RACHEL MAIETTA
Rachel Maietta is the director, substitute teacher, co-founder, and member of the board of directors at Mountain Breeze Preschool. Her love for children and motherhood started at a very early age. She received her Red Cross Babysitting Certification when she was 11 and has been caring for children since then. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Developmental Psychology at Suffolk University and has worked with families of all ages and directed preschools in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. She has been doing yoga and meditation for 21 years, and tries to bring the love and inspiration she feels into the classroom as well as outside of it. She has traveled to many countries and lived in many places until she found the calm beauty of Marshall, NC, in 2012. She became a mother in 2008 and has found it to be the most challenging and rewarding job she has ever had. She is the mother of three beautiful boys, two teens and a preschooler. She is also a certified parenting coach and founder of Wholehearted Parent Coaching.
VERONICA SOTOLONGO
Veronica Sotolongo is a lead teacher at Mountain Breeze Preschool. She has worked with children from infancy through adolescence in child care centers, home settings, schools, after-school programs, and summer camps. She loves the playfulness and wonder of the early childhood years. She takes a child-centered approach to early learning, following student interests, strengths, and needs to plan activities. Veronica earned a B.A. in Psychology from UNCA, where she focused on child development and attachment. She also holds her North Carolina Early Childhood Credential.
Veronica previously worked as a vegetable farmer and loves gardening with children. She also enjoys sharing music and Spanish language with her students. She is a first generation Cuban American and mother of two awesome school-aged children.
LOU ANNA ZELLER
Lou Anna Zeller (Ms. Lou) was born and raised in Madison County and lives in the Walnut community with her teenage son. She loves spending time outdoors and enjoys being on the river, camping, hiking, music, and spending time with her dogs.
Ms. Lou is a certified early childhood educator with over twenty-five years of experience working with children from infancy through kindergarten. She holds an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education, as well as both Infant/Toddler and Early Childhood Teaching Certifications. Throughout her career, she has worked with diverse age groups and learning needs, creating inclusive, play-based environments that support cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Her teaching approach blends nature-based education with mindfulness practices, encouraging children to explore the world around them while developing emotional awareness, empathy, and resilience.
“Roots of understanding grow deep when curious minds are nourished in nature.” – Nell Regan
KHASPER REESE
Khasper Reese is an assistant teacher at Mountain Breeze. They are from Sylva and have lived in Marshall since 2021. They have worked with children for most of their life through growing up in their mother’s home daycare and continuing to babysit and nanny. They earned an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education and are planning to add more. They have put in over 100 volunteer hours at Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and The Nature Center because of the happiness they find around animals and the natural world. They are also an artist and musician. They hope to foster our student’s innate desire to learn through play, mindfulness, meditation, and connection to the earth and each other.
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GEORGIA GOLDEN
Georgia Golden is an assistant teacher at Mountain Breeze. She has tended children from infants to adolescents in a variety of settings such as: forest preschools, wilderness programs, a youth rites of passage program, in homes as a nanny, and a Montessori school. She earned her B.A from Appalachian State University in a self-designed program called Ecotherapy with a minor in Sustainable Development.
In her free time, she loves to dance, garden, bike, write stories, and wildcraft. With children, she hopes to inspire a lifelong love and curiosity for both humans and the more-than-human world.
ALICIA JACKSON
Alicia Jackson is assistant teacher at Mountain Breeze Preschool. She was born and raised in Madison County and has always been surrounded by younger siblings, cousins, and neighbors. She loves working with children and telling stories. She was part of the early childhood education program when she was a student at Madison High School. She has completed EDU 119 (Introduction to Child Development) and likes to continue learning.