Administrative Staff
Becky Welborn
When God called me to open a Christian school over 17 years ago, I was humbled. He had been preparing me with a deep love for education and a degree in Business Management from the University of Texas. All He needed was a willing heart. I grew up in this community, and James and I have raised our three boys here, so it is an honor to serve God through training Christ’s ambassadors at DSCA.
Karie Coffman
Secretary
I am a native Texan and have been a Dripping Springs resident for approximately 7 years. I graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Family and Child Development and Early Childhood Intervention. After working in the foster care/adoption sector, I became a stay-at-home mom to my two children. In our free time, my family and I enjoy being outdoors. We especially love camping and visiting the local state parks.
Taryn Green
Registrar
Originally from Guatemala, I spent my childhood in the Piney Woods of East Texas (Palestine, Texas) and then ventured out to the Texas panhandle where I attended Texas Tech University and received my B.A. in English Literature and Language. While at Tech, I met my husband, James, a Dripping Springs graduate and Austin native. After graduation, we moved to the hill country where we married, settled, and are now raising our little girl. My favorite past-times include collecting items from around the world, gardening, reading, listening to music and spending time with my family. I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful staff and Christ-centered school community.
Rebecca McCrocklin
Accounts Manager & Photographer
I have been involved with DSCA since the beginning in 2006. Although I have no formal training in education, and my husband and I have no children of our own, God has called me to minister in a variety of ways to the children of others. Through my love of the Lord, I am blessed to see your children in a special way and, with photography, capture their tender hearts and joyous spirits throughout the school to share with you. It is an honor to serve at DSCA.
Teaching Staff
Brookes Dungan
K3 Preschool
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good”. Psalm 107
Stacy McElroy
K4 Preschool
I have been teaching and caring for preschool age children for 18 years and still counting. I moved to Texas this year from Salt Lake City, Utah where I was born and raised with my husband of 27 years. God has blessed us with 2 children, 6 grandchildren and one precious great grandson. My husband and I have been involved in a Motorcycle Ministry spreading God’s Word to the motorcycle community for many years and I love it as much as teaching young preschool children.
Emily Weyel
Kindergarten
Growing up the second of seven siblings, children have always been a large part of my life. Over the last four years I have moved 3 different times, attended a Christian school in Georgia for 3 years and then finally graduated at 17 a homeschool student and landed in Dripping Springs. Last year, I had the honor of serving as a volunteer alongside several of the lower grammar school teachers at DSCA. I saw first hand examples of Christ’s love and the true meaning of community. These last years of my life have seen uncertainties and hardships, but to look back and see where God was leading me all that time is a great testimony to His promises. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach and learn alongside DSCA as I watch and wait for my next journey.
Julie FitzGerald
1st Grade
I am very excited to be a part of the DSCA family! I graduated from Texas A&M and then taught 1st and 2nd grades in Houston. I took off several years to stay at home with my baby boys who are now 12 and 15. I love spending time with them and watching them play sports. For the past ten years I was a director and teacher at a Christian preschool. I love to travel, read, play tennis, and have devotional time with my family.
Kris Maguire
2nd Grade
After graduating from California State University at Chico with a degree in Communication Design, I went on to begin my career in advertising as a Graphic Designer and Art Director. Little did I know what the Lord had planned for my future career path. My husband (who happens to be my high school sweet heart) and I decided early in our careers to pursue jobs overseas. We spent 8 years in Munich, Germany and returned back to the beloved state of Texas with 3 children in tow. While overseas, the Lord placed influential people in my path which in turn led me to begin a new career as a homeschool mother. Fortunately, coloring for a living was right up my alley. I fell in love with Classical Christian Education and as I began to educate my own children, a whole world of learning that I never experienced opened up before me. History came to life, writing became beautiful, and mathematics…well, were still mathematics. My three beautiful and courageous children are now almost grown and venturing out into higher education. I love teaching children, especially in regards history and God’s plan in it. It never ceases to amaze and humble me what God has done and is doing. It is a privilege and honor to be able to share this with little ones.
Janice McKinney
3rd Grade
It is a blessing to join the DSCA family. I grew up in west Texas, raised three sons in San Angelo, and moved to Austin about twenty years ago. For the last twenty-five years, I have provided services to children in the public school system as a special education teacher. It is a blessing to return to Christian education and I am thankful for the opportunity. Serving God through teaching children, is my passion.
Steve Isgitt
4th Grade
I am a graduate of Texas Tech University, and have been active in church leadership and children’s ministry for many years. I have been teaching at DSCA since 2014, and I consider it a privilege to build into the hearts and minds of my students from the Word of God, and to prepare them for a lifetime of learning. I am married to Bren, and have two children and four grandchildren. I also serve as Executive Pastor at Hill Country Bible Church Dripping Springs.
Heather Finocchiaro
5th Grade
I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University, where I was a member of the track and field team. I worked as a preschool teacher for two years before returning to graduate school to obtain my Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. While at Tufts University outside of Boston, I met my husband, John, who I’ve been married to for 14 years. I am a parent of two DSCA students: Savannah, age 12 in 6th grade, and John Henry, age 9 in 4th grade. I have a heart for children with special needs and orphan care. My family attends Hill Country Bible Church of Dripping Springs and I enjoy leading a small group with my husband, horseback riding, and a good cup of coffee!
