NW Valley Times

Dr. Linnea Lyding, Dean of ACU’s Shelly Roden School of Education, has been a part of Arizona Christian University since 2012. Her journey towards becoming a role model in higher education began early, influenced by her experiences growing up with a sister who had a severe disability.

“Our family life was different because of Colett’s needs,” she recalled. “We used sign language to communicate and she made odd sounds, and when she would get angry, her signs were fast and furious. When she had seizures in public, people would just glare or move out of our way.”

Reflecting on the past, Dr. Lyding noted, “That was during a time when people didn’t know much about disabilities. Most people steered clear. But my parents saw my sister’s potential and wanted her to live as normal of a life as possible. I believe God placed Colett in our family because He knew what a difference my parents would make in the world for people with disabilities.”

When suitable opportunities for Colett's independence were not available, Dr. Lyding’s parents founded a nonprofit organization to support hearing-impaired and other disabled young adults in building life skills for independent living. They purchased townhomes for Colett and many of her friends.

“My sister had amazing abilities, but her limited communication made it hard for others to see them,” stated Dr. Lyding. “My parents’ dedication to Colett and her friends’ well-being shaped my calling and purpose.”

Initially aiming to teach Early Childhood Special Education, Dr. Lyding found herself teaching Junior High math due to scarce job opportunities after graduation. This experience proved valuable later in her career.

Encouraged by her principal to present at educational conferences despite initial reluctance, Dr. Lyding shared her expertise on teaching children with learning disabilities. “Since my passion was to help children be all that God has created them to be, I agreed,” she said.

Through unforeseen circumstances, Dr. Lyding enrolled in the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation in Teaching program at ASU, which aligned perfectly with her professional goals.

Joining ACU in 2012 allowed Dr. Lyding to integrate her faith with her passion for mentoring future educators: “Through my sister Colett, I learned that every child is a child of God.” At ACU, she aims to equip graduates who deeply care for their students.

Dr. Lyding trains students to create inclusive classrooms where every child feels valued and empowered: “I equip graduates who love and care deeply for the children they teach and see those children as God sees them.”

A significant moment in Dr. Lyding's tenure at ACU came one year ago when she played a critical role in ACU’s victory against the Washington Elementary School District (WESD). The case defended the rights of ACU elementary education students to student-teach within the district.

“We knew it wasn’t right for the district to discriminate against our students because of their religious beliefs,” stated Dr. Lyding.

Thanks to prayers from the Firestorm family and legal representation from Alliance Defending Freedom, WESD allowed ACU students back into their classrooms while extending their contract with ACU for five years and covering legal fees.

Since then, ACU education majors have continued serving elementary students at Washington School District: “We are pleased with the outcome and continue to have a strong relationship with teachers and administrators (many are ACU alumni) within the district,” Dr. Lyding noted.