Dr. Kristen Ann Mueller Adams, 48, loving wife and mother and respected educator, died peacefully at her Fort Worth home on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Due to the current pandemic, a celebration of Kristen’s life is planned for a later date.
Kristen served as Director and Jean W. Roach Chair of Laboratory Schools at Texas Christian University, where her duties included leadership of Starpoint and KinderFrogs Schools—two nationally-recognized laboratory schools serving students with a range of special needs. In this role, she managed day-to-day operations of both schools and staffs, spearheaded fundraising, collaborated with faculty to develop student teachers, and engaged with philanthropists, researchers, educators, and families in support of the schools’ ongoing mission.
Kristen’s husband and four children survive her, along with her parents, brother and sister-in-law, uncle and aunt, and cousins.
Her paternal grandparents, Karl Hugo Mueller Sr. and Lou Blumberg Mueller, maternal grandparents, I.W. Jarrell Jr. and Barbara Cullum Jarrell, and her aunt, Mary Lou Mueller Towson preceded her in death.
Born October 9, 1971, in Durham, NC, Kristen grew up in Los Alamos, NM, graduating from Los Alamos High School in 1990. At LAHS, she was active in band, peer counseling, Cosmopolitan Club, and Speech and Debate, and served on the La Loma yearbook staff her senior year. As a teenager she worked various jobs, first babysitting, then as a paper carrier for the The Los Alamos Monitor, and later at the Hobby Bench and a cardiology office. She also began learning American Sign Language, a skill she would build on and apply often in her later professional work. The summer following her graduation from high school, Kristen ran a YMCA summer youth program which led her to consider a career working with children.
Kristen earned a BA in Art History from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1994 before moving to Fort Worth and pursuing alternative teaching certification with a focus on special education.
Kristen began her teaching career in White Settlement ISD, first as a transition classroom teacher at Blue Haze Elementary School, and then as LIFE Skills teacher at Tannahill Intermediate School. While at Tannahill, she earned three scholarships toward her graduate studies, and successfully obtained several teaching grants.
In 2001, she joined the then-new laboratory school program at TCU’s College of Education, where she remained for the rest of her professional career. Kristen held various roles at KinderFrogs, including lead teacher in the toddler, pre-K, and LEAP classrooms, before being promoted to Interim Assistant Director of Laboratory Schools in 2018. She was named Director the following year. While teaching full-time, she earned a master’s degree in special education with principal certification in 2003, followed by her doctorate in educational leadership in 2018.
A caring and devoted teacher, Kristen believed every child capable of learning and growth, regardless of his or her limitations. She was a tireless advocate for children with special needs, a valued resource to parents, and a recognized expert among her peers in the field of special education. Kristen helped families learn and apply strategies to reinforce classroom lessons at home and build lasting life skills. She enjoyed mentoring new and student teachers, helping them develop into skilled professionals. Kristen was an active participant and presenter at professional conferences. When she could, she would include her family on these trips, and they shared some memorable experiences together. In March she was recognized as 2020 Educator of the Year by the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas.
In addition to her professional work, Kristen sat on the boards of the Down Syndrome Partnership of Tarrant County and PFLAG Fort Worth. She was an active member of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, and served as den leader for Cub Scout Pack 9, where she enjoyed camping and participating in activities along with her youngest son.
A scholarship fund for aspiring educators of children with special needs has been established in Kristen’s name. Donations can be mailed to Texas Christian University, Advancement, Box 297044, Fort Worth TX 76129, or may be made online at Makeagift.tcu.edu. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Kristen Adams.
Alternatively, donations may be made to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, or the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, all of which provided her children and students with valuable enrichment experiences.
Due to the current pandemic, a celebration of Kristen’s life is planned for a later date.
Kristen served as Director and Jean W. Roach Chair of Laboratory Schools at Texas Christian University, where her duties included leadership of Starpoint and KinderFrogs Schools—two nationally-recognized laboratory schools serving students with a range of special needs. In this role, she managed day-to-day operations of both schools and staffs, spearheaded fundraising, collaborated with faculty to develop student teachers, and engaged with philanthropists, researchers, educators, and families in support of the schools’ ongoing mission.
Kristen’s husband and four children survive her, along with her parents, brother and sister-in-law, uncle and aunt, and cousins.
Her paternal grandparents, Karl Hugo Mueller Sr. and Lou Blumberg Mueller, maternal grandparents, I.W. Jarrell Jr. and Barbara Cullum Jarrell, and her aunt, Mary Lou Mueller Towson preceded her in death.
