Our Team
Amanda Kelly
Director of Operations
Amanda graduated in 2015 with a BSc in Sports Coaching from Leeds Beckett University in Leeds, England where she was born and raised. After moving away from England in her late teenage years she developed her own youth soccer Academy in Texas. Now having moved to Victoria, BC She became the Director of Operations for Braefoot Community Association and is currently completing her MA in Global Leadership at Royal Roads University. She is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, wants transformative change and believes it is important to embed this into the holistic learning frameworks of child development.
*Get to know Amanda a bit more*
What were your favourite childhood hobbies?
I really loved playing Sports! Soccer especially competing professionally.
What was your favourite childhood book or movie?
Harry Potter was by far my favourite series for both books and movies!
What do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
Being able to Build Relationships and connections with the parents and community.
How much experience do you have working in childcare?
I have been working in childcare for 12 years from sport camps to preschool.
What is you're favourite game to play with the kids?
Army. Gives the children multiple chances to try again teaching them it is okay to keep trying
What's the most rewarding moment you've had as a childcare provider?
Watching a child who has been struggling to complete a task, or transition into a new place where they flourish and recognize their success and abilities.
What's your favourite animal?
Any type of Monkey!
Gabrielle Featherby
Marigold Center Manager
Gabi is a Vancouver Island local, growing up just minutes away from the Marigold Centre. In 2019, she successfully earned a BA in Adventure-Based Counseling, with a special focus on children's programming. Prior to joining Braefoot for the 2022/23 school year, Gabi held various roles within the education/childcare field, including positions as a teacher, support worker, coordinator at an online learning center, daycare leader, and behaviour interventionist. Outside of their professional commitments, Gabi enjoys camping, has a penchant for tabletop role-playing games, and cherishes quality time spent with Bowser the bearded dragon and Toast the cat. Gabi's core values revolve around community and connection. She firmly believes that establishing a robust support system where children and their families can flourish is the most valuable contribution we can make to the next generation.
*Get to know Gabi a bit more*
What were your favourite childhood hobbies?
I have always been very interested in the fantasy genre. Because of this, I spent a lot of my childhood reading everything I could get my hands on and drawing all of the amazing worlds I was reading about.
What was your favourite childhood book or movie?
I loved the Chronicles of Narnia series, and my absolute favourite was the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I must have read that book at least 100 times!
What do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
The most important quality of someone working in childcare is genuine care and empathy for the children.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
If I could be any fictional character, I would be Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit! He had the opportunity to go on an exciting adventure, exploring the incredible world around him and making lifelong friends.
What is your favourite thing about working with children?
I love being able to support children as they find out who they are and what the world means to them.
Shannon Roberts
Braefoot Center Manager
Shannon brings a background in various non-profits (as an employee, volunteer, and board member), childcare (as a manager, summer camp leader, tutor, babysitter, and care worker), and sports (pre-motherhood she was a triathlete, outdoor guide, and active runner). Shannon is quite familiar with education with an outdoor focus and building leadership skills. She studied psychology at UVic, and worked in a trauma environment for five years, learning a non-judgemental and person-centred approach to relationships.
Shannon has a love of languages. She speaks passable Spanish and continues to learn bits and pieces of other languages. She is excited to share her love of learning in general, community, science, reading and cultural stories, and math! You may notice a shift to include intentional reading times, discuss diversity, enjoy science experiments, explore local plants and animals, learn about first peoples, notice artists, and focus on policy and best practices!
*Get to know Shannon a bit more*
What were your favourite childhood hobbies?
My favourite childhood hobbies were sports, cooking, and crafts.
What was your favourite childhood book or movie?
Growing up I loved Disney films, so much so there were a few where I knew all the lyrics to every song!
What do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
The most important qualities I look for in childcare workers are adaptability, patience, communication, and general positive regard for people.
What is your favourite thing about working with children?
My favourite thing about working with children is the opportunity to supportively challenge their self-view.
How much experience do you have working in childcare?
I grew up in a family as one of the eldest of 16 cousins, on my mother's side alone! I have worked as a babysitter, tutor, swim coach, lunchroom aide, camp counsellor, outdoor guide, and childcare manager. I am also lucky enough to have travelled, getting to work with children from different countries and different cultures!
What's the most rewarding moment you've had as a childcare provider?
I have no set best moment with children...I have a number of amazing memories that helped me laugh, smile, and stay fulfilled and fueled.
What's your favourite animal?
My most favourite animal would be a cross between a wolf (for its loyalty, survival skills, and playfulness) and a panther (from lounging on tree branches to running and chasing and jumping)
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Sarah Jachimowicz
Out of school care leader
This is Sarah’s first year with Braefoot community association and she is so excited about what this year has to offer! Sarah is 23 years old and is working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Victoria. She studies psychology and will be graduating in the spring of 2024!
Sarah loves cooking and has been a vegan for 6 years. Her favourite thing to do is making any kind of art. Sarah is looking forward to sharing that hobby with the children!
*Get to know Sarah a bit more*
What were your favourite childhood hobbies?
I did ballet and jazz dancing, from ages 6 to 16!
