Shea Marshall

My husband, Ben, and I married in 1999. We have 2 children, Rachel (18) and Nate (13), both of which have autism. We have been back in the states for 3 years; previously, we worked overseas in Central Asia for 10 years. My primary role was in international education, with a main focus on middle school grades. I am currently working for NorthStar as part of the Curriculum team, authoring and coaching other authors. 

I hold a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Southern Arkansas University. My bachelors (Bachelor’s of Science in Education) was also from SAU in Elementary Education (1-8) with an emphasis in Language Arts. Even though it’s an Elem. Ed. degree, my learning focus was in middle school education, but this was before the certifications were split into three levels instead of two. Our university was one of the founding members of the Collegiate Middle Level Association, a subsidiary of the Association of Middle Level Association (AMLA). 

In my free time, I enjoy quilting, cooking, and working in my flower gardens.  I get energy from learning new skills, so I’ve done a lot of things — cake decorating, scuba diving, etc. Maybe that’s why I like curriculum — it’s always learning something new and working out the puzzle of the best way to make it work. 

Before moving overseas, we were youth pastors. I took my first volunteer youth pastor job at 19 and was involved in youth ministry for 15 years before moving overseas. My husband and I also served in music ministry; I play piano and have either been a part of or lead the worship team most of my life.