Ella joined the teaching staff of Edmonds Montessori in January 2007. Born in the Philippines, she immigrated to Seattle in 1999 to be reunited with family hearing so many great things about the city  and even learning to embrace the frequent rain showers. Originally perusing a Dentistry degree back in the Philippines, she realized her passion to teach young children after taking numerous psychology and education classes at the UW. She discovered her love for Montessori after working as an assistant and a co-teacher at a Montessori school in Edmonds and decided to further her knowledge by acquiring an Early Childhood Education Degree and completing her Montessori Certification. Ella believes that all children can learn and thrive in a prepared learning environment that is stimulating, integrated, and has freedom within limits and she feels blessed to create an environment with hands on, meaningful activities that create an intellectually engaging and responsive atmosphere that both children and teachers would enjoy and learn from. In her spare time, Ella enjoys traveling with her husband and daughter.