Joshua Hughes
6th Grade
In the Gospels, Jesus taught His disciples the way of God’s Kingdom, as well as demonstrated it as He did life with those around Him. That is my greatest hope here at DSCA, and the highest call I can strive for as a Christian educator. I have an 11th grader, 9th grader, and 2nd grader joining me. We are blessed to call DSCA home since 2018. My wife and I are expecting another boy in mid-December! He will start DSCA in a few years… Being in education these last 12 years, I have been a homeschool dad, subbed and taught full-time in public and private schools. Having tasted a bit of it all, I am thrilled to continue working in classical Christian Education.
Lyn Ragan
Logic
I am a native Texan, originally from Houston. After graduating from Rice University with degrees in Political Science and Psychology, I worked for a law firm before becoming a full-time mom. Throughout the years, I have taught in various homeschooling and co-op settings, as well as some ESL ministries. I believe that it is very important to help children develop a mastery of language, writing, and communication, so they are better able to express their Christian faith and convictions. I am excited to be a part of that training at DSCA.
Vicki Burris
Logic
My husband and I moved to Austin in 2016 to be near our daughter and grandson, leaving another daughter and grandson in Illinois. My college and post-grad years were focused on math, history (BA) and law (JD). I practiced law in the St. Louis area for several years, but left my legal practice to stay home with my daughters. We entered the homeschool community and stayed for 16 years, all the way through high school. That was where I learned that I love teaching!
I am currently teaching 8th grade at DSCA. I thoroughly enjoy my students and strive to challenge them to not only learn the subjects, but to enjoy them (or at least not be intimidated by them).
We love Hill Country and are currently building a house in Blanco. I love gardening and hope to plant a few herbs and flowers- but I may need to bring some soil down from the Midwest. Other than having to learn a whole new climate zone, this area and its people are a blessing that we hope to enjoy for years to come.
Valerie Cordes
Rhetoric Humanities
I am so happy that I was called to join Dripping Springs Christian Academy. It has been an amazing journey. I was blessed to grow up in Hawaii where I attended a Chrisitan school and experienced the importance of a strong Christian community and the difference that it can make in a young life. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Communications I worked as an environmental scientist. Soon I was blessed with 2 amazing children and became involved in education reform. I received my master’s degree in elementary and special education and taught in a variety of classrooms from pk-8th grades for 15 years. After moving to Texas with my husband in 2019, I joined UT as a teacher mentor and elementary school teacher. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this community and to help bring forth the next generation of Christian Ambassadors.
Dr. Mallory Salter
Logic & Rhetoric Mathematics/Science
The Lord brought my husband and I back to Texas so that our three children could grow up with their cousins and I could be close to my sister and her precious family. He also placed on my heart the desire to understand and live in the patterns of nature, which are overly abundant in the Texas hill country. One part of those patterns is the education of our children both in academics and as a whole person so that they will grow into compassionate future generations. I come to DSCA with a B.S. from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and a PhD from Rice University in Biochemistry. It is an extreme pleasure and blessing to be a part of the DSCA family teaching math and science. Blessings!
Jenn Sills-Almeida
Rhetoric U.S. Government & Economics
I feel truly blessed to be a part of the DSCA family! To share a little about myself, I possess a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Arlington. I have previously taught 6-8th grade and I was a Paralegal for 13 years. God has always been a huge part of my life ever since I was young. In college, I served as a camp counselor at a YMCA Christian camp in North Carolina and have been involved with Habitat for Humanity & Big Brothers Big Sisters. I am currently a member of Sunset Canyon Baptist Church. I live locally in the area with my wonderful husband and we have a 6th grader. We love spending time together and visits to Disney World! I am looking forward to helping develop your Christian Ambassadors so that they can grow & prosper with Christ in their lives!
Chad Prytula
Rhetoric Doctrine & Theology
I grew up in Michigan in the Metro Detroit area. During my first year of college pursuing electrical engineering I had an encounter with the Lord and He spoke to me to give my life to full time vocational ministry. So I moved to Colorado to do a 3 year ministry training program at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. It was there that I met my wife. I worked full time on staff at the church for 5 years after my ministry training was over. From there we moved here to Texas to work for a missions training organization here in Dripping Springs called Mountain Gateway. We primarily run the admin and then teach the prayer and Bible semester for the students. We have 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl. The goal of our lives is to spend ourselves on behalf of the advancement of the Kingdom of God and making disciples in all contexts of life. We are deeply grateful for the love Jesus has shown us through the shedding of His blood to purchase our souls for eternity and there is no greater reward than to see the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.
Deborah Hammons
Music & Drama
I love music and drama as an expression of the creativity that God has placed in all of us. It is one of my great joys to share that with my students and to watch their creativity blossom. In creating, singing, making music, and exploring that creativity, we worship Him with our whole being.
Sarah Sellers
Physical Education
I have been a prominent member of the Dripping Springs fitness community for over 14yrs and have resided here for over 20 years. After graduating with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Physical Education from Southwest Texas State University, I began sharing my passion for fitness as a personal trainer and then went on to teach physical education at DSCA on and off over the past 10 years. I am an avid runner who has completed numerous 5k’s, 10k’s, marathons, and ultra-marathons, including a 50 mile trail race. In my spare time I also enjoy hiking, reading, involvement at church, and spending time with my two daughters, son and husband. My goal is to not only help our kids get stronger through physical activity, but also to shape their hearts along the way.
Christina Pickens
Aide
Hi! My name is Christina Pickens, I am number six of seven kids and I am a native Austinite. I graduated high school as a homeschool student in 2020. I am very grateful for the opportunity to
be part of the DSCA family!
Heloisa Vaz
