Our Montessori Team
Sharon Thomason-Sekyi
Founder
Sharon values the development and human spirit of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. She worked at Aquinas Montessori School for over six years, and her children attended Aidan Montessori and Aquinas Montessori schools. She credits Aquinas Montessori as the inspiration for building NES.
Sharon managed and taught in the classroom during the infancy of the preschool. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Nursing (not currently registered in Nursing). She was a manager in DC law firms for many years and lived on Capitol Hill for decades. Today Sharon oversees the entire operation of STARS Montessori Group including regulatory, operations, marketing, and financial.
She often counsels parents on an individual basis when dealing with personal challenges and issues like physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutritionists, behavioral therapy and other medical services. She also is available personally for any/all parent comments and questions while attending NES.
Jennifer Grissom
General Manager
Jennifer joined STARS Montessori Group in 2018. She came to us with many years of business, marketing and advertising experience with Fortune 500 companies. Jennifer has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing and advertising.
While her three teenage children were young, Jennifer worked in child care and was a swim instructor and coach. Jennifer assists Sharon in overseeing the general operations, marketing and finances of the STARS Montessori Group.
Brenda Wright Sheppard
Office Administrator
Brenda has many years of experience in the education industry and in local law firms as a paralegal and attorney support. She handles all of the registration, communication, and databases of the STARS Montessori Group.
Brenda is indispensable because her operating procedures allow the directors and teachers to focus on the classroom, not on the zoning, licensing, and regulation part of the job. Brenda has a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). Her two children are young adults.
Chynna Jenkins
Director Supervisor/Curriculum Coordinator/ Alexandria Director / Lead Teacher
Ms. Jenkins has been with Northeast Stars for 10 years. She is also the Director and Lead Teacher in our Alexandria location. Ms. Jenkins has a Montessori Teaching Diploma from North American Montessori Center. She oversees all curriculum and supervises/assists our directors with all Virginia and OSSE required paperwork.
Angelica Jimenez
Co-Director /Lead Teacher
Angelica Jiminez is our experienced Co-Director at Northeast Stars Preschool DC. With an extensive professional background spanning six years across both elementary and preschool education, Ms. Jimenez contributes a wealth of experience to our educational community. Her academic journey includes a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Education, along with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, she holds a prestigious Montessori Teaching Diploma from the renowned North American Montessori Center. For the past two years, she has served as an invaluable Co-Director, working alongside Ms. Jenkins to cultivate a nurturing and enriching educational environment for our young learners
Our Staff
Taneshia Jackson
Lead Teacher
Ms. Jackson brings over a decade of childcare expertise to NES as a Lead Teacher. Her passion for early childhood education is evident in her work and life. With an Associates of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education, Ms. Jackson has nurtured children aged 6 weeks to 7 years. Ms. Jackson’s dedication to education and character development, both inside and outside the classroom, makes her a valuable asset to our NES community. She's here to inspire and uplift young minds, ensuring their success.
Trezure Wallace
Lead Teacher/ Parent Liaison
Ms. Wallace joined the Northeast Stars ALX teaching team from our DC campus where she was a teacher assistant. She holds a CDA preschool credential. Prior to joining the NES team, Ms. Wallace worked as a paraprofessional with St. Coletta of Greater Washington for 5 years. She enjoys working with her students and providing a safe learning environment. Ms. Wallace is dedicated to improving and developing students with intellectual disabilities’ social and learning skills. This dedication has earned her several awards during her teaching career.
Jasmine Melgar
Lead Teacher/Spanish Immersion Teacher
Ms. Jasmine started her career with children as a nanny three years ago. She enjoys working with children and teaching and talking to them in Spanish. She is excited to be a part of the NES team as a Spanish immersion teacher!
Juana Zuniga Martinez
Teacher Assistant
Ms. Martinez joins the NES teaching team as a Prince George’s Community College student working on her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. After obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and many years as a professional, Ms. Martinez is following her dream to become a preschool teacher. She is excited to be a part of the Northeast Stars team!
Kayla Huntley
Teacher Assistant
Ms. Huntley has about 3-4 years of experience working with all ages of children. She is passionate about seeing children hitting different milestones and learning about all of the children’s growing personalities. NES is a perfect fit to further her experience in childcare and early childhood development.
Jacqueline Cook
Teacher Assistant
With over eight years of dedicated experience in childcare, Ms. Jackie is truly passionate about nurturing young minds and fostering a love for learning. She is currently pursuing the renewal of her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Her warm and engaging approach creates a welcoming environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to explore their creativity.
Chanelle Jones
Ms. Chanelle is a Music Education major at Morgan State University and is in her third year of college. She has worked in the teaching field with kids at a summer camp around freshmen year of high school. She wants to go into the teaching field after she graduates with her Bachelor’s and Master’s in music. She wants to be a Music Teacher at an Elementary school. She is excited and cannot wait to learn more at NES with the children, get to know her colleagues, and meet the parents.
