Skip to main content
Smart Diehl Academy
Our Team

Meet Our Staff

Get to know the exceptional educators behind our program. Dedicated, passionate, and committed to nurturing your child's growth and fostering a love for learning.

Mrs. Connie

Mrs. Connie

Preschool Educator & Homeschool Teacher

All

Hello everyone!! My name is Connie Mullis My husband and I both were born and raised in Union County, where we still reside with our son Jackson (15). We absolutely love our "zoo" of animals: two dogs Loki and Doby, cat Liam, our hognose snake Korra, 2 ball pythons Diego and Inara, and leopard gecko Maki. I am a huge nature enthusiast and love to explore the woods and creeks with my son, being near water, kayaking/canoeing, and fishing. I also enjoy working in the garden, playing soccer, and spending time with all our family. We love pinball/arcade games, playing games together, going to reptile shows and comic cons. Music is a big part of our lives and we each enjoy an eclectic rainbow of music types. We also have a banjo, a Merlin guitar, and a keyboard that we enjoy attempting to play. My love of learning, teaching, and creative thinking is deeply rooted in family having many relatives that put their heart and soul into the lives of children and the communities around them. My teaching journey began at Stallings UMC, where I served as a preschool teacher from 2017 up until the pandemic when the preschool had to make the tough decision to temporarily shut its doors. It was a time where we all were trying to figure out what life needed to look like going forward and since we were already doing remote school, we took that as a perfect time to transition to a full-time homeschooling family. We are so grateful to have made the jump for our son who is in his 9th grade year at Cedar Lane Academy, our homeschool. The opportunities we have now to advocate for our child, make curriculum choices for his needs and interests, and the tremendous community of families and friends has provided such an awesome learning opportunity. Smart Diehl Academy is our second home, second family, and a treasured place where we both have thrived, grown, and learned so much through shared experiences. Teaching and working with all ages of kiddos, both at the Academy, and with the WildRoots Nature program, has been an absolute joy for me. We truly celebrate Jayme, Smart Diehl Academy, and the WildRoots program for opening so many opportunities, welcoming all learning styles, and helping so many kiddos find their love of learning.

Learn more→
Ms. Melissa

Ms. Melissa

Multilingual Education Specialist

Special EducationMath+2 more

I have proudly been serving the Smart Diehl Academy community since 2023. I am a passionate educator dedicated to fostering a love of literacy, language development, and lifelong learning in every student. I graduated from State University of New York at Geneseo in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. I went on to earn my Master’s degree in Teaching English Language Learners from Syracuse University in 2014. After moving to Charlotte, I began my career with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where I served for seven years as a Multilingual Learner Teacher at Windsor Park Elementary School. I later worked in the CMS Central Office as a Resource Teacher within the Learning & Language Acquisition Department, supporting Title I schools, coaching educators, and leading districtwide family literacy initiatives. At Smart Diehl Academy, I bring my expertise in language acquisition and literacy instruction to create an engaging, supportive learning environment. I intentionally incorporate movement-based learning strategies to help students stay engaged and make meaningful connections. I value strong partnerships with families and look forward to continuing to inspire confident, lifelong learners.

Learn more→
Ms. Rachel

Ms. Rachel

Homeschool & Early Childhood Educator

Mrs. Rachel has thirty years’ worth of experience working with children in some form or fashion. She began homeschooling in 2010 and graduated her first child, who received a full-ride scholarship to his desired university, in May of 2023. She has been employed in the public school system in Head Start’s early childhood program, in both after-school and homeschool programs, and as a private and group tutor. In one of those homeschool programs, she served as a lower school coordinator and also created an entire explorational/nature-based enrichment program for preschool through lower elementary school. Additionally, she has served in children’s ministry both as a volunteer and as a member of the leadership team. To utilize her fondness for grammar and proofreading, Mrs. Rachel is also certified in medical transcription and editing but strongly prefers to share that fondness for all things grammar-related by teaching in a classroom setting. She is passionate about helping to inspire a life-long love for learning and reading in her students and is a firm believer that education should be fun, which is why including plenty of hands-on activities in all of her classes is a must. Most importantly to her, it’s been Mrs. Rachel’s lifelong mission to build children up, to help them see how smart and capable they are, and to spread the importance of kindness and compassion. I am a superhero geek and a dog lover!

Learn more→