Our Teachers
Ms. Veronica
My name is Veronica Kelly, the kids call me Ms. Veronica. I am the owner and one of the lead teachers at Tiger Lily Preschool. I have been teaching preschool for over 10 years and working with children for over 14 years. I have two AAAS degrees in Early Childhood Education, one as a Paraeducator and one in Special Education. I also have my Bachelor degree in Children’s Studies with minors in both Psychology and Sociology. I’m a mom of two busy kiddos which has given me a wonderful perspective on teaching and working with families.
Early Childhood Education is my passion! I absolutely love the preschool age. It is a joy to watch children learn and grow. I’ve always worked with kids from babysitting, nannying to teaching. I continue to educate myself and our staff on best practices in the Early Childhood Education field. I have worked in a variety of schools and am able to put together what I’ve learned over the years into a wonderfully nurturing learning environment for your child. Children thrive when they are in a loving and caring environment. I look forward to getting to know your student and your family!
Ms. Diana
Hola! I am Diana Taylor and since 2016, I am also known as Ms. Diana. I am originally from El Salvador and moved to Seattle in 2001. I graduated in 1998 from Universidad Evangelica de El Salvador with a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Science & Dietetics. I studied Early Stimulation in Childhood Development and enjoyed 2 internships in Pediatrics; one at a local Hospital and the other, at a communal clinic and its respective community and managed a program similar to the WIC Program in US. I met my husband in El Salvador, got married in Hawaii and have been living in Shoreline since 2004. We have two children: Fiona, who is 17 years old; and, Evan, who is 12 years old. In 2015 we decided to expand our family and welcomed our sweet and wonderful Golden Retriever, Maggie. Besides wife and mom duties, I like to spend my time reading, walking, traveling, taking pictures, gardening, doing cross-stitch, updating myself with courses of personal and professional interest and I like to keep close to family and friends.
Ms. Rissa
Hi everyone!
I'm Ms. Rissa! I’m the lead teacher of the Butterfly class and music teacher. I met Veronica 6 years ago when my son, Julian, started at Tiger Lily Preschool. I'm originally from the Nashville area of Tennessee and came to Seattle almost 10 years ago via Rochester, NY where I worked as a board certified Music Therapist.
For those of you not familiar with music therapy, it's an allied health profession that is often used as a supplemental therapy much like speech, physical, and occupational therapies. Most of my caseload dealt with the early intervention and elementary aged crowds where I worked in one-on-one and in group settings with a variety of folks using music to target many different things. When I moved to Seattle I made the decision to go into early childhood music education and worked for nearly 5 years as a traveling music teacher in preschools throughout the greater Seattle area. One of the biggest pieces I've been able to carry over from my clinical settings is the ability to meet people where they are, something that's so important when working with little friends like our children! I've also had the opportunity to observe a lot of wonderful educators like Veronica and Diana and really listen to HOW they talk to and treat their students and to see the impact those behaviors can make on a child. I feel fortunate to have had a lot of compassionate role models throughout the years. I'm excited and honored to have the chance to watch your kiddos learn and grow.
