Meet the faculty & staff at awakening seed school
Assistant Teachers
Denyse Carrillo | Toddler 1s Assistant Teacher, After School Toddlers
Elizabeth (Liz) Ventura Ramirez | Toddler 1s Assistant Teacher
About Liz: Liz was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and raised in Arizona. She is the second oldest child of six siblings, and has two beautiful girls, one in high school and her youngest in elementary school. She used to volunteer in a kindergarten class at her daughter’s school and has also babysat newborns and toddlers. She enjoys working with children, especially helping them learn and grow every day. This is her first year at the Seed. It’s awesome to be part of a community that values each child’s unique potential and encourages a love for learning.
Education: Liz is a student at South Mountain Community College, and is working on a degree in education. She has taken a child development class, computer usage & application, and some educational classes. Her goal is to become a preschool teacher.
Free time: Liz enjoys movie nights with her husband and two daughters. As a family they love going camping in Sedona to enjoy the nature and take their two dogs that they love so much. She also enjoys baking, cooking Mexican foods, and listening to any kind of music.
Amalia (Mali) Lopez | Easy 3s Assistant Teacher, After School Assistant
Cylie Krenkel | Preschool 3s Assistant Teacher
About Cylie: Cylie is the second oldest of nine kids, six boys and three girls. Cylie has worked with children as a daycare assistant, a nanny, and as a teacher’s assistant in a special needs classroom. This is Cylie’s eigth year at the Seed, serving as the assistant in Kindergarten, Preschool 4s, and after school staff member. Cylie served as the interim after school director during summers 2017 and 2018, and was the after school coordinator from 2017-2023. She is looking forward to assisting in the Preschool 3s class full time again this year. She is a hands-on learner who is always willing to take on anything new. She enjoys teaching children as well as learning from them.
Education: Cylie is a 2013 graduate of Fairfax High School in Laveen and has attended classes at South Mountain Community College.
Free Time: In her free time Cylie enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, and spending time with family and her husband, Josh, and daughter, Kelsea. She is happy that her daughter Kelsea is now a full time Seed in the Early 3s class.
Lilian Treacy | Preschool 4s Assistant Teacher, After School
About Lilian: Lilian was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Arizona when she was four. She began kindergarten at the Seed and stayed here until 3rd grade. She is still friends with many of her Seed friends and is very excited to be back as an assistant teacher in the Preschool 4s class.
Education: Lilian graduated from Corona del Sol High School in 2016. In 2021 she completed her bachelors degree in Creative Writing at Arizona State University. She is currently persuing her masters in Library and Information Sciences at The University of Arizona.
Free Time: Lilian loves to write, and can always be found reading a book. She also likes to hike, paint, and spend time with her dogs, Naya and Millie.
Saki Nabeshima | PreK Assistant Teacher
About Saki: Saki was born and raised in Kumamoto, Japan. Her childhood memories are filled with nature play surrounded by rice fields, flowing rivers, and green mountains. She spends summers in rainy Japan visiting her family and being an aunt to four nieces who all call her “Saki-neichan),” which means “Big Sister Saki.”
Saki came into the world of early childhood education during her internship at a transitional housing program, offering music and movement classes for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in 2005. Saki has enjoyed the supporting role of an assistant teacher for the three and four years olds at the Seed since 2012. Saki is thrilled to be teaming up with Sarah La Benz again and working side by side with all the families to celebrate the children’s play and learning in PreK this year!
Education: Saki received her master’s degree in theology from Valparaiso University in 2005 and her bachelor’s degree in music from Hastings College in 2002. She has received extensive training in early childhood music education from Musikgarten, 95-hour children’s yoga teacher training, and 200-hr yoga teacher training from Desert Song Healing Arts Center.
Free time: Saki finds balance in life through yoga and Qi Gong, playing in a guitar ensemble, and spending quality time with her husband, David.
Karysa Horst | Kindergarten Assistant Teacher, Toddler After School Lead
About Karysa: Karysa is an Arizona native. She has extensive experience working with children from diverse backgrounds and age groups. In her previous position, she was an art teacher responsible for instructing students ranging from kindergarten to 9th grade. In addition, She has experience working as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional. In 2019, she worked at the Seed in the Toddler 1s room until the pandemic hit, and was the PreK assistant during the 2023-2024 school year. She is passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of the young minds she engages with and looks forward to helping students reach their full potential. This year she will be the kindergarten assistant, as well as the after school toddler lead.
