The Teaching Team
Our talented and dedicated teachers work together to create a wonderful preschool experience for all children. Many of our staff were Hobby Horse moms before becoming a part of the team. We are more than just co-workers. We are a family!
Meet Our Team Leaders
Jennifer Vilimonovic
"Mrs. V" has been working in the Early Childhood field since 1993. She was employed as a Hobby Horse Teacher before becoming Director in 2020. As a classically trained violinist, she is dedicated to sharing her love of music with the children.
Michele Grubbs
Mrs. Grubbs is our longest employed Teacher, coming to Hobby Horse in 2007. Teaching our 4-year-old Busy Bees and Fancy Foxes (she LOVES foxes), she is our resident naturalist and loves bringing the great outdoors into her lessons. She added the role as Administrative Assistant in 2021.
Meet Our Lead Teachers
Stacie Yates
Mrs. Yates has been a teacher since 2010. She is in the famously FUN Dino Den with our MWF and TT full day 4 and 5-year-old students. She is also the Director of Christian Education at the Medina United Church of Christ, Congregational. The learning never ends with this lovely lady!
Krista Carpenter
Mrs. Carpenter has been a Lead Teacher of our 3-year-old students in the Playful Puppy Room since 2014. She recently decided to dive back into learning to speak Spanish and we are excited to get the children involved with her language learning.
Melissa Miller
Mrs. Miller started assisting in the Puppy Room, Monday through Friday mornings, September of 2020. She now assists MWF mornings and leads the TT AM class with her creative and sweet teaching style.
FUN FACT! Pizza is one of her favorite foods, especially Courthouse Pizzeria pizza!
Yvonne "Bonnie" Kluth
Mrs. Kluth came to us in 2021 with 23 years of experience. She teaches our older 3s and younger 4s in the Colorful Crayons Room, a classroom name she is really excited about! Mrs. Kluth inspires us with her passion for using American Sign Language in her classroom.
Heather Resan
Mrs. Resan leads our TWT PM Busy Bees! Along with many other gifts, she has the amazing talent to gently redirect the children with her incredibly realistic animal sounds. It is fun to hear and witness!
Megan Hatala
Mrs. Hatala, hired in 2024 to assist in the Dino Den, now spends MWF AM leading in the Busy Bee room. Her background in working with children with disabilities has been a real asset to our programming.
Danielle Kay
Mrs. Kay was hired in 2024 to lead teach in or T-F full day 4s and 5s program. Her festive Lucky Llamas room is vibrant and welcoming and is a wonderful place to get our little students ready for kindergarten. When she's not busy teaching, she loves riding horses. She'd love to have her own horse someday!
Meet Our Assistant Teachers
Vanessa Butsko
Mrs. Butsko has been an Assistant Teacher in a variety of classes since 2019. This year, she assists Mrs. Grubbs and Mrs. Resan in the Busy Bees Room. We love that she has a background in speech and language pathology!
Deanna Ockunzzi
Mrs. Ockunzzi is no stranger to Hobby Horse Preschool! It is her first year as a Puppy Room teacher, but all 3 of her children had fun learning and growing here. She is so excited to be a part of the team!
Elisha Vitou
Mrs. Vitou enjoys assisting Mrs. Kluth in the Colorful Crayons Room and Mrs. Yates in the Dino Den. She is a lover of ALL animals, but she is especially fond of HIPPOS!
Stephanie Jordan
Mrs. Jordan is in her fourth year as an Assistant to everyone. She is always there to help out wherever and whenever we need her. Mrs. Grubbs loves having her assist with the MTT AM Busy Bees.
Holly Schwamel
Mrs. Schwamel is also busy assisting everyone as a floating assistant on Monday mornings and assists Mrs. Kay in the Lucky Llamas room Wednesdays and Fridays. She loves having the opportunity to get to know all of the children.
Melissa Bilikam
Mrs. Bilikam was hired this year to assist TT AM in the Dino Den and TT PM in the Lucky Llamas room. She also floats Friday mornings to help wherever needed.
FUN FACT! She is one of the founding members of SPARK Medina! We look very forward to sharing her mission with our students.
Morgan Hefner
Last, but certainly not least, we have Ms. Hefner. She is very excited to be a part of our team, assisting in the Dino Den MWF AM. She loves teaching and her bubbly personality engages the children immediately. She looks forward to seeing what the future at Hobby Horse holds for her.