Our Staff

Owen Greenwood is the lead guide in the JMS Young Children's Community. He has worked in the YCC for six years and has been in the lead role since 2020. In that position he specializes in guiding the development of the youngest students with a focus on building motor skills, cognitive and language development, problem solving and fostering functional independence. He believes that Montessori education for peace offers each child, and humanity, the hope of a bright future. Owen received his AMI Assistants to Infancy Diploma in 2021 from The Montessori Training Center of St. Louis. He also holds a Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts from the California Culinary Academy, San Francisco. Owen's other interests include music, art, the natural world, cooking and Tlingít language learning. He enjoys bringing his knowledge of these subjects into the Montessori environment and introducing them to young learners. Owen has two adult sons, Milo and Damian, who live in California, and a very special cat named Dolly.

Veronica was born and raised in Juneau and has has worked in multiple fields since graduating from Juneau Douglas High School, including working in restaurants, with animals, and at a car dealership. She has always loved children, and she is excited to be at Juneau Montessori School, which is her first experience working with children in a school setting. She is learning more about Montessori every day and loves to watch the children grow. Veronica has two daughters and loves to spend time camping and fishing with her family.

Elizabeth was born and raised in Juneau, where she graduated from Juneau Douglas High School. She worked at a Head Start preschool program for seven years, where she earned her Child Development Associate credential. After the birth of her son in 2021, she took some time off, then joined Juneau Montessori in 2022 to work in the Young Children's Community. She has now expanded her family to include a baby daughter, and she is a proud single mother of her two young children. During her free time, she loves spending time with her family, her children, and her dog Rayne.

Emily moved to Juneau in 2004 where she quickly found herself drawn to Juneau Montessori School. She worked as an assistant in the Young Children's Community until 2008, when she moved to Portland, OR to pursue her AMI credential at Montessori Institute Northwest. In 2009, she returned to Juneau Montessori School as a lead guide. After two years of teaching while pursuing her undergraduate degree at University of Alaska Southeast, she made the difficult decision to leave her teaching position and focus on her studies. In 2013, Emily welcomed the birth of her son, Alexander, and in 2014 she returned to Juneau Montessori, son in tow, to work as an assistant in the classroom she once called her own. Upon completing her BLA in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2017, Emily immediately transitioned back into being the lead guide for the Downstairs Children’s House. Since then, she has gone on to earn her Master of Arts in Montessori Education and Leadership at St. Catherine's University in 2022. Emily has a passion for Montessori pedagogy and she looks forward to many more years of leading young children to greatness! In her personal time, she enjoys camping, painting, word puzzles, hiking, traveling and exercising.

Miranda was born and raised in Juneau, a place she is happy to call home. She has been working with children for nine years, and she loves how much children make her laugh. Her experiences have helped her discover that she wants to pursue a career in early childhood education, and she is excited to work on her dreams at Juneau Montessori School! In her freet time, Miranda loves cooking, fishing, helping her mom run her jewelry business, and spending time with her family in Hoonah.

Aubree was born and raised in Juneau, where she earned her high school diploma through the Transitions Program at Juneau Douglas High School. She has been working with young children ever since: babysitting, taking care of her little sister, and working at three different daycares before landing at Juneau Montessori School in 2016. In her nine years here she has worked in all three classrooms, and is currently an assistant in the Raven's Roost primary classroom. Aubree is an active community member and plays on many sports teams including bowling, volleyball, and softball. She enjoys going to the movies, shopping, singing, and visiting her family in Seattle. She loves to see the children smile, and she has a beautiful singing voice that she often shares with the children.

Cindy was born and raised in Juneau. After leaving during her young adulthood, she moved back in 2014 to help to care for her mother, and at that time she applied for a job at Juneau Montessori School. During her time working as an assistant, she learned all she could about Montessori Pedagogy and began looking into training to become a trained lead guide. After three summers of rigorous work, she completed her training in July 2019 and is now the lead guide in the upstairs primary classroom. In addition to her Montessori credential, Cindy has an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Development and many years of experience working with children in various settings. Cindy has three wonderful children, one grandchild and another one on the way. She loves Juneau’s beauty and enjoys fishing, biking, and beachcombing.

Carissa was born in Nevada and raised in Juneau. She started working with children in 2018 and hasn't looked back since! As the years go by, she has found that she is passionate about the Montessori Method and learning about child development and teaching. She has two children of her own that also attend Juneau Montessori School, and she feels incredibly lucky to watch them learn and grow in the Montessori environment. Carissa hopes to further her career as a Montessorian and is considering one day becoming a trained Lead Guide. In her free time, she enjoys frequent outings with her children and spending as much time with them as she possibly can before they grow up.

Courtney grew up in Melbourne, Florida and moved to Juneau with her partner in 2021. She has known she wanted to work with children ever since she started babysitting her niece and nephew when she was fourteen and discovered that she often connects better with children than with adults. She began working at Juneau Montessori School in 2023 and is passionate about building her career here, where she can help create safe spaces for children. In her free time, Courtney loves to bake with local ingredients and spend time with her cats.

Jan grew up on the sunny island of Saipan, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Management Accounting from the University of San Jose-Recoletos in the Philippines. Throughout her career, she gained valuable experience managing her family’s small fish business while building over seven years of customer service expertise in various industries. Her journey into Montessori education began in August 2023 when she became a teacher’s aide for 9- to 12-year-olds and quickly developed a deep appreciation for Dr. Maria Montessori’s method. In December 2024, she and her husband moved back to the United States and made the adventurous drive to Juneau from Tennessee, eager to put down roots and contribute to the community. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family, cooking, reading, singing (loudly, for her own amusement), hiking at a leisurely pace, and soaking up the sun (when it’s around). She’s excited to be part of the Juneau Montessori family and looks forward to supporting its mission.

Laura was born in Rochester, New York and went on to study cognitive development in young children at Washington University in St. Louis. After graduating she lived in California, researching how school funding relates to student outcomes and how quality of schooling varies across the United States. She moved to Juneau in 2020 and quickly came to love its tight community and the unique landscape of Southeast Alaska. She loves helping children grow into independent young people and building the vibrant JMS community. In her free time, Laura enjoys hiking and skiing in Juneau's mountains. She is grateful to live and work on Lingit Aani.