Gisela Duran Lead Teacher, Infant 1.  Has been with KAL since October of '00.  She is originally from Puerto Rico and received her BA from The Catholic University of Puerto Rico. Gisela says, "I love working with the babies. Every day is different. I am constantly busy and I learn something new each day!"

Patricia Hernandez Assistant Teacher, Infant I.  Has been with KAL since March of '02.  She is originally from Mexico is married with 5 children.  She completed Child Development Associate Certificate in November 2010.  Patricia says, "I like working with children because I learn something new and wonderful from them every day."

Vjosa Malushi Lead Teacher, Infant 2.  Has been with KAL since March of '04.  She is originally from Albania and received her BA from The Republic of Albania, Tirana University.  She has 2 daughters and says, "I love to work with children. They make me happy!"

Klarida Tare Assistant Teacher, Infant 2.  Has been with KAL since September '10.  She is married with one son, Oresti, who attends our infant program at our King Ave center.  She is working towards completing all of the infant/toddler modules required by the Step Up program.  Klara says that "working with very young children is a challenge because you never know what is going to happen each day."  This is why she enjoys working with the older infants.

Ashlee Wendell Lead Teacher, Infant 2A.  Has been with KAL since August '12.  She has an Associates of Arts from Columbus State and plans to return to get her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education.  She has experience as a tutor of elementary students, and personal experience with children from helping to raise two family members.  She looks forward to this new position and helping her kids excel in their early childhood development. 

Kausar Waheed Lead Teacher, Preschool.  Has been with KAL since April of '02.  She is originally from Lahore, Pakistan and taught 1st through 5th grade for 5 years at a private school in Lahore.    She has 2 adult children.  She received the Golden Apple Award from Upper Arlington in 2011.  She also was awarded the Best Preschool Teacher in Franklin County from the Columbus Association for the Education of Young Children in 2011.   She completed her Child Development Associate Certificate in 2009.  When asked why she works with children, she says, "I chose to work with young children because I love children. When I see a child, I see my own children and how they used to be when they were little. My only desire is to nurture them and help build their educational foundation. Being a teacher is a perfect fit for me.  I feel that I was born to teach."

Ann Bonilla Assistant Teacher, Preschool.  Has been with KAL since October of '07.  She is originally from Jackson, Michigan and received her BA from Michigan State.  She has 4 children ranging from 9 to 23 years, and has been married since 1987.  When asked why she works with children, she says, "since I am a hands-on mother to my own children, I approach nurturing and teaching my students the same way. To me, children are magical creatures who deserve the best education possible."

Ludary Sarmiento Lead Teacher, Toddler.  Has been with KAL since April of '01.  She is originally from Colombia.  She has completed all of the infant/toddler modules required by the Step up program.  She is married with two grown children.

Astrid "Missy" Guay, Assistant Teacher, Toddler.  She is an ECE major at Columbus State.  She returned to KAL September '11 and has been in the field for 12 years.  When asked why she works with kids, she says, "Children are a joy to work with."

Mary Meeks, Assistant Teacher, Toddler.  Joined KAL January 2013.  She has a 4 year degree in Early Childhood and has 1 year experience from training at the OSU childcare facility.  

Joy Tuttle Education Coordinator.  Has been with KAL since '07.  She has her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and has been in the field since 1983.  She has 15 years' experience as a teacher and 14 years' experience as a director.  She is committed to providing quality childcare and developing supportive relationships with parents.  As an Education Coordinator, she helps our teachers foster a curiosity for learning with their students that builds a good foundation for life.

Monica Leimeister Assistant Director.  Has been with KAL since January '93.  She received her BA in Foreign Languages from OSU. Whe asked why she works at KAL, she says, "I have always enjoyed working with the parents of young children."

Nancy Miller Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper.  Has been with KAL since September '11.  She has an Associate's in Business Managment from North Central State College and is pursuing a Bachelor's in Technical Management with an Accounting emphasis from DeVry.  She plans on graduating in June '13.  She can be reached via email @  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .