Marissa Leinart loved to read out loud at a young age. She often annoyed her older brother by reading in every room of the house, even in the bathroom!  Marissa’s parents called it the gift of gab, which she later discovered was not meant as a compliment.  Marissa’s reward for her gift of gab came when she was only eleven, co-hosting a radio show in Chicago.

She graduated cum laude from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication and landed her first TV job, anchoring the morning news in Anchorage, Alaska. From there, she moved to Salinas, California, Tucson, and Phoenix, Arizona. Receiving a “live” proposal on the news set by Bill, her now husband of 29 years, is a favorite memory of her time on TV in Phoenix.  

     After suffering three miscarriages, Marissa decided to stay home with her two children. She candidly admits she often dreamt of the big, yellow school bus visiting her front door.  Ironically, God had other plans.  Like Abraham’s wife Sarah, Marissa laughed and thought she heard voices when God called her to what would surely NOT have been her first choice, homeschool.  

     Marissa considers homeschooling her greatest lifetime achievement, beyond the two Emmys she won as a television news anchor and reporter, or her five years as an adjunct professor at Arizona State University. 

She’s been married 29 years, and her proudest accomplishment is being intentional about strengthening her relationships with her husband Bill and her two married adult children, 27-year-old Linzey, a vet, and 25-year-old Will, an arcades owner and YouTube influencer (Joystick).

     Marissa strives to keep life simple and peaceful yet courageous. For the music people out there, you would find her somewhere between Earth Wind & Fire, the Bee Gees, and Kenny G.