Our dedicated teachers

Jessica Pille is our lead teacher in the 3-year-old classroom. She has been at Messiah for 6 years. She has experience in the 2-year-old program and the 3-year-old program.

She earned her Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) and attended several additional courses to obtain her Staff Credential. Teaching has always been her passion and she enjoys being in the classroom.

She feels so thankful to have been given this opportunity to help children grow. She feels, there is no greater joy than watching students enter your classroom and flourish throughout the year. She loves to see their personalities blossom.  What a privilege to encourage them to make friends, thrive, and share the love of Jesus.

Laura Brown is our teacher in the VPK classroom.

She is originally from North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Elementary Education and a concentration in Spanish. She spent 5 years teaching 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade before moving to Florida. In addition to working at Messiah Lutheran, she also tutors elementary and middle school students.

Laura sees every day is an adventure and is so excited to see the children learn new skills and develop their problem-solving abilities throughout the year. One of her favorite parts of the day is playing with the children during center time. In fact, one of her memorable adventures was constructing a cave made from blocks for the play dinosaurs and creating food for them all made from Legos!

Diane Maritato is our assistant teacher in the three-year-old classrom. She spent 15 years as the Lead VPK teacher, retired for a few years to enjoy time with her family and grandchildren. We feel blessed that she is working with us again as she brings so much experience to the classroom. She loves working with children and helping them grow both academically and in their faith.

Trent Carnathan is an Assistant Teacher in the two-year-old classroom. She graduated from Florida State University in 2011 and spent two years working as a preschool teacher in Tampa before teaching Elementary Art in the public school system. She holds valid Florida Teaching Certificates in Preschool (Birth-Age 4) and Art K-12.

Trent believes strongly in learning through play, and that children are most likely to succeed in environments filled with trust, respect, and care.

Outside of school she loves spending time with her large extended family and pets. She enjoys reading, camping, and working on various art projects.

This is her first year teaching at Messiah, after a year of being involved as a parent.