Our Team
At Scholé Academy, we are thrilled to have so many fine educators shaping and hosting our courses. Each of our instructors is an independent contractor with expertise and passion in their field who are committed to shepherding students in the Scholé way. Our admin team is here to support both families and instructors in the great calling of classical home education. You can get to know each of our team members by clicking or tapping on the toggles below.
Meet our Admin Team
Dr. Joylynn Blake
Director/Principal [email protected]
Dr. Joylynn Blake obtained her BA in philosophy and a Master’s degree in theology from Regent College, in Vancouver, Canada. The Blake family of six served for eight years in Asia before returning to Dallas where Joylynn earned her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. She was awarded the Outstanding Treatise award in 2019 for her study of urban classical schools. Joylynn has worked in both charter and private schools in various capacities, including as teacher, Director of Curriculum, and Head of School. She is passionate that classical education be accessible to all students, and she is delighted to further the mission and vision of Scholé Academy and its Houses of Studies.
Pres. Maria Koulianos
Tutoring Center & CSLD Manager Principal of St. Raphael School [email protected]
Presbytera Maria Koulianos, Principal, has been an educator for over 25 years, loving every minute, with vast experiences in both public and private schools as a classroom teacher, a developer and implementer of learning programs for students, and an area administrator. She earned her bachelor of science in education from Indiana University with certifications in elementary education, 7/8 non-departmental, language arts 1–9, and computer education K–12. She holds a master of divinity and a master of theology from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she wrote her thesis, “The Annunciation of the Theotokos from a Liturgical Perspective.” Presbytera Maria and her husband, Father Dionysios, live in the greater Springfield area where he is the Dean of Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. As an educator, she hopes to inspire her students to love literature and become lifelong learners. As principal, she is a servant-leader who is charged with building a community that supports students and parents striving for Orthodox restful classical education.
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Alison Haley
Operations Coordinator [email protected]
Alison Haley has been contributing to Christian education for two decades and has earned a dual Master’s degree – a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and a M.S. in Mathematics and Reading. At Scholé Academy, she nurtures the academic community through course and instructor development. She provides the school with a seamless integration of instructional technology that ensures online learning is relational, live, and engaging while distinctly classical. On a daily basis, she supports key infrastructures that keep a thriving school moving forward. She is passionate about making exceptional classical education accessible to students around the world.
Nancy Parcels
Customer Service & Registrar [email protected]
Nancy Parcels is a homeschool mom that has been educating for more than 20 years. She began tutoring while in college and continued to tutor privately, run a homeschool co-op for several years, and classically homeschool her children for the last 5 years. As the customer service and communication representative, Nancy is dedicated and passionate in providing outstanding customer service to Schole Academy families. Nancy assists in course enrollments and other communications within the SA community.
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David Rosentrater
Systems Integrator [email protected]
David Rosentrater was homeschooled through high school and received a BA in Humanities from Messiah University. In between high school and college, he attended a history of western civilization program at Augustine College in Ottawa, ON where he learned to love classical education. He’s proud to serve as the Systems Integrator for Scholé Academy, making sure that all of our technology systems are supporting the community well.
Explore All Instructors at Scholé Academy
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Alexander Titus
Dr. Alexander Titus is a learner, educator, translator, and Church historian, specializing in the Byzantine and medieval Western periods. He holds a BA (2011) in Classics from the University of Oregon, an MA (2015) and ThM (2016) from St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary, and a PhD (2022) in Church History from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he wrote his dissertation on St. Gregory Palamas. His English translation of Palamas’ Triads is also forthcoming from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Dr. Titus has come to believe strongly in the salvific value of classical education, not only for the soul of the individual Christian, but for the building up of the whole Church. Dr. Titus currently lives in Western Oregon, with his wife and two sons. His other interests include cooking, literature, visual arts (e.g., film, animation, games), and volunteering in his local Orthodox community.
Alison Johansen
Alison Grace Johansen is teaching Classic Children’s Literature VII, Poetry Corner, Writing & Rhetoric Level 1, and Well-Ordered Language Level 1. She also hosts Scholé Academy’s poetry club. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa., and her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Richmond. She worked as a legal journalist in Washington, D.C., for over 13 years before pursuing writing and editing in all forms of media. She hopes to inspire her students to discover the many ways that they can use their own words to express themselves with truth, goodness, and beauty. Alison lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Her dedication to her faith and children influences every part of her life, from teaching Sunday school and writing a children’s picture book about food allergies, to exploring the beauty of God’s world with her family. If they aren’t birdwatching and enjoying a walk outside with their dog Nugget, you might find them reading together or playing their favorite instruments: the piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, and drums! Learn more in her "Well-Ordered Language Classroom Experience" video, “Five Questions With Your Classical Educator” video, and blog post about fortitude in poetry.
Allen Rushing
Allen Rushing has always loved story, and that love only grew when, at the age of 14, the Lord saved him. Since then he has joyfully studied the truth, beauty, and goodness of The Story found in Scripture and reflected in the great works, from Dante’s Divine Comedy to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. One of the delights of The Story is taking the time to delve deeply into it, which is why the “restful” philosophy of Scholé is so appealing to Allen. One of the reasons such an approach is natural for him is because of the way he was homeschooled K-12 in the Classical Christian educational tradition. Allen was able to expand on this solid spiritual and educational foundation through his undergraduate degree in Classics with a History focus; in the process of earning this degree, he enjoyed taking classes in Classical Latin, Koine Greek, Literature, Philosophy, and Theology. While in graduate school, he was able to broaden his historical knowledge base, gaining a greater understanding of Western civilization as a whole and focusing particularly on the periods of the Greco-Roman world, Late Antiquity, medieval period, twentieth century world history, the World Wars, and the Cold War. Since graduate school, Allen has taught the humanities from a biblical worldview. Some of Allen’s favorite ways of enjoying the adventure upon which the Lord has set him are reading, writing, building his house, climbing trees, playing ping pong, and spending time with his wife and two children.
Amanda Reeves
Lower School Academic Dean [email protected]
Amanda Reeves has a BA in Greek and Latin from Stanford University, where she received recognition in her department for both her enthusiasm for the classical world as well as her excellence in scholarship. In her 10+ years as an educator, she has fiercely held to the belief that every student can fall in love with Latin and has celebrated each of the many times it has happened in her classroom. As Dean of the Lower School at Scholé, she supports teachers as they develop classrooms and curricula to help Scholé’s youngest students cultivate a love of learning in their pursuit of restful classical education. Having learned Latin online as a homeschooled student, Amanda is passionate about distance learning and enjoys integrating traditional grammar and translation methods with spoken Latin to produce the best educational experience for her students. When she is not traveling the world, she can be found in New Haven, Connecticut, waxing poetic about the Parthenon Marbles and Stanford football, always with a strong cup of coffee in hand.
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Amy Morgan
Chair of the Writing Department [email protected]
Amy Morgan, Scholé Academy’s Writing & Rhetoric Department chair, earned her BA in liberal arts at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and continued her education with an MA in TESOL/applied linguistics at Indiana University in Bloomington. For over 18 years, Amy has taught English to speakers of other languages in the university, community, and private tutoring contexts. Additionally, Amy educated her own two children at home in grades PreK–8. When Amy’s not teaching, you might find her serving families who care for children in vulnerable circumstances, hosting international guests, reading aloud with her family or smiling at the antics of her backyard chickens.
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Anastasia Wilkinson
Anastasia Wilkinson holds a BA in Russian and an MA in Second Language Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After homeschooling her children for fourteen years, she decided to pursue a career in teaching Russian. She taught Russian at the University of Hawaii as a GA and then began teaching at St. Raphael School in the 2023-24 school year. Since 2005, her family has been part of the Iveron Icon Russian Orthodox Community in Kailua, HI. In her free time, Mrs. Wilkinson enjoys hiking and beach outings as well as traveling to the mainland with her family.
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Andy Newman
Andy Newman calls western Nebraska home, that borderland where Midwest and West shake hands. There he has taught literature, composition, history, journalism, and the humanities for twenty years at the high school and college levels. His mind and heart have longed been pulled toward classical Christian education. And he is as excited as he is thankful to now be fully in its orbit.
His education is varied, having earned master’s degrees in history and English from the University of Wyoming and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, respectively. Most recently, he earned a MTh in Applied Orthodox Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies and a MA in Biblical Theology from John Paul the Great Catholic University and, in Fall of 2021, completed his coursework for the PhD in Humanities from Faulkner University and has moved on to the dissertation.
Angelique Chaverri
Angelique Chaverri holds an MSEd in special education from Missouri State University and a BA in psychology from Southwest Baptist University. Angelique has spent her adult life working to understand the underpinnings of learning. After initial interests in physical therapy and neuropsychology, she found her way into special education. Four years after entering the public school system, Angelique went into private practice. She worked for a year in a learning clinic under a neuropsychologist before starting her own business in 2005. Angelique then began cross-training in various therapy modalities usually used by medically based therapists in hospitals and rehab clinics.
For the past 15 years, Angelique has specialized in using standardized assessments to identify the underlying causes of learning difficulties and has designed individualized programs to improve learning while guiding parents and teachers in how to modify the learning environment and instruction to the student’s individual needs. Angelique has provided training for schools, parents, and hospitals. She firmly believes in teaching students to use their strengths to enjoy, not fear, the learning process.
This year, Angelique will celebrate 15 years of marriage to her wonderful husband. She is a homeschooling mom to two fantastic boys. When avoiding housework, Angelique prefers to be outside hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, tending her medicinal herb and veggie gardens, hobby farming, and learning about regenerative agriculture and classical physical education.
Annice Hoffman
Annice Hoffman holds a BA in Anthropology from Penn State University. As a young adult, curiosity and a desire to find her neighbor in the wider world led her to spend one summer abroad in Mexico City and another with missionary friends of the family in Paraguay. Following university, she spent a year teaching English at a Christian school in the Dominican Republic, where her Spanish blossomed. After further adventures as an au pair in England and English teacher in Prague, Annice made her way back to Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband. When their first child came, she transitioned from teacher to stay-at-home-mom and, eventually, to homeschool mom. A chance event introduced Annice to the work of Classical Academic Press–and the meaning of Home Education began to clarify; as Classical educators, we were not essentially fleeing from mainstream culture (her move to home schooling had first come as an instinct to protect), but rather racing toward Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.
Annice lives in Erie, Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. Her hobbies are reading, walking, learning other languages, and watching her kids grow.
Ash White
Lead Teacher for the Logic and Rhetoric Department [email protected]
Ash White holds a BA in English and Theatre from Mary Baldwin University, and has taught literature, writing, and logic at the middle and secondary levels for twenty years. Ms. White is passionate about classical education and homeschooling. She and her husband Jon live in the Shenandoah Valley and are voracious lovers of books and music. If you visit their home, you'll find it difficult to determine which collection is largest: books or vinyl records!
Audrey Rushing
Mrs. Audrey Rushing grew up in Chile until age 12. After graduating from Covenant College with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Music, Biblical/Theological Studies, and German), her deep interest in languages led her to a job teaching German and Spanish at a Montessori school. Being so curious about how God made languages, she pursued an M.A. in German, focusing on linguistics. She was able to take a graduate level course in Spanish literature from Equatorial Guinea as an elective along the way.
Since she enjoys interacting with people of all ages and cultures, Audrey has appreciated the opportunity to teach languages from toddler to adult. When she first started learning about the Classical Christian model of education from her husband, she was delighted to find how it seeks to set each subject in its historical context as well as to find its focus on grammar and rhetoric when learning a new language. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish A at Scholé Academy, and is excited to teach Spanish 1 again this year. For fun she loves to read, delve into languages, be outside, and consider all things (books, movies, shows, cultures, gardening, cooking etc.) from a biblical perspective; but her favorite thing is to spend time with her husband and their three children.
Bo Evans
Bo Evans, also known by his latin name as "Magister Evander," lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife and son. He received a BA in Philosophy/Religion from Flagler College, and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently working on an MA in Humanities from the University of Dallas and a Graduate Certificate in Latin Studies from the University of Kentucky. Bo loves to study and teach Latin using not only grammar and translation techniques, but also actively through verbal communication and composition. In his free time, he enjoys training for marathons, hiking, and cheering for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Caeli Lanzilotti
Caeli Lanzilotti lives in Northern VA with her husband and two-year-old son. She is passionate about the Liberal Arts and pursuing a life fully realized. She has taught Ancient, American, and World Literature to 9th-12th graders in a private school setting for the past six years. Before moving to VA, she taught Middle School Literature-History, English grammar, and Religion for six years at a small classical school near Philadelphia. She loves the classical model of education, and she is deeply indebted to her former students and colleagues from whom and with whom she has learned so much about the virtuous life. She holds an MA in teaching and a BA in English with a minor in Philosophy. For leisure, she loves trail running and hiking in the woods with her husband, swimming, and baking.
Caridad Legere
Caridad Legere was born and raised in Guatemala City. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Caridad worked in different industries in her native country. In 2005 she married and moved to Arizona, and in 2014 joined West Valley Christian School staff as their Spanish Teacher. Her passion for Classical education began when she and her husband started homeschooling their daughter, looking for a higher education that would aloud their daughter to search for the truth, goodness, and beauty, through a Christian Worldview. During the past ten years, they have used several of the CAP materials and her daughter is now a student of Latin at Scholé Academy. Caridad genuinely enjoys sharing her culture with her students and introducing them to the Spanish language, which is so rich and vital since we live in a time where there are so many opportunities to use it every day.
Caridad, her husband, and daughter live in Glendale, Arizona. They share their home with a dog, five cats, and more than fifteen fish. There is never a boring moment at their house. When she is not teaching her daughter, or teaching Spanish, she can be found driving her daughter to choir, theater, AHG, or hiking on one of the many trails Arizona has to explore all year round. Also, they enjoy camping, visiting interesting places in Arizona, traveling to Guatemala to visit family, and reading books aloud.
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Catherine Wise
Catherine “Cat” Wise has loved to read since before she started school. Raised in a military family, she attended public school in Italy and then was homeschooled before obtaining a BA in elementary education with a Spanish minor at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Texas and becoming a bilingual kindergarten teacher. When her oldest child was a toddler, Cat discovered classical education and fell in love with the idea of cultivating wisdom and virtue through great books, fascinating histories, and the beauty of language. Cat has been classically homeschooling her own three children for nine years and is honored to learn alongside them of the Creator and His magnificent works. She loves talking about books and reading with anyone who will listen, but also enjoys working jigsaw puzzles and baking yummy desserts, and is currently trying to visit as many National Parks as she can, attend live theater performances at every opportunity, and teach herself to crochet.
Charlotte Odum
Charlotte Odum received a classical education at St. John’s College, earning a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. She then pursued graduate studies in classical political philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Wanting to share the benefits of classical education, she taught writing, rhetoric, and grammar at a classical public charter school for fourteen years, as well as a broad spectrum of English and social science courses for three years at a technical and career college. Between high school and college, she worked in a pediatric facility, where she developed a deep love and appreciation for children with challenges and disabilities. Although initially inclined towards a career in health care, her passion for classical learning redirected her path towards teaching and study. She takes pleasure in the natural beauty of her adopted state of North Carolina and enjoys cooking, drawing badly, and connecting with family and friends.
Chris Hall
Chris Hall, Lead Science Instructor, has a BA in philosophy from Gettysburg College and an MAT in elementary education from Towson University. He has been a classroom educator and administrator for 25 years, having served in public, independent, and classical schools. In that time, he has served as a classroom teacher in grades K-12, primarily as a science educator, PK-8 Science Department Chair, and a Lower School Academic Dean. Along with his professional pedigree, he is a lifelong practitioner of several of the common arts profiled in his book Common Arts Education: Renewing the Classical Tradition of Training the Head, Hands, and Heart, and the founder of Always Learning Education, an organization dedicated to teaching, learning, and propagating the common arts. He lives on a small, homesteaded farm in central Virginia with his wife and three homeschooled sons.
Christa Maldonado
Christa Maldonado is a naturally curious person who is constantly reading. The wonder of the natural world led her to studying science deeply in her adult life, but she is really a polymath and philosopher at heart. She has a Master of Education in Instructional Design, a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences - Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Hospital Administration, and an Associate of Science in Chemistry. Christa has formal experience teaching science, mathematics, Latin, and grammar as well as a host of additional subjects through tutoring and homeschooling.
Christa is a Catholic wife and mother. Her family lives the rhythms of liturgical life and they have developed a great love of Catholic traditions and culture. Her husband is a school administrator working in public education. Her children learn at home from the rich curriculum that nourished the minds of the saints past. Aside from their liturgical and educational interests, her family enjoys raising chickens and rabbits, growing a garden, reading good books, baking delicious breads, and exploring nature.
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Christian Herring
Christian Herring holds a B.S in History from Western Carolina University, an M.Div from Hood Theological Seminary, and a Th.M in Church History from Liberty University. He has been teaching in a variety of settings from churches to prisons to a hybrid-model Classical Christian school, since 2005. He loves sharing his passion for history, the Bible, and great literature. His teaching philosophy revolves around reading great books, having great discussions, and writing great papers. It is his conviction that education is an essential part of discipleship, no matter what the specific subject matter is, therefore the Christian worldview brings itself to bear on all areas of study. Furthermore, all areas of study contribute to forming us into wise, virtuous, and godly human beings. Christian and his wife and four children call central North Carolina home. Mr. Herring typically enjoys a cup of hot tea during class.
Christina Royals
Christina Royals began her journey as an educator in 2005 and holds a B.S in Middle Grades Education with certifications in ELA, Math, and Gifted as well as a Minor in Music. She has spent much of her career as a math instructor in a variety of instructional settings in Georgia. She is joining the Scholé Academy instructional team as a mathematics instructor and is excited to share her joy and passion for the content with young, eager learners. Christina feels it is a blessing and a “calling” to be allowed the opportunity to assist children with their academic progress. She enjoys showing even the most apprehensive students that math doesn’t have to be scary, and they CAN find success! When she isn’t engaged in math teaching, you can find her playing with her sprightly toddler, enjoying walks at parks, or reading in her hammock. She also loves crossword puzzles and math logic puzzles such as KenKen, Sudoku, and Suguru! (Expect to see those pop up during class sessions to challenge the students!) Christina was born, raised and continues to live in sunny Savannah, Georgia with her son and husband. Además, Christina habla español porque su marido es de la República Dominicana!
Christine Seaward
Christine Seaward was born and raised in central California. She received her B.A. in Liberal Arts and earned her elementary teaching credential at California State University, Stanislaus before becoming an Air Force wife in 1992. During the nomadic years of military life, she lived in various places: Oklahoma, Colorado, South Korea, Japan, Hawaii, and Florida. She is blessed to be a wife and mother of two teenage girls. Christine has served as the President of the Protestant Women of the Chapel at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. She has also served as a group and administrative leader in Bible Study Fellowship. She completed her M.A. in Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills and her Ph.D. in Humanities with a concentration in Literature from Faulkner University where the Great Books program changed the way she viewed education. Christine has taught high school English in a traditional Christian school. She also taught a course on Aquinas and Dante and served as the faculty adviser for the student book club at Kepler Education. She is a long-time admirer of C.S. Lewis, and she continues to grow in her appreciation for the Great Books of the Western World. She enjoys supporting her daughters, taking long walks with her husband, following sumo wrestling, and the pleasure of reading.
