Teachers & Staff

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Teachers
Staff
Ruthann  Dalzell
Joined 2011
Ruthann Dalzell
School Director

Ruthann Dalzell is our School Director at Primrose School of Algonquin, serving in this role since our school opened in January, 2011. Ruthann brings a wealth of experience to her position with over 30 years directing and teaching young students. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree from Augustana College.

 

Wendy Gallagher
Joined 2012
Wendy Gallagher
Curriculum Director

Mrs. Gallagher has her B.A. in Early Childhood Education and over 30 years experience teaching young students from infants to school age. She joined our faculty in the summer of 2012, leading our Early Preschool classroom. In the summer of 2014 we proudly promoted her to the Curriculum Director position, where she oversees curriculum implementation in our classrooms and faculty support to ensure our Primrose Balanced Learning program is implemented with fidelity.

 

Tiffany Shooll
Joined 2025
Tiffany Shooll
Assistant Director

Mrs. Shooll has her B.A. in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University.  She has over 12 years of experience working with young children in both classroom and management capacities.  She joined the Primrose management team in May of 2025. 

Sue Lambert
Joined 2011
Sue Lambert
Infant Teacher

Mrs. Sue Lambert joined the Primrose team in December of 2011.  Graduating from Western Illinois University, she holds a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Lambert has held many positions within the Early Childhood Field, but the infant room is where she is the happiest.

Sarah Kirkpatrick
Joined 2024
Sarah Kirkpatrick
Infant Teacher

Ms. Sarah Kirkpatrick joined the Primrose team in August of 2024.  Previous Co-Owner to a home daycare for numerous years, we welcome Ms. Kirkpatrick to a bigger environment where she is excited to work in our Infant classroom, helping them grow and develop their own personalities.

Kahlee Wallace
Joined 2024
Kahlee Wallace
Infant Teacher

Mrs. Kahlee Wallace joined our school in August of 2024. After working in other industries, Mrs. Wallace discovered a love of caring for children. She enjoys being able to see how much the babies grow & change while in her classroom.

Valentina Fernandez
Joined 2023
Valentina Fernandez
Assistant Infant Teacher

Ms. Valentina Fernandez joined our school in September of 2023 and currently works as an Assistant Teacher in the Older Infant classroom. She especially enjoys teaching because her students’ joyful play makes her day brighter

Kristin Nelson
Joined 2012
Kristin Nelson
Toddler Teacher

Mrs. Kristin Nelson joined the Primrose team in September of 2012. Holding her Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Special Education, Mrs. Nelson has experience working with children of various ages. Helping wherever it is needed, Mrs. Nelson is current working in our Infant classroom and loves watching them grow and develop.

 

Monica Medina
Joined 2025
Monica Medina
Toddler Teacher

Ms. Medina joined Primrose in 2025 and has a degree in both Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She comes from a family of teachers and enjoys seeing the smiles & excitement her students bring to each day.

Joan Eigenbrod
Joined 2013
Joan Eigenbrod
Early Preschool Teacher

Ms. Joan Eigenbrod joined the Primrose team in September of 2013.  Known by “Ms. E” to the students in the building, she works in one of our Early Preschool classrooms, where her group of two-year-olds just love her. While this has been Ms. E’s first job in childcare, she has spent time working with children in other settings.

Amanda Barnett
Joined 2008
Amanda Barnett
Early Preschool Teacher

Ms. Amanda Barnett joined the Primrose team in September of 2016.  First starting in Childcare in 2008, Ms. Barnett loves seeing her students learn something new and the joy that it brings them. She enjoys listening to her student’s stories and talking with them.

 

Yulisa Villicana
Joined 2024
Yulisa Villicana
Early Preschool Teacher

Ms. Yulisa Villicana joined the Primrose team in October of 2024. She earned her Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) certification and enjoys teaching our two-year-old students, who lovingly call her “Ms. V.” She loves how each day with her students is full of surprises and laughter.

Sharon Garling
Joined 2012
Sharon Garling
Preschool Teacher

Mrs. Sharon Garling joined the Primrose team in October of 2012. Holding her Masters in Elementary Education, Mrs. Garling is our Kindergarten teacher, having many years of experience working with children of various ages. She loves to teach her students how to read and write.

