Shara Morgan

Owner/preschool teacher

Smart Ones Preschool

Age: 39

Current city of residence: Benton City

Briefly describe your company:

Smart Ones Preschool is an academically focused preschool intended to prepare children ages 3-5 for kindergarten.

How long have you worked there?

8 years

Education: Please list any degrees and professional certifications.

Studied early childhood education at Columbia Basin College

Briefly describe your job and what you do.

I have been teaching preschool in Benton City for eight years. Seeing children learn and grow is such a gift.

Tell us about your work history.

I have been a preschool teacher for 8 years in Benton City.

Before that, I worked for a local tanning salon while going to school and raising my two daughters.

Tell us about your first job.

My first job was as a photographer in the mall. It was such a joy to capture memories for families. I was in high school so my hours were limited but after I graduated, I was hired as the manager for the Walmart portrait studios and opened both Richland and Kennewick locations at 19 years old.

What advice would you give to your younger self about achieving success?

Take risks, don’t let your family’s past define your future! Be confident and do what makes you happy. You don’t just live once, you live every day so make each moment count.

What was your dream job as a child?

I wanted to be a mom and a teacher.

Who are your role models – and why?

I am my own role model. I came from an entire family of drug users and criminals. I am the first woman in my family to graduate high school and go to college. I knew at a young age that I wanted to be the one to break the cycle. I have worked every day to show my children that you can do anything you set your mind to.

What would be your top three priorities to make our community a better place?

• More free community events to get families outside and off their phones to spend quality time with their kids.
• More parks with toys in our town.
• Find ways to support local businesses and bring more businesses into Benton City.

Tell us about your community involvement/community service:

• I am the president for the Benton City Chamber of Commerce and have been on the board since 2020. I am the event coordinator for all city/community events, help businesses build websites, advertise for chamber business members and plan networking events for the chamber.
• I have been running the Little Miss Benton City pageant since 2017, coached Ki-Be Grid Kids Cheer from 2017-19. I helped with community events before I was elected as a board member.
• Coached youth softball in Kennewick in 2015-16 before moving to Benton City.

List any awards/honors you have received (work or otherwise?).

• Volunteer of the Year 2023 and 2024.
• Community Organization of the Year 2023: Little Miss Benton City.
• Business of the Year 2023 (Young Volunteer of the Year in 1996 for Benton City).

What else should we know about you?

I love my community, preschool and my family. Being able to give back to a community who helped raise me is my passion. This town holds a huge spot in my heart, and I love that I get to make memories for the families that currently live here and families that will be here in the future.

How do you achieve work-life balance?

When I am not working at the preschool or volunteering for the chamber, I like to spend time with my two daughters, Sophia, 11, and Lillyanna, 18. We like to go hiking, disc golfing, fishing, pretty much anything outdoors.

Do you have family? Pets? Tell us about them.

My two amazing daughters are my best friends. We have a French bulldog named Lux. He has a very bad heart murmur so he goes with us everywhere. We also have a Boston terrier named Violet, and last summer we rescued a kitty off the highway. Her name is Bunny.

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?

I have lived here almost my whole life. I moved to Alaska in the fourth grade with my biological mom and stepfather but made the choice to live with a foster family back here in Washington because I wanted to graduate and go to college. I knew that living there I wouldn’t be able to achieve those goals, so I convinced my mom to let me live with a family friend in Washington and moved back in sixth grade. They adopted me in ninth grade because my mom overdosed, and my biological father wasn’t around.

What’s your dream vacation?

I would love to go to Bali and explore. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place.

Planner or procrastinator?

A little of both. I plan events all the time but when it comes to my life, I like to stress myself out. I am productive either way, so it works out, ha ha.

Introvert or extrovert?

Well, my jobs require me to be an extrovert, but I love to sit at home all cozy with a good book and some classical music.

First car?

1985 Volkswagen Rabbit. It was the most ugly shade of brown but it got me to and from school.

Favorite thing to do in Tri-Cities?

I love to play disc golf at the Pasco course and recently started playing mini golf at Tee Time in Kennewick.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

My whole family are drug addicts who have been in and out of jail. When people learn who my biological family is they are always so shocked. People just assume that I would end up just like them.

Favorite Tri-City restaurant?

My kids and I love Sushi House in Pasco but my favorite place is Zulle Mediterranean Grill. Greek food is the best!

Favorite day of the week?

Thursday. It’s Friday Jr. and gets me excited for the weekend.

Text, email, phone call?

Phone call. It’s nice to be able to hear emotion in a person’s voice in a world of texting.

Would you rather travel back in time or to the future?

The future. I can’t wait to be a grandma and see how my daughters turn out. No sense in living in the past when there is so many exiting things to look forward to.