Head Of School

Dr. DANA JUDD, B.S. IN PSYCHOLOGY, M.ED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, Ed.d in k-12 educational Leadership, CALT, LDT, IMSLEC, ALTA, ACsI CERTIFIED

After graduating with her BS in Psychology, Dr. “Dana” Judd married her best friend Joel on October 15th, 1994. Joel is a physical therapist and owns two private practice clinics in Colleyville and Southlake.  They have four beautiful children – two daughters, Kathryne and Karolyne, and two sons, Kaleb and Karson. Their kids are one of the most important parts of their lives.  All four of their children struggle with the learning disabilities of ADHD, dyslexia and dysgraphia. Their struggles energized Dr. Dana to pursue a master’s degree in Special Education and specialization in Multi-sensory Instruction from Dallas Baptist University. Dr. Dana received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University, concentrating on the emotional effects of the learning different student.

Through her specialization study at The Shelton School in Dallas, Dr. Dana obtained a certification as an academic language therapist (CALT), in addition to a Dyslexia Therapist licensure for the state of Texas. Her time with The Shelton School was inspirational. It provided in-depth instruction in brain learning, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, other learning disabilities, diagnosis, and evaluation, as well as the emotional components of anxiety and behavior. Dr. Dana is certified as an ACSI educator and administrator with a specialization certification.

Over the last 20+ years, she has taught in many different private education environments but privately tutored and provided academic language therapy to public, private, and homeschool students across the metroplex. Dr. Dana has always been known to be the teacher with “heart” whose classroom is “A Safe Place to Learn,” but now she has created this environment in all the classrooms within Inspire Academy. She loves teaching students “outside the box”!

Head of Primary and Secondary English Department

Jamie Keeling, B.S. English and Education, M.Ed. in English, Focused on Reading

Jamie earned degrees in English and education from the University of Texas at Arlington.  She went on to earn her M.Ed. with a focus on reading from Texas Christian University.  She spent thirty years in public education before retiring 2 years ago.  During the 2 years after retiring, Jamie spent a great deal of time tutoring students of all ages.  

She and her husband Kolby have 2 amazing sons.  Koy is a junior at Texas Tech University and Kade is a senior at Grapevine High School.  

One of the many things that Jamie loved about her thirty years in the classroom was that each year was different. She looked forward to working with a new group of kids and the challenges that often came with them.  What never changed was that Jamie was always drawn to the underdogs.  These were the kids who struggled, the ones who didn’t always “get it,” and the ones who didn’t always fit a typical mold.  She was drawn to these kids because she knew that she could help them experience success; something that often seemed to be beyond their reach.  

Director of Elementary Instruction

Marissa tobler, B.s.

Marissa graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and an emphasis in early childhood.  She spent thirteen years serving kindergarten students in Northwest ISD, and at Crown of Life Lutheran School.  She has a passion for helping students develop early literacy and phonics skills.  As a classroom teacher she has had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of students with learning needs and difficulties.  As well as being a parent to a child struggling in the mainstream classroom.  She enjoys helping her students develop their own love for learning by finding ways of meeting their personal learning style. Outside of being a classroom teacher, Marissa served as a member of the social and emotional learning committee, organizational team lead, and mentored high school students in the educational internship program for Northwest ISD.  

Marissa has been married to her husband Christian for over ten years and they have two young children Elijah and Eden. They enjoy camping, swimming, and traveling to visit family.  She is very excited to continue serving students at Inspire Academy, and helping each child grow to love learning and the Lord.

Executive Director of School Operations

Michelle turner

After spending many years in the financial business, Michelle Turner is Inspire Academy’s Executive Director of School Operations. Her multi-faceted position allows her to provide tours and screen potential new students. Michelle also handles registration and day to day operations.

Michelle has been married to her husband for 16 years. She has three children and one grandchild. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and training her new puppy Dallas. Michelle has personal experience parenting a child with ADD and Anxiety. After her son attended public school for six years, she felt that it was necessary to find an alternative learning environment that would allow her son to flourish and reach his ultimate potential. 

Inspire Academy has truly been a blessing to her family!

School Nurse

Cheryl Thompson, RN, BSN

Cheryl graduated from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing with her diploma as a registered nurse. She then went on to graduate from Lubbock Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.  She worked in the hospital setting for many years and then moved into pharmaceutical sales. Cheryl will be teaching anatomy and physiology along with spending a lot of time helping around the office.