Education: Karysa graduated from Arizona State University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies. She’s currently enrolled in Arizona Teachers of Tomorrow program to obtain a Standard Arizona Teaching Certificate. Her ultimate career objective is to establish a nonprofit organization focused on assisting those in need, particularly in third-world countries and dogs.
Free time: She loves spending time with her three dogs (Olivia, Nala, and Milo), or any furry friend for that matter, as she is a huge animal lover. She also enjoys embarking on adventures, playing board games, and spending quality time with friends/family.
Car Emmett | 1st-2nd Assistant Teacher, After School Lead
About: Car was born and raised in Arizona. They are the oldest of 5 kids and are very close with their family. They have years of experience in programs with individuals with developmental disabilities plus respite care and habilitation. They have always loved learning and helping others learn, too. Car is excited to be assisting in the 1st/2nd grade class as well as being the Big Kid After School Lead.
Education: Car is a 2019 graduate from American Leadership Academy. They attended Chandler Gilbert Community College for a year, majoring in psychology and have plans to return to school next semester.
Free Time: In their free time, Car loves rock climbing, crafting and reading. They also love spending time with their cats and partner. They frequently camp, hike, and climb outside when it’s cool outside.
Emily Samora | 3rd-4th Assistant Teacher
About Emily: Emily is a Seed alumwho started in the one’s class, graduated in 4th grade, interned, and went straight into working here after graduation. She took a small break to branch out and expand her skills but missed the liveliness that each school year brings and decided to return. Emily just got married and is loving newlywed life. She has the most handsome fur baby, Angus the cat, and another creature child, Asparagus, the crested gecko.
Education: Emily was a 2017 graduate of Primavera High School.
Free time: In her free time, Emily loves to play trivia with her friends, do arts and crafts, and hang out with her niece Ellie, who also attends the Seed.
Eveline Felix | Classroom Assistant Teacher
About Eveline: Eveline is passionate about nurturing and supporting children. As a dedicated mother, she has gained invaluable experience in understanding the unique needs and joys of raising her own children. Her love for children extends beyond her family; she has also worked in group homes, where she provided care and guidance to young residents, helping them navigate challenging circumstances. Additionally, she has served as a case aid at a behavioral health clinic, offering compassionate support to children and families dealing with emotional and behavioral challenges. Through her diverse experiences, Eveline has developed a deep empathy and commitment to helping children thrive in all aspects of their lives.
Education: Eveline attended Pima Community College, where she completed nursing preparatory courses. She paused her studies to relocate to Phoenix, focusing on raising her children and managing her small business.
Free time: In her free time, Eveline enjoys spending time with her family and taking her Heeler for walks, while listening to fantasy books or house music.
Julian Jacobs | After School Assistant Teacher
About Julian: Julian moved from upstate New York to Phoenix three years ago, braced for the desert heat. For five years, he worked as a summer lifeguard, supervising children of various ages. This is Julian’s fourth year as an assistant teacher and he is excited to get to know all the students in his capacity as the Seed’s floating sub and working in the after school program.
Education: Julian is a graduate from Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Bachelor of Music in Jazz Drums Performance. He is currently in a masters program in the school of music at ASU.
Free Time: Julian enjoys running, skiing, and traveling, and is always on a quest for the best coffee shop in Phoenix.
Madeleine Dueppen | After School Assistant Teacher
About Madeleine: Madeleine is an assistant teacher supporting all classrooms as needed. She grew up at the Seed, at first as a student, then intern, and now staff member. Madeleine has a passion for early childhood development.
Education: Madeleine is currently a senior at Corona del Sol High School and earned her associates degree in early childhood education in May 2024. She also received her seal of biliteracy in English and Spanish in 2023. Madeleine will graduate from high school in May 2025.
Free time: Madeleine loves spending time with friends and family in her free time. She also enjoys lots of physical activity, such as running and lifting weights. Outside of the Seed, Madeleine is a nanny/babysitter and works in the lab preschool on her high school campus.