When she first moved to the USA from her home of South Africa, Mrs. Dolan worked as a private chef. It was during that time spent with the kids of families she worked with that she realized what an important impact she could make on young children. Through doing hands-on activities like cooking and building, she developed a passion for helping children express their creativity and generate innovative ideas. Mrs. Dolan transitioned to her career in teaching and earned her degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Teaching and Learning, specializing in Math. She taught a variety of grade levels before settling into her current role as the Facilitator of Innovation and Technology in our Makerspace at St. Thomas. 

In her classroom, Mrs. Dolan has high expectations for her students, especially when it comes to collaborating with one another to find creative solutions. Her goal is for her students to learn to persevere and learn from their mistakes. Her teaching philosophy embodies the idea that to FAIL is to accomplish a First Attempt In Learning.

When she’s away from St. Thomas, Mrs. Dolan enjoys spending time with her daughter, Kayley, when she is home from college. Unsurprisingly, she loves to cook, read recipe books, and travel back to South Africa whenever she can.