Born in Palermo, and raised in the Ribera province of Agrigento, Lea Patti Krystof comes to SIEF from sunny Sicily. Fluent in Italian, English and Spanish, Lea first moved to Chicago to be an au pair in 2018, pursuing her studies in the United States and graduating with an Associate Degree in marketing. Her love for children continues to be a passion that she’s always had and enjoys cultivating. Lea comes from a family history of teachers—following in the footsteps of her grandmother and her mom.

We are delighted to see Lea as a Curiosity Lab Leader and as our primary substitute teacher—roles which require flexibility, strong planning skills, and teaching experience with ages 3-7 years of age.

Lea says, “I learned about SIEF through a beautiful community of Italian Women in the US (IWUSA), and after meeting the teachers and experiencing the school firsthand, it was like I had stepped back into Italy for a moment and into my childhood. I’m excited to be a part of this wonderful school!”