Royal Faculty Spotlight: Mrs. Crystal Fitzgerald
Mrs. Crystal Fitzgerald | Hybrid Home+School (HHS) High School Bible Instructor & Chapel Director
When you meet Mrs. Crystal Fitzgerald, you quickly sense her passion, her joy, and her deep love for students. To her, teaching in the Hybrid Home+School program (formerly The Classical School) is far more than a profession—it is her calling, her mission, and one of God’s greatest purposes for her life.
A Calling Filled With Passion and Purpose
For 13 years, Mrs. Fitzgerald has served The First Academy with contagious enthusiasm and unwavering faith. She first joined TFA in 2012, teaching 5th grade in the Traditional College-Prep 5-Day program before answering God’s call to pastor alongside her husband in Miami. But in 2018, the Lord brought her back home—this time to TFA’s Hybrid Home+School program, where she now teaches High School Bible and serves as the Chapel Director—pastoring students’ hearts every single week.
Educational Roots and Early Career
Mrs. Fitzgerald studied Biology with a minor in Physical Education at Warner University in Lake Wales, where she played both basketball and volleyball on scholarship. After college, she began teaching at City of Life Academy in 1999, then moved into a five-year role with OCPS in Apopka, earning Reading and ESOL endorsements and becoming certified in middle grades education.
She is an award-winning educator, having been nominated for Teacher of the Year in public school and later receiving TFA’s Christian Educator of the Year Award in 2021. She also holds her ACSI certification, earned in 2013.
Finding Her Way to TFA
After the birth of her second child, her college friend Christy Requejo encouraged her to apply to TFA. She sent the job link, and within hours, Crystal received a call to interview. She began teaching the very next year—and has now spent 26 years in education, still fueled by the same passion God instilled in her as a young teacher.
Ask Mrs. Fitzgerald about the most impactful part of her TFA journey, and she won’t mention awards or accomplishments. She’ll tell you about revival. Over the last two years, she has witnessed something she describes as the greatest success of her entire career.
God told her one day, “You are going to baptize students at school.” She brought the idea to her director, who was on board but needed First Orlando’s approval and a partnership with TFA. Within three days, the church approved it. That year, eight students were baptized at HHS, with Pastor David Uth joining in the baptisms. The following year, 17 more stepped forward to be baptized— including one teacher. “God is doing something amazing here,” she says. “Revival is happening in HHS—and I get to watch it.”
Teaching With Love and Purpose
The best part of teaching at TFA for Mrs. Fitzgerald is simple: loving students with the fruit of the Spirit and pointing them to Jesus. She also cherishes the authenticity and transparency allowed within TFA’s Christ-centered culture. She recalls a season when her husband was between jobs. TFA stepped in and helped in impactful ways to bless Crystal and her family. Mrs. Fitzgerald said, “This school is not just a workplace. It is family—through thick and thin.”
She is so grateful for the HHS team, including Robyn Whipple, who creates a healthy, supportive staff culture; Christine Day, who tirelessly supports the program with excellence; Justin Harris, who organizes a prayer team of teachers; and countless staff who show up, pray, support, attend student events, and serve beyond their job descriptions. “Every teacher here understands their role reaches beyond academics. We pastor these students together.”
A Family Rooted in Faith and Service
Mrs. Fitzgerald’s family is deeply rooted in TFA and ministry. Her son is a TFA alum (Class of 2024) and is now studying theology with a minor in graphic art at Southeastern University. Her daughter is a TFA sophomore and an active member of the Sports Medicine Team. Her husband, Jeff, is the Executive Director at Edgewood Children’s Ranch and a former pastor of 26 years. The Fitzgeralds hav been married since 2000. They met at Warner University while both recovering from sports injuries—and singing together in chapel. And then there’s Rari, their beloved Shih Tzu, a true diva with a ponytail and sweater to match.
Life Outside the Classroom
Together, the family values fitness, nutrition, and faith. They love working out, taking beach vacations, and investing deeply in the health of their home—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A fun fact: when Mrs. Fitzgerald first came to TFA, she signed with an independent record label and recorded music for Chick-fil-A and Z88.3—but she chose teaching over performing, following God’s lead. She and her husband also serve on the leadership team for Rasha White’s Tampa Bay Running Backs Camp.
Living Curriculum Influencer: A Prayer Warrior
Mrs. Fitzgerald identifies most strongly with the Living Curriculum Influencer characteristic of Modeling the Life of a Prayer Warrior. For her, prayer is the foundation of everything—classroom discernment, loving students well, and hearing God’s heart for each student. Most days, she takes a prayer walk after school, asking the Lord to lift up specific students. “Before Jesus was crucified, He prayed. Prayer brings power, discernment, love, and guidance. It is the greatest communication God invites us into.” Mrs. Fitzgerald sees TFA as one united body made up of beautifully diverse parts. “It’s so encouraging to watch what God is doing across this campus. We are unified—but not uniform. That is the beauty of this place.”