Meet Our Staff

My name is Tressa Mendoza and I am so excited to introduce my family business to the community. We are a licensed preschool and infant center serving families with children aged 6 months up to 5 years old. Our mission is to enhance families’ work-life balance and promote high-quality education for our young learners. Creating a community where families have a place to call their second home is a vision that I have always had. As a preschool teacher for over 15 years and a mother of two, I wanted to continue my passion for teaching while keeping my kids close to ensure their happiness and development which led me to creating The Knolls Learning Studio. Their exposure to the outdoors, art, and the connections they make with friends and teachers are so incredibly important. I am determined that all Knolls students receive this same enrichment and give parents a feeling of relief and content knowing their child is safe and living their best life at The Knolls. 

Our school is a place where community is valued, and collaboration between parents and educators is integrated into these amazing programs that promote child-driven learning and outdoor education. Parent involvement is essential to every child’s success, and we want parents to be a part of their child’s learning experience, as a Reggio-inspired practice, relationships are at the very core of this school. We believe that every child is capable, competent, and creative and we strive to nurture children’s natural curiosities of the world and love for learning.

We welcome families to come and experience with their children and connect with other Knolls families, building a special community that we can all call our second home. From my family to yours, we welcome you to take your tour and get inspired!

Hello Families,

My name is Ms Debbie, and I am the lead infant/toddler teacher at the Knolls. My passion for working with children began when I was a teen when I started my own neighborhood babysitting job. I remember my dad saying I looked like the Pied Piper because children loved following me. During these years, I worked in my high school preschool center which furthered my love for teaching. My life goal has always been to be a mom and a teacher. After graduating high school, I started nannying while attending junior college and taking child development classes. After becoming a mother, I continued my education while balancing being a single parent and obtaining my Master’s Degree in Human Development. Caring and teaching alongside children has always come naturally to me and has brought me so much joy. Most days, if you don’t find me with a child in my arms, I may be hosting a game night, lounging by the pool, and reading a good mystery book while cuddling my fur children. I am looking forward to meeting you and your little one and encouraging their learning and growth in The Daisy room.

Hello everyone, my name is Ms. Jen, and I am the lead Teacher in the Infant room. My passion for child development started in high school where I took my first class my senior year. I went onto working at the YMCA as a camp counselor and eventually started running the after school program and camps. I went back to school and studied child development, with my emphasis on infants and toddlers. I find it amazing, every day, to watch the world through their eyes. I have been educating infants and toddlers over the past 25 years with the exception of the time I took off to start my own family.

My husband is a chef, and we have 2 beautiful boys, Griffin and Ian. We have a crazy little poodle named Gary and most weekends you’ll find us at the baseball field! I love the color yellow, live music, sound baths, good food, flowers, plants and flowers catching court tv. The Knolls feels like my second home and I am so excited to meet you all and give you that same sense of comfort and balance for your family.

Hello my name is Ms. Lisa and I am the lead Teacher in the Tulip classroom and I am thrilled to be a part of the Knolls Learning Studio. I have over 30 years of experience with preschoolers and find myself learning more every day. I want to bring creativity, love, fun and self-confidence to the classroom so our little ones grow up to be magnificent, strong and happy human beings. I have a wonderful daughter who is in high school and if I’m not spending quality time with her I’m out enjoying nature or thrifting on the weekends. I consider myself an artistic individual, always crafting or painting to relax. I hope to offer inspiration and share my love of art with all of my students. I look forward to building meaningful relationships with every child in the Tulip room and am honored to be their Teacher and co-learner.

Hello everyone! My name is Jonnay Deleon. I am so excited to start this new journey with you all at The Knolls Learning Studio. Working with children for the past three years has sparked a passion of mine. I love that I get to learn, grow alongside them, and watch each child become their own individual. My goal is to build strong relationships with the children, families, and my team to make a fun and safe learning space. My passion for early childhood development led to my studies at Moorpark College, where I became a certified early childhood educator. I continue towards my degree in early childhood development and love every moment of it. This last year I had a baby girl named Echo and I am so excited for this new experience with her as she will be joining the Infant Program. Outside of work, we enjoy being outside, whether it’s swimming, going on hikes, or just enjoying some sunshine. So when we viewed The Knolls, I knew it would be a perfect match! I am looking forward to being a part of The Dandelion class and having the opportunity to create meaningful learning experiences and special memories.

Ms. Jonnay