Christopher Marchand
Chris Marchand (pronounced mar-shan) is a music pastor and priest within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), serving in Peoria, Illinois. He holds a Master of Theological Studies and a Master of Arts in Music Ministry from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, and was trained as a hospital chaplain in a residency program at Saint Francis Hospital. A former headmaster and teacher at Aletheia Classical Christian School, he has taught humanities, history, science, and government courses. He is married to Elisa and they have four children. The author of Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas: a guide for churches and families, he also produces podcasts, composes music, and loves to discuss anything related the arts and his favorite sport tennis.
Courtney Chancey
Courtney Chancey loved pondering icons as she and her husband Denton began their Orthodox Journey several years ago. She loves how each one tells a story that needs no words so people of all ages and backgrounds can learn from them. When her 4 children were a bit older, she began Maria Sider-Rose’s adult iconography apprenticeship program at St. Raphael School and found such peace learning about the practice of writing icons. She has also been recently accepted to the Writing the Light Program with Dr. George Kordis at the Institute of Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Courtney graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a M.A. in Community Counseling. She then worked for a few years as a Licensed Professional Counselor in OKC with children and families involved with the child welfare system. After having children, she and her husband decided she would be a stay-at-home mom and through this time, Courtney has been involved in her children’s activities as well as parish life after her and her family’s conversion to Orthodoxy.
Courtney has always loved working with and teaching kids throughout her life. She and her family are active parishioners at St. Elijah’s Antiochian Parish in Oklahoma City, OK where her husband is a Reader and she is a Co-Director for their Vacation Bible School, Co-Chair for various booths at their Food Festival, and has been on their Antiochian Women Board.
Danielle Bartko
Danielle Bartko is an experienced Math and Science teacher, and Orthodox Church Cantor and Choir Director. She taught in public schools and a Montessori based Orthodox private school. She has served the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese as a Cantor and Choir Director, and the Orthodox Church in America as a Choir Director. She spent countless summers at Camp Nazareth, first as a camper, and later as a counselor and chant teacher.
She holds degrees in Biology and Music from Lafayette College, and Secondary Teacher Certification from DeSales University. She has taught grades 5-12, and currently homeschools her children. She has experience in a variety of teaching methods, and has taught students with diverse academic needs. She is a lifelong learner, and has enjoyed growing and changing as an educator over the years. Her goal is to inspire her students to become lifelong learners as well.
Her Liturgical music education comes from a variety of coursework in Orthodox Music and Choral Directing. She has taken classes through Christ the Saviour Seminary and the OCA Liturgical Music Department, and independent study with Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Rosco and Professors Paul Hilko, George Hanas, Andrew Talarovich, and Jerry Jumba. Whenever she travels and visits a church, she will sneak into the choir loft, wait for an invitation to sing with the choir, and then ask for copies of good music to keep as a souvenir.
She grew up in New Jersey, but now lives in Pittsburgh PA with her husband and two young daughters. When she is not homeschooling her children or teaching classes, she enjoys gardening, jigsaw puzzles, SRS Iconography classes, visiting with friends and family, and going to the beach.
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Dustin Finch
Dustin Finch’s love for Greek began in the Fall of 2008 at Williams Baptist College (Walnut Ridge, AR), where he was later honored with the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek in 2009 and for both Greek and Hebrew in 2010. He graduated with an M.Div from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN) and was honored with the Gertrude Roten Excellence in Greek Exegesis award in 2019. Since becoming Orthodox, his love for Greek has only grown as he has read the Greek text of icons, hymns, liturgical services, the Symbol of Faith, lives of the saints, and the Fathers. Moreover, he has been learning to pray in Greek—using the Psalms and the prayers of the Church. He lives in Jonesboro, AR with his wife, Angela, his sons, Owen (14) and Wilkes (10), and his dog, Maggie. He is a member of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN.
Eddie Kotynski
Chair of the Latin Department [email protected]
Edward Kotynski, Chair of Latin Department, grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, where his parents were Bible translators. He attributes his love of languages partly to his parents’ work and his childhood experience. He received his BA in ancient languages from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2004, and his MA in classical languages from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in 2007. Mr. Kotynski has been teaching Latin and Greek for the last fifteen years, mostly at classical Christian schools. He loves sharing his passion for the ancient languages with his students, weaving in historical context and modern connections. He has edited two volumes of Latin Alive! for Classical Academic Press and has also been working on their Greek for Children series with Erin Valdez. He is very excited to be continuing with Scholé Academy this year. Besides Latin and Greek, Mr. Kotynski drinks coffee, loves reading, helps homeschool his kids, and plays board games. He lives with his wife, six children, and two cats, enjoying the craziness of life together.
Elena Henreckson
Elena Henreckson earned her BA in English and Theater from Hillsdale College in Michigan. There she thrived in embracing her schedule of reading, writing, rehearsing, and photography. After college, she spent several years teaching high school English Literature at a public charter school outside of Boston. She has since moved to the midwest with her husband and is excited about being a part of classical Christian education. She was educated in the classical model herself at a small Christian school where she now serves as a board member. Passionate about the power of stories and our ability to communicate effectively, she is thrilled to guide students through the process of becoming strong and effective writers and thinkers.
Elena spends her spare time making her way through her lengthy reading list and running a local high school drama program. She adores used book stores, bright sunny mornings, afternoon tea, and spending time with friends and family.
Elijah Turrell
Elijah Turrell is a Liturgical Artist from Seattle, WA. He holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and an M.A. in Traditional Arts from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He grew up as a Baptist preacher’s kid in Oklahoma where his mom homeschooled him and his siblings. After nearly a decade in the US Navy and a few years working in civilian healthcare, he returned to school to study Iconography and other Liturgical Arts in London. His art focuses on Manuscript Illumination and draws from the many cultures within and around medieval Byzantium, particularly the pre-schism West. He approaches art as a spiritual practice and incorporates prayer and meditation with practical instruction in an effort to live out the Benedictine ethos of “Ora et Labora.” Outside of teaching and creating art, he enjoys cooking, reading, walking around the woods, volunteering at church, and spending time with his family.
Elizabeth Kaufman
Elizabeth Kaufman holds a M.Ed. and earned her BA in Spanish from Hope College with minors in Music (piano performance) and Elementary Ed.. A missional mindset led her to work in various countries, teaching art and music in an American School in the Dominican Republic, grades 2 and 3 in a British school in Tanzania, and Spanish at a Montessori school in Michigan. Elizabeth went on to choose motherhood and homeschooling as a full-time pursuit and has loved teaching her four sons at home for the past eight years. Throughout this time, she has grown increasingly committed to Classical Christian education and has developed a love for “living” literature and biblical scholarship. She has also combined her love of music and scripture to compose several collections of songs for students and families to learn scripture together and to sing through liturgical seasons. She believes that every course of study is an invitation to witness God’s redemptive work in the world, to be formed and transformed by it, and to engage with Him in it.
Elizabeth lives in Kenya where her husband teaches biblically-based church discipleship and her sons enjoy living and learning “in the bush.” When not teaching or studying classical ed, you can find Elizabeth trail running, composing new music, doing laundry, hosting meals for friends and travelers, or attempting (poorly) to ride motorbikes with her boys. You can listen to her music for learning scripture at www.musictomemorize.org.
Emily Kashin
Emily Brigham Kashin holds a BA in Primary Education from the University of North Florida. She was homeschooled K-12 in the classical tradition and previously taught the elementary grades in a Waldorf-inspired public charter school. Her classical upbringing instilled in her what Plato called an “affinity for the good” in academics, art, and virtue, while her Waldorf training inspired an appreciation of the unique nature of the child. Since 2020, she has brought the two together, cultivating those whole-child pedagogical approaches in the classical, liturgical tradition, to awaken in her own students that “affinity for the good” through her Scholé classes.
Emily and her husband Mikhail live in North Florida where they find great delight in playing folk music, listening to Bach, taking long walks, and enjoying being aunt and uncle to their eight nephews and one niece. St. Augustine’s saying “Canta et ambula” (sing and soldier on) encourages her daily in the ordinariness of teaching, homemaking, and grading many, many papers.
Eric Robinson
Eric Robinson has a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in printmaking from Iowa State University and a BS in secondary math education from Western Governors University. Eric and his wife homeschool, so he has taught math from number recognition through Calculus 2. Having taught in private Christian (protestant and Catholic) schools and in public schools as well as tutoring in person and online, he is excited to teach courses in the Great Hall of Scholé Academy so that learning can be the true focus.
Eric was attracted to Scholé Academy for the commitment to restful learning. Eric loves the beauty of mathematical reasoning. He loves the feeling of accomplishment and confidence that comes from learning math. He loves the lightbulb moments, and he loves the real skills math builds--skills that make so many things doable and possible.
