Meet our TLE® Center team

Jacque McFarlane
Assistant Director
Favorite TLE® Character:
Penny Polite
Jacque was hired on at TLE in 2016 as a Lead Teacher. She worked with children of all ages, but developed a passion for the infant classroom. In 2019 Jacque was promoted to Assistant Director. She graduated from CSU in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Jacque is outgoing and loves creating a partnership with parents so that she can best meet their needs and support their child’s development. She strives to create an environment where teachers feel supported, and where all children can thrive. Jacque has a one year old daughter and is married to her high school sweetheart, she looks forward to meeting you and your family!

Jennifer Wright
Center Director
Favorite TLE® Character:
Bubbles
Jennifer Wright is our Center Director. She believes in providing top notch quality care in a fun, educational, clean, safe, loving environment. She is passionate about working with children and their families to ensure every need is met while they are away from one another. Being a mom of three herself she understands how hard it is to be away from your little ones which is part of what made her decide to become part of the Early Childhood Community. With over 15 years of experience in the Early Childhood Field, Jenn is committed to creating the best preschool experience possible for both children and teachers. She is thrilled to be able to work along the side of an owner who shares the same passion and vision.

Sara Brownell
Owner/Business Manager
Favorite TLE® Character:
Bubbles
TLE Fort Collins is locally owned and operated by Sara Brownell. Sara is a mother of 4 boys and has been an active member of the Fort Collins community since 1999. In 2002, she became the owner of her 1st childcare business, a licensed home-based childcare center. For over 13 years she provided a high-quality childcare service and taught preschool to countless families in Fort Collins. In 2006, she became the owner of her 2nd childcare business, an event childcare service. After only a few years the business grew to be nationwide and continues to provide professional childcare in unique and convenient ways across the country. In 2016, Sara chose to open The Learning Experience due to its phenomenal curriculum, state of the art facility and excellent support system. Sara knows children. As the owner of TLE, Sara plays an integral part in all aspects of the school and is hands on daily.

Ms. Meredith
Lead Infant Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Flexi Flamingo
I am excited to be apart of the TLE family and to be able to achieve my goals and dreams thanks to the TLE. I am excited to co-teach in the infant room with Vanessa. I have been working with children since I was 12 and have gone on to work and learning in other areas in life I am so happy that I found my purpose and desire and help infants explore and expand their mind into the world around them . I am a mother of a 19 year old son elijah , we have a fantastic relationship ,on the weekends we love to plan and do things together. I have a cat that acts like a second child he is 10 years old but thinks he is 4 . In my spare time I enjoy being outdoors and in the mountains or in a swimming pool . I worked at Mckee hospital on Saturdays hopefully soon I will be able to get back to that soon. My goals as a teacher is to inspire and create happy memories for all children

Ms. Chelsea
Resource Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Phoebe Phonics
Hi my name is Chelsea Martinez . I have been working in Child Care since 2017. I have three kids of my own , one girl that is 10 and two boys that are 8 and 7 years old . I was born and raised in Fort Collins and Wellington area , Wellington is where i live now . Its a small town and i have watch it grow . In my free time i love spending time with my family, we love going camping and 4wheeling in the mountains I also love the time i get with my kids. We love traveling , a couple places we have been is Mexico , Texas , New Mexico, California and GleenWood Springs.

Ms.Jordan
Administration Assistant
Favorite TLE® Character:
Penny Polite
Hello, my name is Jordan. I am excited to start my journey here at The Learning Experience. I enjoy watching children grow and learn and can’t wait to build relationships with them and be someone they can look up to. I am a student at CSU and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. I hope to one day use this degree to become an art teacher for kiddos, combining both my love for art and teaching.