Danielle Jackson
Joined 2011
Danielle Jackson
Preschool Teacher

Ms. Danielle Jackson joined the Primrose team in December of 2011. Working with children her entire career, Ms. Jackson lends a hand wherever it may be needed, but her sole focus is on her preschool students, where she enjoys watching them grow and seeing their excitement they have when they are doing something new for the first time.

Stacey Terpening
Joined 2015
Stacey Terpening
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Mrs. Stacey Terpening joined the Primrose team in August of 2015. Known to her students as “Mrs. T” she holds a degree in Elementary education and has been working with children since 2001. She does a wonderful job preparing her Pre-k students for their next adventures.

Maureen Maguire
Joined 2022
Maureen Maguire
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Maureen Maguire joined the Primrose team in September of 2022. Having over 40 years of experience working with children, in different roles, Ms. Maguire comes to us from another Primrose located in Texas. Preparing our Pre-k students for Kindergarten, Ms. Maguire loves seeing each child’s imagination and their excitement when they master a new skill.

 

Lynn  Peterson
Joined 2011
Lynn Peterson
Explorer Teacher

Ms. Lynn Peterson joined the Primrose team in December of 2011. Working with children of various ages for many years, Ms. Peterson helps in each room of the building, where she gets to build relationships with all the children, but her School Age students are the ones that hold a special place in her heart.

 

Sandra Farrell
Joined 2024
Sandra Farrell
Support Teacher

Ms. Sandra Farrell joined our team in 2024. She is a mom of to sons, one of whom has a speech delay.  Throughout his journey with special education she has learned so much about early childhood development and has a strong appreciation for all educators. 

Danica Morys
Joined 2025
Danica Morys
Support Teacher

Ms. Danica Morys joined our team in 2025. Her favorite thing about working with children seeing the joyful way they approach learning each day.

Maria Arias
Joined 2022
Maria Arias
Kitchen Manager

Mrs. Maria Arias, joined the Primrose team in July of 2022. Mrs. Arias is passionate about making healthy food choices for each child in the building and supplying them with the resources to grow and learn, while also keeping the kitchen nice and clean. Each child greets her with a loud “hello” as she enters each room.

 

Franchise Owners

Soha and Ali Gowani

Welcome to Primrose Schools!

We are Ali and Soha Gowani, and we are thrilled to announce that we are the proud owners of Primrose School of Algonquin. For the past three years, we have also owned and operated the Primrose School of South Elgin. As parents to two wonderful children, Lia and Noah, we understand the importance of finding a safe and educational environment that provides exceptional care. We are honored and excited to share this outstanding school with the Algonquin community.

My professional background is in nursing, where I have served as a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for 20 years. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Elmhurst College and a Master of Science in Nursing from Northern Illinois University, specializing in family practice. My experience includes ICU, orthopedics, primary care and interventional pain medicine, as well as teaching as an adjunct faculty member at both Rasmussen and DePaul University.

My husband, Ali, brings over 20 years of experience in executive leadership roles across technology, operations, and engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from DePaul University and a Master of Science in Communications from Northwestern University. His expertise is further supported by certifications such as Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Project Management Professional.

We firmly believe that it takes a village to raise a child, and Primrose serves as that village for families. Our Balanced Learning® approach integrates purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to foster curiosity, creativity, confidence, and compassion. We are committed to providing more than just a curriculum; we aim to deliver a life-changing early learning experience for every child and their family.

We look forward to meeting you and your family!

Our family would love to meet yours.

Contact us to schedule a tour.
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© 2026 Primrose School Franchising SPE, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. We will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable registration and disclosure requirements in your jurisdiction. Contact Primrose School Franchising SPE, LLC, 3200 Windy Hill Road SE, Suite 1200E, Atlanta, GA 30339, to request a copy of our FDD.

*Study was conducted on a representative sample of Primrose Pre-Kindergarten students across twelve Primrose schools in nine states in the Spring of 2024. The Bracken School Readiness Assessment 4th Edition assesses children’s school readiness in terms of their understanding of concepts that are strongly related to early childhood cognitive and language development as well as early academic achievement.

**Based upon recent assessments of approximately 3,900 Primrose students aged 4 screened using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition during the 2024-2025 school year. Ages & Stages Questionnaires® and ASQ® are registered trademarks of Paul H Brookes Publishing Co, Inc.