Cheryl is a single mom to her sons, Luke and Zach. She has personal experience parenting children with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia as well as anxiety. Having children that struggled in school led her to Inspire Academy and Dana. She has a true heart for children who learn outside the box. She looks forward to assisting your children with their medical needs and providing lots of hugs and encouraging words to support your children’s emotional needs.

marilyn dunham, B.S.

Marilyn graduated from University of Texas at Dallas with a BS in Business Management. She spent the last 14 years working in the photography business but always felt a calling to use her creative background for something more meaningful. Realizing she had a strong desire to teach, she immediately dove into getting her teacher’s certification. Not long after that, the Lord led her right into the amazing opportunity of teaching art and photography at Inspire Academy.
Marilyn loves all things artistic and creative and that includes the minds of special learners. She has always had a passion for encouraging confidence in all children and is excited to bring this positive mindset to her classroom. Coming from a big family with many special learners has given Marilyn a solid foundation to empathize, understand, embrace and celebrate what makes each child unique.
She has been married to her husband, Clint, (a head baseball coach and teacher) for 5 years and they live in Arlington with their dog Dolly. In her spare time, Marilyn loves traveling with her husband, gardening, painting and frequenting Home Depot with Dolly to get supplies for random house projects.

Marilyn and her husband welcomed a son, Baby Ren in April 2022!

Heather Flores

Heather Flores brings a wealth of educational expertise to Inspire Academy, with a remarkable background in STEM program development at Colleyville Heritage High School within Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. During her early years as an educator, Heather's dedication extended beyond the classroom, as she also excelled as a soccer coach. Her exceptional teaching prowess led to her being honored as "Teacher of the Year" in her second year of service, a testament to her commitment to student growth and achievement.

Heather earned a Bachelor of Science degree in University Studies focusing on Math, Science, and Education from The University of Texas at Arlington. Initially pursuing a Chemistry major, her true passion for nurturing young minds in a classroom setting drew her away from the laboratory.

Born in Bedford and currently residing in Grand Prairie, Heather cherishes her time spent outdoors with her husband, her 4-year-old son, and her 1-year-old daughter. She engages in various athletic activities as a sports enthusiast, always seeking new opportunities to learn and grow.

Heather firmly believes that every student has the potential to thrive in mathematics. For those already drawn to the subject, she encourages exploring mathematical concepts creatively, providing ample room for intellectual growth and discovery. She embraces a continuous learning mindset, acknowledging that each year brings valuable insights she gains from her students.

Brenda Fuller, B.s., M.Ed.

Brenda Fuller graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Christian University where she met the love of her life, Inspire Academy teacher, Brian Fuller. She received her Master of Education from Texas A&M Commerce, as well as her Mid-Management and Administration.

Brenda joins us with 37 years of experience and has taught multiple grade-levels and subjects, but her very favorite subject is teaching science. Brenda has explored caves and swam with whale sharks. She cannot wait to share her hands-on science lessons in a nurturing environment with her students.

Karen Huff

Growing up deaf in a hearing world, Karen can deftly transition between both. She is excited to teach ASL and share deaf culture with her students. Learning ASL will help so many people. Karen is looking forward to teaching all students sign language and helping them enjoy learning it.

With experiences of being on the PTA board for over 8 years, and ministering and teaching the children at her church, Karen comes to Inspire Academy with absolute proficiency in ASL borne from a lifetime of use.

Karen has been married to her husband, Chris, for 21 years. They have four wonderful children.

Nila Ingram

Lunch Manager

ALicia Jones, B.s.

Alicia graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Special Education. She has taught in both public and private education settings, serving students ages 3-21, over the past 28 years, as well as served in administrative roles and worked directly with parents as a Parent Liaison. She is passionate about connecting with families and equipping parents with resources to both encourage and support them in their journey, and she looks forward to working alongside parents in her new role at Inspire! 

Alicia is also a Certified Christian Life Coach. She received her Diploma in Comprehensive Nutrition from Huntington University of Health Sciences and enjoys working with students and adults to help them identify and achieve individualized success.

