Administration

I grew up as part of a large family in Dallas. I always wanted to be a teacher and my three younger sisters were my first students. I have always enjoyed reading and some of my favorite memories from childhood include going to the library, checking out stacks of books, and then staying up reading late at night… I received a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from East Texas State University in 1994 along with my certification to teach grades 1-8 with a specialization in reading. I taught third and fourth grade for several years in the public school system. In 2000, I received a Masters Degree in Education Administration from Texas A&M University – Commerce, and I was an assistant principal for several years until I left the public school system to be a full-time mom to our oldest son. I’ve been married to my college sweetheart, Shane, for 21 years and we have four children who all attend Providence. We enjoy spending time together as a family and we are very blessed to have both of our extended families nearby. Shane and I serve in re|engage which is part of the marriage ministry at our church. Proverbs 3:5-6

I am a Dallas native with family ties to Rockwall. My family and I are now pleased to call Rockwall home and are so excited to be part of Providence Academy. I was among the first generation of classically educated students when the classical movement first saw its resurgence. I have since taught at the grammar level in multiple Dallas-area classical schools, homeschooled my own children, and been instrumental in founding a Charlotte Mason-based homeschool co-op. I have a B.A. in Music from Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA and finished my degree vowing that I would never teach. In the mysterious way the Lord works, He gently led me to what has become my passion and calling. I have spent the last several years earning a Master’s degree in Classical Education at the University of Dallas. While there, I worked with Angel Parham and the Nyansa Classical Community to integrate the black intellectual tradition into the classical canon. As part of that project, I helped formalize and develop multi-ethnic virtue-based classical curriculum. My family and I have also recently started the LLF Library, which offers the very best living children’s literature to the Dallas-area community. I have three children,

My fondest childhood memories include my sister, her friends, and my teacher voice. I knew God had called me to teach my entire life and couldn’t wait to use those gifts upon graduation from college. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood in 1999 from Baylor University.  Immediately following graduation, I began teaching kindergarten for the Mesquite and Rockwall Independent School Districts.  In 2006, I completed a Master’s Degree in Education specializing in Reading from Texas A&M-Commerce. I am married to a wonderful man of God, Zachary, and mom to 5 beautiful children. Our lives consist of travel, game and movie nights, and attending Watermark Church. My hobbies include cooking, reading, and worshipping the Lord in song! Upon starting a family, my views about education changed and, more importantly, it got me thinking about whom I want speaking into my kids' lives. Because of my passion for education and youth, I was prompted to explore other options for schooling.   After experiencing both traditional schooling and homeschooling, I recognized a need in the Lake Ray Hubbard area for education that encompassed both of these. The University-Model gave me an excitement in knowing that my

I was born and raised in Miami, FL, where I earned by Bachelors in Political Science and Masters in Public Administration from Florida International University. In 2006 my career in education-based began when I was hired as a high school head girls basketball coach as well as a physical education department head in Miami. In 2015 I accepted a job at a boarding school near Cleveland, Ohio as the Director of Athletics and head boys basketball coach. It was a wonderful opportunity to lead a large athletic department of over 15 teams and 30 direct reports. As a boarding school I was able to be exposed to numerous different cultures and travel internationally for the school. My starting lineup for my team consisted of five players from five different countries. Learning how to bring players where basketball was taught very differently to them at young ages certainly made me a better coach. After a few years my family and I decided that as warm-blooded South Floridians it was time to move back to a warmer climate. My family and I are grateful that God opened a door allowing us to join the Providence Academy family. My wife Elizabeth will be

grew up in Greenville, TX. After graduating from high school, I attended Texas A&M University-Commerce, where I studied business management. I worked as an office manager and property accountant before leaving the workforce to focus on my family. I am happily married to my husband, Michael. We have 5 children, a son-in-law, and one grandchild. Our family is very active in sports, both coaching and playing, and we spend most of our free time courtside or at the ball fields. …. Our two youngest children attend Providence Academy and we have been a part of this amazing school for over a decade. When reflecting on our school, and my hopes for my children’s future, this Bible verse speaks clearly to me. Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but Texas stole my heart when I moved to Dallas at the age of 7. My family eventually returned to Louisiana, where I spent most of my school aged years. My mother was an educator, and I was extremely fortunate to attend a Christian School throughout primary and secondary educational years…. Alongside my father and mother, I spent many years serving in inner city ministries throughout Texas and Louisiana, and I also spent multiple summers on the mission field in Guadalajara, Mexico. After highschool, I returned to my beloved Cowboys state and attended Southeastern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie. Unfortunately, after freshman year, I had to return to Louisiana for financial reasons. Upon return to Louisiana, I sought employment in the retail sector, where I was promoted to management within a few short months. While working full-time in retail management, I completed my undergraduate in Textile and Apparel Merchandising at Louisiana State University. In 2007, I moved to a suburb of Portland, Oregon for work, but the call on my heart for ministry was growing increasingly harder to ignore. After 15 years in retail store management/retail banking, I began my post graduate

God paved our way to Providence Academy in 2022 when our oldest son started Pre-K. I met and married my husband at the church we still attend today, Big Spring Baptist Church in Garland, Texas. I graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. I worked as a property accountant for 12 years but have enjoyed staying home with my children for the past few years! While my Husband and I are products of public school, we knew we wanted to give our children a Christian education. The University Model is a bonus that allows our family to spend more time together and educate our children at a high level! I quickly realized that Providence would become a mission field that I wanted to serve in anyway possible. I am organized and persistent by nature. I value new relationships, strong communication and forming personal connections with people. It is my hope to joyfully assist our faculty, support other families and shepherd every student that attends Providence Academy for many years to come! Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:4

I met my husband of 15 years while attending college at Texas A&M-Commerce. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, I began my teaching career in Sunnyvale ISD where I taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. In 2013, my husband and I began praying for wisdom and direction as we made decisions in how we wanted to educate our children. It was so humbling to see how God worked through people in our lives to introduce us to Providence Academy while at the same time giving me the opportunity to move out of the classroom and into a part-time position as a Math Intervention Specialist. During this time, I loved being home with my kids, becoming a part of the Providence family, and expanding my knowledge in the education field. In 2018, God guided us through some difficult changes we never saw coming! I took a position at Poetry Community Christion School as a small-group math teacher working with students in 2nd through 7th grade. Once again I was presented with the opportunity to broaden my experience and learn something new…which I love! Our family spent three years at Poetry before we felt God calling us

Shari Nelson had the privilege of home educating her 4 children for over 20 years using a variety of curriculums and homeschooling opportunities. Shari and her sister, Liz Hach, opened the Christian Educators Resource Center (CERC) in 2006, serving as Director of Education until 2010. During this time, she taught co-operative classes to homeschoolers, including Bible, math, language arts and science. Shari also served on the Board of Directors at CERC through 2017 in various positions and was able to discover her calling of encouraging home educators and counseling. From 2016-2022, she had the opportunity to be the College and Career Counselor at Poetry Community Christian School where God continued to grow her faith, knowledge and love for serving high schoolers and their families. During this time at PCCS, Shari was able to advise students in fulfilling their academic high school and graduation requirements, discovering their innate aptitudes, skills and interests, exploring their college, career, and calling in preparation for their post-secondary plans, and completing the college application process. As NHS Advisor and mentor, Shari loved encouraging students in their walk with Jesus and growth in serving others. Shari received her Bachelor of Science, Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Social