About Us

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.

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.

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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.

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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”!

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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.

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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. 

Mariana was born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México, and was raised by her grandparents in a small town near the city. She has two children whom she loves and enjoys spending time with. Mariana studied Psychology but didn’t complete her degree, as she decided to move to Des Moines, Iowa, 19 years ago, which she now considers her second home.

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Throughout her career, Mariana has consistently worked in roles where she can help the community. For the past three years, she worked as a Spanish Interpreter at a high school, serving the Hispanic community. Now, she is excited to begin a new chapter as a Parent Educator, a role she is grateful for and is committed to giving her best effort.

In her free time, Mariana enjoys outdoor activities with her kids, especially anything related to nature and animals. She and her family also love visiting México for vacations and spending time with extended family.

Tracie’s passion in life has been to support children and families in central Iowa. After serving 20 years as a public schools special education teacher in Des Moines and surrounding suburbs, she is thrilled to have found the perfect career as a Parent Educator for Jasper County. She is committed to serving the individual needs of the families she works with; and understands how crucial the early years of a child’s development is, and the importance of parents being their child’s first teacher. 

Tracie lives at Holiday Lake in Brooklyn with her husband PJ, who is also a special education teacher.  They have 7 children ranging from age 5 to 17.  The kids keep them busy and they love spending time as a family doing all things outdoors-fishing, boating, swimming, and riding ATVs. 

Felicia was born and raised in Newton, Iowa and grew to find her passion in working with children. Graduating from University of Upper Iowa with a Human Services degree and Psychology Minor, Felicia has worked in a number of different fields with children including: Head Daycare Teacher, Shift Supervisor at ChildServe, and a Teacher Aide in a school setting. In 2021, Felicia came across Parents as Teachers, and she instantly fell in love with her role as a Parent Educator and the families she served.

After becoming a new mom in 2023, Felicia took time away from PAT to be a stay-at-home- mom to her daughter. Felicia is beyond excited to be back as a Parent Educator, serving both Jasper and Marion counties. 

During her free time, Felicia enjoys traveling, riding her bike, camping, boating, and spending time with her family and friends.

Jenn is a long-standing member of the Marion County community, residing proudly in Pleasantville. She married her high school sweetheart and they have four children. During her free time, Jenn enjoys attending her children's extracurricular activities, spending quality time with her family, and actively contributing to the community.  

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Her professional journey began in corporate America before she pursued her aspiration of being a stay-at-home parent. She later owned and operated a daycare before transitioning to a Paraprofessional in preschool. 

Keri has lived in Marion County nearly all her life. She married her husband, Josh, in 2008 after meeting in 2003 while both were on active duty in the army. They have two beautiful daughters, Rylie, 18, and Raegen, 16, and are very proud of their girls and all of their accomplishments.

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After her time in the army, she began working at a dialysis facility. When Josh was called to active duty in 2008, she decided to stay home with their daughters. She became state certified and earned her CDA, running her in-home childcare for 10 years before deciding to return to work. That’s when her journey with Parents as Teachers (P.A.T.) began. She worked with P.A.T. for four years at Marion County Public Health, then briefly returned to dialysis before realizing her passion was working with children. This led her to return to P.A.T., now with Short Years Partnership.

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In her free time, she enjoys camping, watching movies (especially The Notebook), fostering animals, and spending time with family and friends.