Words cannot adequately express the JOY Amaya feels to have realized the dream of opening Marva Collins Cottage School.  She serves as both Director and Teacher Learner, which means she's constantly learning alongside her student learners!

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Amaya attended Tulane University and Howard University where she earned her B.S.E in Biomedical Engineering and MBA in Finance respectively.  Throughout her 15 year career in engineering and strategy consulting, she found ways to invest in young learners as a Junior Achievement volunteer and Girl Scouts leader.  In 2015, she finally made a career switch into Education after earning her M.Ed.  She has taught at various independent and public schools and is thrilled to have founded MCCS.  This journey has been partly inspired by Chicago educator, Marva Collins, a fitting namesake for a beloved place.

 

Outside of school, Amaya enjoys live music, reading, going to the beach, and hanging out with her family.

 

"I love challenging my students to think beyond their present understanding or appreciation of a subject matter.  I believe building relationships is just as important as creating meaningful lessons!"