Our Story
Corey and Kathy met in 2006 when their girls were in the same kindergarten class. They quickly established a strong bond and friendship that has carried the business to be what it is today. Together they started Big Star Studios in 2011 when they discovered a growing need for performing arts in the Snoqualmie Valley area. After five years of getting Big Star Studios on the map Corey decided to pursue her life-long dream of opening a preschool and thus Little Stars Preschool was born!
The inception of Big Star Performing Arts and Little Stars Preschool has realized Corey’s longstanding dream, a vision that took root during her tenure as an educator in the Bellevue School District many years ago. Armed with a degree in Human and Child Development from Washington State University (GO COUGS!), Corey furthered her academic journey by earning a master’s degree in education at Western Washington University.
Having dedicated years to teaching in public schools, imparting knowledge to students from kindergarten through middle school, Corey later made the heartfelt decision to take on the role of a stay-at-home parent, nurturing and raising her four children. As her youngest child grew, Corey felt the unmistakable pull to return to her passion for working with children.
In 2011, the realization of this passion materialized in the form of Big Star Studios, a venture born from a shared commitment to children’s arts education with her very close friend Kathy Gehrig. Beyond being a labor of love, this studio and preschool stand as a source of immense pride for Corey—second only to the joy of raising her four children.