Meg was born and raised in Utah County. She completed two years at Brigham Young University (2020-2022) before joining the staff at Montessori Community School. Meg has been enthralled with the Montessori Method since she was first exposed to it in 2020, and is unable to set aside her fascination. She looks forward to developing her abilities in a Montessori setting and working alongside the passionate staff at MCS. In her free time, Meg enjoys making art and playing card games with her husband.

Karey Smith was born in Lehi and is the oldest of five girls. She was an “Army Brat” and traveled all over until her family settled in New Jersey. She lived in England for a while and then returned to the U.S. to complete her Montessori Infant and Toddler training in Princeton, New Jersey. She then moved to Utah for her Early Childhood Education Montessori training. She has been working in Montessori since the age of 16! She loves to read, listen to music, watch movies, cross-stitch and spend time with her family. Little known fact about Karey: her sisters are all named with K’s – Krissy, Krisha, Kendra, and Kimberly. Her mom’s name is Karen. Her dad’s name: Bob!!

Kendalyn was born and raised in Utah. She went to AISU in high school and hopes to become a Montessori teacher in the future. She was raised with Montessori in the home and has been surrounded by Montessori education as her mother is a Montessori teacher. She loves the peace and independence Montessori teaches children. She has a love of language, cooking, and has always had an affinity for children. An interesting fact about Kendalyn is that she has spent several summers helping her family put on summer camps for International students from China.

Tori was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Arizona State University in 2016. Tori has always believed in the transformative power of art and was drawn to work in the non-profit arts sector after graduating. As a Program Coordinator for an organization that provides arts programming for youth, Tori realized a desire to spend more time working with children and pursued teaching full-time. She completed an educator preparation program in Arts Education and gained experience teaching art in a K-8 elementary school. After relocating to Salt Lake City in 2022, she decided to pursue teaching opportunities in a Montessori setting. Tori values the love of learning and respect for the earth that the Montessori philosophy instills in children. She enjoys creating with clay, reading, traveling, and enjoying time with her partner and their dog.

Ruby has enjoyed following the Montessori philosophy as a certified Montessori teacher in Early Childhood for over 26 years. She has been with MCS since 2000. Ruby obtained her Montessori certifications through the Montessori World Education Institute (MWEI) and Montessori Educational Foundation (MEF) with Utah Montessori Teachers Education Program (UMTEP). She has additional Early Childhood certifications through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS). Ruby captures moments of student joy, wonder, and exploration of the Montessori works through her use of photography in the classroom. Parents enjoy seeing what their children are learning and are able to see the Montessori environment through her lens. She has lived in over ten countries throughout her life and fostered a love and appreciation for different cultures and languages from an early age. Ruby enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, two sons, daughter-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren.

Cinthya Barajas was born in Baja, Mexico. She worked as an ESL teacher at a private school for 6 years in which she taught students from 1st though 6th grade. While teaching, she attended the University of Baja where she obtained her degree for teaching English in elementary schools. She moved to Salt Lake City in February 2001 and continued her education at Salt Lake Community College for an introduction to Utah Schools. She joined the MCS staff in 2007 and received her Early Childhood Montessori credential through the North American Montessori Center (NAMC). She really enjoys being part of children’s educational development which is extremely rewarding. She truly believes that learning should be fun and a memorable experience, and therefore activities, songs, and manipulative materials should be used to reinforce and develop the children’s learning capabilities.

Andrea was born and raised in Mexico. She grew up in a home that values respect, honesty and empathy. Andrea cares about people and cherishes family. Her favorite food is “pozole verde”. Andrea has lived in Brazil and loves different cultures and languages. She speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese. She would like to learn Italian. Andrea got married on 2020, which is when she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. She likes this place and its people.