April Graney
Teacher
April Graney first visited Cookson Hills in high school when her Tulsa Christin School cheerleading squad came to cheer at a basketball tournament. Later, she attended Northeastern State University where she visited Cookson Hills for a retreat with Campus Christian Fellowship. April graduated with her degree in Secondary English Education, but she and her husband Tom felt called to full-time ministry and so they attended Dallas Theological Seminary, graduated together, and finally ended up serving full-time at New Life Ranch, a Christian Camp and Retreat Center 20 minutes from Cookson Hills.
As their family grew, April homeschooled their 5 children for many years. Her children joined the Cookson Hills basketball team as homeschoolers, and through interacting and cheering at the basketball games for the team, April and her family grew to love the Cookson family. April joined the middle school teaching staff in 2019. Her three boys attend middle school and high school at Cookson. April is also the author of two children’s books that are available at bookstores nationwide, The Marvelous Maker, a Creation and Redemption Parable (B&H Kids, 2020) and The Marvelous Mud House, a true story based on her family trip to Kenya (B&H Kids 2017). Her passions are telling stories, investing in kids’ lives, and sharing the gospel with a heart for the Lord and His word. In addition to teaching and writing, April also enjoys napping, running, and changing her hair color frequently.