Eric also loves the Word of God. God is a God of truth and order, and so we find in scripture truth and logical arguments that help us to understand creation--God, ourselves, one another, redemptive history, and our hope in Christ Jesus. Eric loves sharing the Word of God to start every course session. Eric does that for the same reason he learns and teaches math: because doing so enriches us and helps us to discover the truths God has made. As Proverbs 25:2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
Esther Deiana
Esther Deiana was born and raised in a little town by the sea, in the island of Sardinia (south of Italy). Growing up in a land of ancient traditions she was always fascinated by learning about the history, language and artifacts of her ancestors and that fascination quickly turned into unending curiosity for all different civilizations. She graduated with a B.A. in Italian Grammar and Literature and then pursued her passion for the symbolic lives of cultures through her master's degree in Anthropology. She has been teaching on and off for the last 20 years and has experienced a variety of learning scenarios; she has worked as an in-person and online private tutor teaching Latin, Spanish, Italian and English as a foreign language. She has also taught group classes for adults as well as children, in the three countries she has lived (Italy, Spain and US). Esther is now married with three kids, and she can't but recognize the fractal similarities between raising kids and the calling of being an educator. Her dedication to teaching is only exceeded by her enthusiasm for learning and her love for Beauty in all its forms; she is eager to share this new chapter of her journey with her family in Christ, at the Schole Academy. Mrs. Deiana and her family attend St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado where she serves as part of the Youth Ministry Leadership.
Francie Longshore
Francie Longshore has taught Latin, humanities, writing, and logic to middle schoolers, high schoolers, and undergraduate college students for over fifteen years. Most recently, she worked as the lead humanities teacher at an ecumenically-minded classical Christian school. She possesses an M. A. in Medieval Studies (Catholic University of America), an M. A. in Christian Thought with an emphasis in philosophy of religion (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), and a Ph. D. in Philosophy (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium). Francie lives in the Portland, Oregon area with her husband, two elementary-aged kids, and three cats. The kids are home-schooled and the cats are self-taught. When not reading Virgil or facilitating Socratic seminars, Francie enjoys a good game of Scrabble and the occasional British game show. In the summer, she can often be found turning tomatoes into salsa or blackberries into jam.
Fransell Riley
Chair of the Math Department [email protected]
Dr. Fransell Riley, Chair of Math Department spent most of her career working as a quantitative analyst. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington with every intention of remaining in corporate America. Though she enjoyed her work, she ultimately responded to an internal call to pursue a passion for educating students, including her own children. Fransell has taught math and science to students of all ages from elementary school to college. While teaching, she noticed that her natural teaching style aligned almost perfectly with the concepts of classical education. She takes a holistic approach to teaching and involves her students in discussions aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the concept being taught with the desire that student learning extend beyond memorizing algorithms. Fransell has a passion for mathematics and seeks to share that passion with the next generation. Beyond math, Fransell enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons. They are all athletes and nature lovers; they enjoy participating in sports, hiking, exploring nature, and traveling. When they aren’t enjoying God’s creation, you can find them indoors reading or watching reruns from the Star Trek series.
Fr. Gabriel Souza
Father Gabriel Souza was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of blessed memory in February of 2021. He currently serves under the Omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York in the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. Fr. Souza’s education and priestly formation prepared him to serve in various positions as an educator, director of religious education and faith formation for youth and young adults, and pastoral counselor. With strong interpersonal skills, he builds and develops strong relationships with parishioners and students.
Passionate about working with youth and leading the liturgy and prayers of the church, it is through teaching and preaching that his passion for Jesus truly comes alive. He enjoys spending time with my very close-knit family and socializing with my friends- especially other clergy. Reading, traveling, learning about the great treasures of Orthodoxy, meeting people, and learning about and experiencing different cultures are also the great joys of his life.
Grant Gombert
Grant Gombert grew up in the Hill Country of Texas where he received a Liberal Arts education and raised sheep in the town his ancestors helped found. He received his B.A. in Philosophy with honors from Messiah University and his M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD. As a child, when asked, Grant would say he wanted to be a tree when he grew up. As of yet, he has failed to sprout even a single leaf, but he has written many pages as a lover of the written and spoken word. Through the influence of several very good teachers, Grant found that teaching – the intellectual life – could be even better than the arboreal life. He now teaches Rhetoric and Humane Letters to students in Richmond, VA. When he is not teaching, you might find him singing in the choir at his parish, planting herbs in his garden, in the midst of a lively discussion over a home cooked dinner, or grappling with someone using his knowledge of Jiu Jitsu.
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Hannah Graves
Hannah Graves earned her BA at Wyoming Catholic College where she gained a love and respect for the great outdoors. She then pursued an MA in Scriptural Theology from Christendom College and is currently working on a second from St. Mary on the Lake in Liturgical Studies. She has taught various subjects and spent two years teaching in Africa. Currently, she teaches for Schole and Aquinas Classical Academy in Bremerton, WA. In her free time she loves "the home arts" -- knitting, spinning, weaving -- as well as hiking and archery.
Helga Maier
Helga Maier speaks German as her native tongue. She has inherited her love for languages and learning languages from her mother, who would always study the language of a new European country their family was visiting. She began teaching German to English speakers on the mission field, when Americans came to work alongside her to reach Germany, her home country, for Christ. She has since earned a certificate for an English as a foreign language teacher and have studied Classical Education through ClassicalU, where she has earned level I.
She has taught German at a private after-school program in Connecticut and is still teaching several private students, from beginner levels to preparing for the German entry exam to universities in Germany. Most recently she has taught German to high school students at Chapel Field Christian Schools, a Classical Christian School in upstate New York.
Jacob Voyce
Jacob Voyce brings over two decades of experience in Christian education, excelling in roles as both teacher and administrator across various private programs. Equipped with a BA in Bible and Theology and an MAED in Curriculum and Instruction, his diverse teaching background enables him to address the needs of students across all subjects. Having worked with students from kindergarten to adulthood, he currently homeschools his own children in Northern California. With a recent certification in coding data analytics, Mr. Voyce is also passionate about equipping students for future vocations and opportunities. He is committed to supporting families in their educational journey, fostering academic excellence and holistic development toward God. Beyond education, Mr. Voyce finds joy in participating in unique sports such as water polo, disc golf, and ultimate frisbee!
Jamie Terral
Jamie Terral has been teaching math and science in variety of settings including private Christian education, online tutoring, community college, and homeschool for the past 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Education from Concordia University Texas. She currently lives with her husband and four children in North Texas. Her husband serves as the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church and together they homeschool their children. Her journey in homeschooling has lead to the discovery of Classical Christian education and the nurturing of restful learning.
Jamie strives to engage her students in the learning process by making her classes enjoyable and creative. When not in the classroom or teaching her own children, Jamie enjoys studying nutrition, growing food, paddle boarding and getting her Vitamin D outside in God’s creation.
Jennifer Armstrong
Jennifer Armstrong has a B.S. in English and an M.A. in Student Affairs Administration from Ball State University in Indiana. She is a homeschool mom of two and has been homeschooling her daughters with the support of a classical tutorial since 2014. She has been teaching lower school English and History in the tutorial since 2019 where she enjoys looking for the true, good, and beautiful with her students. After more than twenty years working in Higher Education, she’s looking forward to focusing on educating young students in the fundamentals of the English language and giving them the tools to recognize and create beautiful and true things as they grow. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys reading and discussing literature, creating things from fabric and yarn, and trying to make a garden grow.
Jennifer Breidenbach
Jennifer Breidenbach holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. She has experience in homeschool co-ops, private Catholic schools, and a private art studio. Jennifer is a devoted wife and mother, who loves living out her vocation and spending time with her family.
Currently, she volunteers at her local Catholic homeschool co-op, and runs her own website. It is a great joy for her to be an instructor with the Aquinas House of Studies at Scholé Academy. She spends her free-time going on nature walks with her toddlers, painting and drawing, learning new skills, and deepening her faith life!
Jillian Strecker
Jillian Strecker has a BA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a MA in Russian literature from University College London and is currently working on a certificate in Classical Learning from the University of Dallas. She has shared her passion for literature, writing and poetry with children at private schools in New York City and New Orleans for over a decade. She is also a homeschool mom who has been educating her children for more than 13 years. Additionally, Jillian is a published poet who is currently working on two books of poetry, one for children and one for adults. When not teaching and writing, Jillian loves reading literature. Her favorite writers are Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, Flannery O’ Connor and Charles Dickens. She also loves riding her bike with her husband and two sons, baking and watching the original Twilight Zone series with a large bowl of popcorn.
Jimmy Schambach
Jimmy Schambach holds a Master of Divinity from Regent University, and a BA in theology and philosophy from Evangel University. Currently, he works as the executive director of a faith-based nonprofit organization called M28 Ministry, which operates out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In his past, Jimmy worked as a youth and young adult pastor at a large church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since his time in college, Jimmy has grown in his love for philosophy, logic, and theology. He has taught in many settings over the years and enjoys his classes at Scholé Academy. Jimmy and his wife, Tristin, live in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, where they have a young daughter named Aviana and a dog named Panda.
Joelle Riethmiller
Joelle Riethmiller believes true education impacts the body, mind, and soul of an individual through all subject areas and promotes personal and virtuous growth through life-long learning. Mrs. Riethmiller received a BS in Mathematics-Mathematics Secondary Education from Grove City College (1999). While teaching seventh and eighth grade mathematics in public school, she earned a M-ED in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon University (2002). Mrs. Riethmiller chose to step away from the classroom in 2003 to focus her attention on her young and growing family. In 2007, she embarked on the home education journey with two of her three children. Continuing that journey, she is still experiencing the humbling beauty and depth of true and real life-long learning. She believes her 20 years of sacramental marriage, parenting and home educating her now four children, and her personal faith journey have cultivated a desire to seek truth, beauty, and goodness in all aspects of life.
Mrs. Riethmiller strives to ignite a love for learning and desire for virtue in her students that ex-tends beyond the study of mathematics. She is thrilled to participate in the Scholè Academy mission to cultivate student learning that endures.
