Nashville, TN · Thirteen Years Strong

You are not going to find
a team like this one.

Clinical experts. Curriculum architects. Regulation specialists. People who chose this work on purpose and have been growing in it for years. Click any card to learn more about the person behind the title.

Jacquelene Nigrelli, Chief Executive Officer, Illuminate Academy Nashville
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Jacquelene Nigrelli
21 Years Experience · 13 Years Building IA · Nashville, TN
Jacquelene Nigrelli
Chief Executive Officer
Founder · Creator · Clinical Leader · Leadership Developer

Jacquelene brings 21 years of experience to this work — 13 of them building Illuminate Academy from the ground up. The conviction at the center of IA is not the one most people expect: it is not about skills or academics first. It is about wellbeing. The research is clear that social-emotional wellbeing is what determines long-term success for people with autism — not the ABCs or the 123s. That belief was not always where the work started, but it is where it has landed. And it is where it stays.

She holds the vision, the culture, the clinical direction, and the hiring — and she is still actively in the room, leading Strategy Days and intensives, still learning, still convinced that the best version of IA is always the next one.

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The Leadership Team

Three of the best
in their lanes.

Three directors. Three distinct lanes of deep expertise. An operations leader who makes the mission sustainable, a clinical OT who makes it scalable, and a BCBA who makes sure every decision puts learners first. Together they bring over 50 years of combined experience. Click any card to go deeper.

Crockett Goode, Director of Business and Brand, Illuminate Academy
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Crockett Goode
15+ Years Experience · 12 Years at IA
Crockett Goode
Director of Business & Brand
Strategic partner · Brand and operations lead

Crockett has spent over 15 years building the kind of operational foundation that makes a mission-driven organization actually work. He holds the business, brand, partnerships, and the family lifecycle at IA — and he does it in a way that makes the whole place feel solid and safe. Families trust it. Staff trust it. That is not accidental — that is Crockett.

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Kelly Eppler, Director of Strategy and Learner Development, Illuminate Academy
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Kelly Eppler
20+ Years Experience · 12 Years at IA
Kelly Eppler
Director of Strategy & Learner Development
Occupational Therapist · Pediatric Sensory Specialist · Strategic integrator

Kelly is a pediatric occupational therapist and sensory specialist with over 20 years of experience — and one of the most gifted integrators in the room. She holds learner development, Strategy Days, and the operational systems that make IA scalable without losing what makes it extraordinary. She has the rare ability to see the full picture and build toward it.

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Heidi Snow-Witzeman, Director of Clinical Programs, Illuminate Academy
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Heidi Snow-Witzeman
BCBA · 15+ Years Experience
Heidi Snow-Witzeman
Director of Clinical Programs
Board Certified Behavior Analyst · Neuroaffirming lens · Safety and Support lead

Heidi holds the clinical quality of everything at IA. As a BCBA with a deeply dignity-first, neuroaffirming approach, she ensures that every decision — every plan, every hard moment response, every piece of clinical development — is grounded in what is actually best for learners.

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Campus Team

The people your family
meets every single day.

Family advocates. Curriculum leads. Operations specialists. Safety coordinators. The people who make the daily life of IA feel like the most intentional place your family has ever been a part of.

Sarah, Administrative and Brand Coordinator, Illuminate Academy
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Sarah
Sarah Palmer
Administrative & Brand Coordinator

Sarah runs the family front line — onboarding, billing, hospitality, and the first impression every family has of IA. She makes the experience feel like the values, not just the brand.

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Hayley White, Operations and Team Lead Coordinator, Illuminate Academy
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Hayley White
Hayley White
Operations & Team Lead Coordinator

Hayley keeps the daily rhythm of IA steady, reliable, and scalable. Team Leads work directly with her. SOPs, schedules, classroom continuity — Hayley holds the operating pulse of campus.

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Julia Cormier, Curriculum and Instruction Lead, Illuminate Academy
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Julia Cormier
Julia Cormier
Curriculum & Instruction Lead

Julia owns instructional excellence across every IA classroom. When a learner is not growing, Julia is problem-solving. When instructors need coaching, Julia is there.

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Emily Humerick, Parent Liaison and Family Advocate, Illuminate Academy
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Emily Humerick
Emily Humerick
Parent Liaison & Family Advocate

Emily holds the relational temperature of every IA family. She is the advocate in the room when things are hard, and the reason families feel known — not just enrolled.

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Lukas White, Safety and Support Coordinator, Illuminate Academy
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Lukas White
Lukas White
Safety & Support Coordinator

Lukas responds to hard moments in real time, coaches the team in the thick of it, and documents the patterns that make IA smarter every quarter. His presence on campus means no one is ever alone in a hard moment.

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Team Leads

The heartbeat
of every classroom.

Our Team Leads are the senior presence in each room — the connectors, the coaches, and the culture carriers. They are the reason every classroom at IA feels like the most intentional room your learner has ever been in.

