KELLY LIMBERG | Director of XYLC
I moved to Bozeman from Colorado in pursuit of chasing the snow skiing (and spending countless hours exploring the mountains) while completing my masters in developmental child psychology. I have a deep rooted passion for working with children and their families, which makes my job feel like I am living the dream everyday. I have been working in child care for about 15 years now and I can not wait to continue my journey in childcare along the XY Learning Center team members.
Maggie Farwell | Assistant Director of XYLC
Hi! My name is Maggie and I am very excited to be joining the XYLC Team. I grew up in California but always knew that I would end up moving out of state. College gave me the opportunity to move to Washington where I studied Human Development and worked part time in child care throughout my four years. After graduating, I continued my work in child care and ended up moving out here to be close to my older brother. Bozeman has been an amazing adventure so far and I am thrilled to continue my career in a field where I get to work with children and their families.
LAURA RODAS | LEAD CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Laura was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. She spent part of her childhood living in Guatemala—where her parents are from—to experience growing up in the country and be near her grandparents.
After moving to Bozeman from Illinois in 2014, Laura discovered her passion for working with young children. She decided to pursue a degree in the field. Laura graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Child Services in May of 2018.
Prior to joining the XYLC team, Laura worked at a local childcare center in Bozeman for seven years—four of which were spent as the Lead Teacher of the toddler group. She enjoys working with all ages of young children with her self-described specialty being ages 2-3.
In her free time, Laura enjoys going to concerts, paddle boarding, hiking, walking her dogs, and spending time with friends and family.
Laura's credentials include a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Child Services.
ERIKA BIENFANG | LEAD CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Erika was born and raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa in December of 2020 where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in reading. After graduating she became the lead teacher for the elementary age online learning classroom at the childcare center where she worked throughout college. She has always loved visiting the mountains throughout her life which sparked her interest to move to Bozeman. She moved to Bozeman in August 2021 and has loved every moment of it.
Erika has always enjoyed working with children throughout the years. She has many different childcare experiences, from time in public schools gaining teaching experience throughout college, being an assistant teacher at a Montessori school, a full-time nanny, a camp counselor, a tutor, and a childcare center worker. She has found all of these different experiences to be rewarding and educational. Outside of work, Erika enjoys spending her free time with family, friends and her cat, as well as traveling, cooking and baking, and outdoor activities such as boating, hiking, water and snow skiing, and biking.
Erika is very excited to join the XYLC Team and meet all the wonderful people, kids and families that are a part of the program. She is excited to learn from others while bringing her experiences into practice to help the program continue to be wonderful.
MEGAN SAWYER | LEAD CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Megan was born and raised in Washington State and moved to Montana in 2017 to attend MSU. She graduated May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. After graduation, Megan pursued working with children and worked as a lead preschool teacher for a daycare in Bozeman. She is moving onto XYLC to strengthen her career with children in the Bozeman area. When Megan is not working, she loves to be outdoors exploring Yellowstone National Park, floating and fishing on the river, skiing in the mountains, and spending time with friends and family.
Riley Nesbitt | CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Hi! My name is Riley and I am so excited to be joining the XYLC team. I graduated this past May of 2023 from MSU with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. I have always loved and been passionate about working with children and I could not have been more thrilled when offered this position!
I grew up in Colorado and moved to Bozeman in 2020 to attend MSU. I immediately fell in love and in my free time I love to explore all that the beautiful mountains have to offer, such as snowboarding at Bridger Bowl and hiking! I feel so lucky to be able to stay in Bozeman post graduation and work with this amazing company! 🙂
Kaila Seay | CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Born and raised in Indiana, Kaila worked as a volunteer at the childcare center at a local YMCA which sparked her interest in working with children in order to see them grow as well as putting on activities and events for people to enjoy.
After being involved in leadership positions for the Vietnamese Student Association at Indiana University and her customer service jobs, she found that she missed working with children which is why she joined the team at XY Learning Center.
In her free time, you can find Kaila reading books, listening to music while going on walks, and drawing.
Kaila's credentials include a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Human Development and Families from Indiana University - Bloomington.
Taylor Bahr | CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Taylor Andrews was raised in Bozeman Montana. She is currently working on her Bachelors degree from Montana State University, for Community Health with a psychology and human development minor. Taylor is going to graduate in May 2022. She plans to further her career in child protective services.
Taylor absolutely loves to work with kids and be supportive of the people around her. Taylor is looking to explore her journey in the childcare field and learn more about what it means to be a childcare specialist.
In her free time Taylor likes to listen to music and spend time with her family. She also really likes to watch Netflix shows and read a good book. Taylor is easy-going and is always ready to learn. Taylor is extremely excited for this opportunity and to be a part of the XY team!
Alex Condon| CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Hi my name is Alex!I was born in Colorado and moved to Bozeman almost a year ago after graduating in June 2022. I went to school at Seattle University and studied psychology and social work. During college I worked in childcare and nannied, where I found my love of caring for and connecting with children.
When I'm not at work I love to explore outdoors, go camping, and read! I also love to go thrifting, hiking and crafting! 🙂
VANESSA DEES | Lead CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Hi! My name is Vanessa and I am from Tampa, FL. I graduated Florida State University in 2019 with a masters in curriculum and instruction, specializing in visual disabilities education. During the 2020-2021 school year, I taught in Hillsborough County and Pasco County, Florida. I moved to Gardiner, Montana during summer of 2021 and moved to Big Sky, Montana in September of 2021 where I still currently reside. I love hiking, fishing, xc skiing, video games, thrifting/styling, and have a 5-year-old cat named Sun Tzu!
ZACH CIRILLO| CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Zach was born in Cheyenne, WY and moved to Bozeman in 2010 to be with family. He has spent years working in both group homes and classrooms with a wide variety of children of various age groups. Being a father himself, Zach has a special appreciation for the concerns and questions that parents might have when leaving their child in the care of others. He aims to craft trusting and reliable relationships with children, parents, and coworkers. He believes that every child deserves to grow in a safe environment, and that effective childhood development can have a lasting impact not just on that child, but also their family and community.
Outside of of work, Zach enjoys watching Superhero movies and playing videogames with his family. Swimming and Hiking are his favorite outdoor activities and he is also a big fan of museums and zoos, and will go any time he gets the chance. (Don't get him started talking about Dinosaurs!)
Zach is excited to join the XYLC and looks forward to meeting and learning from all the wonderful children, families, and coworkers in the community.
Tanya Warner | CHILDCARE SPECIALIST
Tanya grew up in Montana. While she began her career in retail and makeup artistry, she found there to be a void in her life which was filled when she dove into childcare 10 years ago. Tanya began her career in childcare working at a center in Bozeman where she spent the past 10 years. Time flew and she found herself making really deep relationships with children and families. While this center brought an incredible amount of joy to her life, she found herself looking for a new experience, which brought her to XY Learning Center. Working with these little wonderful children is pure heaven to her and she is beyond excited to be apart of this team.
