Meet the Thomas family
Sheetal and Vishal Thomas share a love for education and child development. They opened their first Children's Lighthouse school in North Raleigh in 2017. They have enjoyed the privilege to serve numerous families and help prepare confident citizens of the future. In 2020 they assumed ownership of the Children's Lighthouse of West Cary and will be working diligently with the team to bring their high quality offering to the West Cary community.
The Thomas' interest in early education started at home, raising their two kids, currently ages 9 and 11. They were fascinated by the significant influence of a child's early experiences on brain development and character. They saw the importance of exposing their kids to a variety of learning styles in a safe, nurturing and structured environment to develop each child's unique strengths and talents.
Along the way they met many parents facing similar challenges of balancing their kids development needs with career demands. This prompted them to research several leading providers and finally decide on Children's Lighthouse due to a common shared vision and complementary strengths. They were impressed with the Children's Lighthouse proprietary and comprehensive research centered curriculum that focuses not only on integrated intellectual development, but also on healthy social and emotional growth through systematic character values education. Opportunities for music, movement, technology and artistic expression further enhanced the development experience. Children's Lighthouse provided them the opportunity to leverage a robust core program and enhance it based on the unique needs of the local community.
"We are focused on building a great team and culture, where we role model the values to realize our vision and benefit our families. We believe our school will enrich the community by providing a comprehensive, high quality offering that will help our kids, teachers and parents thrive. We are delighted by the response we have received from the community and we look forward to welcoming you to our family".
About the Owners
Sheetal and Vishal met in high school and moved to the US to pursue graduate studies after completing their undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Mumbai, India. After graduating with a Masters degree from Penn State University, Sheetal pursued a career in Quality Management in the electronics industry where she developed deep expertise in process, product and supplier quality. Vishal secured a Masters from Carnegie Mellon University and proceeded with a career in the pharmaceutical industry where he has developed extensive experience in risk management and organizational culture, with a focus on values and business ethics. Between them, they have collective experience of 30 years in positions of increasing responsibility in small, medium and large corporations. Having lived in the US, India, Japan and the UK; they have developed a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and a global, connected world through extensive travels to more than 20 countries. They plan to apply their rich skill-set and experience towards running high quality schools.
After moving to Raleigh-Durham in 2002 they fell in love with the area and decided to settle down and raise a family. They have been blessed with two children who attend elementary and middle schools in the area. They also enjoy travelling, cooking and spending time with friends. The Thomas family spends weekends shuttling between soccer and chess games, church, birthday parties and play dates. They firmly believe:
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~Robert Breault
