Who We Are
We are families and educators working to build a strong Montessori option on the North Side of Columbus, OH. We share a desire to create an accessible and welcoming school environment where all children will be supported in their innate drive to learn, find community, and develop to their fullest potential. Our founding staff built CMC in 2019, and families were welcomed to their children's first day of school on January 6th, 2020. We look forward to welcoming new families and staff to our community for many years to come!
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If you would like to consider adding your biography to those of our committed staff below, please visit our Join the CMC Team page! If you believe you may be able to help our school in any other capacity, please visit our Support CMC page or email Taylor directly.
Founding Director and Children's House East Guide​
Taylor Dautremont is a graduate of Denison University with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Psychology as well as a trained Montessorian at the Children's House (ages 2.5-6) and Elementary (ages 6-12) levels. She completed her Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Children's House training at Navadisha Montessori Institute in Chennai, India in 2011. She completed her AMI Elementary training at Washington Montessori Institute and earned a Master's degree in Elementary Montessori Education from Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD) in 2016. She has nearly two decades of experience working with young children in private and public Montessori schools, conventional preschools, summer and after-school programs, and individual family homes. Taylor also has significant experience working with English language learners and in fundraising. She lives with her son, Walden, and husband, Julian, in Clintonville where they all enjoy exploring local parks and organic gardening. She also very much enjoys sharing her love of art, vegetables, phonics, bikes, geography, large numbers, and good stories with the children of CMC!
Lauren Diaz is a graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. Her professional journey commenced with internships at Macmillan and W. W. Norton, paving the way for her role as a digital marketing associate at Simon & Schuster upon graduation. During her time in New York, Lauren cultivated not only her career but also a genuine passion for early childhood education. This passion manifested through her volunteer work with New York Cares. Upon returning to her hometown, Columbus, she pursued this interest further by completing OSU’s Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute, serving as a substitute teacher across all grade levels in her local school district, and working in three different early childhood education settings. Lauren currently resides in Gahanna with her husband, two cats, and one dog. Beyond her professional pursuits, she finds joy in painting, hiking, yoga, and the perpetual journey of home improvement. Lauren is so excited to use her wide range of experience and skills to help strengthen and grow CMC's community.
Director of Operations
Children's House West Guide
Yung Chi is a graduate of Fu Jen University with a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics and Early Childhood Education and of Cleveland State University with a Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction. She completed her Association Montessori International (AMI) Children’s House (ages 2.5–6) training in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1996, then transferred the credits from the AMI Cleveland Training Center to Cleveland State University, where she completed her master’s degree in 1997. Over her long career, she has joined the teams of five Montessori schools, the OSU child care center, and two Saturday foreign language schools in Taiwan and Columbus. She also founded and led her own in-home, bilingual Montessori program to support her two sons and a small group of other students in developing academically, socially, and physically. Yung is especially proud of supporting both of her sons in achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in Scouts BSA and has enjoyed seeing them participate in after-school activities such as the YMCA swimming team, chess tournaments, basketball and the cross-country team at Hilliard Davidson.
Her younger son, Jay, is studying engineering at The Ohio State University, while her older son, Ray, works as a software engineer in New York City. Yung has lived with her husband, Yi-chang, in Columbus, OH, for almost 25 years. Their two cats, Dash and Daisy, have been part of the family for five years. In her leisure time, she enjoys taking gym classes, practicing yoga, hiking, playing pickleball, and traveling. Yung also enjoys reading educational books and creating systematic lesson plans to teach and share her experiences with the children of CMC.
Children's House Guide
in Training
Lio Williams holds a bachelor's degree in linguistics from OSU and a master's in early childhood education from Grand Canyon University. They came to CMC with five years of experience teaching in public and charter pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. Passionate about linguistics, Lio has taught adult ESOL classes with the Columbus Literacy Council since 2017. They are currently completing their AMI training at the Supraja Montessori Study Centre in Chenai, India. In their free time, Lio enjoys playing DnD with their friends and maintaining their 1,400+ day Duolingo streak!
