Christina Morales, MS, BCBA, Founder & CEO, IQR Group
Christina founded Bumblebee Academy from both her professional experience and her personal journey as an autism mom. She believes every learner deserves an educational environment where they are understood, supported, and given meaningful opportunities to grow. As Founder and CEO of IQR Group, Christina continues to guide Bumblebee’s vision with a focus on creating the kind of supportive, inclusive community she knows can make a difference for both learners and their families.
Madison Garrity, MS, BCBA, Executive Director, IQR Group
Madison serves as Executive Director of IQR Group, providing leadership and support across its organizations, including Bumblebee Academy. With a background in psychology and behavior analysis, Madison brings extensive experience supporting individuals with disabilities across a variety of educational and community settings. She works closely with Bumblebee’s leadership team to strengthen educational quality, support inclusive practices, develop leaders, and ensure teachers, learners, and families have the systems and support they need to thrive.
Sarah Motsay Director of Operations, IQR Group
Sarah serves as Director of Operations for IQR Group, supporting the systems and operations that help Bumblebee Academy and its team thrive. With more than five years of experience in early childhood education, along with a background in medical records and credentialing, Sarah brings a unique combination of educational experience, organization, and attention to detail. She works closely with Bumblebee’s leadership team to strengthen processes and ensure staff have the support and resources they need to create meaningful experiences for learners and families.
Kelly Schmader, MS, BCBA Director
Kelly is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Director of Bumblebee Academy. Her journey into the field began through supporting her niece, inspiring her passion for helping children and families through individualized support. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and has experience across behavioral health, foster care, and educational settings. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with her family and new grandchild, photography, gardening, cooking, and her love of bulldogs.
Nikya Williams, RBT Assistant Director & Foundations Teacher
Nikya is an RBT, Foundations Teacher, and Assistant Director at Bumblebee Academy with more than 10 years of experience in early childhood education. After seeing the impact behavioral support could have on a learner, she became an RBT to expand how she could support the whole child. Nikya is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences beyond academics. Outside of work, she enjoys cheering on her son at baseball, supporting her daughter’s theater productions, and spending time with her family.
Teachers
Ashley Prasch, RBT, Foundations Teacher
Ashley brings experience in both education and behavioral support to her role at Bumblebee Academy, including three years as an RBT supporting children with autism and other developmental needs. She is passionate about recognizing each learner’s individual strengths and finding the approach that helps them build confidence, independence, and new skills. Ashley is currently pursuing a degree in psychology and, outside of Bumblebee, is an animal lover with a special interest in reptiles.
Nikki Cousin, RBT, Foundations Teacher
Nikki brings more than three years of experience at Bumblebee Academy to her role as a Foundations Teacher, having grown from floater to assistant teacher, RBT, and now teacher. She is passionate about building strong relationships with her learners and creating a fun, safe environment where each child feels comfortable being themselves while developing new skills. Outside of Bumblebee, Nikki enjoys spending time with family, going to the beach or pool, working out, and playing video games.
Samantha Burbank, RBT, Essential Skills Development Teacher
Samantha is a Teacher at Bumblebee Academy with nearly ten years of experience working with children from infancy through school age. She is passionate about meeting learners where they are, rather than defining their abilities by a diagnosis, and loves watching them grow, build new skills, and beat the odds. Samantha values teamwork, collaboration, and continuing to grow as a leader. Outside of Bumblebee, she enjoys arts and crafts and playing video games.
Nilda Cortijo, RBT, Essential Skills Development Teacher
Nilda is a teacher at Bumblebee Academy with three years of experience on the team, beginning as a preschool teacher before becoming an RBT and returning to the classroom. She is passionate about creating fun, meaningful learning experiences and helping each learner grow. Outside of work, Nilda loves movies, collecting DVDs, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Classroom Support Technicians
Maki Brown, RBT, Lead Classroom Support Technician
Maki is a Lead Classroom Support Technician at Bumblebee Academy who has been working with children since she was 16. She is passionate about seeing each learner make progress and believes every step, big or small, is worth celebrating. Her experience has taught her to be flexible and adapt her approach to each learner’s individual needs. Maki values the strong sense of community and collaboration at Bumblebee. Outside of work, she enjoys anime and reading as a way to escape into another world.
Lindsay Lapinski, RBT, Classroom Support Technician
Lindsay is a Classroom Support Technician who brings a lifelong passion for supporting children and families to Bumblebee Academy. Her experience includes working in daycare, summer camps, group homes, and other caregiving settings. She loves helping learners work through challenges, build new skills, and experience meaningful moments of growth. Outside of Bumblebee, Lindsay is a mom of six and is active in her church’s special needs ministry.
Victoria Vera, RBT, Classroom Support Technician
Victoria brings experience in behavioral support to her role as a CST and is also an RBT and Student Analyst pursuing her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is passionate about helping children with autism build the skills, confidence, and independence they need to succeed while creating an environment where every learner feels understood and capable. Outside of Bumblebee, Victoria enjoys spontaneous adventures and spending time with her pets, friends, and family.
Sara Cravo, RBT, Classroom Support Technician
Sara brings experience in behavioral support to her role as a CST, having worked as an RBT since 2024. She is passionate about breaking big goals into achievable steps and celebrating the everyday wins that help learners build confidence and independence. Sara values the care and dedication that goes into supporting each learner at Bumblebee and creating meaningful experiences along the way. Outside of Bumblebee, she enjoys going to the theatre and reading a good book.