October of 2020. Although I haven’t worked here for long, the 3-year-olds have stolen my heart and I am so grateful to get to help them learn and grow! I graduated from Coulee Christian High School in 2019 and began nannying and waitressing to save money for college. For a short period of time, I also worked as a Behavioral Treatment Technician for Reaching Your Potential. Because of Covid-19 my college plans are on hold, but eventually I plan to attend UWL for either Early Childhood or Art Education. As the oldest girl of 12 kids, I donned the title “second mom” from a young age. My family and I have grown up in the Lacrosse area. To add to the craziness and fun that is my large family we also have a black lab, a Siamese cat, and 3 guinea pigs. In my free time I love to paint and draw, read, play soccer, and spend time with my family and pets. Starting at CTH was one of the best decisions I made! It is such a fun and uplifting environment to work in, and I love seeing the new ideas my coworkers bring to the table to make the center a safe, adventurous, and happy place for all the kids. I can’t wait to keep getting to know all the children. |
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Chelsey
Hello I'm Chelsey and I am a lead teacher in the Jazz classroom! I have been working at CTH since 2014. I look forward to coming to work everyday knowing my little kiddos will have something new to teach me. In the classroom, I love singing different songs to the kids, teaching colors and friends’ names. I love spending time doing many different art projects; the kids love to get messy anyway they can! I try and get the kiddos outside as much as possible when it is gorgeous out. I love playing with the kids outside on the playground. I was born and raised in the La Crosse area. I have five dogs. Their names are Rocky, Roxy, Harley, Scrappy and Archer. I also am very passionate about anything that involves the outdoors; I love to waterski, have bonfires, hunt, fish and go tubing. I especially enjoy doing these things because it gives me an opportunity to spend time with friends and family. My family is all super close and we basically have a family reunion every weekend. Before I started working here at Children’s Tree House, I attended Fox Valley Technical College and received my Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. Other than working at CTH and student teaching, I grew up babysitting and would help take care of my younger brother, Preston and cousins, Kaia and Oliver. Knowing I work well with children I knew this is what I wanted to pursue a career in. Also, my brother was a huge inspiration on me! I graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in May 2014. |
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Kelli
Hello! My name is Kelli Wojcik. I am a lead teacher in the Jazz classroom. I have been at Children’s Tree House since May of 2014. I have worked with different ages including 6-12 month olds, 18-24 month olds , as well as younger 2 year olds. My favorite thing about working with children is to see their excitement to learn something new each day. Their minds are so curious and eager to learn! I was born in Las Vegas, NV, and moved to Holmen when I was 8 years old. I graduated from Holmen High School in 2014, and started at Children’s Tree House right after as a float. I am married and have two children. Rhett was born in 2018 and Rylee was born in 2020. I also have a dog named Akuta who loves to run and play. We love to take family walks and find new parks to play at. In my free time, I love to work on different crafting projects. One fun fact that some people may not know is that I have hearing aids due to mild to moderate hearing loss. I received them when I was 4 years old. |
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Nicole P
Hello families, my name is Nicole and I am the lead 4K teacher in the Pazazz room at Children's Tree House. I completed my Bachelor’s degree at University of Wisconsin-Stout, my degree is in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology. I have worked at different daycares around the Midwest since graduating. I am very happy that Children’s Tree House is now my home and have been working here since 2014! Through my years of working with children, I’ve worked with all ages. I love working with the preschool children, it is an exciting age to be with because they’re full of learning and discovery! I am originally from Maple Grove, Minnesota, but I now call La Crosse my home. I have been married to my husband Justin since 2013. We welcomed our son Jameson in February of 2017 and have been loving life even more. In my spare time, I love to hang out with my friends and experience fun, new adventures with my husband. I also enjoy traveling around the States and seeing/learning about new things! I am looking forward to getting to know you and your family! |
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Levi
Hello Families of Children’s Tree House! My name is Levi, and I am a float assistant teacher. I began working here at CTH in 2018. I have always had a passion for working with kids as my father owns his own daycare business right in our house. I was also a camp counselor at Fort Little Green Youth Camp & Nature Center for three years and loved every minute of it. In my spare time, I am a musician who primarily plays the drum set and guitar, and very mediocrely attempts to play the piano and bass as well. I have played the drums for many musicals, as well as jazz bands and numerous everlasting/committed/wildly successful pick up garage bands. Secretly, I’m also a huge nerd and love to build and fix computers for friends and family, as well as travel the midwest, compete in the video game Super Smash Brothers (yes, the game with Mario and that green guy). But as far as fulfillment is concerned, developing and guiding children has always felt like the most important passion of mine, and I’m so thankful that CTH and the families who send their children here give me the opportunity to do so every day. |
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Kimberly