Born October 9, 1971, in Durham, NC, Kristen grew up in Los Alamos, NM, graduating from Los Alamos High School in 1990. At LAHS, she was active in band, peer counseling, Cosmopolitan Club, and Speech and Debate, and served on the La Loma yearbook staff her senior year. As a teenager she worked various jobs, first babysitting, then as a paper carrier for the The Los Alamos Monitor, and later at the Hobby Bench and a cardiology office. She also began learning American Sign Language, a skill she would build on and apply often in her later professional work. The summer following her graduation from high school, Kristen ran a YMCA summer youth program which led her to consider a career working with children.
Kristen earned a BA in Art History from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1994 before moving to Fort Worth and pursuing alternative teaching certification with a focus on special education.
Kristen began her teaching career in White Settlement ISD, first as a transition classroom teacher at Blue Haze Elementary School, and then as LIFE Skills teacher at Tannahill Intermediate School. While at Tannahill, she earned three scholarships toward her graduate studies, and successfully obtained several teaching grants.
In 2001, she joined the then-new laboratory school program at TCU’s College of Education, where she remained for the rest of her professional career. Kristen held various roles at KinderFrogs, including lead teacher in the toddler, pre-K, and LEAP classrooms, before being promoted to Interim Assistant Director of Laboratory Schools in 2018. She was named Director the following year. While teaching full-time, she earned a master’s degree in special education with principal certification in 2003, followed by her doctorate in educational leadership in 2018.
A caring and devoted teacher, Kristen believed every child capable of learning and growth, regardless of his or her limitations. She was a tireless advocate for children with special needs, a valued resource to parents, and a recognized expert among her peers in the field of special education. Kristen helped families learn and apply strategies to reinforce classroom lessons at home and build lasting life skills. She enjoyed mentoring new and student teachers, helping them develop into skilled professionals. Kristen was an active participant and presenter at professional conferences. When she could, she would include her family on these trips, and they shared some memorable experiences together. In March she was recognized as 2020 Educator of the Year by the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas.
In addition to her professional work, Kristen sat on the boards of the Down Syndrome Partnership of Tarrant County and PFLAG Fort Worth. She was an active member of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, and served as den leader for Cub Scout Pack 9, where she enjoyed camping and participating in activities along with her youngest son.
A scholarship fund for aspiring educators of children with special needs has been established in Kristen’s name. Donations can be mailed to Texas Christian University, Advancement, Box 297044, Fort Worth TX 76129, or may be made online at Makeagift.tcu.edu. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Kristen Adams.
Alternatively, donations may be made to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, or the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, all of which provided her children and students with valuable enrichment experiences.
Dr. Kristen Ann Mueller Adams, 48, loving wife and mother and respected educator, died peacefully at her Fort Worth home on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Due to the current pandemic, a celebration of Kristen’s life is planned for a later date.
Kristen served as Director and Jean W. Roach Chair of Laboratory Schools at Texas Christian University, where her duties included leadership of Starpoint and KinderFrogs Schools—two nationally-recognized laboratory schools serving students with a range of special needs. In this role, she managed day-to-day operations of both schools and staffs, spearheaded fundraising, collaborated with faculty to develop student teachers, and engaged with philanthropists, researchers, educators, and families in support of the schools’ ongoing mission.
Kristen’s husband and four children survive her, along with her parents, brother and sister-in-law, uncle and aunt, and cousins.
Her paternal grandparents, Karl Hugo Mueller Sr. and Lou Blumberg Mueller, maternal grandparents, I.W. Jarrell Jr. and Barbara Cullum Jarrell, and her aunt, Mary Lou Mueller Towson preceded her in death.
Born October 9, 1971, in Durham, NC, Kristen grew up in Los Alamos, NM, graduating from Los Alamos High School in 1990. At LAHS, she was active in band, peer counseling, Cosmopolitan Club, and Speech and Debate, and served on the La Loma yearbook staff her senior year. As a teenager she worked various jobs, first babysitting, then as a paper carrier for the The Los Alamos Monitor, and later at the Hobby Bench and a cardiology office. She also began learning American Sign Language, a skill she would build on and apply often in her later professional work. The summer following her graduation from high school, Kristen ran a YMCA summer youth program which led her to consider a career working with children.
Kristen earned a BA in Art History from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1994 before moving to Fort Worth and pursuing alternative teaching certification with a focus on special education.
Kristen began her teaching career in White Settlement ISD, first as a transition classroom teacher at Blue Haze Elementary School, and then as LIFE Skills teacher at Tannahill Intermediate School. While at Tannahill, she earned three scholarships toward her graduate studies, and successfully obtained several teaching grants.
In 2001, she joined the then-new laboratory school program at TCU’s College of Education, where she remained for the rest of her professional career. Kristen held various roles at KinderFrogs, including lead teacher in the toddler, pre-K, and LEAP classrooms, before being promoted to Interim Assistant Director of Laboratory Schools in 2018. She was named Director the following year. While teaching full-time, she earned a master’s degree in special education with principal certification in 2003, followed by her doctorate in educational leadership in 2018.
