(CEDAR HILL, TEXAS) Educators Krystal and Timothy Rising left their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida where the Atlantic Ocean waves and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s blonde hair flows endlessly.
But the Risings and their four children – between Pre-K and third grade – took a leap of faith when they decided to move 1,007 miles to the northeast.
They settled in Cedar Hill because they heard great things about the community and the school district from Timothy’s aunt, who lives in Cedar Hill.
“Everything started working together when we moved here last August,” said Timothy, who teaches US History at Cedar Hill High School. “It was a fortuitous set of events. We decided it was time to branch out, and this is fantastic.”
The Risings have settled into their lives in Cedar Hill. Krystal, who was a parent liaison for the school district in Duval County, Florida, is a first-year Fifth Grade Science Teacher at Collegiate Prep Elementary.
She is working on completing her teacher certification, and the couple’s four children – third grader Maddox James, first grade twins Channing and Chase and Pre-K scholar Oaklyn-Elease – are all enrolled at Collegiate Prep.
“I absolutely love the Rising Family,” Collegiate Prep Principal Dr. Xavier Lewis said. “They are great additions to our Collegiate Prep Family. Mrs. Rising has a passion for education and is doing a great job.”
The Risings were college sweethearts at Florida A&M University, a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) located in Tallahassee, Florida.
They have welcomed the opportunity to work for an independent school district, which they say operates more efficiently than schools in Florida which are governed by each county.
“I like that a lot of the teachers and staff also have kids on campus,” Krystal said. “It’s like a big family. Cedar Hill is a nice city with nice people, and we also like the proximity to Dallas.”
