Hello, my name is Kristin Whitesides!  I have been working with children since 2008 and prior to becoming the director at Primrose School of Lake Norman, I was a 2-year-old teacher for 11 years, 6 of them right here in this building.   I hold my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a concentration in early intervention.  I grew up in Middlebury, VT but have lived in North Carolina for 18 years.  I currently live in Troutman with my husband, son, dog, and three cats.   Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is Giraffes Can’t Dance and my favorite vacation is a cruise to the Caribbean!

Hello, my name is LeAnn Crider!  I have been working with children since 2006 and prior to becoming the Assistant Director at Primrose School of Lake Norman, I taught in the Preschool 2 classroom for 7 years.  I have my associate’s degree in business and my early childhood and administrative credentials.    I grew up in Iredell County and I currently live in Statesville with my husband and two children.  Some fun facts about me: I love to visit the mountains with my family and my favorite children’s book is The Giving Tree By Shel Silverstein!

Hello, my name is Melissa Wilson! I have my bachelors degree in elementary education from UNC Charlotte and I taught elementary through high school for over 20 years. Throughout that time, I worked as an education coach in local charter schools, supporting teachers in the classroom. I worked in childcare many years ago, and I was excited to bring my passion for helping teachers to the early childhood environment at PSLKN. I live in Mooresville with my husband, three children, and two stepchildren. A fun fact about me is that I love to be on the water whether it is in a boat, on a paddleboard, or wading through a mountain stream!

Hello, my name is Debbie Youtsey! I joined Primrose School of Lake Norman in 2023 after working in food service for 32 years in nursing homes. I grew up in Canton, Ohio and moved to North Carolina in 2023.  I have two children, a son, daughter, and a grandson. Some fun facts about me: I love to ride motorcycles and going out on the boat on the weekends and my favorite children’s books are the Boxcar Children books.

Hello, my name is Avery Vasil!  I have been working with children since 2016 and I love working with my babies!  I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to NC in 2019 with my mom and brother.  Some fun facts about me: I love Taylor Swift and my favorite book is There Was an Old Lady that Swallowed a Fly!

Hello, my name is Sydney Smith!  I have been working with children since 2022 and I am working on my bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in early childhood education.  I have been in NC my whole life and I have an older sister, brother, and sister-in-law.  I love animals and my family has 5 dogs and 5 cats, but Magnolia Ann is my fur baby! Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is Cat in the Hat! I also love to travel, especially to concerts; I’ve seen my favorite band 7 times on their tour.  If I’m ever not here, it’s probably because I’m at a show!

Hello, my name is Sha’Maiya Johnson! I’ve been working with children since 2022 in a variety of classrooms.  I’m currently majoring in college for psychology. I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life and I love spending time with my mom and two younger brothers.  Some fun facts about me: I like to collect game consoles, albums, and shoes, and my favorite children’s books are Junie B. Jones books.

Hello, my name is Alissa Locklin!  I have been working with young children since 2018 and I am currently working on my college degree.  I grew up in Ocean City, NJ as the big sister to 5 brothers!  We moved in North Carolina in 2010 and I now live in Denver with my husband.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is The Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe!  When I’m not at Primrose, you can find me coaching the color guard for a high school marching band.  I am also an avid hiker; my husband and I hiked 80 miles of the Appalachian Trail for our honeymoon, and we plan to hike the whole thing someday.

Hello, my name is Meranda McNemar!  I’ve been working with children since 2013 and I have my Early Childhood Educator Credentials.  I was born and raised in Ohio, and I moved to NC with my parents in brother in 2017.  I currently live in Statesville with my feline fur babies Jack and Hazel.  Some fun facts about me: I love to read and to go to the Renaissance Festival and my favorite children’s book is Where’s Spot?

Hello, my name is Rosetta McNemar!   I have worked with young children since 2013 and I have some college courses in education.  I grew up in NC but lived in Ohio for many years and I moved back to NC in 2017 with my son and daughter and I love to spend time with them!  Some fun facts about me:  I collect antiques and love to thrift shop and my favorite children’s book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

Hello! My name is Sabrina Hanville, and I have been teaching young children since 2019! I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, with a minor in human development and family studies. I grew up in the northeast, but I have been in NC for over half of my life now. I love spending time with my family, especially in the Christmas season when I bake cookies with my mom using family recipes. Some other fun facts about me: I have two geckos and I love to read!

