Stefanie Lachenauer earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology and her master’s degree in elementary education with a middle school social studies specialization from Rutgers University. As a seventh and eighth grade teacher at Montgomery Upper Middle School in Skillman, New Jersey, Lachenauer shines as a leader in establishing and teaching innovative curricula for her Unified Global Leadership and Skills for Success classes. She leads her district’s professional development, Self-Care Days, educational and wellness programs as a District Wellness Champion, Title 1 Family Engagement Coordinator and co-chair and founding member of the Compassionate Care Team.  

As a national and international professional development speaker, Lachenauer speaks on educational topics that include trauma-informed practices, mindfulness, social-emotional learning and other neuroscience-backed practices. She is a certified trauma and resilience practitioner, coach and trainer who is passionate about supporting students while empowering them to create change in the world. Her first book, Let the Glitter Settle: Mindfulness for Teens, was released in late 2024. She founded and advises the Youth Action Board, a student-led wellness organization dedicated to supporting youth as well as the Reflections Club, which teaches middle school students various coping strategies.  

Lachenauer received the Montgomery Middle School Parent Teacher Organization Staff Appreciation Award, Somerset County Paul Krauss Award for Professional Excellence in Service to Youth and two proclamations from the Montgomery Township Committee for her service to youth. In every endeavor, Lachenauer embodies the transformative power of education and the importance of student and staff mental health and wellness.