Jonam Walter
Jonam Walter received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Physics from Haverford College and an M.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in Agricultural Engineering. While at UIUC, he worked as an engineer for John Deere where he did testing with automated equipment.
Jonam has been involved in teaching from a young age, assisting his father in homeschool classrooms with the younger grades. He has continued teaching math and the physical sciences throughout his career both in one on one tutoring and in larger classroom settings. As a TA at UIUC he taught extensively online and helped students navigate the transition to online learning.
Currently, Jonam lives near Thermopolis, Wyoming and runs a bio-diverse vegetable and livestock farm with his wife, Joy. They decided to start farming so that they could homeschool and work along side their new son in a calm environment that highlights God’s nature. Jonam also enjoys designing and building furniture, reading, and hiking.
Jordan Henderson
Dr. Jordan Henderson has taught middle school, high school, and college students in some capacity for over a decade. He has a deep love both for learning and teaching, especially in the humanities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Memphis, a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in Religion (specializing in Religions of Western Antiquity) from Florida State University. His research has appeared in several academic journals, and he is currently working on his first book on the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.
Originally from Jackson, MS, Jordan currently lives in Tallahassee, FL with his wife and four children. He and his wife have homeschooled their three older children over the past six years. They also teach Sunday School together to middle school students at Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church in Tallahassee. Jordan enjoys reading, hiking, writing, the outdoors, and spending time with his family.
Joseph Lanzilotti
Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti began teaching with Scholé Academy in 2024. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He has reading proficiencies in Latin, Koine Greek, Spanish, French, and German. His dissertation was written on the significance of the biblical heart in the theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI. Dr. Lanzilotti also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Ave Maria University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a second major in Philosophy from DeSales University, and a certification in Health Care Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
Dr. Lanzilotti's passion for teaching theology and philosophy grew during his undergraduate years, particularly when he was introduced to the writings of Aristotle, Plato, C.S. Lewis, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Karol Wojtyła/Pope John Paul II. Dr. Lanzilotti has taught at the college, high school, and elementary school levels. He currently teaches high school students at a private classical school in the Catholic tradition.
Dr. Lanzilotti spent his childhood and adolescence in the rural northwest portion of New Jersey. He has a great love for the outdoors and the natural world. He is a beekeeper and a gardener. He enjoys trail running, swimming, and skiing. He is actively involved in his local Melkite Greek Catholic parish where he serves as a reader and chanter. Dr. Lanzilotti and his wife have a two-year-old son and are expecting their second child. They reside in Northern Virginia.
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Julie Boudreaux
Julie Boudreaux has been a teacher at a brick-and-mortar classical school for three years. She has taught Creative Writing, Geography, American Literature, and Modern History and Literature. She also assists in her school's yearly Shakespeare production. Her journey with classical education began in middle school and she has been captivated by its truth and beauty ever since. She received her Bachelor's degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. At Scholé Academy, she offers tutoring services, summer programs, and humanities instruction. Julie is dedicated to cultivating joy for learning in her students.
Kara Lobley
Kara Lobley, enjoys finding answers and imparting those discoveries to everyone. This passion for truth inspired her to earn her bachelor’s degree in history at Patrick Henry College (PHC), in Purcellville, VA. The classical experience at PHC and her own experience being homeschooled outside the classical tradition (K-12) showed Kara the beauties of each approach. She delights in witnessing how classical homeschooling equips students to identify and discover “the true, the good, and the beautiful” in the world around them and to share those revelations with others.
Kara began working with children as a high schooler at children’s theater camps and at her church’s Vacation Bible Schools. During college and post-graduation, she spent five years as a high school writing tutor and one year as a preschool teaching assistant. Kara has spent the past three years teaching lower school Well-Ordered Language and Writing and Rhetoric with Scholé Academy and is excited to return for a fourth year this year. Outside of the classroom, Kara can be found reading, hiking, or singing.
Kh. Kassiani Newman
Kassiani Newman has a Masters in Teaching from the University of New Hampshire with a background in Language. She taught secondary school for more than five years before starting a family. Now at home with children, she has focused on her passion for art. While she had some foundational art courses at UNH, she was blessed to participate in courses in iconography, and she developed her skills while caring for her three young children. Over the past 7 years she has shared the fruits of these labors on her children’s website for free coloring pages. She taught for a year as PreK teacher at a small Classical Academy in OH, but now homeschools her three children, choosing to continue with classical themes, methods and languages. Her passion for art has grown into an iconography studio in the home.
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Kate McSharry
Kate McSharry holds a BA in French from Western Washington University and studied history, art, and literature at the Centre International D’Etudes Françaises in Angers, France. Her love for France and French led her to spend three years living in Nice, France where she taught English to French middle, high school and college students. In her free time, she volunteered tutoring Moroccan and Algerian immigrant children using their common language of French. During this time, God placed in her a desire to see all nations, tribes, and tongues know and confess Jesus as Lord. Since returning to the US, she has taught in a variety of settings, including several years as a middle school teacher at her church. Teaching French with Scholé Academy allows Kate to combine her love for the French language with her desire to see young people passionate about Jesus and his mission. Kate lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. She enjoys hiking, skiing, camping, paddle boarding and reading. She has traveled extensively and has been to 5 different continents. France will always be her favorite place to travel!
Kate Weise
Kate Weise has worked as a tutor, teacher, or school administrator since 2010 and has experience teaching multiple grade levels and across disciplines. She believes any student can fall in love with learning and loves helping them discover their unique giftings as God's image bearers. She holds degrees in History and Writing from Union University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Most recently, she helped launch an urban, Classical Christian school where she worked primarily in curriculum development and academic support. Along the way, she developed a passion for math education that emphasizes building mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. She and her husband have three children that they are homeschooling together.
Kellie Tandilyan
Kellie Tandilyan graduated from a Classical Christian high school in rural Montana before matriculating to Hillsdale College to study Classical Languages and Literature. While there she was received into the Orthodox Church which led her to continue her studies at Hellenic College in Brookline, MA where she met and married a handsome seminarian from Armenia. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Education from the Waldorf Teacher training program at Antioch University with a thesis entitled “”Making Space for the Sacred: The Creative Arts and the Spiritual Development of Children””. Presvytera recently also completed the Master’s of Divinity degree at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
A veteran homeschooling mom of three, she has been teaching in and out of the classroom for over twenty years. Kellie and Father Anthony live in Wilmington, MA and serve the Dormition of the Virgin Mary parish in Somerville. When not teaching, Presvytera enjoys making music with her children, gardening, hiking and keeping company with their 11 chickens.
Kirsten Fortier
Kirsten Fortier holds a BA in Education from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. The bulk of her experience comes from 18+ years of classically homeschooling four sons K-12 who are now successfully living and working out on their own. She has taught in various settings including at home, in co-ops, in brick-and-mortar schools, and online. She enjoyed a short stint as the Director of Curriculum and Assistant Head of School at a small classical Christian school that closed permanently during “COVID.” She now looks forward to a part-time career teaching restfully at Scholé Academy. Her passion for classical education in Writing & Rhetoric is on its focus with mastery learning and creative expression within a structured, time-tested model. In her free time, she enjoys visiting her children and grandchildren, hiking, camping, living history, and researching family genealogy. She and her husband live in Michigan with their three active dogs, one old cat, a handful of chatty chickens and silly ducks, and two busy hives of honeybees.
Kristin Edwards-Kubrina
Kristin Edwards-Kubrina (Kristina Robertovna) has been teaching Russian and literature for over 10 years. She has an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University and an M.A. in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Her courses in modern Russian help students to become more confident and adept Russian-speakers. The courses will draw upon the language’s cultural backdrop and its interaction with the language spoken today. We will look at (and, hopefully, delight in) a few of the ways that the beauty of Church Slavonic and Russian Orthodoxy are hidden inside modern Russian. Mrs. Edwards-Kubrina hopes that the rigor of learning Russian will enrich and beautify the minds, hearts, and everyday lives of students, much as it has in her own family. She lives in South Carolina and serves as the choir director at her local parish.
Lauren Hartke
Lauren Della Piazza Hartke is a third generation teacher, raised by parents who instilled in her a passion for history and literature. She graduated from a Christian high school before attending Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Lauren had the opportunity to study abroad in Scotland for a semester before obtaining a B.A. in History. As a teaching assistant at Geneva College she fell in love with teaching the humanities and accordingly went on to obtain an M.A. in Public History from Georgia Southern University where she also worked as a teaching assistant and a coordinator for the Ogeechee International History Film Festival.
Lauren’s abiding interest is in educating people of all ages in all matters of history, but her favorite eras are classical and medieval Europe. Her experience in both Christian and secular higher education made her consider her own pedagogy and preference for the classical model. She firmly believes that an education in the humanities enables us to better love God and love our neighbors.
Besides reading and watching old films, Lauren loves baking, traveling, playing the piano, and hiking. She and her husband Logan live in Jacksonville, Florida where they share a house with their cat, Katya. They love cooking for friends and family members, and can frequently be found at exotic grocery stores shopping for unique ingredients.
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Lisa Jacobson
Lisa Jacobson has been in education since 1983 when she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Music Therapy. Raising and homeschooling her own five children in the Classic tradition has been her greatest achievement. She believes that beauty in all its forms should surround all education. God the Creator is the source of all beauty. She is an accomplished musician who enjoys folk music and jazz. She has played a variety of instruments including piano, clarinet, saxophone, flute, ukulele, guitar as well and enjoys singing. When she has time to herself, she can often be found tending to her porch garden, playing her guitar, spending time with children, cooking, reading, or exercising. She and her husband live in the hill country of Texas.
