JoEllen was born & raised in Trenton. With a Masters in Education, she spent nearly 10 years as a public school teacher before deciding to home school her own children. JoEllen has served in the NexGen ministry in some capacity since 2005 before joining the staff team in 2015. Married in 2001, JoEllen & her husband, Chris, have three teenagers: Haydn, Rylee, and McKay. When not writing lessons, prepping for students on the weekend, or trying to keep up with the latest teen culture, JoEllen loves to cook, exercise, read, & watch movies with her family. Her passion is for students and their families to love God deeply & share His truth boldly.