How We Began
Our story begins with our founder, Margaret. While still a college student, she began working in special education. She delighted in the work and in watching students grow to love discovery and learning, but found the clinical environment detrimental and decided to create a comfortable, safe environment for students. She has continued to provide services for families and schools.
Margaret Walsh
The primary specialist and founder is Margaret Walsh. Margaret graduated with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College and a Master's in Special Education from the University of North Dakota. She was trained and worked at Lindamood Bell Learning Processes during her summers between college. She pursued further specialized training and education with Equipping Minds and is a certified instructor of the Equipping Minds therapy program. She is currently developing curriculum and training for students and teachers who work with Secret Garden Educational Pathways.
Susanna Durbin
After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, Susanna wanted to apply her knowledge and experience to teaching. She has completed specialized training at Lindamood Bell Learning Processes and became certified in Equipping Minds. With her experience in psychology, Susanna can grasp the struggles that both families and students encounter when there are learning or behavior challenges. She is a fun, kind and sympathetic teacher who seeks to find the key to each student’s difficulties and help them reach success.
Genevieve Walsh
Genevieve is currently a teacher in training with both Margaret and Susanna as mentors and trainers. Genevieve grew up in California, attended high school through Mother of Divine Grace and is currently pursuing studies in education. She is an encouraging teacher who has a good sense of structuring each class to fit her students. She also serves as our secretary.