Ali Nyquist
Resource Specialist

Ali came to us from the East Coast. She grew up in Clifton, Virginia, a small town, thirty minutes south of Washington D.C. During her teenage years, she spent 6 consecutive summers working as a Camp Counselor in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was this experience that ignited her passion for working with kids.

Ali graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelors Degree in Special Education. She specializes in working with children that have behavioral and emotional disabilities.

Ali worked as an Exceptional Children's Teacher in a rural, Title 1 school in North Carolina for two years, before moving briefly to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In inner-city, North Philly, Ali worked as a "Teacher-Counselor" for the C.A.R.E (Children Achieving Through Re-Education) Program, which was modeled after Dr. Nicholas Hobbs Re-Education Principles. Ali provided year round academic and behavioral support for children and adolescents who were unable to succeed in the educational environment of their schools. Upon returning to North Carolina, Ali continued her work as an Exceptional Children's Teacher and served as the E.C. chairperson for her school.

In 2008, Ali and her husband Ryan moved to the San Jose area and welcomed a baby boy, Tristan, the day after Thanksgiving. Ali decided to take a year off from teaching to be with her son, and then returned to work as a part-time Resource Specialist for the Milpitas Unified School District, working with both high school and elementary students.

Ali joined Discovery at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year and began working as a Resource Specialist in The Learning Center. She welcomed a second son, Jameson, in May 2011, and is excited to be a part of the Discovery community.