Ms. Stephanie

Stephanie Black currently serves as the Interim Director of the First Presbyterian Preschool, where she brings a strong background in early childhood education and program leadership. With ten wonderful years at FPCEM, Stephanie has developed a deep passion for creating a warm, nurturing, and developmentally rich environment where every child can learn and thrive.

For the past three summers, she’s also led the First Presbyterian Church Summer Day Camp, coordinating engaging, hands-on experiences that encourage exploration, creativity, and fun. Stephanie studied at UALR and began her career in business management before finding her true calling in early childhood education.

She and her husband, Garry, have been married for 23 years and are proud parents to Gabby (20), Garrett (17), and Gavin (14). Stephanie feels truly blessed to be part of the First Presbyterian community and loves watching each preschooler’s curiosity and confidence blossom every day.

Ms. Melanie

“First Presbyterian has been a wonderful part of my life for 25 years! My children, Kristian and Anna were both students here. Once they graduated from the program, I began as a substitute teacher and then taught Pre-K 4 for 12 years. This year I will once again be assisting in the Pre-K 3 program, early care, aftercare, and extended care.

When I’m away from school I enjoy biking, kayaking, working out, and finding a great deal at an antiques shop or show.

I have loved my time at First Presbyterian and am looking forward to another great year!”

​Ms. Connie

"My husband, Tray, and I moved to Conway in 1996. We've been married 43 years. We have three sons, Grant, Garrett, and Grayson. I have four precious grandchildren, Ellie, James, Lily and Violet, who I adore! I have been working at FPCEM since 1997. I am currently the Pre-K 4 aide for the Monday through Friday classes. I attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and studied pre-physical therapy. I am a member of Second Baptist Church here in Conway. I have absolutely loved working at FPCEM for 28 years. I love music, singing, spending time with family and especially those sweet grandkids!!! Children are a blessing from God, and I am so blessed to be able to work with them everyday! They are such a joy to my life!"

Ms. Holly

"​I have the honor of teaching the Pre-K 3 Monday-Friday class! I am blessed to say this will be my 25th year at FPCEM! I have a wonderful husband, Howell, and we have been married for 40 years. We have two amazing children, Austin and Ashley, plus a daughter-In-love, Saige, and a son-in-law, Michael! I have the sweetest dog, Sophie, and grand-dog, Ellie! We attend Second Baptist Church! In my spare time, I enjoy reading and the outdoors but mostly love time with my family and friends!"

Ms. Khushbu

“Hi! My name is Khushbu Patel. My husband and I been married for 15 years. We have two children Ayush (11) and Alina (7). I love outdoor activities, traveling and spending time with family and friends. This is my second year working as Pre-K 3  teacher; before that I started working as a substitute teacher. I love getting to know my students and building strong relationships with them.”

Mrs. Lawrence

“I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 19 years, and we have three amazing children, Israel (12), Isaac (10), and Eden Rose (8). We also have 3 dogs Cooper, Scottie, and Bear. This will be my second year at FPCEM, and I’ll be working with the Tuesday/Thursday Pre-K 4 class as an aide and also in the extended-care program! I’m looking forward to spending time with your children and getting to know each of them! When I’m not at work, you can find me cheering on my boys at all the sporting events or watching our tiny dancer “Rosie” on stage. I LOVE JESUS, diet Dr. Pepper, audiobooks, gummy candy, the lake, oversized sweatshirts, campfires, and could probably eat pizza or Mexican food every day of the week! I’m so excited and am praying for your kiddos to have such an amazing time with us this year!”

Ms. Kira

“Hi! I'm Kira, and this is my third year teaching at FPCEM. My family and I recently moved here from Houston, Texas. ( Home of the Houston Astros) My Husband John and I have been married for 11 years and we have 2 beautiful daughters, Kinsley (11) and Adelaide (7). Adie is our Cystic Fibrosis Warrior! I like being able to help  spread  awareness about Cystic Fibrosis , and we have  a walk "Great Strides" we do every year to help raise awareness! Our family loves to be outdoors, hiking, floating the river, hanging out by the lake, or watching our girls play softball! We also love exploring all the beautiful places Arkansas has to offer! I'm very excited to be a Pre-K 4 teacher this year, and I'm looking forward to an amazing year with your kiddos!”

Mrs. Shingleur

“Hi! My name is Kathryn Shingleur, also known as Mrs.Kat! This is my second year here as an aide in the Pre-K 2 Teddy Bear class!

I graduated with my bachelor’s in early childhood education from Arkansas Tech University and spent 6 years in the classroom before transitioning into my current roll as a full-time photographer! My husband and I started our business Shingleur Photography 13 years ago and have been going strong ever since! We moved to Conway in 2023, and my youngest son started attending FPCEM. We all quickly fell in love with the program and all of the amazing staff! I wanted to join in on the fun this year and am loving hanging out with those sweet Teddy Bears two days a week! 

We of course stay super busy, as my husband Lance is an event planner and floral designer for a company in Little Rock and we have two sweet boys—one in elementary and one here at First Pres! We also attend church at Rock Solid Church and are loving living in Conway!! 

We are so thankful to have found this program and are so glad to be part of it!”

Mrs. Worley

“My name is Nikki, and this is my second year with FPCEM! I am the co-teacher for Pre-K 1!!  I love spending my days with your sweet tiny humans! I was born and raised in Conway and graduated from UCA with a degree in biology and chemistry. I love all things science! I have been married to my husband for 7 years, and we have a beautiful 4-year-old daughter, Oakleigh. She also attends FPCEM. We absolutely love animals, so we have four fur babies. Charlie and Oreo are our doggies, and we recently rescued two kittens, Pumpkin and Wednesday.”

Mrs. Patel

“Hello, my name is Nikita Patel. I have been with FPCEM for the past year as a substitute and then joined Teddy Bears class Pre-K 2 class as a co-teacher in 2024. Currently, I am a lead teacher in Teddy Bears class Pre-K 2 Monday-Friday. My husband, Jay, and I have been married for 10 years and have two lovely kids: Kiva (6) and Dhyan (3). I Love spending time outdoors with friends and family and going on vacations. I am truly thankful and count it as a blessing to be part of your child's early school experience! It is going to be a great year.”

Mrs. Guerin

“Hey there! m I am so excited to be your child’s Spanish teacher! This is my first year teaching at FPCEM, but I have been blessed to teach students of all ages for almost 10 years. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Art with a Minor in Spanish from UCA, and also have my Master’s in Teaching degree from UCA. I am a Conway native, and live here with my husband, John Mark, and our two kiddos--Skylar (10) and Rand (2). I also own Euphoria Salon and Day Spa in downtown Conway. When I am not working, you can find me outside hanging out with my family, or cheering on the Arkansas Razorbacks.”