Ms. Tara
Lead Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Grace Charity
Hello! My name is Tara. I am an Infant Teacher here at The Learning Experience. I have worked here for three years. My background in Early Childhood includes sixteen years as an Early Childhood Education Teacher as well as thirty three credit hours of Early Childhood Education classes, which allowed me to get my Early Childhood Education Group Leader Certificate . In the sixteen years of experience as an Early Childhood Education Teacher I have been primarily an infant or toddler teacher. I have been married for 19 years and have two wonderful sons. My eldest son will be a senior this next year and my youngest will start his first year in middle school. I love spending quality family time with my husband and boys. As a family we enjoy camping and fishing. We also enjoy family vacations to places like Yellow Stone and Mount Rushmore. Some of my other hobbies include: hiking,

Ms. Vanessa
Infant Lead
Favorite TLE® Character:
Bubbles
Hi! My name is Vanessa, and I am thrilled to be working at The Learning Experience. I have worked with children and families for over 20 years. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. My most recent experience has been in social work for the past 13 years. I was lucky to work with children and families of all ages and in different settings. My previous daycare experience has been with infants. I absolutely love children of all ages but have a special place in my heart for infants. I believe that EVERY child is unique and special in their own way. I look forward to creating great memories and bonds with both children and families. In my free time, I love to read, cook, garden, spend time with my family and my cat Finn.

Ms.Kim
Chef
Favorite TLE® Character:
Flexi Flamingo
Hi I am Ms. Kim the, "the Food Lady" or " The Food Teacher". I enjoy both to be honest. I have been in the food industry for 18+ years, and strongly believe that getting nutritious meals are the key to having a successful day. My daily intention is to serve your children, fresh, flavorful, home cooked food that will properly fuel their bodies. These children ARE my highest honor to serve and deserve nothing but the best.
Mr. Alex
Assistant Float
Favorite TLE® Character:
Bubbles
My name is Alex McLaughlin, I’m twenty-six years old, and just a bit under two years ago I had very little experience with children. My mother, Dawn McLaughlin who also works at The Learning Experience, has been involved with child care since she was a teenager. She has two younger brothers, babysat regularly, and has me and my older sister. I model everything I know about childcare off of her, because I know she’s an excellent mom, and gives children the respect they deserve at all times. My sister and I are best friends, and when she had a daughter in 2020, Saria, my niece, became one of—if not the—most important person in my life. Helping my sister take care of Saria showed me how much fun it is to care for children, and in turn gave me confidence to try my hand at professional childcare. My number one priority is to ensure the safety of the children at TLE, and respecting them.

Ms.Dawn
Lead Toddler Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Grace Charity
Hi, I’m Ms. Dawn! I’ve been with TLE since February of 2017. I am a Colorado native and have lived in Fort Collins since 1997. I am married and have 2 adult children, Alina and Alex, and one (so far) grandchild named Saria. I have my AAS degree in Early Childhood Education as well as a Group Leader certificate and EQIT training. I love working with children because seeing them grow and learn is amazing and very rewarding!

Ms.Carolyn
Resource Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Miss Chievous
I have been at TLE for about 4 1/2 years and I absolutely love working here! The teachers and management is great and we all work together as a team. As a floater I am usually in about five different classrooms a day; so I have the privilege of knowing almost every child in our school! I'm a native Coloradoan but have had the opportunity to live and travel all over the world while my husband was in the US airforce. I enjoy reading, crafts, spending time with my family and spoiling my five year old grandson Jaiden!

Ms.Jessica
Lead Twaddler Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Lionstein
My name is Jessica and I have been working with children for over 14 years. I really love children and being apart in their growth and development. I have worked with all ages, but tend to be draw to the toddler/ preschool age group. I was a director of a toddler center a couple years ago, but decided to take a year off from teaching to try something different. I became an HOA Manager for Trademark Property Management Group, Inc. I recently realized my heart was still with kids and came back to teaching. I really missed being in a classroom. I am a single mom of two beautiful teenagers. Hailey is almost 18 and a senior this year and Colyn is almost 16 and ready to take on the world. I love being a mom and I am so proud of the humans they are becoming. My kids have been around young children since they were in my class. They used to help with “pj parties”.

