Our Team

• Eva, Centre Manager

  

  Originally from Ireland, I have found my home away from home in Melbourne. Having started my journey as a student working in the early years sector, I knew then this was the career I wanted to choose. I moved from Ireland in 2017 and have found my love for the early years all over again. After studying my Diploma of Childhood Education and Care, I completed my Bachelor of Supervisory Management.  Over 10 years, I have progressed in various roles in the sector in Ireland before leaving my role as a Centre Manager in 2017.

  I joined Samantha's Camberwell in 2020. It has been a steep learning curve which I believe has shaped my philosophy today. I have gained a vast amount of experience and knowledge through the changes of 2020. The sense of community and the interactions are of genuine value. Every day is incredibly rewarding, the role we place in shaping young lives of young children is huge, I love that we empower and shape this. 

  I am a passionate Centre Manager who is collaborative and supportive to my team to ensure high standards of education and care are always met. I believe in providing a safe, secure, and warming environment that sees children are healthy, happy, and secure to develop important emotional, social, and intellectual skills and children and families feel they have a sense of identity and belonging.

  It is an honor to lead and be part of a fantastic team who provide a safe, stimulating learning environment for each individual child. After all, there is no I in teamwork.

• Kylie, 2IC/Educational Leader

  

  I started my career working in Vacation Care and Outside School Hours Care for primary school aged children in 2004. During this time, I was able to develop my knowledge and skills working with children.

  In 2012 I completed my Diploma of Children's Services Education and Care and started working in Early Childhood Education and Care Centre's where I have held positions as a Lead Educator and Educational Leader.

  My passion for education has evolved through working in partnership with children and families. I have come to understand that by providing a nurturing learning environment, children thrive to become the protagonists of their learning.

• Mary, Centre Cook

  

  I was born and raised in a county north of Christchurch in New Zealand.

  My father was a GP and my mother a nurse. They both instilled in me a love of nature and acceptance of all cultures. I moved to Melbourne in 1984 and joined a pilot program assisting people with disabilities to live independent lives. I moved on to youth work and stayed in this role for 12 years. I then followed my love of cooking and took on various roles in commercial cooking and worked full time as a chef.

  I joined Samantha's Childcare Camberwell in 2018 and I have a passion for providing high-quality nutritious meals for all of the children. I enjoy working in partnership with families and staff to ensure that each child is supported in their dietary needs, and love sharing my recipes and working collaboratively with everyone.

• Ha, Nursery Educator

  

  I hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and currently working toward my Diploma of Early Childhood Education.

  I am originally from Vietnam, and I am a mother of two beautiful boys. I joined Samantha's as a casual educator when I started my studies in 2022.

  I am grateful to work in an environment that encourages a sense of belonging and well-being for each child. I am excited to continue my journey as a permanent educator.

  My belief is that every child is curious and capable of learning new things. However, each child is unique with different interests, backgrounds, and developmental stages. As an educator, my role is to facilitate this learning by providing a supportive learning environment and endless opportunities for them to explore, discover, imagine, and create new things.

• Sneha, Nursery Educator

  

  I am from Nepal, and I moved to Melbourne in 2023.

  I have always loved spending time with children and thought of pursuing my career in this field and decided to continue my further studies. I completed a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care in 2023, and I am currently studying a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. I feel really grateful that Samantha's have provided me an opportunity to expand my knowledge and education and put it to use professionally in my line of work.

  I believe every child should be able to explore who they are, and as an educator, I will encourage that. I enjoy supporting young children with their everyday activities, well-being, and their knowledge development. 

• Zhengyun Shi (Shelley), Early Childhood Teacher

  

  I am from China and my journey brought me to Australia in 2017, where my fondness for children, passion for nutrition, and dedication to education seamlessly converged. I have a Graduate Diploma of Early childhood Teaching, I also hold a masters degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, allowing me to integrate my knowledge of children's nutrition into our daily practices. Understanding the crucial role that early experiences play in a child's development, I am dedicated to creating a positive impact on their Well-being from the very beginning.