Alicia has been married to her husband, Jody, since 1994 and has two exceptional adult children, Simon and Hannah. Some of her favorite things include family time, reading, baking, walking, hiking, kayaking, goats, and coffee! She is very excited about her next season as a teacher and a Parent Liaison with the Inspire Academy family!

Karolyne Judd

Karolyne is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Dallas Baptist University with the hope of continuing her education and becoming a ENT (otolaryngology) physician in the future. She has major interests in anything that has to do with God’s creation, our bodies, especially the skin and ear, nose, throat. Karolyne graduated valedictorian from Inspire Academy Class of 2021 and received several academic scholarships. Karolyne was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and severe anxiety when she was seven years old (1st grade) and became the inspiration for Inspire Academy. Karolyne has taught American Sign Language for the past couple of years and has a passion for one day helping people who are deaf receive the medical attention they deserve.

In 2017 Karolyne got her favorite thing in the world, the dog y’all know as Brynlee the aussiedoodle. Through Karolyne’s anxiety, Brynlee became an anxiety response dog.

When not at school, Karolyne enjoys taking care of her favorite humans, also known as babies, rescuing and rehabilitating baby animals, lunching with her friends, and watching Netflix. You can always find her in three places: school, Costa Vida, or home.

Kathryne Judd, B.S., M.ed in curriculum and instruction

Kathryne graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education from Liberty University and a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction also from Liberty University. She is the oldest of the four children in her family and blessed to be working at a school that sees each child as a gift from God. She loves spending time with her friends, family, and dog Kenzie (see below).

Kathryne completely understands her students. Although she was not officially diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia until the ninth grade, she struggled with learning disorders for as long as she can remember.  Having done her best to compensate for so long, she also struggled with an anxiety disorder. Because of her experiences in school, she understands what the students she teaches need from her daily. She loves working with students who like to explore the world around them. She wants her students to understand that learning can and should be fun! She tries her best to bring out the best in her students allowing them to use their best learning strategies in a team atmosphere. She wants to be there for her students when they need her help.

Gail Lindley, B.s. SPEECH-LANGUAGE Pathology and Audiology, MS in Communication Disorders, CCC-SLP

Gail graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology and a master’s degree in communication disorders (Summa Cum Laude).  She worked at The Shelton School in Dallas, Texas at the Speech Clinic prior to opening her private practice, Pathway Speech and Language, in Southlake, Texas.  Gail has worked in private practice, on private school campuses, and on public school campuses.  She is passionate about helping students with various speech and language disorders.  Gail’s areas of expertise are in the areas of articulation/phonology disorders, apraxia, auditory processing disorders, and all things language!!!  During her time with The Shelton School in Dallas, she was trained extensively, including Sequential English Education, DuBard Association Method Training, and Lindamood Bell. This training has been a true blessing in understanding the significance of oral language disorders and their relation to reading, writing, and spelling. Gail has personal experience parenting a child with ADD and Dysgraphia.

Gail has been married to her husband, Swift, for over thirty-three years. God blessed them greatly with an addition to their family a little later in life, a beautiful daughter, Madi Grace, who is now a junior at Texas Tech! They enjoy their dogs Walter (a Chesapeake Bay Retriever) and MayMay (a mini Goldendoodle), swimming, watching sports, traveling to visit family, and volunteering at the Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth.  She is very excited to be working with Dana again and to be able to serve the students at Inspire Academy with the gifts The Lord has given her! To God be the Glory!

Rebecca Mcfarland, B.s.

Rebecca graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006 with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies.  Her primary focus in the classroom has been Reading and ELA in multiple elementary grade levels.  She has spent time teaching children as young as three in a preschool classroom all the way through 6th grade throughout her career. Her passion for teaching began at a young age, coming from a family of educators. Rebecca is excited to be working with fourth grade students at Inspire this year! Her desire to help students have a love of learning is what drives her continued work in education. She believes the most important step to learning is building relationships and trust in the classroom.  

She is married to her college sweetheart, Danny and Rebecca have three children together. She loves spending time with her family and friends, reading a good book, and watching Aggie football.  She is looking forward to getting back into the elementary classroom this year and excited to see what this school year holds!

