Meet the Teachers
Kristina Brusco
Co-Head of School, Business Director
Mrs. Brusco's first experience with the Montessori method was when her own child went through the primary program. Watching her grow and flourish into the young woman she is today solidified her love of Montessori, and inspired her to come work at Diamond Hill in 2017. She completed her Montessori Teaching Certification in Early Childhood Education, and also holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Mrs. Brusco lives in town with her husband and daughter.
Auna Conrad
Co-Head of School, Academic Director
Mrs. Conrad has over twenty years of experience educating and nurturing young children. After attending the State University of New York at Buffalo and majoring in English and Early Childhood Education, Mrs. Conrad moved to the state of New Jersey and began her career in Montessori in 2007. Soon after, she pursued her certification through the American Montessori Society. Mrs. Conrad came to Diamond Hill in 2012, and has since watched her own children thrive in our Montessori environment. She resides locally with her husband and their three children.
Kimeshri McKean
Mrs. McKean was born in South Africa and arrived in the United States as an au pair. She has more than twelve years of childcare and teaching experience combined, and attained her AMS certification in 2019 through the Montessori Center for Teacher Development. She came to Diamond Hill during her internship year, and has been practicing the Montessori method at our school since. She further developed her knowledge with a Bachelor of Education degree in Early Childhood Development in 2022. Mrs. McKean lives with her husband and two cats.
Aisha Mahmood
Mrs. Mahmood began her career as a traditional school teacher but fell in love with the Montessori philosophy when she taught at Star Child Montessori school in London, England. She moved to New Jersey a few years later, and joined Diamond Hill Montessori in 2015. She received her Montessori certification in 2018 through Princeton Montessori Teacher Education. Mrs. Mahmood and her husband have four children, including two "Montessorians" that have completed our program.
Madhumala Bajpai
Mrs. Bajpai came to Diamond Hill in 2018. Over the years, she fell in love with the methodology and its unique way of guiding a child, which encouraged her to complete her Montessori certification in Early Childhood Education. She also holds a Masters degree in Genetics from Ruia College in Mumbai, India. Mrs. Bajpai and her husband have two sons together.
Sadaf Karim
Ms. Sadaf has fifteen years of experience in early childhood education in public and private school settings. She received a BA in Accounting, but has always been passionate about teaching children and watching them grow. This prompted her to obtain her Montessori certification, during which she came to Diamond Hill Montessori for her internship. She is a mother of two children, and her third baby is a five-year old shi-poo.
Kayleigh Justo
Mrs. Justo holds a Bachelor of Education specializing in Early Childhood Development. With over twelve years of childcare and teaching experience, she came across the Montessori style after having her daughter in 2018 and became extremely intrigued by encouraging independence at such a young age. She was born in South Africa, and met her husband here in the US while on a 2-year au pair contract. Her family lives with their two rescue pups.
Naomi Cepeda
Ms. Naomi joined Diamond Hill Montessori as an Assistant Teacher in 2021. She has over two decades of experience working at several Montessori schools prior to joining Diamond Hill. Over the years, she was able to witness firsthand the commitment to quality education the Montessori Method delivers to children in the primary program. Ms. Naomi completed the Assistant's Workshop from the Christopher Academy in Scotch Plains, NJ, as well as several training certificates in early childhood to continue in her passion for education.
Carli Millen
Mrs. Millen came to us with more than 20 years of childcare experience in addition to being a mother to her two young girls. She is an experienced ballet and toddler music and movement teacher, and has worked as a teacher aide and substitute in the Berkeley Heights school system. Mrs. Millen first fell in love with Montessori while working at the Austin Montessori school in Texas years ago.