MARY JOHNSON CHILDREN'S CENTER
Early Childhood
Rumble Buffins
Emily Brinkman
Hello! My name is Emily Brinkman and I live in Brandon Vt with my partner Cody. I grew up in Addison and moved further south about a year ago. Although I do not have a dog, I consider my parents' dog, Daisy, part mine.
I graduated from high school in 2020 and then started nursing school at Castleton upon graduating. After a few semesters I switched from nursing to Early childhood education and began working at Mary Johnson soon after. I am now working toward my Associates Degree at CCV for Early Ed.
Hayley Bromley
Hi! I’m Hayley, I’ve been working in childcare for 2 years. I went to Mt. Abe high school and attended the Human Services program at the Hannaford Career Center where I learned about brain development starting at birth and earned my fundamentals training and 12 college credits in Early Childhood Education. I plan to continue to build upon my education and work towards a degree in Early Childhood Education. Outside of work and school, I live in Starksboro with my parents, 3 brothers, and many pets. I enjoy being outside with my dogs and spending quality time with family and friends.
Angela Dupoise
Hi! My name is Angela Dupoise. I am going into my second full year at Mary Johnson Children’s Center. I live in New Haven with my boyfriend Collin and kittens Loki and Nala. I graduated from Castleton University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a concentration in Mathematics and a Minor in Music. I am currently obtaining a Teaching License for Early Childhood Education through the Vermont Agency of Education. I have been working with children since 2014 when I started working with school-age children, and in 2018 I started working in the field of Early Childhood. In the last year I investigated in greater depth my understanding of the Reggio Emilia Approach and how to bring it into my classroom. In June of 2025 I traveled to Boulder, Colorado with a co-worker from Mary Johnson to strengthen my knowledge and understanding, while collaborating with other early childhood educators and visiting Boulder Journey School, a fully Reggio Inspired School. This year I strive to create a classroom that supports children’s learning and exploration through the Reggio Emilia Approach. In my free time I enjoy traveling, spending time at the lake, going to the beach, soaking up the sun by the pool, reading, gardening, and tending to my house plants! I absolutely love spending time with my family and friends creating lasting memories.
Caspia
Mallory Brace
Coming Soon!
Natalie Chase
Hi, my name is Natalie and I am a teacher here at Mary Johnson. I have been with MJCC since the beginning of May and this will be my first full school year teaching!
I have lived in VT my entire life and live on a small farm that includes a horse, goats, chickens and ducks. I will also be starting my Sophomore year of college doing online courses at Champlain college for my associate’s degree in business management.
Lisa Stewart
My name is Lisa Stewart I have been working at MJCC since April 2021. I live in Brandon with My partner Luke and our cat Scout. I love to garden and preserve what we grow. I am an avid amateur photographer and fisher. Music is a big part of my life and while I don't play an instrument, or sing very well, I like to call myself a professional listener; I will listen to everything and anything I can get my hands on.
While in high school I worked in a preschool, then went on to work at Head Start in Brandon, and as a nanny. I took a break from working with children for a while to work as an in home caregiver. I spent several years taking care of a quadriplegic as well as working on his farm. That was always a lot of fun, I learned a lot about farming, taking care of somebody, and how to listen. I then went on to Hospice and palliative care for the elderly. For the past couple of years, I've been working at Killington Daycare at their ski school. I worked mostly with two and three year old’s, and I got to meet children from all over the world which was a real joy. I am so excited for the opportunity to work and learn from everyone here a MJCC.
Narnia
Ashley Barnes
Hello! My name is Ashley Barnes, I am new to the Rumblebuffins this school year. I live in Rutland and I have worked in childcare since 2005. I have a Bachelor of Science in Human Services: Family and Community Counseling. I love working with children because I love watching them grow and learn while interacting with their peers. I love being an aunt and some other things that I love are the color purple, butterflies, sunflowers, and basketball.
Lisa Hudson
I live in Pittsford with my husband David and our 3 children Luke, James and Fiona, all who have or are currently attending Mary Johnson. I enjoy taking nature walks, cooking, working with clay and exploring science. I have been working with children of varying ages for 15+ years. I have completed the VT Childcare apprenticeship program and continue to work towards my degree. I have been at Mary Johnson as a Narnian teacher since 2014. If you ask any child that has been in my classroom what Lisa does all day, the answer might be “She makes messes” and it would not be far from the truth. I cannot wait to spend another year here at MJCC (seriously!) and to continue to gain knowledge from my colleagues as well as getting to know all of my students and their families.
