Val Stockdale grew up in rural Southern Indiana in a close-knit family with three sisters and a brother. She has known fellow faculty member Mrs. Jill Ellis since third grade, and the two have remained lifelong friends. Val earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics education from Indiana State University, where she also met her husband. Shortly after graduation, they moved to Nashville, where Val began her teaching career at Cheatham County High School and Page High School. She later pursued her Master of Science in Mathematics with an emphasis on Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. After relocating to Evansville, Indiana, she began teaching in Catholic schools, working at Memorial High School and coaching track.

Val and her family eventually returned to Tennessee and became part of the St. Edward community when her children enrolled as students. In 2006, she joined the faculty as the junior high math teacher, a role she has held with dedication and joy ever since. This year, Val is excited to expand her service to the school by also taking on the role of PE teacher. She is a passionate advocate for Catholic education and considers St. Edward her second home. Her love for teaching and commitment to the students and families of the school are evident in everything she does.