  I am excited to be part of the Samantha's Early childhood Centre this year as a casual educator. My commitment extends beyond academics to fostering healthy habits during these crucial formative years. I believe that a supportive and engaging environment is essential for children to thrive. Through a combination of educational play, creative activities, and a focus on nutritious habits, our little learners are sure to blossom.

  In addition to my academic background, I bring a love for music, particularly the piano and ukulele. You may even find me expressing myself through painting and doing aircrafts! These passions enhance our learning atmosphere, creating a joyful and holistic experience for the children. I am thrilled to be part of this journey, nurturing and supporting each child's growth at Samantha's Early Childhood Centre.

• Atsuko , Toddler Early Childhood Teacher

  

  Kia Ora Kou Tou, I am a native of Japan and I came to Australia in 2021 from New Zealand, where I lived for over twenty years.

  I believe that all children are unique individuals who have their ways of learning. As a teacher, I strive to support children’s learning by creating fun and stimulating environments with various activities while respecting their initiatives. I also believe in a holistic approach to education.

  I am committed to assisting children’s emotional and social development. My goal is to see the children in our room become confident and competent learners who are healthy in their minds and secure in their sense of belonging. 

• Diksha, Toddler Educator

  

  Originally from India, I moved to Australia in 2019. My passion for teaching began unexpectedly while working as a Procurement Officer at a Child Care company. This experience sparked a deep interest in Early Childhood Education, and in 2024, I decided to pursue my journey to become an Early Childhood Teacher.

  I hold a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE). I believe in a child-led teaching approach, focusing on following children’s interests to help them develop essential skills in a supportive and nurturing environment.

  I also strongly advocate for creating an inclusive learning environment where all children feel valued and respected. Building positive relationships with children and their families is at the heart of my practice, as it creates a foundation of trust where children feel secure, supported, and ready to engage in their learning journey.

  I am excited to begin this journey with the support of the great team we have here at Samantha’s Camberwell.

• Nowshin, Toddler Early Childhood Teacher

  

  I grew up in Bangladesh and I completed Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education in 2023.

  I have a passion for guiding and teaching children to be confident and capable learners. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and helping each child based on their interests and individual needs. I am so excited to be a part of Samantha's Childcare and Kindergarten and to be a part of your child's learning journey, and I strive to ensure I have impact in a child's life.

  My favourite things to do outside of work are cooking, shopping, travelling, and hanging out with friends.

• Jiajun (Patrick), Toddler Educator

  

  I am originally from Guangzhou, China, and I came to Australia in 2018 to begin my undergraduate studies. In 2024, I embarked on my journey in early childhood education by enrolling in a Graduate Diploma program. During my studies, I had the opportunity to complete my second placement at Samantha's Camberwell, and after my placement, I was fortunate to join the team as a casual educator. In 2025, after graduating, I officially became a part of the Samantha’s Camberwell family as a Toddler Educator.

  With fluency in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese, I strive to support children in expressing themselves in a way that fosters their confidence and sense of belonging. I believe that every child is capable and competent, and I aim to guide their learning through play-based experiences that spark curiosity, creativity, and independence.

• Linda, 3-year-old Kindergarten Teacher

  

  I have been working in Early Childhood since I left school in the mid-1980s. I have a real passion for teaching and nurturing young children, through respectful and genuine relationships with the children and their families, which recognise and celebrate their cultural identities.

  I believe children are capable and discerning from infancy. We can support young children's growth and development through providing a caring, and nurturing environment, where they are supported to be decision makers in their lives while encouraging them to self-regulate their emotions, wonder at their discoveries and share their unique personalities through positive social interactions.

• Kam Yuen (Kenneth), 3-Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher

  

  I am originally from Hong Kong and started my journey as a kindergarten teacher in 2022.

  I discovered my passion for early childhood education through volunteering in the local community. I believe children need a safe environment for them to explore freely. Therefore, they can become an independent learner to develop their skills, such as social skills, and problem-solving skills. Each child is unique, and each has their methods and processes of learning and growth.

