Meet The Team

It is truly an honor and a blessing to serve as the Principal of Strong Tower Academy. This year marks my 31st year in education—27 years in public education and four years in Christian private education. Throughout my career, I have served in a variety of teaching, counseling, and administrative leadership roles and earned my Doctorate in Educational Leadership. While I am grateful for every experience that prepared me for this position, I am most grateful that God chose me for this job. I can sincerely say that I love what I do, I love our students and families, and I believe wholeheartedly in the mission of Strong Tower Academy.

Our motto, “Rooted in Christ. Prepared for Life.”, represents exactly what we desire for every student who walks through our doors. We know that life will bring challenges, disappointments, difficult decisions, and unexpected circumstances. Our responsibility is not simply to prepare our students academically for those moments, but to help them establish a foundation in Christ that will remain firm when those moments come. When our roots are deeply planted in Him, we can withstand the storms of life.

This year, we are especially excited to embrace the Lion as the mascot of Strong Tower Academy. The lion represents courage, strength, leadership, and boldness—qualities we want to develop in our students. But above all, we want them to understand that true strength and courage come from the Lord.

At Strong Tower Academy, education is about so much more than academics. We have been entrusted with the privilege of helping shape the next generation of leaders. We want our students to become young men and women of biblical character and integrity who seek God's wisdom, stand firmly for what is right, serve others, and have the courage to lead with Christ first.

Our teachers and staff recognize the tremendous responsibility that comes with being part of a child's life. We are not only educators; we are mentors, encouragers, and examples. We have the opportunity to plant seeds of faith, speak truth into the lives of our students, recognize the gifts God has placed within them, and help prepare them for the purpose He has for their lives.

These children are our future leaders. They will one day lead families, churches, businesses, classrooms, communities, and perhaps even our nation. What an incredible privilege it is for Strong Tower Academy to have a part in preparing them for that future.

As Principal, I remain committed to academic excellence, strong partnerships with our families, and a school culture where every child is known, loved, challenged, and encouraged. Most importantly, I am committed to keeping Jesus Christ at the center of everything we do.

I am excited about what God has in store for Strong Tower Academy and our Lions this year. May we continue to grow together, stand courageously in our faith, and always remember who we are and where our strength comes from.

Rooted in Christ. Prepared for Life.

Go Lions!

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Stephanie Hunt graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor's degree in Literary Studies. She taught middle school music classes at a private, university model school in Lucas, Texas before moving to a private music studio where she taught voice and guitar lessons. Mrs. Hunt also homeschooled her four children. She is currently teaching 3-10th grade History and 5-10th grade English at Strong Tower Academy. Mrs. Hunt attends Fulton Community Church where she serves on the worship team. She has lived in the Rockport area for 3 years and is the proud wife of a Texas Game Warden. Mrs. Hunt also serves on the Board of Directors at Strong Tower Academy as the Vice President.

Leanna Reininger is the proud wife of Pastor Brad Reininger of Fulton Community Church. She and Brad reside in Rockport and have 4 children. Leanna loves the Lord and is currently serving as the director of the church. Mrs. Reininger is also a worship leader and has a passion for serving. She has experience in various teaching and leadership capacities including over 15 years of youth ministry, directing camps, Bible studies, VBS and leading a church plant. Her desire is to see children and adults on fire for Jesus. Mrs. Reininger proudly teaches Faith classes at Strong Tower Academy, works alongside the Principal as the Director, and is currently serving as the President on the Board of Directors.

I am grateful to be part of a school community where academic excellence and spiritual growth are valued equally. As an educator, I am passionate about helping students develop both a strong foundation of knowledge and a deeper understanding of their faith. I hold a Master’s degree in Business and believe that education is most meaningful when it inspires intellectual curiosity, Christ-centered character, and a lifelong love of learning.

Having spent my life between Austin and the Texas coast, I have come to appreciate the unique beauty and character of both. I value the rolling hills, culture, and charm of my hometown of Austin, while also finding deep joy in the coastal lifestyle and the simple pleasures that come with it. I believe in working hard and living life with purpose. Much of my time is spent serving my family, friends, community, and business endeavors, and when I am not working, I treasure both the unexpected moments of Gods beauties and the intentional time spent building my relationship with the Lord. I enjoy reading, watching movies with a bowl of popcorn, spending time outdoors, and continuing to learn and grow. My 13-year-old Maltipoo, Lala, has been my faithful companion for over a decade and remains one of life's sweetest blessings.

I consider myself a forever learner and value relationships that encourage spiritual growth and draw me closer to God. I am especially thankful to be surrounded by a team of educators and leaders who seek the Lord in all they do and understand the true importance of grace, mercy, and servant-hearted leadership. It is a blessing to serve in a place where faith is not only taught but lived out each day.

Katharine Pfeil graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and minor in English. She is an author (Katharine E. Hamilton) of over 38 titles and a publishing consultant and mentor for new authors. She teaches and speaks at various writing conferences around the country but calls Fulton home. She moved to Fulton a little over two years ago with her husband and two sons. Her oldest son attends STA. Her love for education had Katharine pursuing a teaching career in 2009 (History 8-12) but led her to working for an education supply company. Katie teaches the first and second grade class at STA, where she takes students on reading adventures through various subjects with fun activities, projects, and experiments.

