Paragon Prep

Lindsay Hay graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications and Film, with minors in Marketing and Psychology. After college, she spent 8 years in the Motion Picture Film Industry as a camera technician in Florida, Colorado, and Alabama. When motherhood called, Lindsay fine-tuned her photography skills from home, while homeschooling her children. After preschool teaching, freelance photography, and working as a website administrator, Lindsay found her way to Paragon.

Lindsay runs the day-to-day operations of Paragon, plans and executes school events, and loves including parents in their child’s education. She wears many hats at Paragon and loves the variety of activities that she can share with the students.

​”The opportunity to interact with students during such an important transformational time in their development offers me purpose in my life and a wonderful reason to come to work everyday.” Lindsay will earn her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in December 2022 and looks to continue to expand her skills at Paragon for years to come. “I love watching the students grow up and helping them with the Paragon journey. There is something educationally fantastic happening here and I feel so fortunate to be a part of it.”

​Lindsay has four children (all of which have attended Paragon) a supportive husband, and a dog named Ketchup.

Lindsay Hay has been a part of the Paragon Team since 2010.

Kerry Jones has been a part of the Paragon team since 2017. She originally joined as an administrative assistant and registrar, bringing with her over 12 years of experience in teaching and managing in the early childhood education field. Kerry studied Liberal Arts at Lamar State College-Orange and Human Development and Family Studies at Stephen F. Austin State University. Now serving as Paragon Prep’s Director of Enrollment, Kerry plays a key role in welcoming new families and helping students find their place within the Paragon community. “This role at Paragon allows me to connect with families, collaborate with teachers, and engage with children in their love of learning.”

Mr. Lemoine was born and raised in Louisiana in the heart of Cajun country. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 2003 with a bachelors in Elementary Education. He’s been teaching since then in both private and public school for the past 18 years. He recently moved to Austin for his spouse’s job, and is very happy to be part of the Paragon team.

​Outside of school, Cory enjoys spending time with his family in Louisiana via phone, Zoom, and in person whenever possible. He is an avid gardener who enjoys growing vegetables year round. Other hobbies include hiking, traveling, reading, knitting, and spending time with friends and family.

Mr. Lemoine joined the Paragon Team in 2020.

Miss Lennon has recently relocated back to Texas from South Florida. She grew up in Temple, Texas. She comes from Mirror Lake Elementary in Plantation, Florida, where she worked since 2013 and taught fulltime since 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Florida International University.

Outside of school, Renee enjoys running, bike riding on the beach, and horseback riding.

​Renee Lennon joined the Paragon Team in 2020.

Melissa was born and raised in Houston, TX and moved to the great city of Austin to attend the University of Texas. She graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing from UT’s Red McCombs School of Business and a minor in Government. Melissa has worn many hats in the education field from substitute teacher/choir director, special education case manager, resource and inclusion teacher, and general education math teacher, teaching 3 different levels of math at a time: Academic, Pre-AP, and Advanced. She has also served on school and district committees and cohorts like AVID, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE), Technology Cohort I, and Curriculum Writing Cohorts. Melissa has received the honor of being Murchison Middle School’s Teacher of the Year in 2016 and was a Semi-Finalist for Austin ISD’s Teacher of the Year the same year.

Outside of school, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, of which she is the youngest of 9 siblings and the aunt to 21 nieces and nephews (as of 2020). As a lifelong choir nerd, Melissa can be found singing with Austin Women’s Chorus the Tapestry Singers, watching a Broadway show, or performing a math dance in her classroom for her students. Melissa and her husband Dan welcomed their first child, Lucy in September 2018.

Melissa Lype joined the Paragon Team in 2017.

Ruth Marshburn was born and raised in Houston, TX, and has been in Austin for 4 years. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas, with a degree in Philosophy in 2013. After college, she pursued additional art education from Glassel, a part of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston; while also working at a private school in Houston for 4 years, teaching English, Math, and History.

Ruth then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico to pursue a masters degree in both Counseling and Art Therapy at Southwestern College. Afterwards, she relocated to Austin and for the past 3 years worked as a Behavioral Therapist in educational and home environments. She comes to Paragon with a passion for the developmental, education and creative processes. Ruth believes in meeting individuals where they are at, in order to bring out their greatest potential.

Outside of school, Ruth enjoys teaching and playing piano, making art, trying new restaurants, and time with her black Labrador, Palmer.

Josh was born and raised in Austin, TX. At age 17 he started working in daycares and summer camps until he graduated from St. Edward’s University in 2011 with a Communications degree. After graduation he sought his place in the world working 2, sometimes 3 or 4, jobs at any given time until a chance encounter led him to join the Paragon coaching staff in 2015.

Since then, Josh has steadily become an increasingly valuable member of the Paragon team. Now, as a certified adult and child yoga instructor, Coach Josh spends his time helping around campus at every available opportunity, sharing his passion for fitness, hard work, and being positive. He loves getting to know each student and making them feel heard, seen, and valued as the unique individuals and people they truly are. He’s also nearly completed his teaching certificate to become an even more valuable asset for your student’s success.

​Josh McBride joined the Paragon Team in 2015.

Matt Mulconrey was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Mr. Mulconrey was a student at Paragon Prep from 1999-2002 where he never met a sport he didn’t love. He went on to Anderson High School, and then graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in management.​

In 2015, he rejoined his Paragon family. Since then, Mr. Mulconrey has worked with all ages Pre-K through 8th grade at the school. He has coached sports for the school, but currently Mr. Mulconrey teaches social studies to various grades and coaches football & basketball.

Matt Mulconrey joined the Paragon Team in 2015.

Aidan graduated with his Bachelor’s degree from Clark University in 2019. He majored in International Development and Social Change with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability, as well as a minor in Philosophy.

After graduation, he spent over a year winning independent contracts to work on various projects. He’s spent time all over the United States and in Europe.

He got into education during the pandemic where he taught Physics and AP Environmental Science at Cristo Rey High School in Boston. Now, he’s with Paragon in the Valor Program helping students realize their academic potential.

Mr. Nelson is a “hometown boy” having attended Doss Elementary School, Murchison Middle School, and Anderson High School. He went on to earn his BS in Nutritional Science for the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Nelson began his science teaching career at The Outdoor School & Camp Champions in 2013. Since then he has taught and tutored science and other subjects in a variety of venues, including: The Austin Nature & Science Center, YMCA Camp Orkila, Boutique Educational Services, and Travis High School – where he taught Chemistry and Aquatic Science for two years. For the past three years, he has been teaching 8th grade Language Arts at Lively Middle School.

Mr. Nelson has been part of the Paragon team since 2022.