Katelyn Williams
Hi! My name is Katelyn. I grew up in Addison County, and after being away for a little while, I found my way back to Ripton with my two cats, Chandler and Colby.
I am currently working towards my Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Business Administration. I have been working in childcare for five years at various childcare centers, working with multiple ages. In doing this, I found my passion for working with young children. I really enjoy that as an educator you can slow down and enjoy the little things as you look at the world through a child’s eyes.
In my free time, I enjoy being outside and spending time with my friends and family. I also spend a lot of time helping my dad with his racecar. I really enjoy watching children grow and learn through interactions with their peers, and can’t wait to begin my journey here at Mary Johnson!
Dawntreaders
Audrey Ells-Payne
My name is Audrey Ells-Payne. I was born and raised in Vermont. Vermont’s culture, values, environment, and education system have kept me here to raise my own child. I have been working with children all of my adult life, primarily in elementary schools. A large focus of my experience lies in behavior intervention and trauma informed care. While pregnant with my daughter I completed a post baccalaureate program and obtained my teaching license. I have always found the most joy and reward in early intervention and decided to join the MJCC community. The child-centered, relationship-driven, and outdoor focused program is a great fit for both myself and my daughter. When not at school I enjoy being outdoors, music, gardening, reading, and creative construction and craft projects.
Sue Hall
Hi, my name is Sue and I am a teacher in the Dawn Treader classroom. I have worked at Mary Johnson for over half of my life, which is over 30 years! I hold a CDA (Child Development Associate certificate).
I live in Salisbury and have been for many years. I have 4 adult children, 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. I also have 3 cats whom I adore. I spend my free time visiting my family, cleaning my house, loving up my cats and watching movies on Netflix.
Christina Simpson
My name is Christina Simpson and this is my first year at Mary Johnson and my fifth-year teaching. Previously, I worked at a Head Start program in Saratoga County, NY. I also received my master’s degree in early childhood education this past May. I currently live in Crown Point, NY and I am happy to be living in my hometown again. I am passionate about providing safe, engaging, and welcoming spaces and care for young children, and I’m eager to build relationships with new children and families!
Thunder Dragons
Anna Cavazos
Hi! My name is Anna and I am excited to join the Narnia Team. After graduating from the University of Vermont’s Early Childhood Program, I taught 1st and 2nd grade for 3 years at Bridport Central School and then taught Preschool at the Head Start Program. I am excited to continue my journey in Early Ed. here at Mary Johnson. I am very passionate about my work with young children and love being able to be a part of their journey and watch the world around them unfold.
I live in Bristol with my husband, Tyler, daughter, Cecilia (Cece), who is 6 months old, and our beloved pup Jaxon. In our free time we love being outside and spending time with our family.
Marie Jones
Coming Soon!
Shannon Whalen
Hi! My name is Shannon Whalen! This is my second year at Mary Johnson. This is my seventh year in Early Education. I have taught Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade! I have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Education Pre-K through Fourth Grade. I graduated from Immaculata University. I am currently working on obtaining my Vermont teaching license. My teaching philosophy centers around creating a warm, inclusive classroom where children feel safe to explore, ask questions and express themselves. Some things about me, I recently got engaged and moved to Vermont! I am getting married in May, at Lake Bomoseen Lodge! I moved from the Philly area, so GO BIRDS! We are wedding planning, that's my main hobby for the moment but typically I love to craft, go for walks, read, and cook. I believe that strong partnerships with families are the key to a child’s success, I look forward to building that connection with you! Thank you for trusting me with your child’s early years of learning - it is truly a privilege.
Center Wide Teachers
Morgan Brown
My name is Morgan Brown; I am starting my sixth year here at Mary Johnson and my eleventh year working in childcare. I live in Middlebury with my partner Jared and our two daughters Brynley who is seven and Leah who is one. We enjoy camping and going to Maine during the summer. During the winter and spring, we enjoy making maple syrup and recently built a sugar house on our property that will be operational this coming season. I am looking forward to being a center teacher this year and exploring side by side with all of the classrooms!
Erica Alger
Hi! My name is Erica. I live in Salisbury with my partner Cory and our three children, Carter who is 15, Daniel who is 7, and Willa who is 5. Both Willa and Daniel attended the East Middlebury Co-op location for preschool. In my free time I enjoy caring for my flock of backyard chickens, spending time with family, and traveling (especially to Disney World).
This will be my first year with Mary Johnson. For the last five years I have been home full time caring for my family as well as my three nieces. Now that they are all in school full time, I am excited to be joining Mary Johnson as a Center Wide Teacher working with all the classrooms.