Meet the Founder

Misty Riggs, founder of Divergent Trails

Misty Riggs, M.Ed., BCBA, PCET

An educator’s perspective. A homeschool parent’s experience. A behavior analyst’s understanding.

Misty brings over 25 years of experience helping children learn and helping parents find a workable path forward. Her work connects curriculum, learning needs, relationships, routines, and behavior—because families experience all of them together.

Contact Misty

A reimagined scene of Misty’s early teaching years with the Fish Class bulletin board and Bubbles the goldfish

A classroom with a little personality

The Fish Class—and Bubbles.

Before Divergent Trails, there was a second-grade classroom with a goldfish mascot named Bubbles. During five years at Village Christian Academy, Misty taught second grade and became the lead teacher as the program grew to three second-grade classrooms.

She developed the second-grade science curriculum while earning her master’s in education. Her thesis focused on a missionary curriculum designed for participation across kindergarten through 12th grade—a reflection of her interest in learning that has purpose beyond a worksheet.

Bubbles, the orange bubble-eye goldfish who was the Fish Class mascot — Meet Bubbles
Our Fish Class mascot—and part of the story from the very beginning.

Homeschooling & parent coaching

She has built the school day—and lived it.

Misty homeschooled her daughters from K5 through 12th grade across Fort Bragg, Tampa, and Germany. At each new duty station, other families reached out for help. She served as a private homeschool teacher, developed learning programs, and coached parents who wanted to teach their children themselves.

Her expertise goes beyond choosing a curriculum. She can develop lessons, adapt existing materials, organize an entire school day, and help parents use routines and behavior contracts to support their goals. Whether providing direct instruction or guiding the parent as educator, she considers what the learner needs and what the family can realistically sustain.

For parents who feel overwhelmed or ready to give up, that work begins with understanding where the day is breaking down. The aim is a usable plan: clearer priorities, appropriate learning materials, and practical ways to move forward.

NILD educational therapy

A journey that began in 2005.

When a mother offered to fund Misty’s first Level I NILD training so she could teach her son, it opened a new chapter. Misty could return home to homeschool her daughters while continuing to provide educational therapy for other learners.

She progressed to Level III and created three school bridge programs offering separate learning support through NILD educational therapy. At each military duty station, she opened her doors to new families, creating a therapy room in her home or a place on the screen.

That work has reached learners around the world, from Germany to the Philippines. Today, her educational therapy experience sits alongside her work as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, giving her several perspectives from which to understand learning challenges and family priorities.

Learn about NILD educational therapy

Why families reach out

Depth of experience. Practical direction.

Parents can bring a learning concern, a difficult routine, or a school day that no longer works. Misty’s experience helps her consider how those pieces affect one another.

Curriculum that fits

Experience writing curriculum and adapting materials means support can address the actual learning plan, alongside how it is taught.

Guidance parents can use

Having taught children directly and coached parents as educators, she understands that recommendations need to work within the family’s time, routines, and resources.

Several perspectives, one learner

Education, NILD educational therapy, and behavior analysis inform how she considers strengths, barriers, and meaningful goals with the family.

The next chapter

More families. More ways forward.

Through Divergent Trails, Misty is building on years of teaching and coaching to develop a platform that can support more families around the world. The homeschool partnership and coaching tiers grow from services she has already provided: helping parents shape curriculum, organize learning, and address the routines and behaviors that influence the school day.

Her vision is to make that experience more accessible while developing a team that brings its own knowledge and strengths to the work. Families remain partners in choosing the direction.

Meet Divergent Trails

Begin a conversation

Tell Misty what you want to make possible.

Share what is working, what feels difficult, and what you want for your learner. Together, you can discuss which kind of support fits your family’s goals.