Ms. Celina
My first teaching job began here in Northeast Austin at Sacred Heart Catholic School from 1985-1999. I enjoyed teaching PE to students in grades PreK-6th for 14 years.
From 2002-2015 I took a position at St. Theresa's Early Childhood Development, where I had the pleasure of teaching 2.5 year olds.
I joined STMPS in 2015 as a teacher for the 2.5 year olds. This age group holds a special place in my heart. The children are so inquisitive at this age. They are eager to learn, try new things, question everything, and are extremely honest. I enjoy listening to their stories, seeing how much they grow both physically and spiritually throughout the year. It is my wish at the beginning of each year to help the children honor God, respect each other, gain independence, love one another, show compassion for others, and feel safe and loved.
I grew up on a farm in a small (pop 500) farming, ranching community along the gulf coast, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Spanish and a BS in Education. We were blessed with a son, John, in 2000 who is about to complete his freshman year at UTD.
Ms. Shelley
I was born and raised in Northeast Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University with a major in biology, minor in animal science. I met my husband in college and after we graduated we got married and moved to Southern California for almost 8 years. I worked at Sea World for most of my time there, and also as a veterinary technician. In 2013, we took a giant leap of faith and moved to the Austin area, and we are so glad we did!
I have 3 amazing kids and have been a part of this wonderful preschool since 2014 when my oldest was in the baby class. I have loved every minute of our time at this preschool and feel so blessed to now be a teacher here. The children who come here are truly God’s most precious gifts, and I love getting to be a part of their journey during these very special early years.