Meet Our
Lead Infant Teachers

Payton Anderson 

Infant 1 Lead Teacher

Hello! My name is Payton. I am the lead teacher in infant 1 at Cultivate Mankato. I am originally from Brookings, South Dakota but moved here in fall of 2018 to continue my education at Minnesota State University. This fall I will be a junior and will be continuing to work towards my elementary education degree. In my family I am the oldest of six kiddos so working with children and creating special bonds has always been a favorite hobby of mine. I have been working at Cultivate since July 22, 2019 starting at support staff, moving to an assistant, and now it is crazy to be able to have the opportunity as a lead all in just one year. It has been amazing to watch this center grow and transform over time. I have built so many relationships and friendships through Cultivate and look forward to making many more while supporting your little one as they grow! 

Tera Van Keulen

Infant 2 Lead Teacher

Hello! My name is Tera Van Keulen and I am the lead teacher in the infant 2 room. I grew up in St. Clair, MN. Currently, I live in Mankato with my husband, Doug and our 7 month old son, Logan. I have a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to teach in both a child care and school setting. 

My favorite part about work with infants is getting to witness the development that the children go through in their first year. I am so blessed to get to help the infants learn and grow each day. I am so excited to bring my passion for teaching to the Cultivate team!

Britni Greenfield

Infant 3 Lead Teacher

“Hi! My name is Britni and I’m a teacher in one of the infant rooms at Cultivate Mankato. I live in Mankato with my husband and 3 kiddos. You can usually find me having a dance party with my kids or in the kitchen baking cakes for my baking business.

I am so excited to start this journey at Cultivate! Working with children has always been a passion of mine. There is something so special about being apart of a child’s life and helping them grow and develop.

As a childcare provider my overall goal is to focus on each individual child’s needs and potential. I strive to create a trusting and safe atmosphere for children to explore, question, practice, play and become the best version of themselves. I think that it is extremely important to build relationships with not only the children but with their families as well. Our classroom will always have an open door policy with a listening ear and helping hand inside! I am excited to start making and strengthening relationships with the kiddos and families that I am lucky enough meet!”

Cassandra Norris 
Infant 4 Lead Teacher

Hi! My name is Cassandra and I am the lead teacher in Infant 4. I started at Cultivate in January of 2020 and have loved it ever since. I was born and raised here in Mankato and graduated in 2020 with my Bachelors degree in Child Development and Family Studies at Minnesota State Mankato. I am currently engaged and will be getting married in December of 2020. 

I have been working with children of all ages for as long as I can remember, but infants have won my heart over. I love watching them develop, grow and learn how to move their little bodies. They have such fresh minds that are making connections everyday. I am so grateful I get to work at  Cultivate and be able give these children the love they all need. 

Ashlie Fitzpatrick

Infant 5 Lead Teacher

“Hello! My name is Ashlie and I am the lead teacher in Infant 4. I was born and raised right outside of Mankato in a little town called Rapidan. After I graduated high school in 2014, I earned my Child Development Associates and I have been a lead teacher at a childcare center since obtaining my degree. I have been working around and with children for about 14 years. I recently got married in October of 2018 and have a little boy of my own who was born in June 2019. I have always worked with the infant and toddler age and look forward to getting to know many more children and families at Cultivate.