PACE Specialist and Advanced Academics

Hello and welcome to Shepard Advanced Academics!  I'm Dr. Bender, and I'm excited to be your teacher this year!  This is my 20^th year in education.  I taught Advanced Placement and GT Science and Math at the high school level in Mesquite for the first 18 and last year made the transition to elementary. 

I grew up in Ft. Pierce, FL with my parents and two sisters.  I'm a 3^rd generation University of Florida graduate and am working on my daughters to be 4^th generation.  I also attended Parker University in Dallas where I got my doctorate in chiropractic.  After a few years of practicing part-time and teaching at Collin College, I decided full-time teaching was more for me.

I live in Plano with my husband, Chris, my two daughters; Katarina and Ava, and our black labrador, Tiki.  My daughters attended Shepard and have gone through the PACE program here, so Shepard holds a special place in my heart.  I enjoy reading, board games, puzzles, cooking, and traveling.  I look forward to being a part of your child's elementary experience and the 2024-2025 school year!