My name is Ashley Fisher and I will be Strong Tower Academy’s first kindergarten teacher. This is my first year teaching officially. I have volunteered with youth in my church, the girls in Shoreline Drug and Rehab Ministry, and worked as an investigator with Child Protective Services before teaching art and pre-k with First Baptist Academy. I am married to an amazing husband and we have one beautiful smart 8 year old daughter and two crazy cats. My family and I love eating Chinese food, checking out new parks, and playing games. We play board games and video games competing to be the winner but often our daughter beats us. I am looking forward to teaching this year’s kindergarten class. I have lots of fun and plans for an amazing year. 

Christine Ritter has studied or taught math and science most of her life.  She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Trinity University, a master’s degree in Wildlife and Fishery Sciences from Texas A&M University in College Station, and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of Texas at Austin.  She has experience teaching both high school math and science.  She believes that learning both math and science should be process and inquiry oriented.  She also likes to integrate creativity into her lesson planning especially when doing so would yield high learning outcomes. 

My name is Nimia Long.  I have been in education for over 30 years.  20 of those years I spent as the children’s minister and after-school director for an amazing church in Fort Worth , Texas. For the past 13 years I have been teaching in a public school setting.  I have always had a desire to return to Christian-based teaching. When this opportunity presented itself, I became overjoyed and excited for what was to come!
I have a Bachelors’ Degree from Columbia College. I am also bilingual ( English-Spanish and vice-versa). God has blessed me with a loving spouse for over 40 years and a wonderful son who is 34 years old.  My husband and I are originally from Fort Worth, Texas and moved to the paradise that Rockport-Fulton is approximately 5 years ago. The desire of my heart is to teach God’s children and be an example to them of how to live a life pleasing to God.  Above all, I am thankful for God’s presence,  grace and mercy in my life.

Sheridan Grinager is a dedicated educator committed to fostering a Christ-centered learning environment that supports the development of faith, character, and academic excellence. With a background in political science, Sheridan brings a thoughtful and informed perspective to instruction, encouraging students to engage the world with discernment, integrity, and responsibility.

Grounded in a sincere love for the Lord, Sheridan integrates biblical principles into daily teaching, guiding students in both spiritual and intellectual growth. This approach aligns with the mission of preparing students for lives of leadership and service.

Sheridan also brings extensive experience in leadership, student development, and safety. As a former gymnastics competitor, Sheridan spent 15 years coaching athletes at all levels, emphasizing discipline, perseverance, and confidence. Sheridan is also a former fitness competitor and martial arts instructor, further demonstrating a commitment to discipline, personal excellence, and mentorship. In addition, Sheridan holds current Wilderness First Aid certification through the Red Cross and has experience teaching CPR/AED and First Aid, as well as Basic Life Support (BLS) to the nursing field. 

Outside the classroom, Sheridan enjoys gardening and reading, reflecting a commitment to lifelong learning and an appreciation for God’s creation.

Sheridan remains passionate about investing in students’ lives, helping each one develop a strong foundation of faith, character, and a love of learning in preparation for future leadership and service.

I'm thrilled to be part of a dedicated faith-based education that goes hand in hand with the passion for Christ. I'm honored to be teaching middle school science and middle school and high school math.I am parent to one biological son who is autistic and 21 years old. With all of my stepchildren I have nine total children. All of whom are grown. I graduated from the University of science and arts of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in psychology minoring and liberal arts. Outside the classroom I also teach Sunday school at Fulton community Church.

Teaching is more than a career path for me—it's an opportunity to encourage, inspire, and help students discover their God-given potential. Before beginning my journey as an educator, I proudly served as a Staff Sergeant (SSgt) in the U.S. Air Force, where I learned the importance of leadership, integrity, perseverance, and serving others.

While raising my five children as a stay-at-home mom and wife to an amazing man of God and the Youth Pastor at our Freedom Church: Coastal Bend, I earned a Bachelor's degree in Business with a certificate in Management from the University of Phoenix. A few years later, God led me to start my own cleaning business, and He has blessed that journey in ways I never could have imagined. Each step of my life has strengthened my faith, resilience, and commitment to serving others.

These experiences have shaped the teacher I strive to be each day. I believe every child can succeed when they feel valued, encouraged, and supported. My goal is to create a classroom where students feel safe, confident, loved, and excited to learn, while helping them grow both academically and as individuals.

I'm Monica Burchell, and I earned my Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, and am affiliated with the Teachers of Tomorrow  alternative certification program.  I have a background in company operations; project and website management; marketing; editing; and, technology support.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to use my talents and gifts to serve our students, school community, and, most importantly, the Kingdom of God.  I consider it a blessing to partner with families in their children's educational journey.

As a wife and mother of five children ages eleven and under (three boys and two girls!), I understand both the privilege and responsibility of helping shape the next generation. My experiences as both a parent and business professional have given me a deep appreciation for the unique gifts, strengths, and learning styles of each child.

Throughout various seasons of our family's academic progression, I have homeschooled my children, which has further strengthened my passion for teaching, discipleship, and individualized learning. I believe that education is more than academics; it's about nurturing character, fostering curiosity, and helping students grow in confidence, faith, and responsibility. I'm excited for a great year teaching second grade!

My passion is teaching music and helping Young people discover the

gift God has placed within in them.I believe music is so much more than 

chords or melodies - it is a powerful way to express what is 

on our hearts and to connect people with one another and with Christ.

For me teaching music is a ministry. Whether I'm 

teaching them their first chord ,helping them find their voice , or encouraging them

to use their musical gifts.

I believe Colossians 3:16 says it best.

and captures what I would like to do.

it says. Teach and admonish one 

another with psalms ,hymns and spiritual songs."

music gives us an incredible opportunity to

teach ,encourage ,worship and bring hope.

Music is a gift . Teaching is a calling. and when those two meet Christ ,

it becomes something truly powerful.