Citlali Casillas, Director

Citlali Casillas is originally from México but has been in Telluride for 20 years and loves it! She graduated from Telluride High School and is now the Director of Telluride District Preschool. Citlali also teaches in the classroom as a Spanish co-teacher. She started working for the program in 2013. When she heard that the Director at the time was looking to start a bilingual program, she said, “I am in!” She loves working with young children because she believes in the importance of early education. To Citlali, early learning is the foundation for a child. And she loves being the children’s learning facilitator and helping them reach their full potential. Setting them up for success starts at a young age. What she most loves about children is their eagerness to learn new things, curiosity, energy, resilience, and uniqueness. 

Brittany Kohari, Preschool Teacher

Brittany Kohari has taught for 12 years, working in Grades Pre-K to 2nd. She is starting her fourth year as an English teacher at TDP. She enjoys working with children and their families especially observing the growth that children make over the year. It is exciting to see the pride children feel as they learn new things. 

Rosa Soto, Preschool Teacher

Rosa Soto has lived in Telluride for ten years and loves the town. She is very involved in the community. She believes being surrounded by nature, mountains, and waterfalls is healthy for anyone. Miss Rosa has been a Spanish Teacher with TDP for 5 years. Working with children is rewarding; children are full of good energy transmitted to those around them. Children act without malice; they react to their feelings; teaching them to label and manage their emotions is something she believes is important for their development.  

Gabriela Guerrero, Preschool Teacher

Gabriela Guerrero is a Spanish teacher at Telluride District Preschool. She graduated from Telluride High School and continued her education at Colorado Mesa University. Gabby has been a part of the Telluride District Preschool team for seven years. Working with children is so rewarding, and she loves that she can be a part of their learning, growth, and development. She aims to provide a welcoming, nurturing, and positive learning experience for all children. 

Jenny Shoup, Preschool Teacher

Jenny Shoup has lived in Telluride for over 24 years and worked at Telluride Mountain School and Telluride School District for 18 years. This is Jenny’s first year as an English teacher at the Telluride District Preschool. She has been in education since she was twenty years old, and first worked with preschool-age children and fell in love with teaching. Jenny believes that the first years of life are essential, and children deserve a quality educational environment filled with opportunities and nurturing teachers. She has a Masters degree in Early Childhood education. Jenny has two children who have grown up in Telluride and thrived in Telluride School District. She is grateful to live and work in such a beautiful town and supportive community.

Shelly Kennett, Paraprofessional

Shelly Kennet has always thought she would work in education, but life led her in other directions for many years. Her first experience with young children was working as a part-time nanny for her neighbor’s three-year-old toddler during COVID-19. A few years later, she was accepted into the Early Childhood Service Corp program in Colorado, which allowed her to take two free Early Childhood Education college courses and many additional online trainings. Shelly has an undergraduate degree in Geology and Russian. Working as a paraprofessional with various young children in dual immersion inclusive classrooms has given her a great experience, and she is learning so much.