Meet Mrs. Bonica

I was first inspired to teach preschool through my experiences in the Child Services program as a Hillsboro High School student in the early 2000's. Supporting preschoolers in learning about the world was (and is) truly inspiring. This set me on a path to pursue Early Childhood Education at Linfield University where I graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education and a teaching license. From there I owned and operated Wonder World Preschool in Hillsboro for eight years until the uncertainty of Covid caused me to close. However, my passion for understanding how learning happens and how to set up accessible learning contexts for all led me to pursue further education at University of Portland where I earned a Master's in Education in the field of Neuroeducation. Neuroeducation combines research from Linguistics, Psychology, and Neuroscience to form a more complete understanding of learning in the human brain. During this time I got to teach and lead by example in a lab preschool where high schoolers practiced applying their skills in my preschool classroom. This was a full circle moment for me to mentor high school students, who much like me many years before, were beginning to see themselves as teachers. 

I am excited to curate a preschool where I blend my formal learning and real-life experiences to create a unique child-centered, nature based preschool, where children gather & grow!