Our Staff

Shanna graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor’s in Music. She is a teacher’s assistant in one of Lionheart’s middle school classrooms this year. She is very excited about being a part of Lionheart! Shanna lives in Canton with her husband, son, and Australian Shepherd. She enjoys hiking, camping, swimming, running races, and photography. Shanna is from Columbus Ohio and loves the Ohio State Buckeyes. Her background is in music, and is looking forward to incorporating music activities with the students at Lionheart this year.

Tracey graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy. While her early career in Texas and California focused on adults, she has been dedicated to the pediatric realm for the last 15 years through a private practice near Emory. Tracey is certified in Floortime DIR, Integrated Listening Systems, Handwriting Without Tears, Interactive Metronome, and has extensive training in sensory integration, ASD, and dysgraphia. She joined the Lionheart team in 2020 and feels blessed to be working and learning alongside the amazing staff and students.

Katya provides occupational therapy at Lionheart, runs our hippotherapy program as well as our Summer Farm Camp. She has a Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences with a focus on Equine Science from Auburn University.  She completed her Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy (MHSOT) degree from the College of Allied Health Sciences at the Georgia Regents University in Augusta.  Katya has received her level II certification in Hippotherapy & is part of the American Hippotherapy Association. Her lifelong experience with autism gives Katya a deep understanding of what children need & how to help them be successful.

Catherine joined Lionheart this year as a teacher assistant in one of our elementary classrooms. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Management. Catherine has worked for numerous years as a paraprofessional in the public school system including several years in a special education classroom. She is excited to have recently moved to the Alpharetta area with her family and join the Lionheart team.

Booth graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Justice. He has worked as a regenerative farmer, teacher, and consultant in the local food movement in Nashville, TN since 2014. As an Atlanta native, he is excited to have recently moved back to his hometown and join the Lionheart team as Gardens Manager. Booth is responsible for running the farm, teaching garden lessons, and acting as a liaison between the community and Lionheart Gardens.

Grace graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Special Education. She volunteered with Extra Special People, Butterfly Dreams Farm Therapeutic Riding, and other non-profit organizations in Athens. She also worked as a Behavioral Therapist. Grace has completed the Comprehensive IMSE Orton-Gillingham 30 hour Training. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Special Education at UGA and is expected to graduate in December 2021. Grace is looking forward to being a teacher assistant this year and to having the opportunity to learn from Lionheart’s incredible staff.

Cherise graduated from State University of New York – College at Geneseo with a Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders and Sciences and a Masters of Arts in Speech Pathology and Audiology. She holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. She also maintains a Georgia State Licensure in Speech-Language Pathology. Cherise began her career in NY as a speech therapist teaming with occupational therapists, physical therapists, teachers and parents to provide individual instruction for developmentally disabled children. Since she has been in Georgia, she has worked provided services independently through her private practice, Speech-Language Partners of GA. Cherise is excited to be a part of the Lionheart team.

Hannah was a student-athlete at the University of Georgia and graduated with a degree in Human Development and Family Science. She volunteered for 3 years at Extra Special People in Athens as well as UGA Miracle and other non-profit organizations. Following graduation, Hannah pursued a career as a Child Life Specialist helping children and families cope with hospitalization. She is excited to be a part of the Lionheart team as a teacher assistant in our high school classroom.

Linda graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a B.A. in Psychology. She also has an M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling with a concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health from Springfield College. While working in the mental health field, Linda also completed an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Learning Disabilities and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Psychology from American International College. Linda recently moved to the Alpharetta area with her family and is excited to be a part of the Lionheart team as a teacher assistant.

Sherrie graduated with honors from the University of West England with a Bachelor’s in Engineering. She joined Lionheart in the fall of 2022 as a teacher assistant. Sherrie has been working in special education since 2019, both in California as a special needs aide and in Georgia as a paraprofessional. She is very excited to join the Lionheart team and make a difference in children’s lives.

Carly is joining Lionheart as our art teacher this year. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and continued to Ohio State University where she earned her Masters in Fine Arts. After several experiences teaching Art to all ages, Carly gained her PK-12 certification in Fine Arts at UGA, and is also certified in Early Childhood education. Carly joins The Lionheart School after teaching Elementary Art for 11 years to a community of diverse learners. She loves the opportunity to connect with students through the art-making process, and enjoys collaborating with her students. In addition to teaching at The Lionheart School, Carly also teaches students from her home studio, and is currently exploring her love of music. She sings and plays the piano and the ukulele often at local open mic nights.

