ABOUT CHOOSE TO SOAR
OUR MISSION
Choose to Soar is an equipping ministry for women. With Biblical principles, we equip and empower women to discover and live out God’s intended purpose. Through our weekly studies, weekend, and One-Day trainings, a woman will be fully prepared to better serve her family, community, organization, and church.
Our team is committed to our vision and mission as we are not only products of change but have also witnessed that when you get a woman in a posture to receive who God says she is and what God has for her, her life changes! When a woman’s life is changed, a family is changed. When a family is changed, a generation is changed. A changed generation will create a changed culture for His glory. We are dedicated to our passionate mission to create contributors to the Kingdom, not consumers
Our Team: Equippers
TANYA MAGNUS
CEO
Tanya has over 27 years of business ownership, leadership training, mentoring/coaching, and Bible teaching. She loves being a constant student of the Bible and declares what Jeremiah said, “his word is in my heart like a fire, I am weary of holding it in, indeed, I cannot.” Tanya’s God given gifts combined with her education, equipping skills, and her broad knowledge from personal and professional experiences, makes her approach and style very impactful! Her deepest passion is to guide women to become all that God has intended.
SAMMI EDWARDS
Marketing Director
Sammi has 10 years of experience as a videographer and photographer and 4 years of experience working with ministries. She strongly believes in the power of visual storytelling in connecting people with each other and with the Lord. Sammi plays a vital part in CTS in bringing awareness of their mission to other women. Since experiencing the power of mentorship and discipleship in her own personal relationship with God, one of her greatest desires is for women to feel strong in following where the Lord is calling them and confident using their gifts to glorify Him. She lives with her husband, Matt, and their cat and dog!
SAMMI EDWARDS
Marketing Director
Jordan graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in public relations. After spending most of her career in an agency setting, the birth of her first child led her to shift gears and find remote opportunities that allowed her to spend more time at home with her family. These opportunities allowed her to own everything from operations to building and executing comprehensive communications plans for new business and small business owners. Jordan is so excited for her corporately-gained skills to intersect and help support the mission of Choose to Soar, which is directly aligned with her passion to love on and encourage women wherever they are in their faith journey. Jordan, her husband Michael and their three girls enjoy exploring Rockwall, going on walks, and hosting regular princess musicals in their playroom.
RUBY GARCIA
Marketing Assistant
With photography, video production, and web development experience, Ruby loves using her gifts to encourage women to see themselves the way that God does. Through her role as Digital Marketing Assistant, she loves getting to witness and be a part of God’s love being poured into the lives of the women at Choose to Soar. She is married to Antonio, and together they have a 6-year-old daughter, Andrea and a baby boy, Eliseo. She served as a Humvee mechanic in the Texas Army National Guard for 8 years, and she loves watercolor painting, visiting new coffee shops, and sitting around the fire with her family.
STEPHANIE REYNOLDS
Social Media Content Creator
Stephanie has been a photographer for 15+ years with experience in portrait and real estate photography. At CTS, she is using her creative gifts to serve the Lord and to equip women to better serve others. She loves the challenge and growth that comes with working for a ministry, and continues to seek the Lord and His purpose for her! She has two sons, Max and Theo, and a hairless cat whom her boys adore, Chloe. Stephanie loves hosting Bible studies, sharing the Gospel with anyone, and attending a good workout session. Fun fact: she used to do ballet and modern dance!
CHRISTI UNDERWOOD
Prayer Team Lead
Christi has an Associate’s Degree in Legal Technology and has worked for Dallas County since 2013 at the Civil/Family Courthouse. Her 4 kids and 3 grandkids bring so much joy to her life! With her burden and passion for prayer, she serves Choose to Soar and the Regeneration program at her church with joy and gratitude. She believes that she is one of many examples of the equipping and empowering ministry of God through CTS, and she leads the prayer team in bold and powerful prayer. She loves football, reading, and movies, and she is quick to tell of God’s redemptive power in her life!
RENEE ANDERSON
Hospitality Team
Renee co-leads the CTS Hospitality and Donor Care team using her God-given gifts of hospitality and encouragement to make a significant impact on every woman who attends a CTS event or supports the ministry! She has worked at Brinker International for 29 years where she currently serves as Senior Manager of National Accounts. Her biggest joys are being a mom to Shellby and a YaYa to Hutch and Branch. She has an amazing brother, 10 nieces and nephews, 7 great nieces and nephews, and a grandpa (who just turned 100!) who light up her life. She loves spending time with family and friends (particularly at the Book Club Café), baking, and sending encouraging notes to anyone who needs it.
