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Hover over or tap the photo to see Natalie as a child!
Hi, I am Natalie, and I’m incredibly excited and honored to have a role in your child’s life!
I’ve been with Lupine Lane for two years now, and the Penguins room has been my home for most of that time! As a proud Longhorn with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design from UT Austin, my creative roots run deep. Before joining Lupine Lane, I spent my college summers as a camp counselor with Austin Sunshine Camps and as a mentor for incoming freshmen through Texas Exes (Camp Texas). Guiding both young children and college students showed me just how powerful it is when everyone feels truly seen, encouraged, and part of a tight-knit community.
I love working with this age group because I share their sense of wonder. I’m big on getting messy, hands-on discovery, lots of laughter, and turning everyday classroom moments into something memorable and fun.
When I’m not in the classroom, you can find me diving into personal art and design projects, traveling (like exploring Chile and Peru with my brother!), playing board games and chess, or enjoying a cozy night in catching up on Survivor.
Natalie’s Early Childhood Memories
Favorite Book as a Young Child
My favorite book as a child was The Enormous Potato, retold by Aubrey Davis. I remember my mom and I checked out this book from our library over and over and over again! My favorite part was when the farmer, the wife, the dog, the cat, and finally the mouse all pulled on the potato together and “Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrip! Out came the potato!”
Favorite Part of the Day in Preschool
My favorite part of Kindergarten was playing with pattern blocks. I could sit on the floor for what felt like hours making complicated mandalas out of all the different shapes. Looking back, I think that’s where I first developed a love for symmetry and discovered a natural eye for aesthetic balance and design.
Inspirational Quote
One of my favorite quotes is:
“The heartbeat of critical thinking is the longing to know—to understand how life works. Children are organically predisposed to be critical thinkers.”
— bell hooks
To me, this is a reminder that children are already fully whole. They don’t need convincing to learn because they are driven by an insatiable, unbiased curiosity about the world and everyone in it. They see the world in its infinite beauty and possibility. Our role is not to make children conform to the world. We are here to help them protect their empathy, keep their minds open, and build the tools they need to define their future for themselves.