About me

Hello Families,

My name is Marissa! Growing up in Connecticut my younger sister and I spent most of our days exploring in the woods. My passion for people began in high school when I volunteered for the Big Brother Big Sister program in my local community. This experience led me to pursue my Bachelors in Psychology at the University of South Florida. Following my studies at USF, I explored ways to gain experience in education whilst traveling the world and learning about different countries. For six months I worked toward a TEFL certificate and worked as an English Teacher throughout Vietnam.

Throughout high school and college I was a part-time nanny, babysitter, and daycare worker for children between 0-12 years old. Upon coming home from Vietnam I began working as a Behavior Therapist in the school setting. For the past five years I have been worked in special education with grades pre-K through post-secondary school. Many of the learners I have supported required behavioral management and 1:1 supports both in and outside of the classroom. My experience has allowed me to successfully create and implement systems to support behavioral growth and ensure children's success through individualized plans. In addition, I have had the joy of working with a wonderful family with two children for the past year. We have enjoyed cooking meals together, park outings, and building independent play and social skills during our time together thus far.

From a young age I knew that I would want to devote my career to working with children and families. Since working in Special Education I have developed a set of skills that expand beyond the classroom. I believe in using positive teaching methods to build children's independence and building learning opportunities into everyday moments. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to learn about and grow with your family!