Rebecca’s passion in life is to work with children and help them reach their full potential. She holds a teaching certificate in the state of Georgia. She is currently completing her Masters in Elementary Education through Grand Canyon University. Rebecca fell in love with Lionheart when she started volunteering at Lioncrest Farms helping students ride. She knew she wanted to be part of the Lionheart family right away. She is looking forward to working as a teacher assistant and learning from the wonderful staff at Lionheart.

Michelle graduated Loyola University in Chicago with a degree in special education and is a certified special education teacher. She taught in Chicago for 8 years.  Her experiences in Chicago include therapeutic settings, inclusion settings and a residential setting for adults with developmental delays. Prior to joining the Lionheart Team, Michelle served as the lead teacher for a class at a local preschool. On Sundays, she enjoys mentoring students with special needs during Religious Education classes. Michelle loves to be a part of the Lionheart team and continuing to learn from the school’s dedicated staff.

Abigail joined Lionheart in 2012 after graduating from Lee University with a degree in Special Education: Mild to Moderate Disabilities (K-12) and is a certified Special Education Teacher. She is the Lead Teacher for Lionheart’s middle and high school students. Abigail also serves as our Pre-Vocational Coordinator in partnership with Lionheart WORKS. She cares deeply about these teenagers and young adults and is honored to be a part of each of their stories. She is passionate about their social and emotional journeys, their academics and life skills, and about building enriching and interactive environments that develop students into their best selves.

Mary Catherine joined Lionheart in 2011 after graduating from The University of Alabama with a degree in Special Education. She received her master’s degree from Georgia State University in 2016 with dual certification and focus on P-5 special education. Mary Catherine has a passion and love for young children. After a brief time away from Lionheart, she is excited to return as a lead teacher for one of our elementary classrooms.

Stacey graduated from Reinhardt University with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She worked in the public school system for 11 years. She started as a paraprofessional; after earning her degree, she taught for 6 years in a self-contained autism classroom. Stacey is very excited to join the Lionheart team.

Jean graduated from Purdue University with a degree in elementary education. She has been trained in Orton Gillingham and Lindamood Bell intensive phonics programs. Prior to joining Lionheart, she taught 30 years in Fulton County where she added her special education degree. After retiring, Jean still has a lot of energy and love for empowering students and inspiring them to learn. She is joining The Lionheart School as a lead teacher in one of our middle school classrooms. During several of her summers, Jean was part of Lionheart farm camps. It has always been a dream of hers to be a teacher at Lionheart! She’s excited to be part of the Lionheart team!

Kerry graduated from Davenport University in Michigan with a degree in Business Management and Communications. She holds certifications as both a personal trainer and a nutrition coach. Kerry has enjoyed volunteering as a girl scout troop leader, youth group leader, and Dual Enrollment parent advisor. She is excited to be a Lionheart team member and continue learning from the school’s fantastic staff.

Shelly possesses a passion for teaching and has worked in the field of special education for over 20 years. She has focused her career on students with emotional, social and academic challenges. Shelly received her degree from UGA and is a certified Special Education Teacher. She has been affiliated with the Lionheart School for the past 15 years in different capacities, including lead teacher, substitute teacher, and job coach for the Lionheart WORKS program. Prior to working at Lionheart, Shelly taught elementary school students with behavioral challenges for the Atlanta Public School system. Shelly finds great joy in empowering students to be the best versions of themselves, supporting them in building meaningful relationships, and inspiring them to learn. Shelly is a Lead Teacher in one of our middle school classrooms.

Jackie received her degree in physical therapy from California State University and has been an integral part of Lionheart for many years. Jackie has passion for Floortime™, and has received a Basic DIR®/Floortime™ certificate of mastery for Stanley Greenspan’s model.  She also recently completed the regional year-long intensive Floortime™ course.  Jackie has a daughter in our Lionheart WORKS program and has been immersed in the DIR® philosophy since 1997.  Prior to Lionheart, Jackie worked as a physical therapist for 20 years.  She is currently an assistant in one of our elementary classrooms.

Kathy serves as Lionheart’s Reading Specialist. She graduated from the University of West Georgia with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Kathy then earned a Master’s degree in Special Education from Brenau University. She taught fourth grade in the public school system before joining Lionheart in 2009. Kathy is certified in the Orton-Gillingham method for reading instruction and has completed the Lindamood Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking course. When Kathy’s godson was diagnosed with autism at age 3, his parents introduced her to the DIR®/Floortime™ model. Then, Kathy realized her passion.