Meet Our Team
Surjit Sandhu
Meet Out Director
Surjit graduated from university of Alberta in 1980 along side raising a family with three young children. After working at Yellowhead Youth Centre as child care counsellor , she got a job with University of Alberta’s staff daycare on part time basis. In 1985 University closed the centre for lack of space and Surjit got the opportunity to work as a licensing officer with day care licensing branch. This was a great learning experience which enabled her to take the next big step of joining Leduc Strathcona Services for Children in 1993. Surjit is a strong believer of small group size child care.
Michelle graduated from the University of Alberta with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She taught for ten years in schools highlighting Indigenous education before making the decision to open a day home with Leduc Strathcona Services for Children in 2008 after her second child was born. Michelle then moved into a consultant role with the agency in February of 2015. She now splits her time between her Assistant Director duties and her role as a consultant.
Michelle enjoys interacting with the children during her visits and supporting educators in creating and maintaining quality day home environments. When not working, she spends time with her family which includes cheering her children on at their various after school activities including hockey and basketball.
Megan graduated from Grant MacEwan University in 2008 with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education. She began her career shortly afterward as an Early Childhood Educator in downtown Edmonton, working closely with children and families. Over the next seven years, she dedicated herself to supporting children across a wide range of ages and developmental stages before deciding to expand her professional path.
In 2014, Megan transitioned to what was formerly known as Parent Link where she spent a year with the Family and Community Services Department in Strathcona County. During this time, she was able to pursue additional education that continues to strengthen her work as a Consultant with LSSC.
Megan joined the Leduc-Strathcona Services for Children team in November 2015 as a Consultant. Since then, her role has grown to include overseeing multiple areas within the agency, from managing her caseload to supporting a broad range of accounting and administrative responsibilities.
Holly Graduated from Early Childhood Education, at Grant MacEwan, in 2006. After Graduating she worked in day care as an Educator and worked her way up to becoming a Director for a period of time. After getting married and starting a family Holly stayed home raising their two children. When her children started school full-time she returned to the workforce and started here at Leduc-Strathcona Services for Children as a Day Home Consultant in 2017.
Holly enjoys the balance of the Consultant position with being able to interact with the children, supporting the Educators/families and working in the office with the other knowledgeable staff members. In Holly’s spare time she enjoys getting together with family and friends playing games, camping, and fishing.
Della joined the agency as an educator in 2011 after operating a very successful private dayhome for several years. She was drawn to the professionalism, training, and support that the agency offered and quickly became a valued member of the team.
In 2021, Della transitioned into the office and took on the role of consultant. The change has been a wonderful experience, and she truly enjoys supporting the educators she works with. Having spent many years in their role herself, Della brings a unique understanding and perspective to her work.
Outside of work, Della is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys spending time with her husband and their four grown children.
Karissa moved to Edmonton in the fall of 2010 from rural southeastern Saskatchewan to pursue her passion for early childhood education. After graduating in 2012 from the Early Learning and Child Care program at Grant MacEwan, she began working at the City of Beaumont Child Care Centre.
After the birth of her second child, Karissa decided to open a dayhome and transitioned to working with Leduc Strathcona Services for Children. Throughout her career, she has remained a strong advocate for the early childhood field and is committed to ongoing professional growth. She has earned her Special Needs Education Assistant Certificate and completed Flight training, along with various other professional development opportunities to stay current with Alberta’s curriculum and pedagogical practices.
Karissa is deeply passionate about her family and enjoys spending time with her husband and their two sons, Grayson and Pryce, as well as their dog, Walter. As a family, they love going on adventures, exploring the city, camping, and traveling back to Saskatchewan to visit loved ones.