My name is Sonal Patel and I am very excited to be taking on the role of School Director at Primrose of Gilbert at Santan! I have been working as the Admin, then Assistant Director since the school opened, and I am happy to step into this new role to better serve our families. I was born and raised in Southern California before moving to Arizona in 2004. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with concentrations in Social and Clinical Psychology. While completing my degree at Arizona State and my Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology I worked as a full-time nanny for four years. Both concentrations of my Bachelor’s degree would have allowed me to move forward in working with children or adults, but working at Primrose just cemented my love for early education and care. With that passion for early education, also I bring ten years of experience in customer service to this position. I have two younger brothers and an enormous extended family! In my free time I love to read and dance. I am also an avid foodie, and I love trying new recipes and new restaurants! I am so happy to have the opportunity to watch your children learn and grow!

Hi there! My name is Samantha and I am working on my B.S. degree in Leadership and Learning Innovation from the University of Arizona. I have obtained my AA in Educational Studies from Chandler Gilbert Community College, as well as, completed four years in the early childhood education program at Perry High School, with over 400 volunteer hours in childcare. I was a classroom teacher for almost three years here at Primrose, and I am so excited to have the oppourtunity to grow my professional skills in this adminstrative roll.

She is a dedicated early childhood educator with a passion for foster hands-on learning experiences. As a wife, and mom of two, she brings creativity and enthusiasm to her teaching, inspiring young minds through sensory bins, loose parts play, and engaging literacy activities. Dawna enjoys designing interactive bulletin boards that spark curiosity and joy in the classroom. She has experience supporting children with disabilities, individualizing learning experiences, and mentoring staff to become the best educators in the field.

Joseph is originally from Mississippi, but is excited to call Arizona his new home. He graduated from the Univeristy of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in 2019 with his BFA in Musical Theatre. He has been fortunate to perform with professional and community theatre’s in the area. Joesph has been working in childcare for the past 10 years, working in a variety of positions, such as teacher and assitant director. His biggest hope for being at Primrose is to help all of the children reach their goals so that they can one day live out their dreams!

My name is Sandy Wirth. I started working with children at 18 years old, straight out of high school. I have worked with all aged children but have worked in an infant room for over 6 years. I am the very proud mother of 3 grown children. They are the people I love to spend my free time with. I am also the twin sister of Ms. Darvin. The best part of working with children is watching how much they learn and grow as you spend time with them.

My name is Tracy and I am originally from Southern California. I attended school in Ventura County and Colorado Springs. My life’s journey has led me to plant my roots in California, Oregon, Japan and Colorado before stopping in Arizona. I have worked with children for 25 plus years. I have taught children from all walks of life, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old and enjoy all of the joys and surprise that each age group has to offer. In between teaching children, I have raised two of my own and now enjoy being a grandma to 5 grandchildren. In my free time I enjoy my family, books, music, and the ocean.

Hello, I’m Liella! I have three sisters and I love to read. I have two years of Early Childhood Education and I hope to be a teacher one day. I am very excited to be here at Primrose and to help the children learn and grow!

Back in 2008 out family moved to Arizona from Michigan. My son was 2.5 years-old at the time and I knew right away I wanted to work in childcare to be able to not only be with in childcare to be able to not only be with my son all day but to also build a rewarding career as a early childcare teacher. Now almost 17 years later, I still have the same honor of teaching in the field I love. In my spare time I spend as much time as I can with my family and exploring as many adventures as we can!

Hi! I am Ms. Addison! I enjoy running, reading, and playing Mario Kart! I have two younger brothers and about 30 younger cousins that I love to babysit and play games with. I previously worked as a swim instructor for all ages and as a daycare teacher for toddlers. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I am excited to continue my passion of helping children learn all about the world!

Hi, I’m Ella! I grew up in a big family, and because of that, I’ve been around kids my whole life, which led to my career working with them. I love working with kids because it brings me joy to see the wonder in their eyes as they grown and learn about the world. In my free time, I unwind by playing volleyball, going dancing, and spending time with friends and family. I hope to work to continue working with children in the medical field in the future!

I’m Ms. Trinley and I wanted to tell you a little about myself. Originally, I am from Austin. Texas, but moved to Arizona in mid-2024. I worked with children while living in Texas and I am excited to further my child development knowledge by working here! In my personal time, I enjoy playing video games, playing the bass, drawing, and reading!

My name is Jennifer! I am 23 years old and I am originally from Washington state. I have an AA in Social Work from Estrella Mountain Community College. I have a one year old son and I enjoy spending time with my family and trying new coffee shops. I am excited to be a part of this team and to have an opportunity to work with children!

Hi I am Ms. Haley and I wanted to tell you about myself. I have been in the childcare field since 2019, specifically working with kiddos on the autism spectrum. I absolutely love seeing kids grow, reach their goals and milestones, and most importantly have fun while doing it! I am in school now for Early Childhood Education and cannot wait to further my education and experience here at Primrose. I have a daughter who attended here as well. I love doing arts and crafts, photography, and being in the outdoors in my free time.

Hi my name is Ms. Amie. I have been working in childcare since I was 12, because my mom and older sister work in this field. I have a twin sister and 6 other siblings. I love playing the violin and drawing and am very passionate about helping people.

Hi Primrose family! I moved from Wisconsin where I worked in child care for a few years. I have been married for 34 years and have two sons and a daughter. I currently live with my eldest son, daughter-in-law and my two grandchildren. I was an accountant but I always wanted to be a teacher. I love working with children and am happy to be able to do what I love most!

