Christine Collins

Taylor Markevicz

Director

Assistant Director

Ms. Christine Collins has been our Director since October 2005. She has been in the field of Early Childhood Development since 1990. She used to be SEA's Lead Infant/Toddler Teacher.

She has an A.A Degree in Liberal Arts and an A.S. Degree in Child Development from Mesa College. She also has a CTC Child Development Site Supervisor Permit and has completed the Program for Infant Toddler (PITC) care training.

She obtained her M.A.Ed in August 2013 and her B.A. in Early Childhood Education Administration from Ashford University in May 2012.  Currently, she teaches Early Childhood Education classes at Theoria Technical College. Her core classes are Family, Child, & Community and ECE Program Administration & Management, but she also teaches Early Special Needs Education and Adult Supervision and Leadership. She loves to bring cutting edge ECE practices to SEA!

Because she's worked with diverse families and for many decades, she brings a human touch to the Director's position and really strives to make your family's experience here at SEA the best it can be!

Ms. Taylor Markevicz brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to our team! She serves as the esteemed Assistant Director of our organization, having joined our team in 2010 as a teacher before her promotion to Assistant Director in 2017. She is a proud mother of two wonderful boys who graduated from SEA after going through the entire program, Angelfish to Sharks.

She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education Administration, she brings over two decades of teaching experience to our management team. Her dedicated efforts contribute significantly to the design and curriculum standards of SEA, reflecting her commitment to excellence in education and administration. Her work ethic and love of early childhood development has led to the optimal functioning of Scripps Exploring Academy for many years.

Theresa Basanec

Office Manager

Ms. Theresa Basanec has been our exceptional Office Manager at SEA since December 2009. She efficiently oversees all office operations, including monthly billing and managing vacation requests, while warmly greeting families each morning and handling a variety of other essential tasks.

Theresa is a graduate of the University of Wyoming, where she earned a B.S. in Parks & Recreation with a minor in Public Administration. During her college summers, she honed her skills by running children's summer programs at the Parks & Recreation Department in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Before joining SEA, Theresa spent 25 years successfully running her own travel agency. Her wealth of experience and warm personality have made her an invaluable member of our office team.

Meet Our Team