Kari Nietzel

Agape Director

Originally from Kansas City, Kari moved to Columbia in 2007 for school and quickly claimed Columbia as her home. Throughout college, she served in Crossing Kids and the Agape program while completing a master's degree in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis. She worked as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst before joining the Agape and Crossing Students team.

Kari and her husband Jordan share life with their 3 little people: Maelyn, Daxton and Hudson.

Amanda Horn

Agape Kids Director

Amanda is a Kansas City native who moved to Columbia in 2017 and began attending The Crossing shortly thereafter. She served in Crossing Kids as a classroom teacher for several years before stepping into her current role as Agape Kids Director.

Amanda graduated from the University of Central Missouri with dual bachelor's degrees in both Elementary and Early Childhood Education, as well as a Master’s in Education. She spent 10 years as a classroom teacher.

Throughout her years serving children in the classroom, Amanda discovered a passion for supporting the entire family, particularly those navigating the unique challenges of raising children with special needs. This calling ultimately led her to Agape, where she is dedicated to helping children and families thrive.