The Goddard School of Philadelphia (23rd and South)

Bios

• Miss Jillian

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• Jillie and Jon

  Jillie and Jon were beyond thrilled to open the first Goddard School in the city of Philadelphia! This is the second location that Jon and Jillie have owned together. Jillie has a background in music and music education, she started in this field as a young toddler teacher and is incredibly proud to now own this location with Jon. Jon's background is in accounting and construction. They have been franchisees since 2009 and 2013 respectively, and truly believe in being active members of their school community. They are present every single day to support the children, families, and faculty!

• Hilari

  Hilari has her Bachelor of Arts in English with a writing concentration and minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As a proud "OG" faculty member, she joined The Goddard School of Philadelphia before construction was even finished! Hilari appreciates the endless opportunities to connect and create that her roles here have brought her - teacher, Education Director, Executive Director - but her favorite moniker she also gets to wear here is "Violet's mom". She loves connecting with families personally as well as professionally. She is beyond proud to help lead this school community and be a part of such a wonderful village in giving our children the best possible first experience with school.

• Julia

  Julia earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education for Pre-K-4th Grade from Kutztown University. With over 13 years of experience in early childhood education, she is all about creating a fun and engaging learning experience for children. Her role is super dynamic - she gets to observe classrooms, provide feedback, and share tips with teachers to help make every learning moment magical. She also interviews and hires our new faculty members. She absolutely loves onboarding them and welcoming them to our team. Showing them all of the amazing things our program has to offer is one of her favorite parts of the orientation process. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, explore new restaurants, and spend time with her family and friends.

• Yvette

  Yvette is a dedicated educator that wears many hats as an Assistant Director at The Goddard School of Philadelphia! She keeps things running smoothly with payroll, inventory, and other behind-the-scenes tasks! She also seamlessly transitions when she is needed from the office to inside the classrooms to support our incredible teachers! Personally, she is all about health and movement with a passion for wellness! She holds certifications in Vinyasa yoga and personal training, she received her certification to be a Holistic Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. When she is not busy shaping young minds, you can find her traveling, getting lost in a good book, or cheering on her son as a full-time sports mom on the sidelines at one of his many sporting events! Life's a whirlwind, and she wouldn't have it an other way!

• Julianne

  Ms. Julie joins us with her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education and years of experience working with children! She teaches in our First Steps classroom and enjoys making her students laugh and creating lasting memories! In her spare time, she loves to take her dog to the park and enjoy the outdoors!

• Sarah

  Ms. Sarah joined our faculty in fall of 2023! She loves the playfulness, imagination, and creativity that students exude as they learn and grow at school! Ms. Sarah enjoys implementing lessons and activities that nurture the discovery of new ideas, especially anything related to scientific inquiry and science experiments! Fun fact: Ms. Sarah holds a yoga teaching certification!

• Alana

  Ms. Alana joined our faculty in the fall of 2023 with a CDA and a love for working with toddlers! She loves building bonds with her students and making an impact on each child's journey. In her spare time, Ms. Alana enjoys spending her time with family and friends, as well as building up her extensive collection of cups and mugs!

• Dana

  Ms. Dana joined our team in the summer of 2025 with over 25 years of experience working with young children! She loves learning all the different ways children learn and grow. While in the classroom, Ms. Dana enjoys reading books, such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". In her spare time, she can be found cooking, singing, and reading!

• Elizabeth

  We’re so excited to welcome Ms. Liz to our faculty in the summer of 2025! She brings with her over 12 years of experience working with children and a true passion for helping young learners grow and thrive. Ms. Liz shares that her favorite part of teaching is watching children hit new milestones each day. Outside the classroom, Ms. Liz enjoys playing the electric bass and ukulele, and she dreams of one day traveling to France. You can often find her in the classroom reading The Giving Tree, one of her all-time favorite books to share with students. Fun Fact: Ms. Liz was a Division I rower; teamwork and determination are in her DNA! We’re so lucky to have Ms. Liz as part of our team!

• Jovanna

  Say hello to Ms. Jovanna (or Jo, as we like to call her), who joined our faculty in 2025! With 7 years of experience working with children, Ms. Jo is truly passionate about making a positive impact on their growth and development. She’s currently working toward her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, and we’re thrilled to have her as part of our Infant program. When she’s not working, you can find Ms. Jo drawing, playing classic games like Pacman and Mario Kart, or enjoying quality time with her two cats. She dreams of visiting France or Puerto Rico one day and is always on the lookout for her next adventure. When it comes to reading, "The Little Prince" is one of her all-time favorites!

• Latoya

  Ms. Latoya has been working with children for many years and is one of our Young Toddler teachers! She loves being able to teach, inspire, and mold the minds of the children in her class. In her spare time, Ms. Latoya enjoys cooking, baking and playing the game Vikings!

• Lily

  Ms. Lily joined our team in the fall of 2025, bringing with her valuable experience working with toddlers aged one to three. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she has quickly become a joyful and engaging presence in our classroom community. Ms. Lily especially loves getting to know each child’s unique personality and celebrating the little moments that make early childhood so special. One of her favorite classroom activities is reading stories, The Rainbow Fish is always a hit! Outside of school, Ms. Lily enjoys hiking, spending time with her cat, and dreaming about future travels, Ireland is at the top of her list!

• Niya

  Ms. Niya came to us in 2024 with 6 years of childcare experience! She started as a resource teacher primarily for our younger children in the Toddler classrooms before finding her home in Older Toddlers. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the children in her care happy and learning! A fun fact about Ms. Niya is that she is afraid of heights but loves traveling by plane!

• Tymicha

  Ms. Tymicha has years of experience in the realm of early childhood education and is excited to be growing her skillset with us at Goddard! She loves to read to her students as a group as well as one-on-one to really engage with their interests and get to know their little personalities! When she’s not being a fabulous teacher, Ms. Tymicha loves to travel near and far to explore new restaurants and shops. Wherever she travels, she collects a cup as a souvenir!