Little Risers Schoolhouse began as a shared dream between a mother and daughter — a dream shaped by faith, family, and a lifelong love for children.

For Donna, that love was formed early. As the oldest of ten siblings she grew up in a home where every child who walked through the door was welcomed as family. Her upbringing instilled in her a deep understanding of belonging, mentorship, and what it means to lead with love. Years of serving in children’s ministry, raising her own children, and running businesses strengthened her conviction that children thrive when they are known, guided, and surrounded by steady values.

For Verlana, the calling came just as early. After giving her life to Christ in sixth grade and walking through the loss of her father, she discovered healing and purpose through serving children. From tutoring her younger brother to nannying, substitute teaching, working in preschool classrooms, and now teaching elementary students, her path has consistently drawn her back to education. At just seven years old, she told her mother she would one day open a preschool — a dream that quietly took root and never faded.

Together, their experiences — generational faith, hands-on caregiving, ministry leadership, business ownership, classroom experience, and a shared conviction to return to the basics — have woven into something intentional.

Little Risers is not simply a school.

It is the natural extension of a calling that has shaped both of their lives.