Our Team

teresa saavedra, Owner

Teresa is the owner and visionary of White River Children’s Academy. She grew up on the plateau in the Lake Tapps area and was a dog groomer for 28 years. After moving to Enumclaw in 2015 she felt called to be apart of a change in the area. After prayerful contention, she was called to leave the comfortable career she had as the owner of a reputable dog grooming business for 20 years. In June 2017, Teresa opened the doors of White River Children’s Academy to fulfill the call on her life to make a difference in the lives of children in their formidable years. “If we raise them up in the love of Jesus, we are giving them a solid foundation for their future.”

Teresa is passionate about building relationships with people. She is the loving mother of two boys, and enjoys being outdoors with the family. Teresa loves riding her horses in the mountains, fishing, and camping.

chelsea baker,

Director

Chelsea has been the Director at White River Children’s Academy since 2018. She has a passion to serve the community she grew up in by being a positive role model and bringing the love of Jesus into the lives of the children and families at WRCA. She has an Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Green River College.

Chelsea is happily married with three young children. She loves watching her son play football and spends a lot of time chauffeuring them around for activities! In her spare time she enjoys traveling (Yellowstone and Maui are her favorite places so far), and curling up on the couch with her family for movie nights.

erica o’laughlin,

assistant director & toddler teacher

Erica has worked with young children since her early teen years. She has a passion for working with children, especially the toddlers here at WRCA. Erica is currently enrolled at Green River College and is pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. In her free time Erica enjoys being outside hiking and is a coffee enthusiast.

Margaret brown, toddler teacher

Margaret has enjoyed working with children since she was a child herself. She has worked with children professionally for the past four years. Margaret enjoys watching them grow and learn new things while making a positive difference in their lives. She is in the process of starting her education journey to become an elementary teacher. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors riding horses, fishing, quadding, kayaking, and hiking!

CHRISTY MEYERS,

toddler Teacher Aide

Christy has been a part of WRCA’s teaching team from the beginning; formally working for Teresa’s mom Bertha in childcare since 2007! She loves working with children and children are drawn to her wherever she goes. Christy has many hobbies and stays busy with her seven nieces and nephews. She also competes in many activities like bowling, softball, basketball, tennis, soccer, and swimming. She also enjoys doing puzzles and latch hook rugs.

Amanda groves,

Discovery preschool teacher

Amanda has experience working with children of all ages. She is the oldest of six children and has always loved working with children. In high school she worked with special needs children for three years and has been working in child care since. Amanda is passionate about teaching and is furthering her education at Green River College in their Early Childhood Education program. She loves experiencing the joy and smiles on the kid’s faces when they learn something new. In her free time, Amanda enjoys being creative, she loves crafting, jewelry making, and painting.

emily harvey,

preschool and School age teacher

Emily has been with WRCA since the beginning of 2020. She has experience working with young children since her early teen years. She loves creating a feeling of home for the children, and their laughs and smiles make her day. She also has a passion for animals and wants to pursue a career in veterinary care. Emily loves riding horses and has a few cats that she loves to snuggle.

anita paulson,

preschool teacher

Anita has been a part of the WRCA family since March of 2019. She has a lot of experience working with children babysitting from a young age, as a nanny, and also works at another local preschool for the last ten years. She is happily married, and has a full house with four teenage boys at home! In her free time, Anita enjoys being outdoors hiking and camping with her family. She is also a huge PNW sports fan of the Seahawks, Kraken, and Huskies!

Maddie Caldwell,

assistant preschool teacher

Bio coming soon!