Our Team

Stephanie Marshall & Natalie kirkley, founders

Natalie’s Story:

Born and raised in the Rockwall area, I made my way through many of Rockwall’s schools and stayed true to my Texas roots while attending The University of North Texas. Since then, I have found myself back in my hometown making a difference in the lives of children. I have been in education professionally since 2011. I have an amazing husband, Miles and our two precious children, Ellis and Hampton. When not at school, you will often find us camping, traveling and taking care of the farm!

Stephanie’s Story:

After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, I married my college sweetheart, Craig, and we planted ourselves in the Rockwall area and continued growing our family. My education career began in 2005 teaching everything from prek - 5th grade. I am a mom to three wonderful kids, Zoe, Luke, and Levi who keep our lives busy and fun. In my free time, I love to read, run, travel and eat great food!

ROCKWALL CAMPUS

Jennifer De Haro-Rockwall Admin

I am very excited to start this new school year and work with your children each day. I have been at Imagine Higher since 2021. I love being in the classroom, guiding and observing young children to explore and grow to be lifelong learners. Watching young minds work creatively and build foundations for learning and Jesus is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. I cannot wait to meet and build relationships with you all. I taught for 18 years in Mesquite ISD and was fortunate enough to spend all 18 of them at the same school. I have taught second grade, first grade and Kindergarten. I am married to a retired veteran and I have a son, Judson.

Amber Adeshina- Prek 3/4- Rockwall

  I was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania surrounded by family. I am a blessed wife and mother to four. In 2002, I began teaching at a private academy in Maryland as well as teaching in their daycare center.  After having my second child, I stayed at home with my children and later opened my own in-home daycare and homeschooled my children for over 13 years. I also helped lead my church children’s ministry in Virginia until we moved to Texas in 2022. I am passionate about seeing children grow in education and their faith in Jesus! 

Amanda Lee-Prek- Rockwall

I was born and raised in Rockwall, I graduated from Rockwall High School. My husband and I met in college where I received my bachelor degree. My husband works for CTP in Midland. We currently live in Royse City with our daughter, Adalie. I love to do yard work, read and crafts! I am very excited for this school year! I am looking forward to seeing your child grow and develop  both academically and spiritually.

Rachel Turner- Prek 4/5- Rockwall

I have been with Imagine Higher since 2020. I have a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education from Sam Houston State University. My husband works for Rockwall Fire Department and we have 2 children, Jack and Josie. I love to read and bake in my spare time! I am so excited for this school year! I can't wait to see your child grow through hands-on learning and interactive lessons!

Kimberly Walk- Kindergarten- Rockwall

Teaching is such a rewarding career, and I am so happy to have found Imagine to share my love for Early Childhood Education! My family and I moved to Rockwall from Illinois in the summer of 2020, and we love it here. I graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught for 17 years in Illinois. My husband, Wayne, and I met at ISU and we have two sons, Cameron and Tayden.  My teaching experience has allowed me to guide young learners through play and hands-on learning, and I have enjoyed teaching in a private school atmosphere for most of my career.  I have had the privilege to teach first grade and Kindergarten here at Imagine.  I love building a long lasting relationship with all my students and their families and watching them grow.  

Lindsey durham- prek- rockwall

I am excited to be a part of the Imagine team at Rockwall. I have been married to my husband since 2010 and we have 3 beautiful children who attend school in Rockwall ISD. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science - Interdisciplinary Studies in 2007 and a Masters of Education in Administration  in 2012. I am certified in Early Childhood - 4th and ESL. I also taught in public education for 11 years in kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 4th. I am so excited to continue my career at Imagine. 

ROYSE CITY CAMPUS

Craig Marshall-Royse City Admin

My education career began in 2006, and in that time I have taught, coached, and held administrative positions, most recently in Rockwall ISD. I have been married to my beautiful wife, Stephanie, since 2007, and we have three awesome kids. We are members of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, and I am currently in a Masters program at Dallas Theological Seminary. I am very excited to be a part of the Imagine team!

Katrina Collins- Part time Prek- Royse city

Jenni thornton-PreK-Royse City

I was born and raised in Rockwall.  I have been married to my husband, Bryan, for 23 years. We met on a blind date, and married 6 months later!  The Lord blessed us with 3 children - Mackelvey, Cason, and Cash.  I live in the country, and love to be outside.   I have always felt a calling to work with children, and I have done so for the last 24 years.   I love to help them learn and grow mentally and spiritually.   I enjoy being creative and creating fun ways to learn.  It is a true gift to be able to watch my students all learn and grow throughout the school year.  I am excited to start a new year, and can't wait to meet my new students.

Sherry Cook-PreK- Royse City

I have been in Rockwall since 1988 and married to my husband, David for 44 years. We have two children and 5 grandchildren. I started working as a prek-4 teacher in 1996 at Rainbows End in downtown Rockwall and have most recently been the prek-4 teacher at my church, Eastridge for the past 10 years. I am excited to start at Imagine Higher! I love working with 4’s; they are so fun and always eager to learn!

