Early Intervention Team in Greenville, SC
117 Manly Street
Greenville, SC 29601
864.235.3394
Serving Greenville and Laurens Counties
Ahead Start's highly gifted, caring Early Interventionists (EIs) specialize in empowering families to grow stronger. Our large and always-growing EI team allows us to find the best match for supporting the unique needs of both you and your child.
Meet our Greenville team below, or use the buttons on the left to meet our other teams.
Deidre Martin
Early Interventionist - Director
Deidre received her Bachelor of Science degree from Presbyterian College in 1999.
- 17+ years of experience as an Early Interventionist
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Pickens County Children's Services Council
- March of Dimes Parent-Staff Advisory Board
- Safe Harbor Board of Directors
"I love my job. My team gets to give back to the community, and I still get excited when I hear how one of my teammates has helped families help their children."
Flip backAshley Brooks
Early Interventionist - Supervisor
Ashley graduated summa cum laude and received her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Child & Family Studies from Lander University in 2014.
- 5+ years of experience working with preschool-age children
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Completed fieldworks with experienced EIs and special needs k5 classes
"I was inspired to work at Ahead Start by my mom who has been an EI herself for 20 years. I believe I learned the type of passion and dedication I have for this job from her."
Flip backCourtney Johnston
Early Interventionist - Mentor
Courtney received her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Early Childhood and Special Education from Lander University in 2018.
- 8+ years experience working with children
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Previous experience working with non-ambulatory children in a special education classroom
- Unified Sports & Special Olympics volunteer
- NAYCE member
- Member of the Council for Exceptional Children
"My favorite part of working for Ahead Start is being an advocate for the families I serve and watching each child master new skills."
Flip backMaci Hazel
Early Interventionist
Maci received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Clemson University in 2020.
- First Aid and CPR certified
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Previous experience working at Helping Hands Children’s Home
- Interned with social workers and psychologist at the Parenting Place
- Previous Special Olympics volunteer
“This company is made up of amazing individuals who truly make you feel like you’re a part of something special. Plus, we really are! It is an entirely unique, beautiful, and amazing experience being able to help a child learn and grow and watching them accomplish so much alongside their families.”
Flip backMadison Ryza
Early Interventionist
Madison graduated magna cum laude and received her B.S. in Human Services with a concentration in Counseling at Southern Wesleyan University in 2020.
- First Aid and CPR certified
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Previous volunteer at The Family Effect providing childcare
- Interned with Child Protective Services, Fostering Faithfully, and United Way
- Previously worked with Adult Protective Services as a case manager
"I love building bonds with the families I get to work with and helping them advocate for their kiddo! Seeing the progress made by children and their families is very rewarding!"
Flip backKatie Farmer
Early Interventionist - Supervisor
Katie received her degree in Human & Community Services and Psychology from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2004.
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Trained in preventing child abuse and neglect (PCAN)
- Trained in working with children with autism
- Offers Infant/Child Massage instruction
"When I began with Ahead Start I knew I would enjoy helping children and their families. But I had no idea how much impact they would have on me and how much I would love them."
Flip backNikkole Chase
Early Interventionist - Mentor
Nikkole received her degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from USC Upstate in 2013.
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Experience teaching children in church Sunday school
- Experience teaching preschool-age children in a daycare setting
- Experience teaching in after-school programs
"It is great to get to know the wonderful families I work with and to see them grow as a family! Working for Ahead Start is definitely a blessing."
Flip backSara Turner
Early Interventionist
Sara graduated from Winthrop University in 2009 with her degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, with an Early Intervention concentration.
- First Aid and CPR certified
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- 10 years experience teaching children birth to 6 years in preschool and public school settings
“The best part of working for Ahead Start is helping children and their families grow stronger and meet milestones together.”
Flip backGabrielle Jackson
Early Interventionist
SGabrielle graduated from Furman University in 2020 with a degree in Sociology.
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Previous volunteer at the Meyer Center
- 1 year working with children with special needs
- First Aid and CPR certified
“I am so blessed to work with children every day. They constantly show me how beautiful and amazing the simplest things in life can be."
Flip backStacey Chapman
Early Interventionist - Regional Manager
Stacey received her B.A. in Behavioral Sciences from Erskine College in 2002 and her M.Ed. in Community Counseling from Clemson University in 2006.
- 8+ years of experience as an Early Interventionist
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Autism training through SC Autism Division
- Trained in preventing child abuse and neglect (PCAN)
- Offers Infant/Child Massage instruction
"I have never had a job that felt so rewarding at the end of the day. There is always some type of success to celebrate with our families."
Flip backLauren Hanley
Early Interventionist - Supervisor
Lauren graduated magna cum laude from Anderson University in 2010 with a degree in Secondary Education in Social Studies.
- 2010 recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Early Childhood credentials
- 7+ years experience teaching preschool
"It's a rewarding experience to be a part of the foundation of knowledge that children use to guide them the rest of their lives. I love helping each child learn and grow!"
Flip backCara Goldberg
Early Interventionist
Cara received her B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Clemson University in 2018 and then her M.Ed. in Birth through Kindergarten Special Education from the University of Georgia in 2020.
- First Aid and CPR certified
- SC Infant-Toddler Credentials
- Previous work in Early Intervention in Georgia
- Experienced teaching preschool for children with special needs
- Studied abroad in Italy to learn about Reggio Emilia approach to education
- Participated in a federal grant through the University of Georgia to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in early intervention/special education
"I love being able to provide families with the tools to help their child grow and succeed. It is amazing to watch their progress from one session to the next!"
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