Where curiosity is cultivated, expression is encouraged, and individuality inspires us all. 

Founder's Story

Growing up in Kansas City I learned early that school could be two things at once: magical—and deeply frustrating.

There were moments when learning actually sparked something in me. But more often, I found myself sitting in classrooms thinking, this can’t be it. Sitting still, listening for hours, following rules that no one explained—it didn’t feel engaging, and it didn’t feel natural. It felt like I was constantly trying to translate a system that was never designed for how I thought.

And for a long time, I thought the problem was me.

I didn’t always understand people. I didn’t always respond the way others expected. But I learned how to perform. Raised by an amazing, ultra protective, no-nonsense mother who was also a teacher, I became very good at doing what was expected. I knew how to be composed, how to meet expectations, how to succeed on paper.

But internally, I was always pushing, questioning, analyzing, imagining something better—and then turning that intensity inward, quietly tearing myself down for not getting it ‘right.’

I stood out. And not in the way schools celebrate.

What I didn’t know then—but understand clearly now—is that I was a neurodivergent, gifted learner navigating a system that prioritizes compliance over curiosity and standardization over brilliance.

That understanding didn’t break me—it clarified my purpose.

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve taught, led, and served in schools at multiple levels. I’ve been a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, a district administrator, a college professor, and now an elementary principal. I’ve worked with thousands of students, and I’ve seen the same pattern over and over again—brilliant children being misunderstood, under-challenged, or reshaped to fit environments that were never built for them.

And then I saw it in my own children.

That was the moment everything shifted.

I stopped asking how to make the system work better.

I decided to build something different.

Wonder Lab Academy was created out of urgency, clarity, and vision. It is not a traditional school. It is a learning experience designed for students who need more—more challenge, more relevance, more cultural connection, more room to think, question, create, and lead.

At Wonder Lab, curiosity is not a distraction—it is the foundation. Students don’t just learn about the world; they actively engage in it through Wonder City, a student-run environment where they practice decision-making, leadership, financial literacy, and real responsibility.

This is what I know to be true: children should not have to shrink to succeed in school.

They should not have to mask who they are to be seen as capable.

They should not have to choose between being themselves and being successful.

I am building the kind of learning environment I needed as a child—and the kind my children deserve now.

Wonder Lab Academy is where brilliance is expected, culture is honored, and individuality is not just accepted—it is the standard.

And for the first time, students like me won’t have to wonder if they belong.

They will know.

Link to Application

Link to Pay Application Fee $35.00

Any applications without the accompanying fee will not be considered for admission.