April Modrycki

April Modrycki is excited to join Inspire Academy as a PE teacher! After working in the mortgage business, April started homeschooling her 3 children in 2013. She has a love and passion for Jesus, health, and fitness. She has been married to Jim for 20 yrs. Her family has been attending Gateway Church for 20+ yrs, and her kids also attend Keystone Church and Upper Room Church.

Out of her three children, the youngest has several learning differences, and after multiple specialized schools, she finally found the very BEST school at Inspire Academy!! Her daughter has THRIVED at Inspire Academy and gained so much more than just a good education….SO much more!!

April and her family are very active. The girls have been in dance company for 10 yrs, and her son lifts weights. Her family did CrossFit together for many years and now they do HIIT workouts. April believes clean eating and exercise are vital to our mental health.

April hopes to see her students gain confidence in themselves and their athletic abilities, have lots of FUN, and grow closer to Jesus!

SHari Mills, B.s., M.ED in English

Shari has a Masters Degree in English from Texas Woman’s University and has taught English and history classes since the 1980s, which makes in her words, “a living piece of history!” Mrs. Mills took time off teaching to enjoy her seven grandchildren, and they taught her so much about meeting the needs of individual, unique students. Shari came out of retirement in 2022 to teach at Inspire, and is so excited about teaching high school English and history classes!

Shari’s husband and her teach marriage enrichment classes at their church. In her free time (what free time!) she enjoys their two dogs, Scout Finch and Huckleberry Finn.

Victoria Pace, B.S.

Aye, aye, fit like? 

If you can’t tell already, Mrs. Victoria Pace comes from bonnie, Scotland, and even though she has now moved to New Mexico, we are thrilled to have her take charge of the Inspire Academy social media. She graduated Valedictorian from Dallas Christian College with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and the Bible. In Scotland, Victoria worked with individuals with learning differences and spent time doing teaching placements in Primary Schools. Victoria is passionate about serving others, sharing Jesus with everyone, loves making people smile, and is thankful to be a part of the Inspire Academy family.  

Victoria is married to her husband, France, and in 2022, they welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Isla. Haggis, their labradoodle, completes their family.

Tierra Rawal, B.S., M.Ed

Tierra holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Social Work from Texas Christian University as well as an M.Ed in Counseling. With 18 years in education and 13 years as an elementary school counselor, she brings extensive knowledge and a compassionate approach to her role. She is currently pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and is particularly passionate about teaching children emotional regulation and social skills. Her goal is to help them build meaningful connections and resilience, equipping them to thrive both academically and personally.

Beyond her professional achievements, Tierra has been happily married for 22 years to her husband, Gaurav. They are proud parents of two teenage daughters and enjoy spending their time watching the girls pursue their passions and develop their talents in the equestrian arena and volleyball court. Tierra is very excited to join the team at Inspire Academy!

Lindsey Ward

Lindsey attended the University of North Texas for her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Child Development and Elementary Education. In her career, she has taught K-5th grade and is excited to begin her 12th year of teaching. She has a passion for teaching young children their dignity as a child of God, their wonderful gifts to be shared with the world, and that they are loved. She is excited to see children learn new things and develop their understanding. She believes teaching is not a job for her; it is a calling she enjoys doing each and every day. 

Lindsey and her husband, Phil, live in Coppell. They have been married for seven years and have a son named Nathaniel and a daughter named Adelyn. Twice Lindsey and her husband were almost at the top of the waiting list to adopt but both times they were blessed with miracle pregnancies. In her free time, Lindsey likes to spend time with her extended family, bake, read, participate in her church, and enjoy the great outdoors. She is thrilled to be a part of the Inspire Academy family and can’t wait to meet her students.

Sandra Weaver, b.s. M.ED

Sandra earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a specialization in mathematics and a Master of Education from the University of Texas at Tyler.  She spent 28 years in education, both public and private schools, before retiring a year ago.  She has taught 3rd through 9th grade and teacher preparation courses at LeTourneau University.  The majority of her experience has been teaching math to middle school students.

Sandra has implemented small group instruction in each of her classrooms over the years. This has allowed her to differentiate and personalize instruction for each student. She is excited to hear students talk about math, learn from each other, and engage in learning this next year! 

She and her husband, Steve, have two grown children, Abbey and Daniel.  She has three grandchildren: Hudson, Henley and Mateo. One of her favorite things is spending time with them! She also spends time volunteering in the children’s ministry at her church and working on community projects with 6 Stones.

