Toddler English Guide
Ms. Karina Velazquez earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2007 from Centro Superior de Pedagogia Mentor Mexicano in Tijuana, Mexico. During her last year of college, she began working as a preschool teacher in a traditional school. In 2010, she had the opportunity to get to know the Montessori philosophy in depth and began working as a Primary school assistant at Kinderhouse Montessori School. Attending a Montessori-prepared environment was when she fell in love with this unique way of learning. At that time, Ms. Karina decided to take the training to become a certified Montessori Guide at the FAMM training center in Buenos Aires, Argentina and earned an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Diploma to become an AMI Guide at the Fundacion Argentina Maria Montessori (FAMM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011 and began working as a Montessori Guide. During these years, different job opportunities presented themselves to Ms. Karina, including a lead position in a Spanish immersion Montessori Primary environment in Encinitas, CA. She also worked as a head Guide at Montessori Paolini, an authorized AMI Training Center run by Montessori Stoppani. Ms. Karina joined the team at La Jolla Montessori in April 2023. As the years went by, and having lived so many experiences with children from 3 to 6 years old, Ms. Karina decided to expand her knowledge and began her training to obtain an additional AMI certification to become a Montessori Guide for children from 0 to 3 years old. She is very excited about starting a new Toddler Class with children from 18 months to 3 years old at La Jolla Montessori School. With this additional education and training, she feels prepared to Guide children and families in this beautiful and fulfilling stage of life.
Born and raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Ms. Karina is the eldest of three children. She resided there with her parents until her marriage in August 2008. Eager to start a family, Ms. Karina welcomed her first child in 2012, followed by a second in 2016. Her oldest son attended Montessori school until 3rd grade and her youngest son completed all of his primary school years in a Montessori classroom. Ms. Karina fully trusts in the benefits that the Montessori philosophy provides. She believes that Montessori goes far beyond a prepared environment. For her, Montessori is a way of life and parenting where the specific needs of each human being are followed and respected.
In her free time, Karina finds immense joy in nurturing her children and tending to her home. Spending quality time with her family is her greatest source of energy. An active lifestyle keeps her fit, and she loves exploring the outdoors with her husband and children. Their adventures often include vacations, going to the beach, scenic hikes, walking in the woods and peaceful moments in nature. When indoors, Ms. Karina enjoys delving into books on human development and personal growth.
