founder, Head of school

director, Elementary Lead teacher

Erin Sorel has taught in Montessori schools for the past 22 years, working with children of preschool age through Middle School. Erin's desire for a more creative role brought her to Laniakea Montessori in 2017, where, alongside Melanie, she helped found the school. Erin holds a B.A. in Spanish Education from University of Florida, the Pathways to Teaching (K-12) minor, and the Montessori 6-12 certification from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. She has also recently earned the Director's Credential from the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Erin is a member of the International Montessori Council (IMC) as well as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC.)

Erin is passionate about nature and spent some years working for the Nature Operations Division of the City of Gainesville, where she developed and taught nature-based field trips and camp programs to children in the Gainesville community. Erin enjoys hiking, the springs, gardening, cultural events, art projects, adventures, and spending time with her family. She has 3 children, ages 13, 15, and 18.

art teacher, Secondonary support teacher

elementary assistant

Branislava was born and grew up in Novi Sad, Serbia. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia. She traveled and lived in quite a few places, including New York City.

She loves Florida, and Gainesville has been her home since 2001. She received her K-12 teaching certificate at the Educator Preparation Institute at the Santa Fe college in Gainesville. She also holds her certification in Early Childhood Education with the Department of Children and Family Services. She completed a Montessori Assistant / Elementary edition course, and is CPR and First Aid certified.

Branislava taught in various local schools and today she is a firm supporter and believer in a wholesome Montessori education that integrates with the artistic realm. As an art teacher she tries to show possibilities and inspire original ideas, creativity and imagination. Branislava is an artist that specializes in integrating art from different cultures, periods, and movements into Montessori education. She is mostly inspired by the beauty of nature and animals.

Besides graphic arts Branislava loves photography, has passion for organizing, interior design, and cooking. She has one daughter, Sati, who is working on her doctorate in nursing.

Ms. Amanda Vorce is an Elementary Assistant Teacher here at Laniakea Montessori. She assists in the Elementary Classroom and also leads weekly art lessons with the Primary Class. Ms. Amanda is First Aid and CPR Certified, and she is currently fulfilling the requirements for a Child Care certification from the Department of Children and Families and completing the Trillium Montessori Assistant Teacher Training. 

Ms.  Amanda has a Bachelor’s from New College of Florida in Humanities, focused in Art History and Chinese Language and Culture. Her thesis, titled Pan Yuliang: Identity in Appropriation, explored the work of a 20th century Chinese artist. Ms.  Amanda’s experiences working with children come from her position as a childcare provider and from working with a community-based arts studio to show children the wonders of art. While working at that community-based arts studio and gallery, she curated and hosted several art exhibitions, brought origami art to elementary schools to talk about the importance of environmentalism, and presented and taught art at festivals and fairs in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Ms.  Amanda was also a curatorial intern at the Ringling Museum of Art in the Asian Art Department. Ms.  Amanda tutors students online in English, essay writing, history, geography, and Chinese language. 

Ms.  Amanda loves to travel! She lived in Japan for a year and speaks some Japanese, and spent a summer in Taiwan to study Chinese. She has also been to Vietnam and Costa Rica! In her free time, Ms. Amanda enjoys spending time outside, drawing, sewing, playing with her cat and dog, and discovering new delicious restaurants.  

Administrator

Ms. Hannah Cowles is our new LMS administrator! Hannah joined Laniakea in 2017 as an after school teacher. She has held multiple positions at Laniakea assisting all teachers, age groups, and programs. Hannah left Laniakea in 2022 to attend the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2024 she rejoined the Laniakea team as Administrator after moving back to Gainesville. 

Music & Secondary Social science teacher

Ms Cindi Cleeton is our music teacher for all ages. Ms. Cindy attended Truman State University and holds a B.A. in Music Education, K-12. She worked as a paraprofessional at Norton Elementary, the school both of her daughter’s attended. Cindy holds a Florida Teacher Certification. She leads social sciences for our adolescent community.

Foreign languages

Ms. Marice(Mau-Rih-Say) Caballero holds a Bachelors degree in Foreign Languages specializing in French at the University of Havana, Cuba, and a Master's in French and Francophone Studies with a Linguistics track at the University of Florida (UF). Additionally, she completed a certificate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching and a Great Teaching Certificate at the UF Center for Teaching Excellence. She has taught Translation (SP-FR), Spanish, French, and ESOL at different educational levels and institutions in Cuba and the United States, such as private academies, the Cuban Higher Institute of International Relations, the University of Havana, the Alliance Française, and the University of Florida.

secondary lead Teacher

Lorena (Enah) is an Adolescent Montessori guide and holds a Master’s degree in Biology and a Bachelor in Secondary Education in Biology. She completed her AMI certification at the Montessori Institute Prague. She worked as a Montessori guide internationally and received an intensive in-house training (12-18) at The Abba’s Orchard School in the Philippines, the first and only school system in the Asia-Pacific with 13 campus locations, that is equipped to offer Montessori curriculum. She’s here to join us and bring 8 years of valuable experience from the different schools Montessori Adolescent program. Ms. Enah is trained to teach under the umbrella of both the Cambridge and International Baccalaureate Curriculum. Her specialties include advanced mathematics and sciences through 12th grade.

With a deep passion for learning and hope to offer guidance and support, she believes that with proper motivation and guidance, adolescents can reach their full potentials as education in Montessori thought goes beyond academic objectives. Ms. Enah has a profound understanding of the neuroscience of the adolescent plane of development, the need for self-expression and confidence, and the need for adolescents to thrive in working community.

secondary Literature studies & aftercare teacher

Nadirah is the secondary English teacher and aftercare teacher at Laniakea Montessori. With a degree in English Literature from the University of Central Florida and a background in creative writing she is passionate about reading and writing. Nadirah just recently moved to Gainesville from Rockledge FL where she previously worked as a substitute and aftercare teacher at a charter school. There she realized her passion for teaching and working with children. Nadirah is currently working on writing a novel and is excited to encourage the same love for reading and writing in her students. She believes that writing is a great outlet for understanding and managing our emotions. In her free time she is either reading or running after her two fur babies, Pandora and Pebble.