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The ELM Team
Kandy Dicken: Executive Director/Owner
Kandy began Early Learning Matters in 2005 and remains the sole owner. She currently serves as the Executive Director and Admissions Coordinator. Her past professional experience includes public school teaching in grades ranging from Kindergarten through 6th. Kandy received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Human Development from Warner Pacific College. She later received a Master’s in the Art of Teaching from Pacific University in Forest Grove. She has served as a certified facilitator for Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and the 7 Habits Signature Program for adults. Kandy’s passion is creating an environment where strengths are discovered and nurtured.
Kandy resides in Hillsboro and her hobbies include traveling, photography, hiking, group fitness classes, dancing, and spending time with her family.
Sara Young: Director of Programs
Sara began teaching at ELM in 2013. She served as a Lead Teacher for Pre-K and Kindergarten for several years, was promoted to Curriculum Specialist, and currently serves as the Director of Programs. She began her teaching career at Head Start, where she worked as a Lead Preschool Teacher for over 7 years. She obtained an AS degree in Early Childhood Education in 2007. In 2011, she received a BA in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. She has had training on a wide variety of topics such as Cultural Awareness, Kindergarten Readiness, Observations and Assessments, and the 7- Habits. She is currently continuing her education by attending Early Childhood Conferences and keeping updated on current curriculum options.
Sara lives in Beaverton with her husband and three of her five children. Her two adult sons live nearby and often come to visit. She enjoys taking her family to the park, hiking, doing art projects, and playing board games with them. She and her husband have also recently taken up gardening together. Sara grew up in Hawaii and spent her early teaching and college education years there. Her hobbies include drawing, painting, playing the flute, and creating educational games for children.
Lynsey Matykowski: Assistant Director/Lead Teacher
Lynsey began her career at Early Learning Matters in 2006. She started as an Assistant Teacher and was promoted to Lead Teacher in 2009. In 2014, Lynsey was promoted to Assistant Director and continues to maintain her role in the classroom. Lynsey graduated from Oregon State University with a Liberal Arts Degree. She worked in special education for 12 years prior to joining the ELM team. Lynsey brings over 20 years of teaching experience to her classroom.
She lives in Hillsboro with her two children. Lynsey grew up in the Portland area and maintains close ties with her family and church. She volunteers in the choir and is a regular deacon. She is passionate about maintaining a safe and loving environment where children learn through exploration and discovery.
Honiwell Inocencio: Lead Teacher
Honiwell joined Early Learning Matters as the Lead Teacher in the Kindergarten and Pre-K Sequoia Room in 2022. Earlier in her career she worked as an Assistant Teacher in Hawaii for 7 years. Following her move to Oregon, she worked as a Lead Preschool and Pre-K teacher for another 4 years. During the pandemic Honiwell had the unique opportunity to serve as a Distant Learning Lead Teacher, overseeing three schools. She holds an AS degree in Early Childhood Education.
Honiwell lives in Hillsboro with her husband and her dog. She enjoys attending concerts, comedy shows, thrifting, and sporting events. Theme parks and adventure sports are right up her alley! Whenever she gets the chance, she enjoys visiting friends and family in her hometown in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Damaris Bezares: Lead Teacher
Damaris joined Early Learning Matters in 2017. She serves as Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher in the Elderberry Room. Prior to ELM, she served as a Pre-K Teacher in Middleton, WI for 8 years. Damaris has a B.S. in Office Administration from the University of Puerto Rico. In addition, she has taken many classes and trainings in Early Childhood Education. Damaris is fluent in Spanish and has specialized in working with dual-language students. She loves unraveling the uniqueness of each child and would not trade teaching for anything.
Damaris lives in Beaverton with her husband, two daughters, and Chispi (the family dog). She loves taking her family to the park, to the beach, swimming, and exploring new places. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her hobbies include spending time with friends, cooking, baking, and travel.
Nicole Schnell: Assistant Teacher
Prior to joining ELM, Nicole worked as a Managing Partner at Sunset Lanes and KingPins Portland, where she was responsible for staff development, customer relations, and employee communications. Nicole worked closely with Sunset Lane’s teenage staff to develop leadership skills, along with preparing and training them for promotions and other career opportunities. Nicole is known for her volunteer work, especially her dedication to the arts and the Special Olympics. Throughout the last 15 years Nicole has volunteered for SMART reader, The Boys and Girls Club, and has worked closely with the Special Olympics and their annual bowling tournament. After working in her children’s co-op preschools and teaching Art Literature at her local elementary school, Nicole knew early education is where she belongs.
You can often find Nicole in her backyard gardening, spending quality time with family, chasing one of her pups, or corralling her chickens. Did we mention that Nicole loves animals? Nicole also enjoys crafting and loves to spend her free time making gifts for her friends, along with selling them at local community markets.
Beatriz Musnicki: Assistant Teacher
Beatriz is an Assistant Teacher in Pre-K and Kindergarten in the Sequoia classroom. Beatriz had her youngest at ELM for the past several years and served as a volunteer and substitute teacher in the classrooms during this time. She has multiple years of experience volunteering in her older son’s school and is currently working as the vice president of a nonprofit organization. She is excited to bring her passion for education and teaching to ELM. She is looking forward to getting to know the families and students in the Sequoia Room this upcoming year.
Beatriz has lived in Oregon for the past 8 years. She and her husband, have two sons together. She loves the outdoors, hiking, fitness, and supporting her family in all their many endeavors.
Taylor Hert: Assistant Teacher
Taylor joined Early Learning Matters in 2022. In addition to teaching at ELM, she serves as a cheer coach at Legacy Athletics. Taylor has lots of experience working with children of all ages in a variety of settings. She has coached ages ranging from 5-18 over the past 5 years. She has also served as a nanny, providing care for 3 children. She is a graduate of Glencoe High School and a USASF Certified Coach.
Taylor lives in Hillsboro with her family, their dog Walker, and their chickens. She spends her free time with family and friends, exploring new places, baking, and reading. She also loves making arts and crafts whenever given the chance.