Board of Directors

Autumn Kowalyk

As the President of Children's Lilac Garden, Autumn is honored to support a community that values childhood, creativity, and meaningful connection. Her family has been part of the homeschooling community for many years, and she currently homeschools her daughter, Mila. Her eldest daughter, Sophia, is a Lilac Garden graduate. Through her homeschool journey, Autumn has developed a deep appreciation for the Waldorf philosophy and its emphasis on nurturing the whole child through imagination, nature, movement, and hands-on learning.

Professionally, Autumn's background is in dental hygiene and nutrition, where she developed a passion for supporting health and wellness through education and preventative care. She is also the owner of Eupraxia Ontario, a functional fitness gym in Ontario, NY, where she helps individuals build strength, confidence, and lifelong healthy habits through movement and community.

Autumn is grateful for the opportunity to serve Children's Lilac Garden and to give back to a community that has enriched her own family's homeschooling adventure. She looks forward to supporting our teachers, families, and children as we continue to foster a space where curiosity, creativity, and meaningful relationships can grow alongside a lifelong love of learning.  

Shannon Hess

Shannon joined Lilac Children’s Garden in 2022 at the beginning of her families homeschooling journey. She loves the reverence of weekly rhythm and the seasonal shifts that are brought to life with yearly festivals.  Shannon has spent the past 15 years supporting, participating, and working in Waldorf-inspired programs for the early ages in the Finger Lakes and Rochester areas. In her free time she can be found stitching small dolls and animals and learning new crafts from her son.

Amy Grailer

Secretary

Amy and her family joined Lilac in 2025 and have loved every bit of it. She has been homeschooling her three daughters for a few years and is thrilled that all three will be in Lilac classes this year. Amy works part time as a speech-language pathologist and has enjoyed the slower rhythms and connections of homeschooling, especially at Lilac. Her daughters and her have formed bonds that will undoubtedly last for years. Amy enjoys gardening and cooking with her family, as well as taking care of their many pets! She is looking forward to another wonderful year at Lilac! 

Christy Dryden

Ruthann Blundell

Jaclyn Cellura-Crane

Being in community, learning through the arts, and finding ways to be playful have always been important to Teacher Jaclyn. She is delighted to be part of the Lilac community, where all of these things are celebrated! Teacher Jaclyn has a masters degree in Early Education, with concentrations in literacy and “Arts for Children”. She worked in public schools for over ten years, and taught for another two years at an outdoor learning center for homeschoolers. It’s been one of the great pleasures of her life to transition her family to homeschooling, and to find so many wonderful families to grow with in the process. Her two children currently attend Lilac, providing the whole family with more opportunities for seasonal celebrations, play with friends, and a slower, gentler pace through poetry, handwork and other mindful learning activities.