Becky lloyd-Kindergarten- Royse city

I am a Rockwall native, I graduated from RHS (JFND)! My husband and I met in Lubbock where I received my degree in Human development and Family studies. We currently live in Rockwall with our two children, Abigail and Benjamin. My passion and heart belong to teaching children and helping them grow and develop both academically and spiritually. I feel extremely blessed to be apart of the Imagine team and can’t wait to see what this year has in store!

Candace Juricek- Kindergarten- royse city

I have been teaching Kindergarten at Imagine since 2023. I have more than 15 years of teaching experience with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood, a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, and certification to teach K-9th grade.

I have been married for over 10 years. Originally from Chicago, my family relocated to Fate, TX. We have a total of eight children: our twin girls also attend Imagine, teenagers and adults; some of which live in Chicago.  

In my spare time, I like to stay busy and spend time with friends and family. On any given day you’ll find me outdoors. I can’t wait to start this year at Imagine and get to know you and your families!

Whitney Weir- Cohort- Royse City

I was born and raised in Arkansas and graduated from the University of Arkansas with my Masters degree in Early Childhood Education. I taught in the public schools both in Arkansas and Texas for eight years and transitioned to a private pre-K while staying home with my four kids. I have been teaching at Imagine since 2021, and each year gets better and better. In my free time I love to read and go on walks! My family loves to spend time outside and traveling with our camper when we can. Fall and football are two of my favorite things, and my husband and I enjoy driving up to see the Razorbacks play!

Leslie Moran - Cohort- royse city

I am so excited to be joining Imagine’s awesome staff of Cohorts! I am originally from Illinois and love all things small town! My husband and I were high school sweethearts, and we moved to Texas right after our wedding 25 years ago! I now claim to be a Texan. ;)

I began my journey in education in 2002 when I graduated from UTA. I gained experience in elementary and middle school classrooms for 10 years before deciding to homeschool my two sons the last 10 years.

I love spending time playing board games and watching movies with my family, playing the piano and singing, and love to travel. I cannot wait to be back in the classroom and to meet my new students!

Stefani Maiwelmal- Cohorts- Royse city

Katie Kidd- cohort- royse city

Sarah Gleason- Cohort- Royse city

I’m truly excited to begin this new chapter at Imagine Higher—not just as a teacher, but also as a parent. Two of my three daughters will be attending the school this year, which makes this opportunity feel even more special and deeply personal for me and my husband Kyle. 

I’ve been teaching math and science for 17 years, working with students from 7th through 12th grade. Over the years, I’ve come to see how powerfully these subjects reflect the creativity, order, and wonder of God’s design. Whether we’re exploring chemical reactions, solving equations, or learning about the universe, I love helping students discover how faith and learning go hand in hand.

Being part of a school like Imagine Higher is a blessing. I’m looking forward to walking alongside students—not just as their teacher, but as someone who’s invested in their growth, their faith, and their futures. I’m grateful to be here, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for this school year.

Ashley Burns- cohort - Royse City

I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in early childhood education. After that I completed my master at UTA in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. Prior to Imagine, I was a public school teacher for 8 years, spending most of my time in Rockwall ISD. Over the last 3 years, I have had the privilege to stay home and just be “mom”.

My husband, Mark and I have been married for 10 years. We have 2 children, Scarlett is 5 & will be in Kindergarten at Imagine and Sawyer (aka Bubs) will be 2 in October. Scarlett started Imagine last year in PreK 4 and I absolutely fell in love with the vision and purpose of this campus. I knew when it was my time to come back into the classroom that Imagine would be a dream job for me and my family!

I am so excited to dive into a new school year with my Imagine family!

Cathy Ballew- music- royse city and rockwall

I studied vocal performance at Abilene Christian University and received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Arizona State University and a Masters in Music from Southern Methodist University. I was a member of the Texas All-State Choir. She has performed with many choirs and chamber ensembles. She performed with the ACU Acapella Choir, Chamber Singers at SMU, Arizona State Concert and Chamber Choirs, the Houston Symphony Chorus, Dallas Symphony Chorus, and Mesquite Community Chorus who performed at the Washington Cathedral. I taught elementary music in public and private schools, taught voice at Dallas Christian College, and currently teaches voice, piano, guitar, and ukulele at her home studio in Poetry, Texas. I have also helped lead a praise team and continue to perform for church and the community. I wrote “Tunes to Tinkle By” (a sequential collection of songs for potty training) and I have produced and recorded her own CD of originally composed songs.

I am married to Trent and we have 2 grown sons. Our oldest, Brennan, will be married in September! I love to travel, read, go on walks, sing, and spend time with family in the mountains.