Staff Bios

Mara Guerin guides our older toddler classroom, the Moonbeams.  Mara started working at First English as a substitute since 2008.  After receiving her BA in English and History, Mara went on to work full time with us as an Assistant Teacher.  A lead teacher since 2010, Mara’s strengths lie in good, solid planning of creative, age appropriate curriculum yet also being flexible enough to change plans when necessary to meet the needs of individual kiddos.  Married to a great guy who can be seen every year helping out at our Fall Festival, Mara also enjoys reading, babysitting her sister’s pug, reading anything that comes her way, and occasionally, knitting.

Sarah Harrison leads our two to three year old classroom, the Stars.  With our center since 2007, Sara’s BA in Art with a teacher certification in EC-12 has helped her create one colorful classroom!  Enter Sarah’s room and her educational background is obvious as her kiddos are knee deep in artistic creations. Her previous jobs include Art Mix Creative Learning Center and the Museum of Natural Science in Houston. Sarah’s strength lie not only in her ability to create a creative curriculum, but her patient and caring nature truly nurtures children to thrive in their environment.  In her free time, Sarah enjoys running, cycling, tennis and yoga.  She loves taking her crazy puppy, Penny, trail running and to dog parks.  She can also be found on many weekends cooking a tasty vegan meal and watching a movie.

Julia Hundley guides our three to four year old classroom, the Rainbows.  Julia first entered early childhood while working on her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin in Social Welfare where she also worked as an assistant teacher at a local preschool. After moving to Austin, Julia gained extensive prior experience as a lead teacher at such centers as The Corner School and Childcare at TASB before joining First English in 2007.  Julia shines as a dedicated teacher who gives more heart and time to the children in her care than any parent could hope for.  In her free time, she loves playing with her fuzzy dog and taking a lingering nap on the weekends. 

LaQuetha Ford leads our Pre-K classroom.  With First English for the past four years, LaQuetha enjoys creating a diverse and engaging environment that will best prepare our kids for the big, bad world of Kindergarten.  LaQuetha holds a BS in Youth and Community Studies with a minor in Early Childhood.  Enter LaQuetha’s Explorer room and you will often hear jazz playing, see children reading and experiments unfolding.  In her free time, LaQuetha enjoys knitting, browsing cooking blogs and trying out new recipes.

Shannon Henry Ball has been with First English since 1996 only leaving for a couple of years to stay home with her own three year old, Lincoln.  Shannon is currently our Assistant Director.  She holds a BA from UT in English and Psychology and has a Master’s in Education from Texas State University.  Shannon’s strengths lie in her patience and innate understanding of the reasons behind children’s behavior. Married since Halloween 2003, Shannon relishes the moments that she can spend with her family and friends and working in her yard.

Teresa Kean Kapelle has been the Director at First English since 2008. With a BA in Education and masters work in Educational Psychology, Teresa started working in early childhood in 1990. Teresa began working at First English as an assistant and then lead teacher until 1998 where she went on to teach and direct at various private elementary schools in town.  Teresa returned to First English as Director when her own son joined the First English family. Teresa has a great knack of seeing the overall picture when working with children in educational settings and for helping families understand the short term and long term significance of developmental stages.  In her free time, Teresa loves traveling with her family and spending time exploring the world with her son.