Erika Donat

I was born and raised in Oak Park, attending Irving, Julian, and then OPRF. My connection with Pilgrim began even before I was a student in the Circle Room and then the Diamond Room, because when my older sister was a student, she brought me in for show and tell when I was a newborn.

I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Since graduating, I’ve facilitated after school programs, helped run summer day camps, and nannied children of many ages. I value the power of play-based learning and love creating learning moments in everyday interactions and experiential activities.

I now spend my summers as an Art Director at Camp Somerset in Maine and I’m excited to spend the school year back at Pilgrim, a place that has continued to nurture and inspire me long after I left the classroom. When I’m not working, I love to read, hike, make art, and eat baked goods.