Our Teachers

Emily and her husband Mike live in Olathe and have four children; ages 14, 11, 8 and 7.  This is their ninth year of homeschooling.  Emily graduated from Kansas State University in 2003 with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and in 2005 with a Masters Degree in Special Education.  She taught for five years in public education before becoming a stay at home mom.  This will be her ninth year as director of the enrichment center.  She strives to create a program where kids can have fun, make friends, be in a Christ centered environment and experience the fun parts of school that she recalls from childhood. 

Born and raised in Kansas City, Michelle now resides in Gardner with her husband Luke and their 2 girls ages 11 and 7. This will be their 6th year homeschooling and their first year here at Legacy. Michelle holds a AAS degree in Interior Design from Johnson County Community College and has been working in different facets of the floral/wedding industry for over 25 years. Through her 20s she worked 2 years in the Olathe School District as a paraeducator, managed a children’s bookstore, spent 6 years working with a local youth group and has traveled to several countries to serve in mission work. Her greatest influence is her mother who had an amazing talent for floral design and all things creative. She taught her to love Jesus, work hard, value people and enjoy the small things in life. Her goal here at Legacy is to impart a love of all things creative, to teach the foundations of art and help each child discover their own unique creativity.  She believes, we are all made in the image of God and He is a very creative God. 

Music is a passion for Jimmy. It is a gift from the Lord and He has called him to be involved with it for His ministry.  He serves on the praise team and in children's church at Impact.  Jimmy has been a working musician since the age of 16, playing in venues across the area, including opening day at the K and receiving local radio play as well as on Pandora.  He has been homeschooling for about seven years now. He does not have a favorite holiday, and says, "I am thankful for today and try to celebrate everyday the same." The most valuable lesson his mom ever taught him was how to treat a lady..Thanks Mom! When he was younger he used to have old English mastiffs; which were awesome. Haiti is the most unusual place he has ever visited. "It is night and day different from the states but I definitely gained perspective from my visits." 

Mrs. Yarberry is her name and music is her game! This is her third year homeschooling her three daughters.  Renee is in 4th grade, and Addison is in 1st grade. Caitlyn is three, and loves to do her play schoolwork along with her big sisters. Mrs. Yarberry's favorite holiday as a kid was Thanksgiving, because that’s when her family would all get together.  When she was younger she would always say, "I can't wait until..." wishing for a special day, vacation, age, etc. Her mom told her not to wish her life away. So now she tries to remember that advice, and enjoy the moment as much as possible.  At home, Mrs. Yarberry also loves on a cat named Cami and a dog name Fonzi. 

The resident Tooth Fairy is none other than our fearless gym teacher, Mrs. Kate.  While Mrs. Kate does not homeschool, her sister-in-law does. That same sister-in-law is how Ms. Kate was introduced to the Legacy family.  Never mind a holiday, Mrs. Kate loves a whole season, SUMMER!  She says, “I LOVE THE HEAT!”  She is from Arizona, so she likes it hot.  Besides loving all of the Legacy kids, she also has two rescue Chihuahuas, Rain and Momas.  She hopes to one day visit Rome with her father and Egypt.  

Her Mom had lots of great wisdom to share:

“That Kindness Matters.”  “Be nice to one another.”  “What  you send out in the world comes back to you!”  “People NEED more smiles and kind acts.” MOST OF ALL – “We are all in this life TOGETHER.”

 Wendy and her husband reside in Shawnee and have 3 kids (8,10,13). This will be her 8th year homeschooling and 7th year at Legacy (2nd year teaching Science).  Wendy has been a nurse for twenty years.  She received her bachelor of science in nursing degree at MidAmerica Nazarene University.  She worked in the clinical setting for 19 1/2 years.  She has since retired from her nursing position at  Advent Health Shawnee Mission in order to devote more time to homeschooling and teaching at Legacy. She's currently pursuing a Wellness Consultant certification so as to compliment her husband's personal training business.  Wendy's passion is teaching others to dig deeper and think "outside the box."  Wendy says she, "loves teaching science. In my preparations for teaching, I learn something new every time about God's amazing creation." The most fascinating place she has been is Guatemala, where she was part of a medical missions team.    

Anita is a wife, mom,  teacher, and Disney fan. She has spent the past 18 years teaching for the Olathe Public School District  and is excited to be a part of Legacy this year!

Anita has also worked at the Disney Store since college. This is where she has met many of her closest friends, and where her love for all things Disney has come from.

Anita and her husband Lon have two children. Reese is 13 years old, and attends Oregon Trail Middle School, and he is a childhood cancer survivor! He loves to play wheelchair rugby and create costumes for himself and other children in wheelchairs. Callen is 5 years old, and attends Clearwater Creek Elementary. He loves to play baseball! Family and helping others are important parts of her life. 

 Kellista Keaton is an Olathe native and homeschooling mom of 3. She attended Ottawa University's Elementary Education program and had a four-year stint as a kindergarten and first grade teacher in the Olathe School District. In 2013, she launched her own inquiry-based education program which served the Kansas City metro area for 6 years. In 2018 she earned an MSEd in Early Childhood Education from Walden University. She loves watercolor painting, singing worship songs while folding laundry, nature walks, movies that make her laugh, and rhyming with her children. 

Autumn Cash has been worked with children most of her life, whether it was Sunday school, camp directing, VBS Leader, or teaching preschool.  She has three children, 15, 8 and 5; the younger two have enjoyed homeschooling for 3 years now. While she can't name one favorite holiday, she does enjoy any time to celebrate.  Her mom taught her that; "Patience is a virtue," and "An eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind."  Her family has a old Cat (who thinks she's a dog), Taurus, and a new puppy, Leia.  The most unusual place she has visited is China on a ministry trip. It made her realize that the world is very different, but the love of people is the same. 

Mrs. Franzen teaches our high school students on Wednesdays and coordinates events for the Legacy Leopards, our middle school and high school students. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. 

Mrs. Franzen and her husband Tim have two daughters that are homeschooled. When she's not teaching, she's writing, practicing martial arts, and volunteering with her church youth group. She loves cats, coffee, bad puns, and waffle fries.