NIKKI SMITH
Hospitality Team
Nikki co-leads the CTS Hospitality and Donor Care team with a positivity and love for making each woman at CTS feel valued, seen, and heard. God has gifted her with a deep love for hosting people and an infectious optimism for life which she uses to encourage everyone around her. She has worked at Brinker International as a Project Manager for 23 years. She lives with her husband of 25 years and has two sons, Nicholas and Christopher. In her spare time, you can find her at estate sales and thrift stores. She uses her personal story to minister to and encourage her family, friends, and everyone around her!
TAYLOR WILLIAMS
Merchandise Director
Taylor is a University of Arkansas graduate (Woo Pig) with a BS in Apparel Merchandising and Product Development. Currently Taylor is a product developer for Pioneer Woman and Better Homes & Gardens. With her extensive background in design and marketing, she is an asset to our Choose to Soar merchandise line. Taylor also serves in the capacity of leading CTS with current and fresh ideas to be appealing to the women we serve. Her love for the Lord, and passion to encourage women, empowers every woman she meets. Taylor resides in Bella Vista, Arkansas with her husband and golden doodle
MELANIE STOCKS
Writing Assistant
Melanie has experience in several fields and has had a turbulent relationship with God in her past, but now her unquenchable passion for knowing God and deepening her relationship with Him allows her to serve her family, community, and Choose to Soar with joy and a smile. Her heart’s desire is to inspire and encourage women to seek God and develop their own deep, personal relationship with Him. As the Research & Writing Assistant, Melanie helps create written materials that empower women to become all God intended. At the center of her life is her beautiful blended family including 8 children,12 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. You can find her serving faithfully at her church or studying God’s Word through any Bible Study she can find!
LYNNE FREAUF
Executive Assistant
After taking one of Tanya’s Bible studies nearly 20 years ago, Lynne has walked with Tanya through the development of Choose to Soar. Now she serves as Executive Assistant and as a committed member of the Prayer Team. God has developed her love of prayer as He has faithfully shown her the power that is experienced by the surrender of praying to Him. She leads a Grandmother’s prayer group, called the Gmoms, who pray over 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren each week. Her family includes her husband of 52 years, their 2 cock-a-poos, their daughter and her family, and their son and his family, all living in Rockwall. In her spare time sheI loves to quilt, read, and work at or shop estate sales and thrift stores.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TANYA MAGNUS
Tanya is a Jill-of-all-trade’s. She’s been a professional athlete, in the music business, has built several small businesses, and has been in many leadership positions in the corporate world and in ministry. Tanya’s plethora of certifications, education, and experience, serves her well as the founder and CEO of Choose to Soar Ministries. Tanya mentor’s women ministry leaders and is an active board member for other non-profits as well. But it was through Tanya’s study of God’s Word she found her heart’s true home and learned her identity in Christ means more than all the fame and fortune the world can offer.
VIRGINIA HODGES
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Virginia received her BBA from the University of North Texas. She comes to CTS with a background in business, management, and finance. As a career business woman, she worked with large companies like Microsoft, Intuit, and Dell. After her husband passed, she pivoted to going on overseas mission trips and for the past 9 years, has served as the finance director of her fast-growing church. God has led her to support CTS and the women of CTS by using her extensive knowledge and valuable experience as she serves on the Board of Directors. She has two grown sons and is thriving as 7 of her grandchildren live within 30 minutes of her.
TERESA KRAEMER
Teresa is the CEO of Precision Appliance Leasing with headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Teresa is an executive leader that is a visionary and has a focus on supporting and helping people discover their strengths for success. She brings her love of Jesus to the workplace by instilling her company’s culture based on the values of CHRIST. With over 35 years in executive leadership roles, Teresa has a reputation as a results-getter for leading people and establishing a culture for success.
Teresa has served in the Women’s Mentoring Ministry at her church, and as a volunteer and member of the fundraising committee for Nexus Recovery in North Texas, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Choose to Soar Ministries, non-profit, 501(c ) 3 non-profit.