Staff Biographies

Royale Lockhart

I love the “ah…ha” moment when a child captures a new idea, understands and it becomes their own and then as a teacher taking that wonderful new skill and building on it to the next “ah…ha” moment. I have the privilege of helping parents and teachers guide their children to the “ah…ha” moments.

I have a worked with children in a variety of capacities for over 15 years, kindergarten teacher, day care teacher, floater, infant room teacher, and most recently center director. I have a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Colorado Christian University. However, one of the classes that inspired me the most was a continuing education course with the University of Cincinnati’s Early Learning Community. The class was about literacy in early education. I loved the ideas that we can help children at a very early age develop the skills they will need to be successful readers. The ideas that learning at this stage of development often looks more like play than anything else. But while a child pretends to make a grocery list and go shopping in a home living center, they are gaining an understanding of reading and math, laying a foundation for developing those skills later.

In my free time, I enjoy drawing, writing, and spending time with my family. I love learning new things and encouraging others to learn as well. Spending time with my family – we go on adventures around Seattle and the Puget Sound – learning more about our home.

Shari Watson

I enjoy working with children because their excitement and love for learning inspire me to keep the right perspective on life. I have a Bachelor of Science and an Elementary Education Certificate from Seattle Pacific University. While working on my Family Consumer Science endorsement, I took some Early Childhood Development classes and fell in love with the preschool age group.

I enjoy movies and travel, but most of all spending time with my family. My husband and I live down near the airport with our 3 children and 5 chickens.

Paul Tibbils-Riley

I enjoy working with children, and hearing the funny things they say. Once I was talking with a child about why we have Christmas and I was told, “because I need a new toy, a hippo, ok?” I also love to watch children get excited about what I teach. For example, in my school age program, we have been learning about other countries. One of the children was very interested in their Chinese heritage, and later told her mom that she want to become the president of China.

I graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degrees in Philosophy and Educational Ministries. This degree prepared me to teach Christianity to any and all ages of people. One of my most inspiriting courses was a children’s ministry class that inspired me to encourage children to think globally. This is one reason I invited a speaker to come into my class to teach the children about his school in Uganda. One child became very excited and wanted to donate a long list of things to help the school.

In my free time, I love spending time with my wife, Jessica Tibbils-Riley. We enjoy watching movies, playing cards, dancing, and taking vacations together. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family, joking around, talking and eating together!

Anna Mathan

Teaching preschoolers, especially 3 ˝ to 4 ˝ year olds, has been an incredibly gratifying experience. I am keenly aware of how formative this period is and that impels me to seize this window of opportunity. These early years of education lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning, so I strive to instill not just a love of learning, but also the social skills needed to get along with peers. What a privilege it has been!

Before working at NQACC, I was a career teacher in India, Seychelles, and also the Middle East. I have a B.S. in Mathematics, a degree in Library Science, along with the STARS training required by the state of Washington.

I enjoy music, especially choral music, and attending social/cultural events with my husband. I also enjoy entertaining and traveling. One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my children and three grandchildren.

Sally Bollen

I love coming in to work everyday and hearing the kids talk about something new that they retained from the day before. Knowing that the work I do makes a difference is both humbling and exciting!

I am currently working on an Associates Degree at Shoreline Community College, and I have an interest in linguistic development – how kids learn new words and hot to put them together!

In my free time, I love to write short stories, sing, and knit. I especially enjoy learning new knitting techniques. I also enjoy spending time with my mom, dad, older brother and his wife. I also love playing with my six-month old baby niece.

Johanna Marx

I love coming to work each day and seeing the children’s smiling faces. As a pre-kindergarten teacher it is quite rewarding to watch the children master tasks such as writing with a pencil, pouring milk without spilling, and solving conflicts with other children on their own.

I have taken many early childhood education classes during my child care career. I am currently working on completing my CDA (Child Development Associate).

I like going to movies, trying new restaurants and spending time with my sister. I like to make things from fabric like toys, blankets, and other soft cuddly things.

NQACC has been part of my life since I was a young child. My mother began working at the child care when it first opened. She worked her way up from the nap room teacher to the child care director. My younger sister and I would spend summer vacations and other school breaks at the child care helping out and playing with the other children. I worked at the child care after school during high school, then took a couple of other jobs as an adult before returning to NQACC. North Queen Anne Child Care is like a second home to me.

Julia Mao

I love watching the children learn, and how they get excited over the little things that we as adults sometimes take for granted. I love putting a smile on a child’s face!

I am working on a degree in Early Education at North Seattle Community College. I have enjoyed the sociology and psychology classes a lot, but one of my favorites was Art for young children. In that class I learned about teaching children ages 3 – 7 and helping them to master basic skills in expressing and realizing ideas in a variety of art mediums. As children develop a confidence and joy in painting, drawing, working with clay, building things it helps to develop a sense of personal significance.

In my free time I enjoy watching movies, reading, and doing some drawing and painting

Megan Bogaard

I enjoy being able to witness the growth and change that occurs at such a young age and how that growth is often exciting and received with such joy. It is an encouragement for me to do the same thing in my own life!

I am currently a student at Seattle Pacific University studying Interior Design. Through my studies I have found an interest in creating safe, encouraging, and positive environments that help in the learning process for young children.

I love the outdoors and doing outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, or biking. On restful occasions, I love to sit at home and read a good book or work on some type of arts and crafts.

Michael Wong

Michael has worked for NQACC for 11 years and currently works in all of our classrooms. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Sociology. He loves sports and watching movies in his free time.

Allison Gross

Allison Gross is a toddler teacher in our Yellow Duck Classroom. She graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in Communications. Allison has experience working at West Seattle Christian Preschool and also has taught Ballet at Civic Dance Theatre. She has been dancing since age five and is excited to share her gifts and talents here at NQACC.

Paula Milgate

Paula Milgate works in our Green Monkey classroom with the four year olds. Paula has experience working with young children and also has raised four children of her own. She took courses in Elementary Education at Biola. She and her husband John provide hospitality and support for University students at SPU. In her free time, she loves to spend time on her sailboat.

Claire Brown

Claire Brown is our lead teacher in the Blue Bird Classroom. Claire was born in Federal Way and grew up in the Philippines. At a very young age, Claire enjoyed reading to and teaching children. Since then, it has been Claire’s dream to teach preschool age children. She brings a lot of creativity into the classroom environment. Claire is also currently pursing a CDA degree.

Danielle Neufeld

Danielle Neufeld works in the Blue Bird Classroom and had also been a Kids Camp Teacher during the summer. Danielle graduated from UC Davis with a degree in German and International Relations. In the past, Danielle has also worked as a flight attendant and has worked with children during service projects in East Africa and in Thailand.

Jessica Furukawa

Jessica Furukawa has worked as a support teacher in several different classrooms and is currently in our Toddler Yellow Duck classroom. Jessica’s sense of humor motivates others to keep the right perspective through out the day. Her two children are both here at NQACC and brighten the center with their smiles.