Leadership
Brett Hardin, PhD
Brett has over 30 years of experience in educational non-profits, public education, and independent schools. He was previously the High School Principal at Paideia School, a co-ed, nonsectarian, independent school in Atlanta serving 1000+ students PreK through 12th grade.
During his tenure at Paideia, Brett has worked across all areas of an independent school: administration, faculty, admissions, finance, development, and buildings and grounds. He is an alum of Leadership Atlanta and served on the board of Intown Collaborative Ministries, a non-profit working to prevent and reverse homelessness and hunger in intown Atlanta.
Prior to Paideia, Brett worked for the Georgia Council on Economic Education, where he led professional development for K12 economics teachers statewide. He has also taught High School economics and U.S. history in Atlanta Public Schools and Cobb County.
Having competed in college and High School athletics as a runner, Brett coached cross country and track, as well as Academic Bowl. He began his teaching career in Washington, D.C., working for the Close Up Foundation, a nonpartisan, civic, education organization serving over 22,000 High School juniors and seniors annually.
Brett has a B.A. in History from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, an M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from Georgia State University.
Brett is married to Lisanne Farach Hardin, also an educator, and they have three children.
In his free time, Brett can be found on the sidelines of his kids’ ultimate frisbee, basketball, and soccer games. He enjoys hiking, outdoor concerts, board games like Catan and Mahjong, and reading historical and economics non-fiction.
Head of School
Nicole Bettis
Nicole joined Terra School at Serenbe in 2021, and is now the Director of Education for learners ranging from eight weeks to six years old. In this role, Nicole focuses on coaching and developing guides to further implement the Montessori framework as well as overseeing the curriculum design and development.
Nicole has over 18 years of experience. She is a Positive Discipline parent educator and coach, an American Montessori Society (AMS) certified Early Childhood guide, a North American Montessori Center (NAMC) certified instructor, and holds multiple degrees including an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and an M.A. in Humanistic Psychology. Nicole is currently enrolled in the West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program, receiving her Montessori Inclusion Endorsement, an AMS special education certification, and has obtained her Certificate in Early Education Leadership (CEEL) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She will begin her doctorate of education (Ed.D.) in Montessori Studies at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2025. This program is the first of its kind, with Nicole being one of the first in the country to begin the degree.
Nicole began her academic career earning a B.A. in Psychology and a BFA in sculpture from the University of West Georgia. Afterward, Nicole combined her experience in the fields of creativity and developmental psychology by founding several art healing groups within the West Georgia community, primarily aimed at meeting the needs of young people.
Most interested in constructivist educational theories and inclusive methodology, she's found that the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori best serve the needs, and potential, of children in the world today. Early childhood literacy is also of particular significance to Nicole, with many of her educational projects being centered around the latest curriculum development in reading science.
Nicole is married and has two young children enrolled at Terra. She likes to study Japanese and spend time outdoors in her spare time. At her home in Carrollton, her cuddly Husky Kodak is always by her side while she reads, knits, and identifies the birds outside her window.
Director of Education, Lower School
Larisa Wilson
Larisa Wilson is an interdisciplinary educator with over 13 years experience helping students solve real world challenges. Her journey started as a researcher in chemical ecology and behavior at The Georgia Institute of Technology, where she built a successful research laboratory by creating a culture of undergrads that could lead the trajectory of the work. Following an M.S. in Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Marine Biology from University of California at Los Angeles, Larisa's passion for scientific research became overshadowed by her love for teaching youth how to solve problems.
In 2016, Larisa joined The Mount Vernon School's Innovation Diploma program, a 4-year "school within a school" model where learners solve real world problems with a focus on design thinking practices. The end goal of this program is for students to solve problems for external clients such as Chick-fil-a and Mercedes Benz, as well as nonprofits and local businesses. Since then, Larisa became known as the science teacher that transformed the middle and high school sciences at The Mount Vernon School.
Larisa has also designed and facilitated several courses rooted in Problem Based Learning, a student-centered approach to learning where students work collaboratively to drive the learning in order to solve an open-ended problem.
In 2023, Larisa joined Terra School at Serenbe as the Director of Education for the Upper House. She will focus on learners ranging from seven to eighteen years old, overseeing curriculum design and development for this age group.
Outside of work, Larisa takes great joy in being a mother to her three-year-old son, Dean, and nine-year-old step daughter, Blakely. She works alongside her loving husband to create a fulfilling and beautiful life on their property, Tommy Lee Cook Farm. Larisa is excited about the opportunity to live, work, and pursue her passions closer to home.
Director of Education, Upper School