What was your favourite childhood book or movie?
My favourite childhood books were the Berenstain bears books.
What do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
Patience and empathy, so that you can really be there for the kids and tend to their needs!
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
I would be princess peach because I love her pink dress!
What's the most rewarding moment you've had as a childcare provider?
The most rewarding moment I have had working with children is when the child I nannied for told me I was her favourite caretaker!
What's your favourite animal?
Unicorn!
Cecilia Davies-Stevenson
Out of school care leader
Cecilia Is 21 years of age, She has worked professionally with children for the past couple of years in summer camps, and this is her first year working as an Out of School Care Leader! Cecilia went to college straight out of High School and after two years received a Film Production Diploma from Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario. After completing that, She moved to Victoria with her family to attend UVIC. She is currently in her second year majoring in Greek and Roman Studies and minoring in Creative Writing. In Her free time, She loves to read, write and watch shows or movies.
*Get to know Cecilia a bit more*
What were your favourite childhood hobbies?
Growing up, I loved to roleplay stories on the playground with my friends, and also create stories with my toys. I also loved to colour, play Pokemon on my DS, and read as many stories as I could!
What was your favourite childhood book or movie?
How To Train Your Dragon. Not only was it my favourite childhood movie, but it still remains my top movie of all time to this day.
What do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
I would say someone who can recognize that not everything is what it might seem. If children are fighting, there are always multiple sides to a story. Also, not all children communicate the same, and every child has different wants and needs, and they should always be respected. Every child is a human being at the end of the day, and they deserve the respect to be treated as such.
What is your favourite thing about working with children?
Definitely the creativity that only a child has. I'm also honoured when a child lets me into the world that they've created in their head which is unique to them. Children are so creative it always leaves me in awe!
How much experience do you have working in childcare?
When I was a teenager, I obtained my babysitting certificate and I did some babysitting. I also volunteered at the end of middle school and the first two years of high school at a couple of summer camps. More recently, for the past two summers, I have been a Camp Leader. I worked at Camp Pringle last summer, and I ran the Greek Olympics Camp this summer.
What's your favourite game to play with kids and why?
Definitely either Musical Chairs or Mafia. My favourite part about Mafia is the creativity and all the fun versions that I and the children come up with to make the game entertaining!
What's the most rewarding moment you've had as a childcare provider?
I'd say one of the most rewarding things for me is the bonds that I end up creating with the children. Nothing is more fulfilling when you greet a child at the beginning of the day and they're excited to be with you.
What's your favourite animal?
my favourite animals are wolves and cats.
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Marilou L. Saavedra
Out of school care leader
Marilou is originally from The Philippines and is 47 years old. Her hobbies include cooking for Her and her husband as well as video chatting with her family in the Philippines. She also enjoys doing TikTok videos where she dances for fun and posts them on her Facebook reels. She enjoys doing this because her friends and family members frequently interact with her on the videos, which alleviates the homesickness here in Canada.
One of her interests is working with children, which is why she pursued a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education as an undergraduate degree in the Philippines. Prior to moving to Canada Marilou worked as an educator for the Blossom Nursery Group in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose main mission is to support Early Years Education in the UAE. Marilou currently has ten years of experience working in childcare, and working with her coworkers, the children, and their parents has helped her grow as an educator and as an individual. Marilou is looking forward to continuously improving her competencies and work ethic as she passionately strives to provide quality childcare to students here in Canada.
*Get to know Marilou a bit more*
What were your favorite childhood hobbies?
As a child, my favorite hobby was eating the snacks that my mother made for me, which is why I was quite chubby during my childhood days.
What was your favorite childhood book or movie?
My favorite childhood books and movies were Cinderella and the Little Red Riding Hood. I really loved fairy tales as a child and even up until now and these two are by far my
favorites.
What do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
In my opinion, the most important quality for someone working in childcare is patience because children can be stubborn sometimes so it requires a lot of patience and understanding to deal with them on both the professional and personal level.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
I want to be Cinderella because, as I’ve mentioned in the previous question, the story of Cinderella was one of my favorite childhood stories and I just love how pure she is despite living in the cruelty of her stepmother and stepsisters.
What is your favorite thing about working with children?
It is when the children start opening up to you on a personal level and they see you as someone important to them. Then, I also appreciate when the parents connect with me and thank me for being an important person to their children, who is there to guide them and instill essential knowledge in them.
How much experience do you have working in childcare?
Overall, I currently have 10 years of experience working in childcare. My most recent
previous experience was as an educator for the Blossom Nursery Group in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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GINI
Daycare Teacher
*Get to know Gini a bit more*
What were your favorite childhood hobbies?
Reading books and swimming!
What was your favorite childhood book or movie?
Anne of Green Gables!
WHat do you consider to be the most important quality for someone working in childcare?
Loving and caring mind towards kids!
If you could be a fictional character, who would you be and why?
Sherlock Holmes, I dont think there is anyone smarter or more creative than Sherlock.
What is your favorite thing about working with children?
I really love reading books to children!
How much experience do you have working with children?
1 Year.