Our Staff

Hello! My name is Dawn Underwood. I have had the opportunity to serve preschoolers and their families in Johnson County since 2007.  In 2010,  I started the nonprofit, Johnson County Learning Center, in order to provide programming for all families regardless of their income. We have had preschool programs in Greenwood, Franklin and Edinburgh School Corporations. I have a B.S. in psychology and my background is in education and social work.

I have been married to a wonderful and supportive husband for over 30 years. We have 2 children. Our daughter, Erika and son, Hunter, live in NYC. Erika works with a tech startup company and Hunter is a doctor in his second year of residency.  

I am blessed to lead an early childhood program with a wonderful group of teachers. It is a privilege to work with young children and their families at the time when they are most active in their growth and brain development. My goal is to provide a positive learning and social environment that will benefit each child’s future learning and impact our community as a whole.

My name is Ashley and I’m the assistant director at ELC. I completed my Associate’s Degree in General Studies at Ivy Tech in 2015 and an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education in December 2017.  I spent most of my working career in children’s retail, working at Club Libby Lu and Build-A-Bear Workshop. I was a nanny for a couple years while I worked on my first Associate's Degree and I joined ELC in 2015. I love working at ELC and being a part of our school family. I love watching our preschoolers learn and grow each year!

I am from Columbus, Indiana and have lived in the Greenwood area since 2006. I have been married to my husband since August 2005 and we have 2 sons; Jack and Alex.  

My name is Breanna, I am the teacher in the half day preschool classroom! I absolutely love being a preschool teacher! I am happily married to my husband Nick, we have two amazing sons; Sam and Max. 

This is my fifth school year with ELC! Before ELC, I was worked with senior citizens at Home Instead Senior Care, and prior to that I was a stay-at-home Mom. I am taking classes toward my degree in Early Childhood Education. I have always enjoyed children! I started volunteering at ELC when my son was part of the program. That volunteer work soon opened my eyes to my passion for early childhood education! I am blessed to work with ELC, and to have a career that I completely love! Preschoolers are so much fun!

Hello! My name is Julie Welling. I have my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Indiana State University.  I have been working with preschool age children for 28 years. I am blessed to be a part of ELC.  It is a joy to come to work and watch children grow, develop and learn.  As a teacher and staff member of ELC, we are partnering with you, the parent,to ensure your child reaches their full potential socially and cognitively.  I truly have the best job in the world! 

I have been married to my husband Glen for 25 years.  We have two children.  Our daughter, Kalie graduated from Indiana State University with a degree in special/elementary education. Our son, Andrew is attending IUPUI. 

Hi, my name is Brooke Age and I am in the Westwood room. This is my first year with ELC and I am so excited to be a part of this team!  I live in Greenwood and have 3 fur babies, Brody, Lucy and Emmy and they are all cats! If you don’t remember my name, just call me the Crazy Cat Lady!

Preschool children are so curious and eager to learn!  They are so much fun to talk with, I love their imaginations and I love the looks on their faces when they “get it”!  I just melt when they run up to me and hug me or when you run into them out in the community they are so confused because they think of you as living at school! My goal for this school year is to learn all I can about each child and to make them feel safe in their classroom so they can relax and absorb all we have to teach them.

Hello, my name is Kari! I was born in Texas, but raised in Ohio. I am the second oldest out of 4 girls and have two dogs. When I am not at school, I love to spend time with family and friends. I also love to read books, watch movies, drink coffee, and shop!

I have 3 years experience teaching preschool and am currently attending Ivy Tech Community College. I have a personal interest and passion for helping young kids, and watching them learn and achieve. This is one of the most heartwarming benefits of being a preschool teacher.

I am 27 years old and a lifelong resident of Greenwood. I have been married for 3 years and have a daughter who currently attends ELC! I have a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Indianapolis and am a Registered Behavior Technician with the state of Indiana. Before ELC I worked at Riley Hospital providing care to the youngest of kiddos, Cornerstone Autism center servicing school-age kiddos, and Northeast Elementary in both the classroom and as a behavior coach. 

Preschool is such a great age! They have vast imaginations and creative minds which makes each day different and exciting! This is the first exposure to the kids’ academic careers and I want to nurture their love for learning! I think adults have a lot to learn from this age group in particular, because they remind us to be mindful in our interactions and stop and smell the nature around us! 

My name is Ms. Ashley (you can call me Ash P), and I just moved to Indiana from Ohio this summer with my boyfriend for his job. I’m excited to explore a new state, especially all the nature and hiking paths it has to offer. I am a very kind, caring and happy person and am excited for the upcoming year! I am very passionate about teaching and cannot wait to share it! The last four years I went to Ashland University in Ohio, studying Early Childhood Education. I was exposed to many amazing experiences and teachers who helped me become the teacher I am today. 

I personally love teaching preschool because of each child’s excitement and knowledge that they bring to learning. I love helping shape young minds and showing them all the amazing things education has to offer them, even at such a young age. 

My name is Ashley Deavers.  I am new to teaching, but not working with children! I started out with ELC by volunteering & subbing for two years. I love being a part of ELC and am looking forward to furthering my education.

I live in Greenwood with my  2 kids. My youngest is an ELC graduate. I spend most of my free time with my family! We love being outside, baking, and crafting!

My name is Lindsay. I am 24 years old. I have lived in Greenwood, IN my whole life. I love to craft and express my creativity. I love to go on adventures and my favorite animal is a giraffe. This is my first year teaching Preschool. I graduated from Indiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in education and a minor in early childhood.

Preschool is important in your child’s growth and development both mentally and emotionally. It is fundamental in their success moving on to kindergarten. My goal, as your child’s teacher, is to grow, learn, and connect with them, making them feel loved, safe, and free to express themselves.