Meet the Staff
Rebecca Gonzalez - Owner/Executive Director
Rebecca Gonzalez has spent her teaching career in preschool classrooms and loves the innocence of children and their pure passion and joy of learning. What keeps her happily coming back year after year is a genuine love of watching children discover, learn, and interact with one another, while knowing that teachers have the ability to touch many lives of children and adults at the same time in different ways.
Rebecca received her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from DePaul University, her Master’s in Child Development from the renowned Erikson Institute, and her ESL Endorsement from National Louis University. She is also a proud National Board Certified Teacher. Before opening up Bucktown Academy, Rebecca taught at Burr Elementary for six years after spending six years teaching in the tuition-based Preschool program at Oscar Mayer. Rebecca believes that every child has a natural curiosity that invites them to explore the world around them. This belief is clearly demonstrated in her loving, warm, and welcoming school.
After twelve years of teaching in the Chicago Public School system, Rebecca decided to follow her life-long dream of opening up her own preschool, where children have a safe place to learn without the stress of high-stakes assessments and developmentally inappropriate practices. In the fall of 2014, this dream came true when Bucktown Academy opened its doors.
When Rebecca is not teaching, she spends time with her adorable sons and her CPS-teacher husband, practices yoga, enjoys running, reading, and traveling. She’s also passionate about animals and cares for three adopted cats of her own.
Rachel Hilbert - Director of Operations and Extended Care Teacher
Rachel Hilbert recently returned to Bucktown Academy as a director, after teaching in Chicago Public Schools for six years. She is thrilled to be back in the school where she started her teaching career as an Assistant Teacher from 2014-2016. After receiving her B.A. in Philosophy, Psychology, and Physiology from Oxford University, Rachel had a short career as a research scientist before discovering her true passion was working in Early Childhood. She has her Masters in Early Childhood Development from Erikson Institute, and holds a Professional Educators License with endorsements in Early Childhood Education as well as Early Childhood Special Education.
In her spare time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her cat Gracie, and spends her holidays on long distance backpacking trips.
Stephanie Guaman - Lead Teacher, Sprouts and Extended Care
Stephanie Guaman has been a part of the Bucktown Academy community for many years! Starting off as an Assistant Teacher in the Saplings classroom and later becoming the Lead Teacher in the Sprouts classroom. Stephanie graduated from Dominican University with a B.A. in English Literature and has her Early Childhood Certification from Harold Washington College.
Stephanie has made it her goal to create a warm and nurturing classroom where children can develop a love for learning. Inspired by her students’ curiosity, Stephanie creates teachable moments that are guided by each child’s unique exploration of the world around them.
In her free time, she enjoys going on nature walks with her dog, Nana, and her fiancé.
Rachel Schaller- Lead Teacher, Saplings
Rachel Schaller graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Biology and also has a Masters in Education in Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University. She has been working in the early childhood field for 8 years and has a love for working with preschool age children in particular. In her classroom, Rachel strives to create a warm, nurturing environment where every child feels valued and encouraged to explore their curiosity. She believes that early childhood is a crucial time for developing a love for learning, and aims to provide a balance of structured activities and play based learning to support all areas of development. Rachel is particularly excited about Bucktown Academy’s affinity for nature based learning and is thrilled to be a guide in their explorations as they learn about the world around them.
Nancy Alvarez - Teacher Assistant, Sprouts
Nancy Alvarez has almost 10 years of childcare experience in the Chicago area. She holds a Child Development Associate Credential, and has worked as a teacher assistant as well as a head teacher. She also has experience as a home caregiver for senior citizens. Nancy’s favorite thing to do is play and interact with children.
Nancy enjoys spending time with her two daughters, who perform traditional Mexican folkloric dance.
Lily Kizirnis - Teacher Assistant, Extended Care
Lily Kizirnis is currently pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education from Harold Washington College. She has previous lead teacher experience and has worked with young children for a number of years as a tutor and nanny. Ms. Kizirnis enjoys printmaking and is an expert at creating art activities for the students in our Extended Care program.
Lily moved to Chicago from Ohio 3 years ago, and in her spare time she volunteers with PAWS as a dog walker.
Lili Galluzzo - Teacher Assistant, Saplings
Lili Galluzzo has a long background of acting, appearing in productions both in Seattle and in and around the Chicago Area. She has her BFA in Musical Theater from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and is currently working towards her Master’s in Arts Administration at Roosevelt University. Lili also has worked extensively with children, teaching after school theater classes as well as performing as a princess with Royal Princess Parties.
In her spare time, Lili enjoys working on crochet projects, and loves to picnic by the lake.
Azalia Jordan - Teacher Assistant, Saplings
Azalia Jordan is currently pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education at Harold Washington College. She is dedicated to inspiring children to have a positive outlook on education from an early age and continuing to encourage them to seek more knowledge as they grow older. Ms. Jordan loves to play and interact with the preschoolers in our Saplings classroom!
In her spare time, Azalia loves to bake, and specializes in making pastries!
Jacky Nuñez - Teacher Assistant, Sprouts
Jacky Nuñez has been working in Childcare for several years, most recently with 3 years at the same center. She holds a certificate in Child Development Preschool Education and is working towards her degree in Early Childhood Education at Harold Washington College. Ms. Nuñez is excited to build her experience working with 2 year old students in our Sprouts classroom, and loves building and doing puzzles with children.
Outside of work and school, Jacky loves to go on long walks in different neighborhoods of Chicago.