Director of Education & Teacher Prep, Dennis Sarine

Dennis Sarine is the Director of the Amarillo College Education/Child Development Department. In 2005, he began a career in education that included working in rural, highly diverse school districts while driving a hot-rodded school bus.  Dennis was a Head Start campus principal at a preschool program for students with disabilities and a Parent Liaison for Region 16 Education Service Center. Dennis has served as a consultant for early childhood programs across the nation and as the Coordinator of Head Start serving over 1700 children in the Texas Panhandle before coming to Amarillo College full-time in 2017. This information is excellent, but how he got to his dream career of teaching is where the fun begins!  #teachwithpride

Office Phone: (806) 371-5188  
Email: Dennis.Sarine@actx.edu

Department Instructor, Rochelle Fouts

Rochelle Fouts is an Instructor and Program Coordinator in the Education Department and has been with Amarillo College since 2010, starting out as a mentor in the Higher Ed Grant  through the Children's Learning Institute at the University of Texas, Houston Health Science Center.  She started as a full-time faculty member in the CDEC/EDUC Department in 2011.  Rochelle took a brief stint off from AC to move to inner-city Detroit to work a martial arts ministry with her husband, Shawn, for almost 2 years then returning to Amarillo.  Before coming to Amarillo College, she worked in the Teacher Education Department as a curriculum consultant for The McGraw-Hill Companies, a Mathematics Curriculum Coordinator for Edison Schools, Inc, and was also a Kindergarten and 1st Grade Teacher both in Wichita, KS, and Dallas, TX.  Rochelle graduated from Friends University in Wichita, KS, with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 2001.  

Office Phone: (806) 371-5206
Email: rlfouts@actx.edu

Department Instructor, Trena Rider

Trena Rider is an Instructor and Program Coordinator for Child Development/Early Childhood. She graduated from Texas Tech in 1998 with a degree in Early Childhood Education. In 2013, she received a Masters Degree in Education from West Texas A&M. Her educational experience includes work in early childhood labs, pre-school and elementary classrooms, middle school math and social studies, and coaching.   From 2010 to 2014, she ran the Intramural Sports Program, then the Mentoring Program at Amarillo College.  Trena is excited to share her experience and love of children with our students at AC.

Office Phone: (806) 371-5279
Email: tjrider21@actx.edu

Administrative Assistant, Misti Fronterhouse

Misti Fronterhouse is the Administrative Assistant for the Education Department. She grew up in Amarillo and is an Amarillo College Alumni.  She has worked as a district clinic phlebotomist, teachers aide, and a deputy clerk before entering the world of Higher Education.  For the past five years, Misti served as the executive assistant to the president at Lamar Community College in Colorado.  She is excited to be back in Amarillo to offer her services and experiences to our AC family.

Office Phone: (806) 345-5585
Email: mlfronterhouse@actx.edu

Advisor, Margarita Rocha

Margarita Rocha is an Academic Advisor for the Education and Child Development programs. She grew up in Stratford and graduated from West Texas A&M with her B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies Mathematic/ Science (Grades 4-8). While at WT, she was involved in the Hispanic Student Association and was on the Presidents Honor Roll. After graduation in 2014, she taught 8th grade science at Travis Middle School for 7 years. At Travis Middle School, Margarita was involved in the Site-Based Committee and was awarded Teacher of the Year for the campus for 2017-18 & 2018-19. While teaching, she obtained her Masters in Education Leadership through West Texas A&M in 2017. Now she is excited to have joined the Amarillo College Family!

You can find Margarita at the Washington Street Campus Advising Center in the Student Service Center room 120.

Office Phone: (806) 371-5184
Email: mrocha26@actx.edu

Click the Badger Check-In to Schedule an appointment with Margarita.

Childcare Coordinator, Patricia Keith

Patricia Keith is the Childcare Coordinator for Amarillo College, overseeing the Amarillo College Child Development Lab School and the Amarillo College Medi Park Campus Hagy Center for Young Children. Patricia has worked in the early childhood education professional field at Amarillo College since 2012 where she first started as a student worker at the Lab School and in 2013 she became a full-time teacher. In 2018 she became the Director of the Lab School before moving into the Childcare Coordinator position in 2021. Patricia has worked in the early childhood profession for over eighteen years. She graduated with highest honors and as an inducted member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, from Amarillo College with an Associates Degree in Applied Science with a child development focus. Patricia then received her Bachelors Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences with EC-6 concentration, from WTAMU. 

You can contact her at the West Campus Allied Health Building in Office 132 or by her phone or email below.

Office Phone: (806) 467-3006
Email: pawilkinson@actx.edu

Hagy Center Director, Sharonda Davis

Sharonda Davis currently works at the Amarillo College Hagy Center as the Childcare Center Supervisor and has served in this role since 2018.  She started with Amarillo College as a Team Leader in 2017 when Hagy first opened its doors. She graduated from Amarillo College with an Associate in Early Childhood Education and went on to WTAMU to pursue a BAAS Degree in Sociology.  Sharonda is a certified Family Service Assistant through Region 16 Early Head start Program and a certified First Aid/CPR instructor.  Sharonda has over 20 years working in the Early Childhood field with children.

Lab School Director, Erica Cole

Erica Cole is the Director of the Amarillo College Child Development Lab School and started her higher education right here at Amarillo College and she completed her Bachelors Degree in Education at WTAMU.  Erica started her career at AC as a teacher of the youngest Badgers, she then transitioned into the role of Assistant Director. In the Fall of 2021, Erica started her role as the Director. 

CCAMPIS Director, Ebani Broadus

Ebani Broadus is the program coordinator for the CCAMPIS (Childcare Access Means Parents in Schools) grant to ensure our Baby Badgers receive continuity of care at our early childhood centers and that their parents can come to our classes.  She has served as an AISD school administrator, a has been a master teacher in Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas;  Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Amarillo, Texas. Her mentorship, guidance, and coaching will add another layer of support for parents pursuing their degree pathway at AC. With a career spanning over 20 years in education, Ms. Broaduss education includes a Bachelor of Science from Clark Atlanta University with a major in Early Childhood Education, a Master of Arts degree from Central Michigan University with a concentration in Humanities, and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Argosy University. 

You can contact her at the Washington Street Campus in Dutton Hall 102 or by her phone or email below.

Office Phone: (806) 345-5521
Email: ebbroadus@actx.edu