OUR Team
One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games. But teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
– Michael Jordan
RICHARD FOSTER
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As a child growing up in Bryan, Texas, I was labeled as having learning disabilities. School was never easy. Reading, writing, understanding lessons, and communicating with others were daily struggles. While other children seemed to move ahead with confidence, I often questioned my own abilities. Those labels affected more than my grades—they affected my self-worth.
Yet, despite those challenges, I was surrounded by something many children never experience: a village.
My parents, six siblings, extended family, teachers, coaches, neighbors, and our church became the foundation that carried me through difficult times. We did not have much financially, but our home was filled with love, faith, encouragement, and people who believed in one another. Looking back, I now understand that my greatest blessing wasn’t money—it was having people who refused to let me give up.
Everything changed in the fifth grade.
When I put on a football helmet for the very first time, I discovered more than a sport. I discovered confidence. Football taught me discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and resilience. For the first time, I realized I could succeed at something. That confidence slowly spilled over into every area of my life.
The game didn’t remove my learning challenges—but it gave me the belief that my struggles did not define my future.
That belief carried me through high school, earned me a football scholarship to college, and eventually led me back to complete my education, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Physiology.
Over the next 24 years, I dedicated my career to serving young people as a Juvenile Detention Officer, Special Education Teacher, Education Paraprofessional, and Coach. Every day I encountered children facing many of the same struggles I once faced—poverty, low self-esteem, learning challenges, unstable homes, and a lack of positive role models.
I realized something powerful. Many children are not failing because they lack ability.
They are struggling because they lack opportunity, encouragement, guidance, and someone who believes in them.
That realization became my calling.
SHANNON LEE-Edwards
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND TRAINER
SHANNON LEE-EDWARDS is the founder and owner of SML Tax Service, a firm dedicated to providing knowledgeable, ethical, and client-centered tax preparation and financial guidance. With more than three decades of experience in the tax industry, Shannon began her career in 1994 as a part-time tax preparer. Through dedication and expertise, she quickly advanced to become the manager of the tax office, overseeing operations and managing millions of dollars in tax preparation services while simultaneously serving as an educator in Lancaster ISD. In 2003, Shannon took a leap of faith and established SML Tax Service, where she continues to serve individuals and businesses with fair pricing, reliable service, and a strong commitment to client education. As a Certified Tax Preparer, she specializes in minimizing tax liability and handling complex tax matters including corporate and partnership filings, Schedule C, Schedule E, and Schedule F returns, multi-state filings, estate and gift taxes, nonprofit organizations, and complicated tax returns. Her diverse client base includes professional gamblers, investors, professional athletes, models, and other specialized industries, as well as individuals and small business owners across the country. SML Tax Service also provides tax audit representation, assisting clients by reviewing documentation, organizing financial records, and guiding them through the audit process to ensure clarity and compliance.
