Our Story

Phillip and Jennifer Henderson were raised in Osceola County, Florida and met in church. After getting their degrees from the University of Central Florida and working as public school teachers, they began to realize that education in our nation needed to change, especially after watching their own daughter get left behind.
Their daughter, who was normally the life of the party and who didn't know a stranger, was becoming withdrawn, silent, and lost. She had amazing, hard working teachers that tried their hardest to reach her but Phil and Jen realized none of that was going to matter, their daughter needed to do this at her own pace and in her own time. 
They embarked on an educational journey that would take them from traditional educators to realizing that no matter how hard a teacher or parent puts into an individual student's education, it is truly up to that student to want to learn. They sent their children to the best private schools, public schools and home schooled for a time, trying to find what might work. In their research, they stumbled upon a school in Austin, Texas that truly embodied everything they wanted for their own kids. A school where students were thought of as heroes and geniuses, where the only limitations of how high they could fly was how they dealt with failure, distraction, victim mentality, and resistance. A place where learning how to learn, do, and be were more important than being able to regurgitate facts on a test. Where their kids could keep that spark of learning and find joy in hard work. That school was Acton Academy. 
They finally decided to do what every teacher says their going to do, start their own school. Now their whole family is on this amazing Heroes Journey, together with like-minded families, that know that grit, perseverance, passion, and communication are truly what will make someone successful, joyful, and a learner for the rest of their lives. 

The Team

Bailey Waters
Spark (Ages 5-7) Guide
​"The Spark Keeper"

Denise Vega
​Spark Associate (Ages 5-7) Guide
​"The Caretaker of Kindness"

Sarah Verlinde
Exploration (Ages 9-12) Guide
"The Independence Encourager"

Trinity Mahoney
Exploration (Ages 9-12) Associate Guide
"The Next Great Adventurer"

Diane Barnes
Office Manager/Book Keeper/Boo Boo Healer
"The Information Steward"

OUR TEAM

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