Ariana is originally from San Antonio, Texas but moved to Chicago in 2025 in order to join the City Elementary Community. Having wanted to follow in her mom’s footsteps and become a teacher, she jumped right into the special education setting after graduating with her BA in Creative Writing from Mills College in 2009. From her start as a one-on-one classroom aide to becoming the head teacher in a self-contained special education room, she’s been passionate about implementing neurodiverse  affirming education in every classroom she’s been in, and this opportunity to be a part of City’s mission is truly a dream. In her free time, Ariana enjoys reading, writing, long walks with her dog, and volunteering with Special Olympics.

Crockett is new to City Elementary and Chicago after spending the past 27 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. During that time, he was a copywriter and Creative Director in the advertising industry but spent the last decade as a stay-at-home dad to his son and daughter as well as being a substitute teacher where he spent life-changing time with neurodivergent students. He holds a degree in English/Creative Writing from the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as an MS from Virginia Commonwealth University. Away from school, Crockett loves to cook, garden, go to movies and hang out with his wife and fellow empty-nester, Kate.

 Cameron Marlin is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but moved to Chicago in January of 2021 after graduating from the University of New Mexico with a BA in American Studies (Summa Cum Laude). She has been working at City Elementary as a Teaching Assistant since 2021, and is currently co-teaching in the middle school classroom. Prior to City, she has worked with K-12 students as a long-term substitute teacher for Albuquerque Public Schools and as a summer camp counselor for an international youth program called CISV. She is very happy to call City her home and is eager to continue working with City’s incredible neurodiverse students, as well as the amazing staff and community!

Mia Oliver is originally from Los Angeles, California, and moved to Chicago in 2022 to attend the University of Chicago, where she majored in Neuroscience and minored in Health & Society. During her first two years of college, she volunteered at City Elementary through Med-ucate, a student organization that teaches children about medicine and self-care. During her last year of college, she returned to City as an intern in the K-2 classroom and currently works in the middle school classroom as a 1:1 paraprofessional aide and classroom assistant. Prior to joining City, Mia gained experience working with children ages 5-18 as a camp counselor for a summer leadership camp and an outdoor camp counselor in Southern California. She has also volunteered at community parks to teach children about dental hygiene. Mia is grateful to be part of the City Elementary community and to work alongside such supportive teachers and wonderful students.