Get to Know Our Team
Zurisaday N. Decker, M.Ed.
Developmental Therapist
Zury has dreamed of becoming an early childhood advocate and teacher since she was 5 years old. At 15, she became her church's preschool teacher. When her family was expecting a child with Down Syndrome, the early interventionist's support inspired Zury to pursue Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education in 2007.
In 2008, she joined the United States Marine Corps, but her passion for advocating for exceptional learners led her back to education. Since 2014, she has worked in various educational settings, including private and public preschools, as a preschool special education teacher, and partnered with the University of Kentucky and Fayette County Public Schools.
Zury holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky and earned her master's degree in Education with a focus on Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education in 2022.
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Click on the picture to the left to read Her published work.
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Emilee Dixon, M.Ed.
Developmental Therapist
Emilee holds a Master’s Degree in Education (2024) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education (2017) both from the University of Kentucky. Her undergraduate curriculum focus was on Moderate to Severe Disabilities. Graduate studies centered on Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education. In 2019 Emilee started working for the Fayette County school system as a special education teacher. Prior to that, she worked as a preschool para-educator for children with special needs.
Emilee’s passion for helping exceptional children stemmed from her own experiences growing up with a learning disability and learning skills to manage and succeed. She knows the impact that her teachers and family had on her academic and personal development. Once she became a teacher, she realized just how impactful effective communication and parental involvement can be on a child’s success. She actively works with parents and teachers to bridge these gaps.
Emilee enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hosting gatherings, and going to the lake.
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Meghan Harless, B.S. Ed.
Developmental Interventionist
Meghan has been passionate about working with children for as long as she can remember. She absolutely fell in love with early childhood education while observing at the UK Early Childhood Lab during her first semester of college.
Meghan loves building relationships not only with young children but also with their families. She knows that parents are their child’s first and most important teacher and she wants to give them the tools to be as successful as possible. She is so excited to work closer with families in her new role as a developmental interventionist.
Meghan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education from the University of Kentucky. She is currently pursuing a M.Ed. in Special Education with a focus on Learning and Behavior Disorders. She is getting ready to enter her second year of teaching preschool in the Montgomery County school system.
Courtney Jackson, B.S. Ed.
Developmental Interventionist
Courtney has been passionate about early childhood development since she started working with children in high school. Since then she has been surrounded by children whether that’s by being in the classroom, babysitting, or spending time with her baby sister and little cousins. She finds inspiration every day through collaborating with children, families, and other educational professionals to address children’s needs and goals. She is so excited to work as a team with families to explore the best ways to support children through her role as a developmental interventionist.
Courtney holds a Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education from the University of Kentucky.
Maggie Smith, M.Ed.
Developmental Interventionist
From a young age, Maggie knew she wanted to work with children. Watching her mother as a teacher set the stage for what she would later pursue in college. A lover of learning, Maggie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Learning and Behavior Disorders from the University of Kentucky (2016), a Master’s Degree in Teacher Leadership from Georgetown College where she obtained her MSD certification (2019), and a second Master’s Degree from UK in Early Childhood Education (2024). She currently works as an elementary MSD special education teacher in her hometown, a role she has held for the past 7 years. Maggie is excited to collaborate and support families of young learners in her role as a developmental interventionist.
