Meet The Family Owners & Operators
Meet The Family Owners & Operators
Tonya Stump – My Why:
When I was a little girl my mother and grandmother cared for children in our home. I never would have imagined that this little in-home childcare would someday consume my world and be my lifelong passion. I feel so lucky that my career has allowed me to take my children to work with me every day. It has been such a privilege to have a hands-on approach in their care even though I wasn’t able to stay at home with them. It was truly the best of both worlds. What started as a journey to find quality care for my own children has grown to providing that same exceptional care to so many other children and families over the years.
My name is Tonya Stump and I am the founder and CEO. For more than twenty years, I have been providing the highest quality of care and learning experience for young children.
As a working mother, I realize how difficult and important it is to find exceptional early childhood education for your little one. Entrusting your child to someone else’s care is one of the hardest things a parent must face. However, knowing that your child will be given an abundance of love, attention and nurturing in an educational, clean and safe environment can help to make the transition a little easier. I graduated in 1992 from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Minor in Human Development and Family Science. Upon entering the workforce, I started looking at child care for my children in hopes of finding the perfect early learning program. Sadly, like so many other working parents, I too was very disappointed at the options available. Nothing even came close to meeting my standards and expectations. Which is why in 1995 I began my journey of developing the perfect school for not only my children, but for the many families who sought the same exceptional quality care for their little ones. The need proved itself to be much bigger than I ever imagined. My one little school in Powell, Ohio grew to include several locations in the central Ohio area with an outstanding reputation for high quality education and care. After selling these schools in 2008, I began to consider my next venture.
In 2010, it was my toddler son who inspired me to think about what had changed since I had opened my first school for my three older daughters. Certainly, parents still wanted the best practices in curriculum, staffing and security, but I also noticed that the modern-day family was more environmentally conscious than ever before. Protecting our planet and conserving precious resources for our children’s future is a top priority for today’s parents. Thus, Bright Star Academy Schools was created to support this cause: “Live Green, Grow Bright, One Little Star at a Time.” This statement is more than just a slogan, it is my promise and what better place to start than in my home state, deep in the heart of Texas!
Bright Things Ahead…
I am excited to be working side by side with my middle daughter Sydney Stump. As a mother daughter duo, we are committed to taking the Star Preschools family of schools to the next generation! With my over twenty years of experience and knowledge and my daughter’s innovative insight and energy we are dedicated to offering the ultimate quality of care to our millennial families. We both have an enormous passion and love for children. We believe quality comes from within the community, which is why we have surrounded ourselves with a leading team of management, teachers and industry professionals. This strong foundation of individuals who support and believe in the same core values of our school are the reason why we can confidently promise to give your child care beyond imagination!
We hope you will come and see for yourself all the wonderful amenities STAR Preschools has to offer and join our family too!
TONYA STUMP
Founder & CEO
Sydney Stump
My name is Sydney Stump and I am Co-Owner of STAR Preschools. I graduated from “THE” Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Max M. Fisher College of Business, and I am currently working on my Child Development Associates. Children are my passion and for as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed of having the opportunity to educate and broaden the horizons of every child.
My interest for early childhood education began at a very young age as I grew up in and watched my mother establish her schools. I observed my mother develop into a motivational leader, engaging owner, and business guru, opening several facilities in the Columbus area. Over the years, she has consistently inspired me to follow my heart and I know it belongs in early childhood education. Throughout school and post-grad I had the privilege of working as a Nanny, Camp Counselor, volunteer for children with special needs at Cape Abilities, a childcare Teacher and Principal at Bright Star Academy. With my experience working with a variety of age groups, I have realized just how amazing it is to be a part of the educational growth of every child, no matter the age.
My Why: The kids. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved children. I was the mother hen of the family, the one who was eager to assist and was always there to care for my younger siblings. As I grew older, I continued volunteering at my mother’s childcare facilities and was consistently reminded that small children accomplishing their greatest assets is WHY I do what I do! Every day my feet hit the floor running with excitement knowing that I have the great opportunity to surround myself with loving, caring, and adorable children, in a fun environment each day. I wouldn’t trade my job for the world! In fact, I brag that my job is the greatest job ever. Children are so empowering, and they motivate me to want to do great things in life that ultimately affect their future directly!
Bright Things Ahead…
I am beyond excited to be a part of the bright future of STAR Preschools and I know we will exceed your expectations with exceptional quality and care. Parents, like my mother, want the perfect learning experience for their young ones and I plan to do whatever I can to make sure our schools continuously strive for improvement that will only positively influence the school, the staff, and most importantly, the children. I realize that choosing a program for your little one can be incredibly difficult; however, I hope you will come and tour our extraordinary schools and experience just why we are the ideal childcare facility. I look forward to meeting you soon and working to make you a part of our family!
Make Every Day Bright,
SYDNEY STUMP
Co-Owner of Star Preschools
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