MEET MS. CONNIE

Hello everyone!! My name is Connie Mullis and I am so excited to be a part of Smart Diehl Academy. My husband and I both have lived in Union County our whole lives and we have one son Jackson (12). We joke around that we essentially have a zoo with our dogs Loki and Doby, cats Corbin and Liam, our hognose snake Korra, ball python Diego, and leopard gecko Maki. Are we animal lovers? You betcha, we love them all!! I am a huge nature enthusiast and love to explore the woods and creeks with my son, being near water, kayaking/canoeing, and fishing. I also enjoy working in the garden, playing soccer, and spending time with family. For fun, we enjoy going to reptile shows, comic/hero conventions, playing games, and trying out new restaurants. All three of us share a mutual love of music and between us have quite an eclectic range. We have a banjo, a Merlin guitar, and a keyboard that we enjoy attempting to play. I come from a family of educators and musically gifted people, but when it came time for college my initial focus was psychology. I attended Wingate University for two years, completing general studies and several psychology courses, however at the end of year two, I knew my heart and brain were being led to pursue a different path. That fall I enrolled at SPCC, completed two years of study and graduated with my Associate of Science in Therapeutic Massage and enjoyed many years of work as a NC Licensed Massage Therapist. When it came time that we were ready to start our family, the need for more financial consistency and something less physically taxing took precedent. I graciously accepted a position at the family medical practice that I had worked for during college and spent cumulatively 10 years loving the front office roles I experienced. In 2014, when my twin nephews were born, my sister and brother-in-law began the search for a nanny to help with the boys and my 2 year-old niece. They needed an extra set of hands and I more than anything wanted to spend as much time as possible with my niece and nephews. I said goodbye to my medical practice family and went to be Nanny Aunt Connie. It became one of the greatest blessings in my life and I treasure the extra time I was able to spend with them. As the kids transitioned into elementary school, it was clear to me that I wanted to continue in childcare/teaching and applied for a Preschool Teacher position at Stalling UMC Preschool. I worked as a co-teacher in the 3/4's classroom from 2017-2020. It was such a fun and rewarding job, but unfortunately when the pandemic hit, the preschool ended up closing its doors for the year. With my job on hiatus and my son already at home on virtual school, we took it as a perfect opportunity to make the transition to being a full-time homeschool family and jumped in full force. Here we are three years later, so thankful we made the transition!!

Fun Facts

We have a metal detector and I really enjoy going metal detecting. I love all things that have lemons or cows on them. I would love to visit Montana.

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