Luke Arredondo
Luke Arredondo, PhD, serves as the Director of Faith Formation for the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization in the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas. He earned a BA in Philosophy at St. Joseph Seminary College, an MA in Theological Studies at Notre Dame Seminary, and a PhD in Comparative Religious Ethics at Florida State University. He has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels, both in person and online and also has volunteered in homeschool cooperatives. Luke has been married for 14 years and has four daughters and one son. He and his wife, Elena, homeschool their children in East Texas and they are diehard New Orleans Saints fans.
Pres. Maria Koulianos
Tutoring Center & CSLD Manager Principal of St. Raphael School [email protected]
Presbytera Maria Koulianos, Principal, has been an educator for over 25 years, loving every minute, with vast experiences in both public and private schools as a classroom teacher, a developer and implementer of learning programs for students, and an area administrator. She earned her bachelor of science in education from Indiana University with certifications in elementary education, 7/8 non-departmental, language arts 1–9, and computer education K–12. She holds a master of divinity and a master of theology from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she wrote her thesis, “The Annunciation of the Theotokos from a Liturgical Perspective.” Presbytera Maria and her husband, Father Dionysios, live in the greater Springfield area where he is the Dean of Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. As an educator, she hopes to inspire her students to love literature and become lifelong learners. As principal, she is a servant-leader who is charged with building a community that supports students and parents striving for Orthodox restful classical education.
Mark Signorelli
Mark A. Signorelli has over twenty years of experience in education, as a teacher, administrator, and consultant. He has served as the head of two Catholic classical secondary programs located in New Jersey. Over the years, he has taught a variety of courses, including British and American Literature, Ancient Humanities, Medieval Humanities, Rhetoric, Poetry, and Great Books. He works with the Beautiful Teaching company, providing professional development to other classical educators. In addition to his work as an educator, Mr. Signorelli is also a published author, whose writing has appeared in over a dozen separate journals, including places like The Public Discourse, Modern Age, The University Bookman, The Front Porch Republic, and The Imaginative Conservative. He currently shares his thoughts on classical education at his own site, The Classical Corner.
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Marv Retzer
Marv Retzer, Chemistry Instructor, began teaching in 1977. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Grace College, a Master of Arts degree in Christian School Administration from Grace Theological Seminary and completed EdD (ABD) studies at Ball State University in Educational Leadership with a Curriculum cognate. Mr. Retzer began his undergrad studies in medical research before switching to Elementary Education and, with his extensive Math and Science background, has taught MS-HS Math and Science classes for over 20+ years in addition to work in administration. Mr. Retzer’s personal scientific “love” is for Chemistry and he was privileged to receive a summer Eisenhower Fellowship in the 1980’s to study Microscale Chemistry at MIT in Boston. “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:3 ESV) Mr. Retzer’s goal is for all students to see the majesty and power of God in creation through the study of Science.
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Matthew Davenport
Matthew Davenport earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University with a second major in Philosophy. After working five years with the US Army as a project engineer, he left to study the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard at St. Olaf College and renewed his faith at the English L’Abri Fellowship. Afterwards, he found his calling as a Classical Christian educator at Samuel Fuller School, where he taught math, science and logic and helped to launch their high school expansion. He currently works for Massachusetts General Hospital as a project manager in the Cancer Center.
Matthew lives in Worcester, MA with his wife and son, where he enjoys hiking, disc-golfing, gardening, playing piano, and learning more each day about the truth, goodness, and beauty of God’s creation.
Melissa Naasko
Melissa Elizabeth Naasko is married to a ROCOR priest and lives in the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan on a small farm. She uses her prior catering and restaurant work in her recipe development. She is also the mother of eleven children, grandmother of one, and a strong believer in teaching people how to cook for themselves.
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Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts holds a master’s degree in painting from the New York Academy of art. He has been teaching students of various ages for over 20 years. He currently serves as an elementary librarian in Mechanicsburg, PA where he lives with his wife and two sons. In addition to drawing and painting, he enjoys singing in the choir, playing guitar, biking and kayaking.
Milica Savic
Milica Savic was born in Belgrade, Serbia. At the age of six she immigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Growing up in south Florida, and visiting her family in Serbia every summer, grew her love for travel, culture, history, and learning. When deciding on a track in college, she chose International Relations as it blended many of her interests and life experiences. Upon graduating from the University of Central Florida, she took a teaching position at Paideia Classical Academy in Coconut Creek, Florida. She started out as a teacher’s assistant, and the following year, she was offered her own class. Milica taught the first and second grade levels for two years. She also has experience as the Administrative Assistant in the Missionary Department for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida. This is her second year with Scholé/SRS, and her second year teaching Level 4 Liberal Arts, Children’s Literature. Currently, Milica lives in Belgrade with her husband Stefan and daughter Danica. [email protected]
Mindi Popovich-Schneider
Mindi Popovich-Schneider knew from the time she was seven years old that her future career would involve books. She received her BA in English with a minor in Classics from Hillsdale College and a Master's in Library Science with a focus in Youth Services from the University of Wisconsin. Ultimately, she realized that she wanted to serve the Church more directly (while still reading as many books as possible) and left libraries to work in education. She is currently the assistant for Saint Emmelia Ministries, and previously served as a college counselor at Philadelphia Classical School. As a homeschool alumna, she is delighted and honored to walk with homeschool families as their children learn more about our Creator and the beautiful world He has given us. In her free time, she enjoys playing the ukulele, writing, or delightedly making mediocre watercolors and embroidery pieces. She lives in Eastern PA with her husband Calvin, their son, two beehives, and one grouchy cat.
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Monika Minehart
Chair of the Aquinas House of Studies [email protected]
Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, a military spouse and mother of four, has been working in Catholic Religious Education for over 15 years. She has instructed children and adults as a Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Faith Formation Facilitator. She earned her B.A. in English and Early Christian Studies from The University of Michigan and her M.A. in Divinity from The University of Chicago with a focus in Biblical Studies and Koine Greek. In addition to being a homemaker and homeschooling mother, Monika enjoys reading, weightlifting, and listening to a variety of uplifting music especially Danielle Rose, The Vigil Project, and the Hillbilly Thomists.
Nathan Dickinson
Nathan Dickinson holds a M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently serves as a deacon at Christ the King Anglican Church in Beckley, West Virginia. He is a West Virginia native who has had approximately a decade of teaching experiences in local churches and missionary settings. He has taught the Bible in Kenya, Zambia, Myanmar, and Jamaica, and has taught English (among other things) to students in a Christian school setting. He loves helping students see the beauty of God in Holy Scripture and helping students learn to engage in meaningful dialogue.
His two boys (Barnabas, 5, and Martin, 3) keep his home life interesting and full of adventure! When he is not adventuring with his wife and boys, he is looking for a good cup of coffee, a good book, and a good conversation.
Fr. Nikolai Meyers
Father Nikolai Meyers is a native of Southern California. He holds a bachelor of arts in Bible and cross-cultural ministry from Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan, Kansas. He earned his master of divinity from St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary, in South Cannon, Pennsylvania. He was ordained Deacon in September of 2007 by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochain Archdiocese at St. Tikhon Monastery in South Cannon, Pennsylvania, and to the holy Priesthood in July of 2008 by His Eminence at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, California. He served 6 years as assistant pastor of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and concurrently was the priest in charge of the St. Paul Orthodox Mission in Tupelo, Mississippi. From October of 2014 to July of 2019 he was the pastor of St. George Orthodox Church in New Hartford, New York, where he was also the spiritual adviser for Teen SOYO in the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York. He now serves as the pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Topeka, Kansas. He is married and has 5 children. [email protected]
Fr. Noah Bushelli
Spiritual Father of St. Raphael School Lead Catechist [email protected]
Father Noah Bushelli is grateful to be married to a living saint, Khouria Elizabeth, who homeschools their 7 marvelous children. He met his wife at a vespers service in Alaska and still remembers the joyous and awkward moment. He is an archpriest in the Antiochian Archdiocese and was received into the Orthodox Church in 1994. He graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage with a BEd in 2000, and then he and his wife moved to St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He graduated with an MDiv in 2004. His thesis explored St. John Chrysostom’s notion of the Church as a spiritual hospital. After serving St. Nicholas in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for three years, they moved to St. Philip in Souderton, Pennsylvania, in 2006. Fr. Noah is grateful to raise his family in this warm, generous, faithful, and vibrant community and is working very hard to meet the demands of parish life as well as focusing on “the one thing needful.” He spends his downtime taking walks, reading theology, changing diapers, telling stories to his children, and playing a little guitar. He is grateful for the success of St. Raphael School and Scholé Academy, excited to share his love for God and the Church with students, and looking forward to stretching his teaching skills into cyberspace. He thanks you for your prayers for him, his family, parishioners, and students!
Parker Moore
Parker Moore has been teaching in an online, classical Christian school setting since 2021, and loves the role of teaching younger minds in a classical, online format. Parker is himself a homeschool graduate, coming from a family of nine, homeschooled students.
After graduating in 2013, Parker went on to pursue a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Master’s in Biblical Exposition, both from Liberty University. He began a PhD in Public Policy, with a focus on political theory and philosophy, in 2021, which is to be completed at the end of 2024.
In addition to his studies, Parker also enjoys books, strong coffee, strength training, and music, having toured the U.S. and Canada with his family band in previous years. Sharing his love of both Latin and the humanities is something which he counts as a great blessing from God, and which he looks forward to at the start of every class.
Paul Laywell
Paul Laywell has four decades of teaching experience and has taught everything from seventh-grade Earth Science to Advanced Placement Biology and Chemistry.