Hello, my name is Kathryn Johnston! I’ve been working with young children for over 30 years, and I have my associates degree in early childhood education. I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to North Carolina in 2016 with my husband, amazing daughter, and two dogs.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is Dear Zoo and I love to visit the beach and the mountains for getaways!

I moved to Mooresville six years ago. I have a 20 year old daughter and amazing husband. I love the beach and going on spur of the moment trips!

Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

Child care experience: Since 1992 and at PSLKN since 2016

Education Background: AA Early Childhood Degree

Favorite food: Surf and Turf

Favorite weekend activity: Gardening, hiking, beach

Favorite children’s book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

What I’m most excited about this school year: Learning about my new class, helping them grow everyday!

Hello, my name is Alexis Gunter, but all of the students call me Mrs. Lexi!  I have been working with children since 2023 and I am currently working on my Child Development Associate (CDA).  I grew up on Long Island, NY and moved to NC in 2023.  I live in Catawba, NC with my husband and our puppy named Coe.  Some fun facts about me: I love to write, I have started creating silicone bead products, and I love the Llama Llama books!

Hello, my name is Kyilah Glover!  I have been working with children since 2019 and I have my Early Childhood Educator credentials.  I have lived in Mooresville my whole life with my mom and three sisters, and we all work with children!  I am extremely close with my family, and we love to spend time together.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is A Bad Case of Stripes and I love to read, spend time at home, and go to concerts in my free time!

Hello, my name is Becka Riley!  I have worked with children since 2005 and I’m working on going back to school to work on early childhood education courses.  I was born in Beckley, WV but moved to NC when I was 3 years old.  I live in Mooresville with my husband of 19+ years and two beautiful daughters.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear and I like to draw, read, and watch movies with my family!

Hello, my name is Gina Martinez.  I started working with children in 2023 and I love working with my preschoolers!  I have lived in North Carolina my whole life and now I live in Mooresville with my son, Matthew, and our cat named Salem.  I come from a big family with 5 siblings and 7 nieces and nephews. Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is Llama Llama, Red Pajama and I love to read all kinds of books!

Hello, my name is Liz Thompson! I started working with children in 2016 and I have loved my time at PSLKN, especially in Pre-K!  I have lived in NC my whole life and I am a proud mom of 3 grown children who are my whole world.  I currently live in Mooresville with my amazing husband.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny and every day I remind myself to laugh, to be loving, kind, and always be grateful for what I have!

Hello, my name is Allie Neill!  I have been working with young children since 2022 and I am currently working on my degree in early childhood education.  I have lived in Mooresville my whole life and love spending time with my family.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear and I am a big fan of cow print and the color pink!

Hello, my name is Yaritza Maldonado!  I am originally from Vineland, NJ and I have been in NC since 2022.  I am working on a degree in early childhood education and I started working with young children in 2012.  I live in Mooresville with my husband of 19 years and my three children.  We were a military family for 20 years and have lived in many places, including Italy!  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is The Little Mermaid and I love to cook and I’m bilingual.

Hello, my name is Ashby Seyler-Schmidt! Prior to joining the PSLKN team, I spent 9 years working in the charter schools, primarily with small groups. I love watching students achieve that “lightbulb” moment when they understand a concept that we’ve been working on. I have a son and a daughter, and we have lived in Mooresville for the last 13 years. Some fun facts about me: I have two dogs and a bearded dragon, and I love to read and crochet!

Hello, my name is Cristine Rasmussen!  I began working with children in 2003 and I have been with Primrose School of Lake Norman in a variety of capacities over the last 11 years.  I have my NC Early Childhood Credential and a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice.   I grew up in East Northport, NY but currently live in Mooresville with my husband and our dog, Lucky.  I have 2 grown sons who I love to see whenever I get a chance.  Some fun facts about me: My favorite children’s book is The Wide Mouth Frog and I love outings like bowling and mini-golf!