Hello everyone! My name is Jailesia and I’m very excited to be joining the Primrose Team and helping to care and shape the young minds of children. I’m the oldest of three with a brother and sister, and I always took it upon myself to help take care of them and be a good older sister. I’d say this is what started my interest in working with children, and all through high school I was in the Early Childhood Education program until I was employed at the campus preschool my senior year. I spent nearly 3 years working there and it was some of the best times of my life! Working with children is truly my passion and I aim to give them the best learning experience I can!

coming soon…

I’m Ms. Kayla! I have worked with kids since 2021 as a volunteer and employee. Making sure kids are safe and happy are my passion, because of that I am working towards a social work and children’s psychology! I have 3 dogs, a younger sister, and two younger brothers. I am excited to care for your kiddos!

Hi! My name is Claire and I moved to Arizona from central Illinois with my husband. We are VERY excited to not be shoveling snow in the winters. I received my Associate’s degree in Elementary Education from Illinois Central College and am working towards finishing my Bachelor’s degree in English. My love for children and the enjoyment from helping them learn and grow is what has kept me so happy working with children 6 weeks to 12 years for the last 10+ years. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going to sporting events and concerts, or just relaxing with a good book. I am very excited to continue to be a part of the Primrose Family and help your little ones learn and grow.

My name is Merritt, and I am so excited to be working at Primrose. My first experience working with kids was when I started volunteering in kindergarten classrooms through a program at my high school. My first job was with VIK, an after school childcare program. I loved working in childcare and volunteering in the classroom. I am looking forward to working in childcare again. I’m excited to get to know the kids and see them progress throughout the school year.

Hi I am Ms. Nayeli! I love listening to music and spending time with my family and friends. I have worked with children since the age of 16. I love watching the children learn about the world around them. I hope I can learn and gain more experience working with the children here at Primrose!

I’m Ms. Kyarri and I wanted to tell you a little about myself. I am the oldest of 3 children in my family, and I have two dogs named Ella and Fern! In my free time I like to read and watch Steven Universe. I love working in Early Childhood Education because everyday is a new adventure where children get to learn and grow! I hope to foster a fun and enriching environment for all students with lots of learning and laughter!

I have found joy in working with children since entering the Early Childhood Education program at my high school. It has been an incredible opportunity for me to be apart of the Primrose team along with being in the Early Childhood Education program to further my knowledge. I am excited to build connections with the children and their families while improving my ability to communicate with children of different ages!

Hello, my name is Diyana and I’m really excited to become a part of the Primrose team! I have loved spending time with kids for as long as I can remember and I find it joyful helping children grow and develop. I was born in Lebanon but was raised here in Arizona. I graduated from Higley High school and went back to the Middle East to get my Bachelor’s degree in Business management. I look forward to working with you children and getting to have some fun with them!

I’m Ms. Precious and I wanted to tell you a little about myself. I’ve been a Preschool teacher since 2020, and my passion for teaching started long before that. As a child, I would set up my soft toys and “teach” them — a game that sparked my lifelong love for education. I earned a degree in Preschool Education, and over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching in two different countries, which has broadened my perspective on education and the diverse ways children learn. My dream is to guide the next generation of learners and be the kind of teacher remembered not only for the knowledge I impart but also for the care and love I show. I aim to create a learning environment where children feel safe and enjoy learning. I want to be the teacher they respect, trust, and love — the one who inspires them to learn because they know I genuinely care about them as individuals. Because just like my name, I believe that every child is precious.

Hi! I’m Ms. Stacie! I’m so happy to be back at the Primrose School of Gilbert at Santan! I’ve taught here for about 3 years and love this Primrose Family! I have over 20 years of experience teaching various ages from Kindergarten, to Pre-K to even a year of Preschool. My heart is set on guiding our young students and helping them explore the world around them and learn what they need to know for Kindergarten and beyond.

Hello there! My name is Stephanie Carpenter. I have a son named Joel and a cat named Alice. I love spending time with my family and friends. Disney movies are my favorite and ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted a career with children. Children are our future, after all. I’m so excited to be at Primrose meeting the families and helping to mold the children into the best people they can be.

Hi! I am Ms. Toni Gifford. I graduated from Utah State University with my Bachelor’s Degree in Family, Consumer, and Human Development with an emphasis on Childhood Development.  I have enjoyed working professionally with children for several years and joing the Primrose team in 2013.In my spare time I enjoy game nights, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. I am proud to be a part of Primrose and grateful for the opportunity to work with your child and our teachers. I enjoy being a part of such a warm and inviting environment and helping our teachers bring the curriculum to life. I look forward to getting to know each of our wonderful families!

Hello, my name is Shelby Hamlin. My family and I are originally from Southern California. We first came to Arizona in 2013, but left three years later to live in beautiful Colorado. We are happy to be back in Arizona and I am happy to be starting my new journey with Primrose. Although this will be my first year in early childhood education, for the last ten years I have been a part of elementary education focusing on 2nd grade. When I am not here at Primrose, I enjoy visiting my 2 daughters at their different college campuses and hanging out with my husband enjoying a nice night out.

My name is Ms. Angela and I have been cooking for children for over ten years. Some of my hobbies include; reading, spending time with family and friends, camping, and bowling!

I’m Ms. Alexis and I wanted to tell you a little about myself. My favorite things to do are dance, bake, and work with kids. Being around kids gives me a sense of joy that is contagious. My favorite subject in school is History. I am also enrolled in the Toy Box program, which is the Early Childhood Education program at Campo Verde High School. I love spending time with my friends and family.  I can’t wait to learn more about you and your family.