After teaching in the public schools for sixteen-years, he transitioned to classical Christian schools. For the past eighteen years, he has served as the science department head at Covenant Christian Academy in Colleyville, TX where he most recently taught physics and Advanced Placement Chemistry.
As a science teacher in classical educational he is continually searching for ways to integrate robust science content with history, philosophy and theology in meaningful ways. Lessons often include eye-catching demonstrations and are routinely sprinkled with humor.
In addition to these secondary teaching positions, he has also taught in an adjunct capacity at both Tarrant County College and Dallas Baptist University.
Paul Murray
Paul Murray is a 2021 graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, earning his Master of Divinity and Certificate in Byzantine Music. He has been chanting since the age of 10 at churches in the Antiochian and Greek Orthodox Archdioceses. He has studied under Fr. Romanos Karanos and briefly under Gabriel Cremeens. He has taught classes in Byzantine Chant at summer camps and other programs, and has given some private chanting lessons. He is currently the School Administrator of St. Herman of Alaska Christian School in Allston, MA, and serves as the Protopsaltis (lead chanter) of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Newburyport, MA. He lives in Boston with is wife, Despina, who is also a chanter, and his one-year-old daughter, Photini.
Peter Belfry
Peter Belfry has a range of teaching and tutoring experience in a variety of subjects and age levels from kindergarten through to adult education at the college level and has taught at several classical, Christian and public schools. He has enjoyed having the experience of teaching Programming and Logic classes to students, which ties well to his background in philosophy and computer science. In addition to serving as an instructor with Schole, Peter serves as a professor of Computer Science and Video Game Development with Canadore College, teaching courses on Operating Systems and programming languages such as Windows, Linux, HTML, CSS, C++, C#, and Visual Basic as well as Artificial Intelligence, Object Oriented Programming, Mathematics, Business and Workplace Skills. Peter holds an Honors BA from Trent University in History as well as a BA in Education, specializing in History and Computer Science. He holds an MA from Knox Theological Seminary in Classical and Christian studies, which provides him a background for teaching from a classical perspective. For his MA program, he read and reflected on many of the Great Books as well as studied Scripture and church history. Peter has completed a week-long teacher training with the Association of Classical Christian Schools and Rockbridge Academy. His favorite piece of classical literature is Dante’s The Divine Comedy.
In addition to teaching, Peter also has experience serving in a pastoral role and enjoys volunteering to serve in his local church and community. He helps in evangelistic outreach as well as teaching lessons from the Bible. Peter has experience and training as an English as a Second Language instructor as well. He has experience teaching both online and in person. He believes in Scholé’s approach in seeking “restful learning” and believes that education should be life-giving and freeing for the soul as it should acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the source of all that is true, good and beautiful. Peter lives in the North Bay, Ontario area with his wife and twin boys.
Peter provides tutoring services with Scholé Academy and teaches the following classes: The Art of Argument: An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies, Formal Logic: The Discovery of Deduction, The Logic of Computer Programming, and The Art of Computer Programming.
Phaedra Shaltanis
Chair of the History and Literature Department [email protected]
Phaedra Shaltanis, Chair of the Humanities Department, has taught in private and classical schools for over 25 years and has educated her four children in the classical tradition, which has been the monumental joy of her life. After college graduation, she began teaching high school Writing, Literature, Spanish, and Art in classical schools. Her involvement with Scholé Academy includes teaching American Literature, British Literature, Western History, Rhetoric I, Formal Logic and Well-Ordered Language Levels 1 and 2. She is enthused to serve as the Humanities department chair and appreciates guiding parents and teachers toward restful education. In her Dallas community, she currently directs a high school university-model program, trains and mentors teachers, conducts seminars on classical education, builds curriculum, supports parents, and provides fine art instruction at a classical high school. She and her husband hope to support classical education as avenues present themselves.
Ramona Bean
Ramona V. Saridakis Bean, a first generation Greek-American, born in Vero Beach and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida. After finishing at Cardinal Newman High School in 1996, graduated from University of Florida in 2001 after completing a student-athlete career as a Lady Gator Cross-Country and Track runner with a B.A. in English.
Served as a congressional aide for former U.S. Rep. Mark A. Foley, serving a legislative portfolio that included Ways and Means appropriations and issues regarding education and the environment. Followed with an appointee position for President George W. Bush’s administration in the office of Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her other teaching pursuits include helping Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton with their Sunday School program and her children’s Greek School.
Currently serving as “CEO of the Home” administering home and online education for three children, managing care of a widowed grandfather 96 years young, and recently acquired her MBA degree from University of Florida in December 2020.
In addition to serving as a parish council member at Saint Mark, she’s a volunteer for Junior League of the Palm Beaches and a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Authority. Ramona loves running, singing, painting, gardening and helping others.
Randi Sider-Rose
Randi Maria Sider-Rose's journey into iconography began in Russia and Latvia, where she had been a highschool exchange student, college student, and after college- Fulbright Scholar. In 1998 she came back to the states and was able to travel to learn from different iconography teachers. Since then, she has married Michael Sider-Rose and completed an MDiv, specializing in iconography, at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
As well as taking commissions from churches and individuals, Randi (aka Maria, as in Saint Maria of Paris) loves to walk with students aged 9-97 on the journey of learning to see better and more intentionally, using this “prayer of the hands” to grow in holiness, with God’s grace. Michael, Maria, and their 5 kids attend Saint Moses the Black Orthodox Mission Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she has been blessed by His Grace Bishop Thomas to serve in the ministry of iconography.
Rebekah Furubotten
Rebekah Furubotten holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Creative Writing emphasis from Western Washington University and is a lover of literature, beauty, and the story of Jesus. Gathering friends to talk about books is one of her favorite things in the world, especially when the story is filled with gorgeous imagery, interesting characters, and artful writing. As she has homeschooled her four children over the past twelve years, instructed at a classical co-op, and taught an acclaimed writing program to neighbor kids alongside her own, she has sought to display God’s Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in every subject, especially the literature they read. Loving their neighbors is an integral part of her family’s weekly rhythms, and you can find Rebekah hosting book clubs and parties for children and adults where they can discuss stories, ask good questions, and deepen their understanding of what they read and what makes good writing, good. Rebekah lives in Olympia, WA with her husband, four kids, and two dogs. When she isn’t teaching, chauffeuring, or reading, Rebekah enjoys making memories with her family, writing, cooking, moving her body, and redecorating her house.
Reny Bake
Reny Bake was born and raised in Guatemala. The daughter of a Dutch-Indo father and a Guatemalan mother, she split her time as a child between Guatemala, Miami, and the Netherlands.
Her academic background includes degrees in business administration, economics, international trade, and national security issues, with a particular focus on the United States. She uses her multifaceted background to analyze and explain global issues on her radio program in Guatemala. Most recently, she became a professor of theology for Guatemalan high school students.
Her interest in theology was sparked by her father's stories about their family's European origins, recently journeying to Philadelphia to explore a family connection to a Protestant reverend mentioned in American Revolution archives. This pivotal moment inspired her to delve deeper into her family's history and Christian values. Reny continues her quest to know her family's story in the Netherlands and beyond as she begins to learn Latin and Greek to better understand her notable scholarly ancestors .
Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time with her three cats, tending to plants, reading, and taking cooking classes. Her dedication to education, research, and family heritage is a driving force in her life.
Rhea Bright
Chair of the Canterbury House of Studies [email protected]
Rhea Bright, Chair of The Canterbury House of Studies, holds a B.A. from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and an M.A. in Classics from Dalhousie University, also in Halifax. Her Classical studies involved Latin and Greek, as well as classical and medieval literature, philosophy and theology. King’s Foundation Year Program, an early integrated great books curriculum, and the Dalhousie Classics department formed and nurtured what became a life-long love of the classics and a deep appreciation of the contribution of the ancient world to whatsoever is good and true and beautiful. She also has a Bachelor of Education from Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. Rhea taught Ancient and Medieval Humanities at the University of Central Oklahoma for nine years, and over the course of ten years at Providence Hall and The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, she taught Latin, Logic, Bible, and integrated ancient literature and history. Rhea is married to Father Patrick Bright, an ordained Anglican priest who served for over 24 years at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City and recently retired from full-time ministry. Together they raised five sons, now grown. They now live in a 170-year-old house in rural Nova Scotia.
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Kh. Rima Zafaran
Khouria Rima Zaffaran has a love for learning and a deep enjoyment of chanting and teaching. She is Lebanese, married to a Syrian Priest, has four children and Lives in Pennsylvania. Khouria Rima has a bachelor’s degree of Theology from St John of Damascus, Balamand, Lebanon.
She is well versed in Byzantine music and leads a children and adult choir at her parish. She has spent more than 30 years teaching choirs, religion, and the Arabic Language. Her Love to Her native Language makes her very excited to teach it to the students in a fun and professional way.
Samuel Walter
Samuel Walter received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Haverford College, and a M.M. and M.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. During his time at Yale University Samuel established himself in New Haven as a commissioned portrait and still-life artist. He has been awarded in numerous international and national competitions including the 2022 ARC International Salon competition, the 2022 Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition and the 2021 Portrait Society of America’s Future Generation award. He has also been featured in the International Artist Magazine, The Art of The Portrait Magazine, and the American Art Collector Magazine. Samuel has received portrait commissions from presidents, professors and administration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Swarthmore College, Haverford College, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. In his portraiture, Samuel tries to emphasize that all are created in the image of God.