Ms.Brandy
Lead Twaddler Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Phoebe Phonics
Hi my name is Brandy, when I’m not at work teaching the little ones. I love to be outdoors hiking, camping etc. When I’m not doing that I love hanging out at home with my cat Cupcake, or getting together with my only sibling that lives in Colorado. I do have two older sisters and one brother one sister lives out of state and my brother is in the military out of state.

Ms.Makena
Assistant Twaddler Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Flexi Flamingo
hello my name is Makena I am 23 years old, just moved to Colorado from Michigan. I have worked in childcare for almost 2 years and have babysat for 5 years! I love working with children and helping them learn and grow! In my free time I love to draw, sing, golf and do anything outdoors. When I'm not at work you can find me catching up on my favorite tv shows.

Ms.BreaLynn
Lead Preschool Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Flexi Flamingo
My name is BreaLynn Andersen, and I started at The Learning Experience on October 11, 2021. I was born and raised in Loveland Colorado. I graduated from Front Range Community College in May of 2019 with my AA where I then transferred to The University of Northern Colorado and graduated in May of 2021 and finished my BA in Early Childhood Education. Kids have always been my passion; I have worked in the childcare setting for almost four years but have been a nanny since I was twelve years old. I love building connections with each child first before anything else. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and my fiancé. My hobbies include reading, going to concerts, spending time in the mountains, and all things Disney.

Mr. Matthew
Lead Preschool Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Two Plus Toucan
Hi! I’m Matthew, I am an avid cook, baker, kombucha maker, reader, and pianist. I am currently in school studying music and piano, and love making music with the kiddos in the classroom! I am passionate about creating a fun, positive environment and experience for the children so they can learn and grow to their fullest potential.

Mr.Chris
Resource Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Two Plus Toucan
Hi, my name is Mr. Chris and I’ve been working with children for almost 15 years. My goal is to create a safe and fun environment for all children who step into my classroom. I feel with this simply philosophy a child is able to learn and reach their full potential. Preparing your kiddos for the next step in their schooling is very important to me.

Ms.Jayla
Lead Pre-K Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Penny Polite
Hello, my name is Jayla I have been working with children for about two years and have just become a part of the learning experience. I have a puppy named Wayne and a cat named Christian who both live with me. I grew up in Fort Collins and love to be outdoors either fishing, camping, or paddle boarding. I have always known I wanted to work with children since I was young because I really want to be a teacher that gives positive steppingstones in a child’s life. I just completed my AAS in early childhood education from Front Range Community College and look forward to completing more degrees in this area. Thank You for making me a part of your child’s life.

Ms.Kim
Lead Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Lionstein
Hi Parents! I am Mrs. Kim. I am so excited to be your child’s teacher. I am an army child and originally from Arizona. I was born in Germany. I have my degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Early childhood Education. I moved to Colorado in 2012 and love it here very much. I am married to my childhood sweetheart for about 4 years now. We have 2 dogs named Scratch and Sniff. I am so excited to be a part of the TLE team and look forward to knowing each and every one of you as well.

Ms.Tracey
Lead Prepper Teacher
Favorite TLE® Character:
Grace Charity
Hi, my name is Tracey Corts . I have been working at TLE since Fall of 2017. I have over 20+ years of experience in the child care field. I ran my own home child care for 11 years which allowed me to be home with my own two children. I am a mother of two beautiful children, Austin is my oldest (21) and Aimee is my youngest (19). I have a passion and truly enjoy working with young children at TLE. I have been with my fiancé Scott for 12yrs, his (23) yr old son lives with us as well. My goal is to create a safe fun loving environment for all the children in my care everyday I walk into TLE. I have over 3,000 hrs of ECE training in this field. I love working with children and watching them grow and learn is so amazing and very rewarding, so are the many, many hugs. I love having an admin team that is always understanding of your needs and goes above and beyond. We truly are a family here!