A caring and devoted teacher, Kristen believed every child capable of learning and growth, regardless of his or her limitations. She was a tireless advocate for children with special needs, a valued resource to parents, and a recognized expert among her peers in the field of special education. Kristen helped families learn and apply strategies to reinforce classroom lessons at home and build lasting life skills. She enjoyed mentoring new and student teachers, helping them develop into skilled professionals. Kristen was an active participant and presenter at professional conferences. When she could, she would include her family on these trips, and they shared some memorable experiences together. In March she was recognized as 2020 Educator of the Year by the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas.
In addition to her professional work, Kristen sat on the boards of the Down Syndrome Partnership of Tarrant County and PFLAG Fort Worth. She was an active member of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, and served as den leader for Cub Scout Pack 9, where she enjoyed camping and participating in activities along with her youngest son.
A scholarship fund for aspiring educators of children with special needs has been established in Kristen’s name. Donations can be mailed to Texas Christian University, Advancement, Box 297044, Fort Worth TX 76129, or may be made online at Makeagift.tcu.edu. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Kristen Adams.
Alternatively, donations may be made to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, or the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, all of which provided her children and students with valuable enrichment experiences.
Due to the current pandemic, a celebration of Kristen’s life is planned for a later date.
Kristen served as Director and Jean W. Roach Chair of Laboratory Schools at Texas Christian University, where her duties included leadership of Starpoint and KinderFrogs Schools—two nationally-recognized laboratory schools serving students with a range of special needs. In this role, she managed day-to-day operations of both schools and staffs, spearheaded fundraising, collaborated with faculty to develop student teachers, and engaged with philanthropists, researchers, educators, and families in support of the schools’ ongoing mission.
Kristen’s husband and four children survive her, along with her parents, brother and sister-in-law, uncle and aunt, and cousins.
Her paternal grandparents, Karl Hugo Mueller Sr. and Lou Blumberg Mueller, maternal grandparents, I.W. Jarrell Jr. and Barbara Cullum Jarrell, and her aunt, Mary Lou Mueller Towson preceded her in death.
Born October 9, 1971, in Durham, NC, Kristen grew up in Los Alamos, NM, graduating from Los Alamos High School in 1990. At LAHS, she was active in band, peer counseling, Cosmopolitan Club, and Speech and Debate, and served on the La Loma yearbook staff her senior year. As a teenager she worked various jobs, first babysitting, then as a paper carrier for the The Los Alamos Monitor, and later at the Hobby Bench and a cardiology office. She also began learning American Sign Language, a skill she would build on and apply often in her later professional work. The summer following her graduation from high school, Kristen ran a YMCA summer youth program which led her to consider a career working with children.
Kristen earned a BA in Art History from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1994 before moving to Fort Worth and pursuing alternative teaching certification with a focus on special education.
Kristen began her teaching career in White Settlement ISD, first as a transition classroom teacher at Blue Haze Elementary School, and then as LIFE Skills teacher at Tannahill Intermediate School. While at Tannahill, she earned three scholarships toward her graduate studies, and successfully obtained several teaching grants.
In 2001, she joined the then-new laboratory school program at TCU’s College of Education, where she remained for the rest of her professional career. Kristen held various roles at KinderFrogs, including lead teacher in the toddler, pre-K, and LEAP classrooms, before being promoted to Interim Assistant Director of Laboratory Schools in 2018. She was named Director the following year. While teaching full-time, she earned a master’s degree in special education with principal certification in 2003, followed by her doctorate in educational leadership in 2018.
A caring and devoted teacher, Kristen believed every child capable of learning and growth, regardless of his or her limitations. She was a tireless advocate for children with special needs, a valued resource to parents, and a recognized expert among her peers in the field of special education. Kristen helped families learn and apply strategies to reinforce classroom lessons at home and build lasting life skills. She enjoyed mentoring new and student teachers, helping them develop into skilled professionals. Kristen was an active participant and presenter at professional conferences. When she could, she would include her family on these trips, and they shared some memorable experiences together. In March she was recognized as 2020 Educator of the Year by the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas.
In addition to her professional work, Kristen sat on the boards of the Down Syndrome Partnership of Tarrant County and PFLAG Fort Worth. She was an active member of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, and served as den leader for Cub Scout Pack 9, where she enjoyed camping and participating in activities along with her youngest son.
A scholarship fund for aspiring educators of children with special needs has been established in Kristen’s name. Donations can be mailed to Texas Christian University, Advancement, Box 297044, Fort Worth TX 76129, or may be made online at Makeagift.tcu.edu. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Kristen Adams.
Alternatively, donations may be made to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, or the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, all of which provided her children and students with valuable enrichment experiences.
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