The Team
Aaron Zapata
Office Manager
Aaron Zapata is the Office Manager at Achieving Milestones. Aaron and his wife Julie have fostered 27 children and adopted 5 through both private adoption and the foster care system.
He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, IL with a Bachelor's degree in Family Ministry & a Minor in Early Childhood Education. He is a former Childcare Director, Children & Families Pastor and truly has a heart and passion for helping kids and families.
Aaron has called Celina home since December of 2021 and has loved every minute of it. He is currently serving as chairman of the Celina Public Library Committee & President of the Celina Friends of the Library Board.
In his free time, he enjoys reading thriller novels, watching reality tv, cooking for his family, and making new friends. You might catch him and his family hanging around the Celina downtown square.
Paige Runkel
Speech Language Pathologist
Paige graduated with a B.S. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and an M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Baylor University. She is passionate about serving the pediatric population and supporting children in reaching their communication and feeding goals. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, traveling, reading, and spending time outdoors. She is excited to contribute to the Achieving Milestones team!
Liana Bartkowiak
Speech Language Pathologist
M.S., CCC-SLP
Liana Bartkowiak has been married to her wonderful husband for 3 years (though they've been together since they were sophomores in high school)! About a year ago, they bought a 1920s craftsman for their first home and have poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into renovating it themselves. They love spending what time they have left with their active dog Jett, their cuddly cat Butters, or kayaking in local lakes.
Liana first became interested in becoming a Speech Language Pathologist when she remembered how much she loved going to speech therapy in 2nd grade for articulation (/r/ and "sh" were her biggest struggles). Since becoming an SLP, she's realized how much she loves every aspect of the field - articulation, feeding, language, AAC, and stuttering. There's nothing that she loves more than getting to watch tiny humans achieve BIG milestones.
Alyssa Aguilar
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Alyssa recently graduated in May from Texas Tech University with her B.S. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She just moved back home to Celina and is so excited to begin her new journey at Achieving Milestones.
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In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, as well as going on hikes with her dog, Charley.
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Alyssa joined Achieving Milestones in July, and they’ve already shown her an overwhelming amount of support while she navigates this next chapter of her life. It’s been so fun getting to know the patients and their families in the same town she grew up in. She feels so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing team and community, and can’t wait to see everything they accomplish!
Katie Branner
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant/Student Relations Coordinator
COTA/L
Katie graduated from Troy University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. This is where she met her husband! They moved to the Dallas area in 2019 where she pursued her dream career in Occupational Therapy.
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Katie graduated from Parker University in 2020 as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and am registered with the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy.
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She and her husband, Zach have a daughter named Brynlee who was born in May 2022 and she is their world! She has experience in outpatient, home health and ABA settings. When people ask about her career, she tells them that she never works a day in her life because she loves what she does and has a passion for helping kids and families!
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Katie has many years of experience working and interacting with individuals of all needs. When her youngest brother was born, he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. After seeing the impact OT, ST, and PT had on him, she knew this was what she wanted to do!
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A fun fact about her is that she has 6 siblings!
Janel Swann
Lead Occupational Therapist
MOT, OTR/L
Janel graduated from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center- Shreveport in 2018 and has worked in pediatrics ever since. Janel's experience includes clinic-based care, home health, and working in a developmental preschool. She appreciates building relationships with each family she works with and believes collaboration is key to each child's success.
Janel grew up in south Louisiana and moved to DFW after meeting her husband, Eric, while on clinical rotations in Frisco. They have a sweet and very active baby boy, Emmett. They have a dog, Riley, and cat, Binx (they are besties.) In her spare time, Janel enjoys spending time with family, outdoor activities, traveling, listening to true crime podcasts, and DIYing.
Joni Smart
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
COTA, CKTP
Janel graduated from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center- Shreveport in 2018 and has worked in pediatrics ever since. Janel's experience includes clinic-based care, home health, and working in a developmental preschool. She appreciates building relationships with each family she works with and believes collaboration is key to each child's success.
Janel grew up in south Louisiana and moved to DFW after meeting her husband, Eric, while on clinical rotations in Frisco. They have a sweet and very active baby boy, Emmett. They have a dog, Riley, and cat, Binx (they are besties.) In her spare time, Janel enjoys spending time with family, outdoor activities, traveling, listening to true crime podcasts, and DIYing.
Aryana Monabat
Lead Physical Therapist
PT,DPT.
Meet Aryana Monabat, PT, DPT, a newly graduated pediatric physical therapist at Achieving Milestones. Growing up in North Texas, Aryana is thrilled to give back to the community that inspired her passion for physical therapy.
She completed her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in December 2023, following a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with a focus on Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Aryana has always been drawn to working with children, and she is passionate about being part of a team that helps kids achieve their goals. At Achieving Milestones, she collaborates with other therapy disciplines to create the most effective care plans for each child. Aryana’s dedication to children’s health and development drives her to offer expert care and support to both children and their families. She is eager to help your little ones thrive!
A few fun facts about Aryana: She loves being active outdoors, whether it's yoga, rock climbing, or her latest interest, golf. She is recently engaged and excitedly planning her wedding, looking forward to new adventures with her future husband. Baking and cooking run in her veins—she is the granddaughter of a baker and enjoys experimenting with new recipes. If you have any recipes to share, she’d be delighted to try them out!
Benjamin P.L. Williamson
Patient Care Coordinator
Coming Soon
Bianca Gabarad
Speech Language Pathologist
Coming soon