Hanna Gebretensae
Director
Hanna Gebretensae joined Eliot Pearson the summer of 2013 as the new Director. Prior to that, she was the Director of Early Childhood Programs at Aspire Institute/Wheelock College. She has extensive experience in the field of early education and care including direct services, administration of programs, teacher education, training/technical assistance, mentoring, anti-bias curriculum/cultural competency and policy work across Massachusetts and nationally. Hanna has been a program director at Acorn Center for Early Education and Care, a bilingual Chinese/English center and a Mentor-Director for early childhood programs in Boston supporting accreditation and quality of programs in the city. She is a diversity trainer certified by Anti- Defamation League (ADL) and various programs and organizations. Hanna has held adjunct faculty positions at Lesley University, Wheelock College and the Urban College of Boston on a variety of early childhood topics. Prior to coming to the US, Hanna also managed early childhood program development and projects in East Africa and worked with UNICEF. Hanna received a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Early Childhood Education from Lesley College; received her master’s in Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy from Harvard University; and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration on Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix. She also holds a certificate in Educating Children with Special Needs from the Golda Meir International Training College in Haifa, Israel and is a CAYL Fellow in Early Care and Education Policy.
Gabriela Herrera
Associate Director
Gaby has been in the field of early childhood education for over twelve years. She has held both classroom and administrative positions in different school settings. Her experience working in several countries and with diverse populations have helped her understand the value of culturally diverse practices and integrating it into her daily work. Gaby is passionate about enabling children to use their unique perspectives and talents to contribute to their community. Before coming to Boston, Gabriela worked for four years as the Head Teacher at La Escuelita Kindergarten School in Mexico City, where she also contributed to their Extended Day Program with creative dance lessons for parents and their children. Gaby joined the EPCS community eight years ago. She has worked at the school as an EP graduate Fellow from the Dept. of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University, the Enrichment Program Coordinator, and Head Teacher. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City and an M.A. in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University. Gabriela’s personal interests include hiking, biking, yoga, and photography. When she is not working, she enjoys exploring local art and culture, cooking, hiking, and traveling.
Amber Loveless-Patterson
School Finance & Operations Manager
Amber, a dedicated educator originally from Southern California and a proud military spouse, is excited to join the Eliot-Pearson Children’s School administrative team. Growing up in a family of educators, Amber has always been passionate about fostering a love of learning and improving educational systems. Amber earned her Master of Education from the University of La Verne, and her commitment to education goes beyond the classroom. She is dedicated to leveraging technology and optimizing processes to create the best possible learning environments. During her tenure with Bedford Public Schools, Amber showcased exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and organizational abilities, always striving to support students and staff alike. Outside of her professional life, Amber loves to cook, travel, and spend quality time with her family. Whether she’s trying out a new recipe or exploring a new destination, Amber brings her sense of adventure and enthusiasm to everything she does. She looks forward to contributing to the Eliot-Pearson community and getting to know the families and children.
Alex Sterling
Program Administrator
Alex is excited to join the Eliot-Pearson Children’s School team! She graduated from UC Davis with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Human Development, and she received a multiple subject teaching credential from California State University Sacramento. As a former teacher and early intervention clinician, she has cultivated a passion for helping children with special rights learn and thrive. She believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion are necessary to meet every child’s needs and create a strong school community. In her free time, Alex enjoys puzzles, board games, playing with her cats, and spending time with friends.
Lynne May Lim
Program Specialist
Lynne May has been an early childhood educator for thirty years and has held head teacher and administrative positions at EPCS. She brings to our community her vast experience working with young children of diverse learning profiles and backgrounds, and her perspective on anti-bias education based on her professional and personal experiences as a cisgender woman, a parent, an immigrant to the USA, a teacher of young children, and as a person of the global majority. She is an advocate for inter- disciplinary, multi-modal, multisensory, and project-based emergent curriculum that seeks to activate children’s inherent curiosity and build upon their strengths and prior knowledge to make meaning of new experiences and solve all kinds of problems. Lynne May finds mentoring and coaching experienced and novice teachers as invigorating as playing with children. When not teaching, Lynne May enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking walks, and noticing her surroundings. Her interests include drawing, music, and using still and moving images to capture moments and tell stories. She holds a Master of Art in Teaching Early Childhood Education from National-Louis University in Illinois, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.
Lindsey Isenberg
Staff Assistant
Lindsey has a BA in Psychology and a minor in human development from SUNY Geneseo and a Mater’s in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University. In the fall, she will be continuing her education at William James College to become a licensed School Psychologist. She has always been invested in children with special rights since high school and hopes to continue to make a difference by being an advocate within the school setting in the future. Lindsey is in the process of co-authoring a paper with Dr. Mistry, Tufts University, looking at how to increase a person’s awareness and critical thinking of their own identities. In Lindsey’s free time she likes to play sports, be with family, go on adventures and paint! Lindsey is entering her third year at EPCS and is looking froward to watching all of the children grow through all of their unique perspectives.
Sara Skobac
Graduate Assistant
Sara Skobac is a first-year master’s Student at the Child Studies and Human Development program here at Eliot Pearson. She is from New Jersey originally and is a recent graduate of Brandeis University where she majored in Psychology and minored in Health: Science, Society, and Policy as well as Italian Studies. She loves playing piano and hiking in her free time