Brittan Botzum, Team Lead
Brittan
Brittan Botzum
Team Lead
Shelby Turner, Team Lead
Shelby
Shelby Turner
Team Lead
Allison Zamorski, Team Lead
Allison
Allison Zamorski
Team Lead
Carrie Barnette, Team Lead
Carrie
Carrie Barnette
Team Lead
Join Us
See open roles
Behind the Curriculum

The builders.
The architects.

Our instructional support specialists build the foundations that every classroom runs on — curriculum that is rigorous, neuroaffirming, and beautiful to use.

Jessica HaedgeJH
Jessica Haedge
Curriculum Architect

Jessica architects the Connected Core Curriculum for K-5 — math, ELA, science, and social studies — designed for the way IA learners actually learn. She works remotely as part of the extended IA leadership team.

Fun FactVA: Add Jessica's fun fact from the team survey.
Hanna ElderHE
Hanna Elder
Instructional Learning Support Specialist

Hanna builds the visual tools, Canva assets, and learning resources that bring curriculum to life. If something in an IA classroom is clear, beautiful, and exactly right for the learner holding it — Hanna likely built it.

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The Instructional Team

The people in the room
every single day.

Our Primary Instructors, Support Instructors, and specialists are the daily presence for every learner at IA. They are coached, mentored, celebrated, and invested in — because the people who pour into our learners deserve to be poured into too. Interested in joining this team?

Our Values

We know how to build a house.
These five values make it a home.

H
Hope-Filled
Strategic hope.
Hope is not something we hand people. It is something we build with them — with a plan, an order, and a next step they can take on Tuesday.
O
Others-Centered
We start where they are.
The person in front of us is the center. When something is convenient for us and harder for them, we already know the answer.
U
Undeterred
We do not quit.
Every win is a win. Every miss is a reroute. A reroute is not failure — it is the plan doing exactly what it is supposed to do.
S
Steady
Grounded in principles, not moods.
Our learners get the same us on Thursday afternoon that they got Monday morning. Steady is a practice and we work at it.
E
Ever-Growing
We do not settle.
Thirteen years in and we still change something every year. Good is not where we stop. Nobody here gets to coast on what they already know.
Illuminate Academy
Financial Aid — 2026–2027 Academic Year

Every child deserves a place that gets it.

We believe access to a neuroaffirming education should not be determined by financial circumstance. Through our nonprofit partner, Friends of Illuminate Academy, limited financial aid is available for eligible families.

Start Your Application Read the FAQs first

Award amounts are typically 5–10% tuition discounts · Tuition only · Limited availability

Before you apply
📋 Financial Aid Process (PDF) 🔒 Data Privacy & Confidentiality (PDF)
Our nonprofit partner
Funded by Friends of Illuminate Academy

Financial aid at Illuminate Academy is made possible through the generosity of our nonprofit partner, Friends of Illuminate Academy. Aid is limited and awarded on a standardized rubric based on household size, income, and demonstrated need.

Eligibility

Who can apply?

🎓
Student Age & Enrollment

Must be ages 5–18, applying for or currently enrolled in Illuminate Academy.

📍
Residency

No residency requirement. Families must demonstrate sincere intent to attend Illuminate Academy.

🧠
Neurodivergence

Formal or suspected diagnosis related to learning or development, or active referral for evaluation.

📄
Financial Need

Demonstrated through tax returns, income documentation, and household size. Written explanation of special circumstances is optional.

⚖️

Conflict of Interest: Applicants must demonstrate a sincere commitment to Illuminate Academy and explain why it is uniquely suited to their child's needs. Other educational options may be mentioned, but the application should reflect a clear preference for Illuminate.

FAQs

Common questions

Financial aid is available for current or prospective students of Illuminate Academy for the 2026–2027 academic year. Applications can be submitted alongside a school enrollment application.
Applicants must demonstrate a sincere commitment to Illuminate Academy and explain why it is uniquely suited to meet the student's educational and developmental needs. Other educational options may be mentioned, but the application should reflect a preference for Illuminate Academy.
A formal diagnosis is not required. Applicants must meet at least one of the following: a confirmed or suspected diagnosis related to neurodivergence, or the student is in the process of being referred for evaluation due to observed developmental, behavioral, or academic concerns.
Applicants must provide recent federal tax returns or W-2 forms, information about total household income, and the number of dependents. An optional written explanation of any special financial circumstances can also be included.
Yes! Applicants should indicate if they have considered or applied for additional sources of financial aid. Financial aid from Illuminate Academy covers tuition only and does not include other expenses such as extended care, clubs, or materials fees.
Award amounts are typically 5–10% tuition discounts for the academic year. The exact amount is determined based on a standardized rubric considering household size, income, and demonstrated need.
Financial aid covers tuition only. It does not include extended care, clubs, application fees, materials fees, or other non-tuition expenses.
Our team will review your application, which typically takes 7–10 days. You will receive an email with any updates.
Ready to apply for financial aid?

Review the Financial Aid Process and Data Privacy Agreement before you begin. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for the 2026–2027 academic year.

Start Application
Financial Aid Process Data Privacy & Confidentiality