Bonnie was born and raised in Creston, Iowa. She has always had a big desire to do all she could to make a difference in the lives of children. 

Bonnie spent 25-plus years doing child abuse prevention work. From an early home visitation project to serving eight years on the Prevent Child Abuse Iowa Board and six years on the Iowa Respite and Crisis Care Board, she has always aimed to better the lives of children.

Bonnie dearly loves being a cheerleader for Parent Educators. She is honored to be welcomed into the family's homes and lives. Bonnie is grateful for the opportunity to contribute positively to both the parents and children's day to day experiences. She has always felt that all parents (including myself) want to do the very best job possible of parenting.

Danielle joined The Short Years Partnership as a parent educator in May of 2018, and loves it! She finds it a joy to meet and work with families while helping guide and observe the development of their children. Prior to becoming a parent educator, Danielle taught kindergarten and first grade for 20 years. She graduated from Morningside College with degrees in early childhood and elementary education.

​

 In addition to her teaching experience, Danielle learned about children through foster parenting, adopting, and her own children.

​

Born and raised in Iowa, Danielle calls Lake Panorama home. In her spare time, she enjoys boating, driving her ’66 Ford Mustang, spending time with family, attending concerts and musicals, cheering for the Iowa State Cyclones, and traveling.

Sami has lived in rural Madison County nearly all her life. She and her husband are blessed to be raising their three sweet and energetic boys close to where she grew up.

​

Sami's professional background includes teaching special education and third grade for 6 years. She spent the last 11 years as a stay-at-home mom during which time she was also a substitute teacher and reading tutor.

​

Parents  As Teachers benefited Sami's family when her boys were younger and she is now excited to be a PAT educator herself and partner with families on this exciting adventure called “parenting”!

​

Sami currently spends much of her time supporting her children's extra-curricular activities and volunteering at school and church. When she has “free” time, she enjoys photography, shopping, and catching up  with family and friends.

Deb is a born and raised Iowa girl. She and her husband have two grown children and she has always loved being around kids. 

In her younger years, Deb spent many hours babysitting and teaching swimming lessons.  During her career, Deb was a Para-Educator in a preschool, a Lead Teacher in a daycare, and most recently, a Nanny. 

Deb joined Parents As Teachers as a Parent Educator in May  2019. She enjoys meeting new families and helping them in any way she can. 

In her free time, Deb enjoys reading, crafting, traveling, spending time with my family, and playing with her dogs.

Ricki joined Parents as Teachers in July of 2020.  Joining Parents as Teachers has been a blessing that has allowed her to continue to fuel herpassion for working with children and families in a new and exciting way. 

Ricki originally began her professional career in corporate America.  Upon having little ones of my own she realized her true passion and desire to work with children and exited the corporate world to open her home to other working parents and their children for the next 12 years. 

Ricki is a long-time resident of Warren County, Iowa, was born and raised in Indianola, and now proudly calls Norwalk home.  She and her husband have been blessed with three amazing children. In their free time, they enjoy cycling, boating, traveling, and spending time with their children and pups. 

Khulud was born and raised in Iraq where she grew up in a large extended family enjoying time with my many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She graduated from the University of Baghdad, Department of Business Administration and then owned a computer office store.

Khulud moved to Iowa in 2009 with her husband and young sons. Since being in the US, Khulud volunteered and worked as a translator for schools, hospitals,  or anyone who needed assistance.

​

She finds it a joy working as a Parent Educator, especially the opportunity to serve families by communicating in their language, understanding their needs, supporting them, and helping their children prepare for school.   

During her free time, Khulud enjoys spending time with her family, painting, and the newest member of their family, a British Shorthair kitten. 

Laura was born and raised in Mexico. She received a Bachelor's degree in Accounting at Tecnologico de Monterrey. Before moving to Des Moines in 2021, she lived in Dallas, Texas for almost 20 years which is where she and her husband started raising their three daughters.

Laura’s corporate work experience is in Human Resources and Finance. However, she has always loved being around kids. While living in Dallas she was a teacher at Spanish School House, where she taught young children in Spanish.

Laura joined Parents as Teachers as a parent educator in November of 2022. She enjoys getting to connect with new families and aiding with the language barrier. As an immigrant herself, she knows the struggle of raising children in a foreign country.

In her free time, Laura loves running, painting, and spending time with her family, which includes their golden doodle, Molly.