She is excited to get back in the classroom and to be a part of Inspire Academy

Debbie Wessel, b.s. M.A.T., CALT.

Debbie graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a degree in Elementary Education and has her Master’s degree in Special Education with a specialization in Multi-sensory Instruction from Dallas Baptist University. She is a Certified English Language Therapist and uses the Take Flight program. She has taught in both public and private schools during her years as an educator. She has been married to her college sweetheart, Craig, for 34 years. They have two children, boy/girl twins. Their children are now adults, but as they grew up, Debbie was able to see learning differences between her two children within her own household. For her, that highlighted the need for different teaching methods for different learners. 

After taking a break from teaching, Debbie and Dana reconnected at a “by chance” meeting obviously ordained by God. Debbie began volunteering at Inspire Academy and then quickly moved to teaching the Bible. The next year, she began teaching Language Arts for elementary and intermediate students. This led Debbie to develop her passion for teaching children outside the box. Debbie provides academic language therapy to our elementary and intermediate students as well as private tutoring to local students with learning differences.

One of Mrs. Wessel’s favorite things about teaching is building relationships with her students and seeing that “light bulb” moment in their eyes when new learning takes place. 

Alison Williams

Alison is excited to be part of the Inspire Family. She has been teaching voice for 15+ years. She is currently a worship leader at Compass Church, and has also led worship at Fellowship Church. Alison directs Compass Kids Worship, and is a mentor for potential worship leaders.

Alison has been a performer her entire life. She studied music at the University of Oklahoma. Some of her personal singing highlights include performing the National Anthem for the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, and Lone Star Park.

When she lived in New York City, she recorded and released an EP on iTunes. She also learned Mandarin Chinese, and performed for foreign dignitaries at large corporate events. She recorded a song in Mandarin for an advertisement used during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Alison lives in Colleyville with her husband Eric, and her three children.

Brynlee, B.s. in circus tricks, M.s. in anxiety REDUCTION, LPC (licensed Practicing Cuddler)

Brynlee is a Blue Merle Aussiedoodle Labradoodle. She is a trained stress and anxiety response dog. Brynlee loves coming to school and thrives on loving on children, especially those who need a little extra love. She belongs to Mrs. Judd's daughter, Karolyne, who has severe anxiety. She enjoys playing, so you may see her toys around carrying one of her favorite Bunny or Ducky.

She has been trained to do DPT (deep pressure therapy), which she should perform in the case of an anxiety attack to lessen the effects. Though she belongs to Karolyne, she is in tune to each of the students around her. She not only is trained to respond to anxiety but also loves to show off her tricks like double high five, bunny hop, and circus dog.

Warning! If you don't greet her, she will follow you around until you at least pet her or say hi. She is hypoallergenic meaning that she does NOT shed and make you sneeze. You can always come find her if you need a big smile or just a hug! 

When not at school Brynlee enjoys taking naps and throwing her water bowl to ask for more water. Brynlee is the best foot warmer and she adores her family.

Nimbus, In Training

Hello! I’m Nimbus!

Nimbus is a party-colored Aussiedoodle who is just a baby and in training. He is in training to become a stress and anxiety-response dog just like Brynlee. Fun fact, Nimbus is Brynlee’s nephew and from the moment they met it was love! Nimbus is so excited to come to school and is still learning how to be calm around new people. He loves his toys and is so friendly to everyone he meets!

Because Nimbus is an F1B Aussiedoodle it makes him hypoallergenic, meaning that he does NOT shed and make you sneeze.

When not at school Nimbus enjoys getting all the attention and he adores his family.

Kenzie, B.S. in tennis ball studies

Kenzie is a rescue Border Collie/Golden Retriever Mix. Though she doesn't have the same training as Brynlee, she is still great at easing our students' anxiety. Kenzie belongs to Ms. Kathryne.

Kenzie is extremely friendly and will most likely greet you with a lick or two. Don’t be surprised if you are asked to take her toys because she loves to play and may even use this to ease your anxiety. Though Brynlee and she are polar opposites, they both want to make school a happy and safe environment for our students.

When not at school, she enjoys playing with her ball nonstop (the ball is not allowed during classroom time).