Children's House
East Assistant
Danica Schueck joined CMC in late 2025, following two years as an outdoor educator and high-ropes facilitator in Mohican State Park. Her passion for working with children began in high school through volunteer work with her church. Inspired by a close friend’s experience in Montessori education and a visit to CMC, she found a path where she could grow alongside her students. Outside of CMC, Danica enjoys writing music, paddleboarding, climbing, and snowboarding.
Children's House West Assistant
Sophia Adams holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Montana State University. During her degree, Sophia worked as a research assistant in an influenza lab studying infectious disease. She joined CMC after graduation following a summer teaching swim lessons, wanting to explore further the world of early childhood education! When not in the classroom, Sophia enjoys reading, running, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Operations
Assistant
Sunny Lemmon holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina Honors College. Sunny joined CMC with supervisory experience in legal technical support and legal document production. Sunny’s enthusiasm for Montessori education began with preparing the home environment for their now three-year-old daughter. Outside of work, Sunny enjoys reading, sewing, PC gaming, walking through metro parks, and spending time with their family.
Board of Directors
Community Montessori Columbus (CMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing accessible, fully implemented Montessori education and child care to families across Central Ohio. Our Board of Directors supports and guides this mission through dedicated leadership and stewardship.
Ami Iannone
Ami Iannone is the President of the Board of Directors for Community Montessori Columbus. She proudly sent her two children through CMC's program. Ami received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College, the only degree-granting tutorial program in the United States. She is a creative strategist and the owner of Grand & Brilliant, an independent brand and marketing consultancy. Ami has a decade of experience as a multi-faceted player on the founding teams of five early-stage companies.
Alice Ragland
Dr. Alice Ragland has a PhD in Multicultural and Equity Studies in Education from The Ohio State University and is a professor in the Department of Liberal Arts at Columbus College of Art & Design. She brings many years of experience as an educator, facilitator, and writer, teaching and leading workshops on race, social justice, and equity in schools, colleges, and community spaces across the country. Her research and creative work focus on racial justice and documenting Black experiences in Ohio. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her children, both of whom are CMC alumni, and working on sustainable creative projects.
Scott McCann
Scott McCann Jr. holds an MBA in Personal Finance from Indiana Wesleyan University and brings over 20 years of experience in real estate, property management, and finance. He lives on the east side of Columbus with his wife and three kids. He is a devoted Columbus Blue Jackets season ticket holder, is actively involved in serving at his local church, and enjoys building fun projects for kids, from treehouses to scarf blowers.
Sarah Short
Sarah Short is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at Ohio State University. She earned a B.S. in Biology in 2005 from Xavier University and a Ph.D. in Genetics and Development in 2012 from Cornell University. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University before moving to Columbus in 2018. Her research and teaching focus on insects of medical importance, and she leads an extension program dedicated to protecting Ohioans from mosquito and tick bites. She is passionate about high-quality, accessible education for young children and is a Community Montessori Parent. She lives in Columbus with her husband and two daughters.
Ahmed Almassry
Ahmed Almassry is a seasoned product leader and data quality expert known for building scalable, high-reliability solutions through a user-centered, design-thinking approach. He serves as a Senior Product Manager at Cardinal Health, where he leads Pharmacy Data Integrations that support critical pharmacy workflows. His background includes leading enterprise data quality initiatives for large-scale integration work, as well as product leadership in digital education services. Ahmed earned an MBA and a Master of Global Management from Tulane University. As a Board Member at Community Montessori Columbus (CMC), he brings a systems mindset and a commitment to thoughtful governance in support of accessible, community-based education.
Ready to Explore Enrollment?
Thank you for your interest in Community Montessori Columbus! To begin exploring enrollment, we invite you to take our short quiz: “Is Community Montessori a Good Fit for My Family?” In ten minutes or less, you’ll gain insight into whether CMC could be the right partner in supporting your child’s growth and well-being.