Dawn Bender, VPK Teacher Director/Owner

My name is Dawn Bender.  I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s in Business Administration.  During my final year, I realized that I wanted to become a teacher.  Subsequently, I went to Old Dominion University and received a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. 

I began my career teaching kindergarte

My name is Dawn Bender.  I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s in Business Administration.  During my final year, I realized that I wanted to become a teacher.  Subsequently, I went to Old Dominion University and received a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. 

I began my career teaching kindergarten.  Since then, I have taught preschool through second grade, with most of my experience being in first grade.  I have been teaching for a total of 23 years.  After many years of observing students that came to my first-grade class frustrated and behind academically, my coworkers and I decided to open a preschool.  One of our goals is to teach the foundational skills that students need to be successful in kindergarten.  Another goal we have is to encourage lifelong learning by making learning fun.

I am married and have 4 children.  My children are 16, 14, 10, and 5. They keep me very busy, but in my spare time, I enjoy exercising, arts and crafts, reading, and watching my kids play basketball. 

My name is Christel Phelps.  I was born in Seattle, Washington and moved to Florida after graduating high school.  I received my bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from Saint Leo where I graduated Summa Cum Laude.

I have always loved school and when my twins were in Kindergarten, I decided to go back and get my teaching degree.

My ch

My name is Christel Phelps.  I was born in Seattle, Washington and moved to Florida after graduating high school.  I received my bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from Saint Leo where I graduated Summa Cum Laude.

I have always loved school and when my twins were in Kindergarten, I decided to go back and get my teaching degree.

My children, Cody and Cassy, both graduated from college and have started their own lives as adults now.  We enjoy spending time together on vacations.  I've been married for 35 years.

I taught at a local elementary school for 13 years before the opportunity came to open a preschool with my two co-workers and friends.  It has been a big learning experience being on the business side of education, but enjoyable.

My name is Jeanmaria Fisher.  I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. My husband and I have three daughters ages 14, 11, and 5.  

I have over 14 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. Throughout this time, I have worked in the preschool setting with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. I graduated with an Associate of Scienc

My name is Jeanmaria Fisher.  I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. My husband and I have three daughters ages 14, 11, and 5.  

I have over 14 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. Throughout this time, I have worked in the preschool setting with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. I graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Management from Hillsborough Community College and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from State College of Florida.  

I have a passion for early education, and I believe that children learn best through play.  I am committed to providing an environment where children can develop the social-emotional skills needed to be successful.  Establishing positive relationships between school, home, and the community creates a strong foundation for children to flourish.  I look forward to working alongside you and your child throughout the school year. 

Hi! My name is Georgina but I go by Ms. Gina. I was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I moved to Tampa in 2016 with my family and have loved living here ever since.  

I have been a part of the Wesley Chapel Academy team since October 2020. I enjoy working in early childhood and childcare. I love being a

part of their early y

Hi! My name is Georgina but I go by Ms. Gina. I was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I moved to Tampa in 2016 with my family and have loved living here ever since.  

I have been a part of the Wesley Chapel Academy team since October 2020. I enjoy working in early childhood and childcare. I love being a

part of their early years and a part of building the foundation your children need to grow

as a whole.  

Hi! My name is Nancy Brown and I am very happy to be joining the amazing staff at Wesley Chapel Academy. I am originally from Alabama, but have lived in Zephyrhills most of my life. I enjoy spending time with my husband, my son and his wife, and my adorable granddaughter. I graduated from USF in 2011 with an Elementary Education degree an

Hi! My name is Nancy Brown and I am very happy to be joining the amazing staff at Wesley Chapel Academy. I am originally from Alabama, but have lived in Zephyrhills most of my life. I enjoy spending time with my husband, my son and his wife, and my adorable granddaughter. I graduated from USF in 2011 with an Elementary Education degree and taught 1st grade for 10 years. I look forward to helping my students learn the foundational skills they will need to be successful in Kindergarten.

My name is Franchesca Cruz.  I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. My husband and I have two beautiful children.  Roman is my six year old son and Aurora is my four-year-old daughter. I have been in the child care setting for about 5 years now. I first began working with kids when I was 15 as a volunteer at the RICH HOUSE, where I ment

My name is Franchesca Cruz.  I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. My husband and I have two beautiful children.  Roman is my six year old son and Aurora is my four-year-old daughter. I have been in the child care setting for about 5 years now. I first began working with kids when I was 15 as a volunteer at the RICH HOUSE, where I mentored and tutored kids from low income areas.   I am eager  to begin my journey here at Wesley Chapel Academy as an assistant vpk teacher.  All my life I've dreamed of being a teacher and helping kids.  I look forward to making class a fun and exciting environment for the students.

Hi! My name is DanJae Donaldson, but I go by Ms. D. My first name is pronounced Dan-yay!  I was born in Chicago, but was raised in Tampa and several parts of Indiana. My mom likes change, so we moved a lot which helped me gain the ability to adapt well to different environments. I started in the education field when I was still in high sc

Hi! My name is DanJae Donaldson, but I go by Ms. D. My first name is pronounced Dan-yay!  I was born in Chicago, but was raised in Tampa and several parts of Indiana. My mom likes change, so we moved a lot which helped me gain the ability to adapt well to different environments. I started in the education field when I was still in high school because my school offered a program where I could volunteer as a teacher assistant. 

Then, I started my early childhood path in 2016, just before turning 19 years old. I graduated with an Early Childhood Associate in 2019 and I am graduating with my Associate in Arts at the end of 2023. I plan on completing my bachelor degree by the end of 2025. Since being in the early childhood field, I have experience being a lead teacher in the two's, three's, and VPK classrooms. 

My name is Samantha Doyle. I was born and raised in Zephyrhills, Florida. I have two daughters with my fiancé. 

I have been in the childcare field for six years. I have experience working with children ages newborn through school age. What I enjoy most about working with young children is being able to watch them flourish into their own pe

My name is Samantha Doyle. I was born and raised in Zephyrhills, Florida. I have two daughters with my fiancé. 

I have been in the childcare field for six years. I have experience working with children ages newborn through school age. What I enjoy most about working with young children is being able to watch them flourish into their own person. I believe children learn best through hands on experiences. Establishing positive relationships with children and families is important to me. This helps build a strong home and school connection. I look forward to working alongside you as we start your child’s educational experience. 

My name is Nicole Myers and I am originally from Georgia. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Birmingham-Southern College. While in college, I completed an externship in Pediatric
Neuropsychology and volunteered tutoring at a local elementary school, which is how I discovered my love for working with kids in a
learning

My name is Nicole Myers and I am originally from Georgia. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Birmingham-Southern College. While in college, I completed an externship in Pediatric
Neuropsychology and volunteered tutoring at a local elementary school, which is how I discovered my love for working with kids in a
learning environment. As a preschool teacher, I appreciate and cherish the
unique opportunity to set children up for a lifetime of academic success by
ensuring that their first experiences in a classroom are positive ones.  I like to spend my spare time with my husband and two boys outdoors, on or near the water, snuggled up with a good book, or cheering on the Tennessee Volunteer football team in the fall.  I’m so excited to be a foundational part of your child’s educational journey, at Wesley Chapel Academy!”