MKU Hutto Team

Meet Our Team

Montessori Kids Universe Hutto recognizes that our caring, dedicated teachers are what makes our school so valuable. MKU Hutto recruits and maintains a high-quality staff through an intensive selection and vetting process. We provide on-going professional development and growth opportunities within our school, and foster a healthy work environment for our employees. Meet the most important aspect of our school: Our quality teaching staff!

Dr. Lubna R Shah

Owner / President

Dr. Shah holds a PhD degree in Physics from University of Delaware, USA. Her research work published in internationally acknowledged journals was cited by physicists from all over the world. Dr. Shah has more than 8 years of professional experience in the fast-paced semiconducting industry both as process Engineer as well as Project Manager, her project management skills were recognized with multiple Director and Divisional level awards.
Dr. Shah always stayed involved in mentoring activities, training and developing new hires and guiding their career growth. During corporate based community outreach programs, Dr. Shah had the opportunity to visit elementary schools. While conducting teaching and mentoring activities, Dr. Shah discovered her passion for early childhood education. Those pure moments of seeing sparkles of joy in children’s eyes while observing a science activity inspired Dr. Shah and she dreamed about transitioning her career from semiconducting into an early childhood education. Dr. Shah’s own childhood experience, where her parents inbuilt in her grit for higher education, helped her overcome all roadblocks and reach her goals, the same power of grit again made her career transition even smoother than she expected.
Dr. Shah has always been an admirer of Dr. Maria Montessori’s authentic philosophy about learning that is applicable to all ages and is based on the key principles of respect, independence and observation. With opening the doors of the Montessori Kids Universe of Hutto to the community, Dr. Shah and her husband Dr. Ali have envisioned a facility where children who start their early developmental years get encouragement and guidance to develop intrinsic motivation for learning, education and self-development.
Dr. Shah’s goal is that the Montessori Kids Universe of Hutto establishes a solid learning foundation in these young ones so that they are set on a path of continuous growth and become future problem solvers, self-sustained contributing members of the community.
In her free time, Dr. Shah enjoys hiking, playing board games and spending time with her family and children. Here at Montessori Kids Universe of Hutto, Dr. Shah loves spending time with infants/toddlers/Pre-primary reading them books and performing STEM activities with Primary and school-agers.

Qualifications:

– PhD, Physics (Spintronics) – University of Delaware, USA
-Work Smart Certifications Bronze and Silver
-Self-Leadership Certification
-Infant & Child CPR/First Aid

Loree Hill

School Director

With 30 years of dedicated experience in early childhood education, I have had the privilege of watching countless children blossom into their full potential. Beginning my career as a lead teacher in the toddler environment, I quickly discovered my passion for fostering young minds and supporting their growth through the Montessori philosophy. Over the past decade, I have taken on the role of Director at various schools, where I have honed my leadership skills and continued to advocate for high-quality education.
My journey in early childhood education is driven by a deep love for nurturing curiosity and independence in young learners. I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to explore and discover the world around them in a supportive and enriching environment. The Montessori method, with its emphasis on hands-on learning and self-directed activity, aligns perfectly with my educational philosophy.
I look forward to continuing this journey at Montessori Kids Universe Hutto, where I am excited to contribute to a community dedicated to empowering children through the Montessori approach.
Outside of my professional life, I am an avid outdoor enthusiast. I enjoy activities such as fishing, hiking, time at the beach and kayaking, which allow me to connect with nature and rejuvenate my spirit. Spending time with family and friends is a cornerstone of my personal life, and I cherish moments shared with loved ones, including my grown children, grandchildren and two dogs. Cooking is another passion of mine, providing a creative outlet and a way to bring people together.
My commitment to early childhood education and my diverse interests outside of work create a balanced and fulfilling life, dedicated to continuous learning and growth, both personally and professionally.

Ms. Makayla K.

Administrative Assistant

Ms. Makayla is originally from Austin Tx. She is the oldest in a big family and always loved helping with the children in her family. Ms. Makayla has two dogs and spends most of her time outside or at the park with her family. Ms. Makayla has 4 years of customer service experience but even as a child her goal was to pursue a career working and helping children!

Qualifications:

-Infant & Child CPR/First Aid -Montessori Certification for ages 0-3 in progress from MKUIT

Ms. Mitali M.

Lead Primary Guide

I’m Mitali. I was born in India, near Calcutta in the state of Bengal. I got married right after High School. My husband is a Computer Engineer and together we have a son. He is quite grown up now. We came to the US in the year 1998. I was mostly a stay at home mom until my son finished his post-graduation. He is now employed at a senior position in a fortune 500 company.

While my son had been a student, I didn’t have many opportunities in teaching and managing a group of children, though I always had the knack. After my son got employed, I took some conventional child development courses and joined a preschool with an inclination towards teaching with Montessori methods. I loved the way the children learn from their surroundings almost by themselves doing something which interests them using the methods. At the first opportunity, I got enrolled in a Montessori Training course organized by American Montessori Society and became a certified Montessori teacher in 2014.

As a teacher, these are the strengths which I feel I have:

  1. Love for children and enjoy interacting with them
  2. Compassionate and patient. I am not easily ruffled.
  3. Extremely punctual, orderly and honest.
  4. I will go above and beyond to assist children in all areas of instructional needs.

Qualifications:

-Infant & Child CPR/First Aid -Montessori Certification for 3-6 from American Montessori Society -Trilingual: Bengali & Hindi

Ms. Patty C.

Infant Lead Guide

Ms. Patty C. was born in Lima-Peru. She has worked with children since coming to this country, almost 32 years ago. She has worked in Montessori & Reggio Emilia schools in New York, Maryland and Florida. In Florida she was also a nanny to a special needs’ girl. She’s been happily married for 32 years and blessed with 4 children and 3 grand-kids. During her free time, she also serves at Juan Guzman Foundation and helps Children in need. Children are her passion!!

Qualifications:

-Infant & Child CPR/First Aid
-Bilingual: Spanish
-Over 32 years of experience working with children
-DCF Florida Childcare Certification
-Montessori Certification for ages 0-3 in progress from MKUIT

Ms. Jennifer

Pre-Primary Lead

Ms. Katelynn

Admin Assistant

Ms. Khadija

Toddlers Lead

Ms. Lenna

Pre-Primary Lead