• Miao Chun (Monica), 3-Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher

  

  I am from Taiwan and worked as a Kindergarten Teacher for over 12 years, before moving to Australia to continue my teaching career in 2019.

  I started at Samantha's Camberwell as a casual educator in 2022 and officially joined the team in August 2023.

  I am passionate about teaching children in the early years and through my experience in early childhood settings I value the importance of developing trusting and respectful relationships with children and their families to ensure each child feels a sense of belonging in their learning environment.

• Huijie (Sandra), 4 Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher

  

  I come from the city Xi'an which is in central China. I moved to Australia in 2014 and obtained my Masters Degree in Early Childhood Teaching from the University of Melbourne in 2018.

  I am very passionate about teaching young children and helping them grow and develop at their own pace. I enjoy facilitating inspiring learning experiences to extend children's motor, cognitive, language, and socio-emotional learning.

  As an Early Childhood Teacher, I believe that each individual child has their own way of learning, and the role of teachers is to create a stimulating and positive learning environment to assist children's growth.

• Sophie, Kindergarten Educator

  

  I have been working in Early Childhood since 2019. I believe each child is precious and needs to be treated with respect at all times.

  I am passionate about supporting children to be kind, to share and be respectful and honest. As we are a multicultural class, it is important that all children feel safe and have a strong sense that they belong. That, even though we are all different and unique, it is fun building relationships and learning about our differences and similarities.

• Anisha , Educator

  

  I am from Nepal. I have completed my Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and am currently studying my Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

  The primary motivation behind my choice of profession comes from its capacity to allow one to witness the rapid growth and development of young minds, fostering a profound sense of fulfillment through playing a pivotal role in shaping their future.

• Fleur, Educator

  

  My passion for as long as I can remember is educating and caring for children. I started working as a teaching assistant in 2011. When I moved to Australia in 2014 I began working as a nanny, before starting at Samantha's in 2015. Whilst working I have completed my Cert III and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. In July 2020, I began studying my Bachelors degree. During my time working at Samantha's, I have worked as a room leader and assistant in each of the rooms.

  I am passionate about giving children a voice to be heard, developing their sense of self whilst adopting a Montessori style approach to education. I have a strong interest in working with children with additional needs and supporting their pastoral needs. I have been heavily influenced by my parents' professional backgrounds in mental health. As I am continuing on in my studies, I am working across the Centre 2 days a week.

• Natasha, Educator

  

  I am currently studying a Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary education.

  Working with children is something I have always wanted to do, and I am thrilled to begin my journey as an assistant educator at Samantha's. I am passionate about guiding children and preparing them for the future at such a sensitive age and feel privileged to be able to play such an important role in these children's lives.

• Simran , Educator

  

  I am originally from Nepal and moved to Melbourne in 2022. I always knew I wanted to work with children, so I studied Early Childhood Education.

  I have successfully completed my certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. I choose this profession because I believe in the power of nurturing young minds and helping them discover their unique abilities. I love creating engaging and supportive learning environments where children can explore, discover and learn through play. It is incredibly rewarding to be a part of their journey.

• Chendong (Jacob), Educator-Casual

  

  I am from Ningbo, China. I began my journey as a casual educator at Samantha’s in 2024. I moved to Australia, where I earned a Bachelor of Design in Architecture in 2023, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education at RMIT in 2024.

  I am deeply passionate about teaching young children and fascinated by each child's unique personality and abilities. This inspires me to create individualized learning plans tailored to their needs, ensuring a supportive and engaging learning environment. My goal is to provide children with a strong sense of belonging while fostering their growth and development.

• Derlin, Educator-Casual

  

  I moved to Australia from the Philippines in 2015. After arriving in Melbourne, I commenced my studies in Early Childhood Education and joined Samantha’s Camberwell in 2020 as a student to complete my Diploma.

  After completing my studies, and placement I continued to work as part of the team here.

  I believe in building meaningful trusting relationships with children and their families as this promotes an inclusive learning environment where children can learn through play.

Our Team