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Let’s launch their lifelong love of learning together. Contact us to visit Celebree School of Virginia Beach!
Let’s launch their lifelong love of learning together. Contact us to visit Celebree School of Virginia Beach!
Lisa and Nikhil Deshpande are the Owner-Operators of Celebree School of Virginia Beach.
Lisa was born, lived, and worked in Front Royal, Virginia, and moved to Virginia Beach in 2023 upon retiring from a 31-year career in public education. Lisa received her master’s degree in educational administration in 2000 from James Madison University. Nikhil grew up in Pune, India, and came to the United States in 2001 to pursue his master’s degree in civil engineering at Clemson University. He later moved to Virginia Beach to work in the transportation and infrastructure sector. Lisa and Nikhil now live in Virginia Beach, just a few miles from their Celebree School.
Lisa and Nikhil are actively involved in all aspects of the school’s operations and are committed to using their professional backgrounds to serve the families who live and work in their community. Throughout her 31-year career in public education, Lisa served at the classroom, school, and district levels, focusing on supporting students, families, and teachers. She loved every role she held and always knew her work with children would continue well beyond retirement.
Nikhil has over 22 years of experience in the consulting industry and currently serves as the Director of Transportation at Rinker Design Associates, LLC, a full-service civil engineering consulting firm. The increasing need for childcare became very apparent to Nikhil when co-workers beginning their own families, could not return to work as scheduled due to their inability to secure childcare.
Lisa and Nikhil felt drawn to Celebree’s mission of creating high-quality, inclusive early childhood programs – values that align closely with their own and reflect the legacy they hope to build for their family and community. They are excited to partner with you as your children discover their own strengths, passions, and joy for learning.
Jennifer Pope is the Center Director for Celebree School of Virginia Beach. With a background in early childhood education starting 26 years ago, she is committed to fostering an environment where children, families, and staff are safe, respected, and inspired to learn and grow. Jennifer’s passion for Celebree’s high quality curriculum is surpassed only by her passion for supporting Virginia Beach families and the community at large.
Jennifer embodies a desire for youth development and community service. She started at age 17 as a preschool teacher, continued her career by teaching kindergarten, serving as an elementary school librarian, and most recently, as a preschool director.
Jennifer’s leadership approach centers on collaboration with families, staff, and the community so that together we can provide the highest quality of care and education. She believes every child’s early years are the foundation for lifelong learning, and she is honored to be part of the Celebree School of Virginia Beach journey. Jennifer looks forward to meeting the families of Virginia Beach and working together to make our school an extension of home.