My name is Kimberly Kennedy and I am a teacher’s assistant at Children’s Treehouse. I began this position in February 2021. I began working in the 4K room but have switched into the role of a float staff where I am getting to know the ins and outs of each classroom as well as all of the children. I have a bachelor’s degree in technical management from DeVry University and will have my master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in data analytics in spring of 2022. I have worked in education since August 2013 in a variety of roles. I’ve worked in several special education classrooms as well as the regular classrooms as a paraprofessional. I’ve also worked as a substitute teacher for pre-k through 12th grade. I am originally from Florida, but I grew up in Georgia. I’ve had the opportunity of living in several states and getting to see life outside of the small town I grew up in. I am a strong willed, independent person who is firm in what she believes but also open minded and willing to learn about others, their lifestyles and what they believe. I enjoy engaging in good conversation with people and getting to know those around me. My hobbies include binge watching the same shows on Netflix/Hulu over and over, painting and reading, that’s when I’m not spending my time with Hazel, my little girl who was born in 2016. Family is everything to me and I will always go above and beyond to do what is best for my family. |
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Melanie
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Greta
Hello! My name is Greta and I am a part of the float staff here at Children’s Tree House. I have been working here since November of 2020 and have really enjoyed my time. I love working with children of all ages and absolutely love being able to watch children develop and reach new milestones! In the past I have worked at several other daycares as well as nannied for a couple of families. Since I was young I have always known that working with kids is my passion and I am thankful that I get to explore that here at Children’s Tree House! I am originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now I attend school at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. I am a junior studying elementary education with the hopes of becoming a Kindergarten teacher. I have 4 siblings and grew up with a large extended family in which I often babysat for my little brothers or cousins. Some of my hobbies included playing volleyball and basketball, cooking, and baking. On the weekends I coach a 15s club volleyball team and really enjoy that. I have a big passion for Wisconsin sports and music. I am so excited that I get the opportunity to help your children develop each and every day |
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Keauna
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Katrina
Hello! My name is Katrina Olson and I’m currently a float teacher here at Children’s Tree House. I started in February of 2021! I’m a current student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a focus on Environmental Biology. Since working here, I’ve met so many absolutely amazing teachers, parents, and children. It’s such a blessing to work here each day, and I always look forward to coming in. Every day is different, and I always leave having a unique experience. I grew up in Holmen, Wisconsin, and have always resided somewhere within the Midwest. Besides being a college student, I enjoy spending time creating art, being in nature, riding horses, and spending time with my family. I grew up with wonderful parents and sisters, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Some of the things I love are my family, cats, and caring for children! |
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Ashley
Hello, my name is Ashley Gray and I am a lead teacher/float at Children’s Tree House of Onalaska. I started working here on March 9th, 2020 and I’m absolutely loving it! The atmosphere here is so positive and warm and the center itself is very neat and clean. Because I love what I do, I think the best thing about my job is when I walk into the center I don’t feel as if I'm necessarily coming into work; It feels more like I’m meeting friends. Not to mention I’m greeted by wonderful children with bright smiles and big hugs, eager to play and learn. Who wouldn’t love that?! I grew up in La Crosse, WI with my parents and one younger sister. Growing up I tried a lot of sports but the one I stuck with the longest was baton twirling. I got to meet a lot of fun people and made a lot of memories I’ll cherish forever. I also love to travel, whether it be a small road trip or out of the country. My most recent trip was to Spain and it was absolutely wonderful! It was very rich in culture and there were so many buildings with beautiful and very detailed architecture. It was amazing. Growing up my mom ran an in-home daycare so I was constantly around other children. I also wanted to be a teacher so whenever I was home, one of my favorite things to play with the other children was “school.” I’d set up a classroom, read them books and teach them about the weather, shapes and colors or things I was currently learning. During high school I started to lean towards the healthcare field and after graduating I attended Western Technical College for a short period of time pursuing criminal justice. I soon realized that I still wanted to be a teacher and at the same time got my first job in childcare. I am currently enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at Western Technical College. |
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Racelynn
Hello! My name is Racelynn Tolomei. I started working at Children’s Treehouse in September of 2020, and LOVE it! I am currently on my first year of my Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education. I hope to one day have my own classroom. I am a Police Reserve through the La Crosse Police Department and enjoy volunteering. I love being outside. I am a very blessed Auntie of 8 children. I am a Mom to an Angel who passed away August of 2019. I love working with children of all ages - it is such a blessing to see your child(ren) learn and grow. It is a pleasure being here and meeting all of you! |