Samuel is also a passionate teacher and has provided both art and music instruction for nearly a decade. Teaching art is a wonderful way to open students’ eyes to the beauty of God’s creation all around them: to notice beautiful colors, shapes, lighting and compositions. Art can be an act of worship in which we appreciate what God has created, and imitate Him, the great Artist and Creator.
Sara Silkwood
Sara Silkwood holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Syracuse University. Sara has several years experience teaching in a variety of areas including college level, church-run camps, Classical schools and privately. Currently, Sara works out of her home studio in Houston, Texas where she lives with her great dane-lab mix, Oberon. She spends her free-time backpacking, reading and illustrating her own stories.
Sarah Marshall
Sarah Marshall has an endless love of music and deep appreciation for the sights and sounds of God’s remarkable creation. She studied at two Summer Music Institutes at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as well as taking college coursework in music studies. She has directed choirs in both the Orthodox Church in America and the Antiochian Archdiocese for the past 40 years. She has developed and grown mission choirs and directed cathedral choirs, making beautiful music for the Glory of God with countless people of all ages and skill levels. Sarah has retired from a long career in software development and with her husband has raised 4 incredible children. She lives in Massachusetts and attends St. George Antiochian Cathedral in Worcester, MA.
Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith– Shalom! Or should I say, שלום! My name is Sarah Smith and I am very excited to join St. Raphael School this year. I am a wife, a mom of two young kids, and an avid reader. I joined the Orthodox Faith with my Chrismation along with my husband, and now as a family live the faith. Before I inquired into the Orthodox faith I served as a youth minister in an other faith tradition. I love the honest questions, the search for truth, and the fun-loving nature of teenagers.
Old Testament is more than something I study – it’s my absolute passion! I received my BA in Biblical Studies at Olivet Nazarene University in 2013 and continued my education with an MDiv at Asbury Theological Seminary in 2017 where I spent all my electives on the Ancient Near East. Some of my specialties include Biblical archaeology – I spent a summer living in Israel digging at Tel Abel Beth Maacah – as well as Biblical Hebrew as I was the teaching assistant and grader for two years in Seminary).
I came into the Orthodox Faith by way of Old Testament study – when I first attended the Divine Liturgy I was brought to tears because I saw the worship of the Old Testament taking place in front of me. My year as a catechumen was spent wrestling with theological ideas and personal ideas I had to let go of, but I never looked back. Orthodoxy is a clear continuation of the Faith of our ancient ancestors. I’m excited to get to know you and I hope to see you in one of my classes!
Sarah Wolf
Sarah Wolf has been teaching for over 15 years. She holds a BA in 7-12 English and History Education and an MA in Secondary Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Throughout her career, Sarah has taught writing, literature, speaking, and music to both middle and high school students. Sarah offers her students a passion for studying literature, history, poetry, music, and nature, and looks forward to helping them learn, grow, and reflect on “the good, the true, and the beautiful” in everything. In addition to teaching, Sarah is blessed to serve as Youth Ministry Coordinator and chanter at St. George Orthodox Church in Kearney, Nebraska. She also loves spoiling her three young nieces, reading, writing, gardening, coffee and conversation with friends, and volunteering at her church.
Sherry Joslin
Sherry Joslin earned her BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas and holds a MA in Science and Religion from Biola University. She and her husband Brian live just south of Forth Worth in Burleson, Tx.
With over 12 years of experience in the classroom and as a homeschool mom, she has taught every grade K through 12th. Her classroom experience includes Logic, AP Physics, Honors Geometry, Algebra, Singapore Math and more. Prior to teaching, Sherry worked in Mission Control as a NASA engineer. When asked why she left, she explains that children are far more complicated than space shuttles, and that her greatest accomplishment has been in the role of mentoring and educating her three children who are living for Christ as young adults.
Sherry is passionate about showing students how the relationship between faith and science is not one of conflict but of qualified agreement; and before attending university, students should be confident that the Christian worldview provides a coherent understanding of both reality and their place in it as children of God.
Silouan Oberholtzer
Silouan Oberholtzer holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from Temple University, Philadelphia. During his studies he tutored college-level mathematics both in-person and online in the subjects of Calculus I, Calculus II and Algebra. After graduating in 2022, Mr. Oberholtzer worked for two years as a Service Technician for commercial HVAC/R equipment.
Having learned on-the-job as a mechanic under senior technicians as well as formally in university, Mr. Oberholtzer’s pedagogy seeks to emphasize the practical and intuitive aspects of math education.
Mr. Oberholtzer currently attends Holy Resurrection of Christ Serbian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, PA. He hopes, God willing, to pursue further education in Orthodox Theology and Church history.
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Stephanie Jones
Stephanie Jones has been teaching in some capacity for over a decade and has a deep love for Christian education. She graduated in 2002 with a double major in Business Management and Marketing. She has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the last seven years, advocating for eleven foster children in her area. Brandon and Stephanie also work weekly at pregnancy home in their area, helping the young women find stability for them and their new babies. She also serves as co-chair of the Children’s Education committee at her home parish Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Norman Oklahoma. She teaches church school and assists in implementing a four year cycle of children’s curriculum for the parish. Stephanie and Brandon have four adopted children, all of whom she has educated at home over the past 12 years.
Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams once told his longsuffering, homeschooling mother that his future job would never depend on his ability to write in cursive or diagram a sentence. Similarly, he spent over a decade swearing that he would never enter pastoral ministry, yet he is nonetheless now creeping towards a decade in the classroom while pursuing theological studies at Beeson Divinity School in preparation for the Anglican priesthood.
Stephen has had the privilege of being shaped by several classical institutions throughout the course of his life, most notably his alma mater, Patrick Henry College, which exposed him to the glories of the Western Canon and began to grow in him a love of literature, history and theology. After a season spent in campus ministry at PHC, he stumbled into a teaching career that has spanned the elementary, middle, and high school levels, turning him into an amateur medievalist, Inklings enthusiast, and subject-matter expert on the psyches of middle school boys. Rumor has it that he sleeps with a baseball and a copy of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion under his pillow each night.
When he doesn’t have his head in a book, Stephen enjoys hiking, dabbling in poetry and cooking, and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals with his brilliant and hilarious wife and fellow Scholé instructor, Sarah Williams.
Tamara Davault
Tamara Davault is a native Texan who loves Biology. She graduated from the University of Texas Permian Basin with B.S. degrees in Biology and Chemistry. Mrs. Davault went on to earn an M.S. in Medical Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Since graduation, she has been teaching various Biology courses at several community colleges and universities in Texas. Mrs. Davault’s hobbies include archery, crochet, and nature walks.
Fr. Timothy Hojnicki
Father Timothy Hojnicki was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a 2002 graduate from the University of Delaware, where he received his MDiv from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in May of 2005. In June of 2005 he was assigned to Holy Apostles Mission in Mechanicsburg, PA, where he currently serves as pastor. He has taught liturgics and homiletics at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, and given many retreats and talks over the years. He is married to his lovely wife, Anastasia, and has four children: Nicholas, Kyra, Elijah, and Joachim. He is excited for this class and looks forward to the continued opportunity and responsibility of teaching the faith for St. Raphael School!
Tisha Frost
Tisha Frost has been teaching in a variety of settings over the last 20 years after following one of the best pieces of advice she was ever given, “Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on fire” (attributed to St. Catherine of Siena). This inspired her to study both history and theology during her undergraduate years.
She obtained a B.A. in American Studies, with a minor in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She also holds a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame, specializing in Middle School and High School Social Studies. Through her experiences of teaching many students, including her own children, she has seen the need for restful education that is focused on the true, good, and beautiful.
Tisha resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and six children. When she has a moment to herself, she enjoys children’s literature, British mysteries, good movies, and baking.
Tyrone Benson
Tyrone Benson loves language and studied classical languages throughout his undergraduate and graduate careers. He holds a B.A. in Bible and Educational Ministry (double major), an M.A. in Christian Education, and an M.A. in Theology. While in Bible college, before graduating summa cum laude as the valedictorian of his class, he relished four semesters of Biblical Greek, received the distinguished Greek award, and served as lead campus tutor of Biblical Greek. Afterwards, while engaging the classical theological disciplines as a graduate level seminary student, he studied both further Biblical Greek and Biblical Hebrew, from which studies he naturally transitioned into the study and teaching of classical Latin.
Although a lifelong student of various disciplines (even as a magister “teacher,” he ever remains a discipulus “student”), Mgr. Benson is currently focusing on the Latin language, particularly its spinal role within a classical liberal arts curriculum, linking language(s) to history, literature, and theology. For six years, he has been using the Latin texts of Classical Academic Press in teaching Latin out of his love for learning. Having been drawn to Scholé Academy by this very love, he seeks to instill a similar love in all his students.
Vixie Friedman
Vixie Friedman Since she was a little girl, Vixie Friedman always wanted to be a teacher and lined up her dolls and stuffed animals to compose her classroom. That dream became a reality when she began homeschooling her oldest son in 1988, a journey that continued with her six children until her youngest graduated from their family’s homeschool in 2015. Vixie has taught in a formal classical education setting since 2008 and assisted with curriculum development and staff training with a classical Christian curriculum company. After graduating with a BS degree in nursing from Western Carolina University, Vixie entered the US Army Nurse Corps, where she was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. This fueled her love of travel and history as she married and left her Army commission to raise a family. She and her husband lived in Germany for nine years and enjoyed traveling throughout Europe, studying the region’s history as they traveled.
These days she continues to travel as she and her husband travel to Israel, Europe, and Africa through their ministry, Children of Jacob.
She is continuing her education as she takes classes in classical education, history, literature, Russian, and German and enjoys enriching her education through Bible studies, personal reading, and book clubs. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, including a growing number of grandchildren, cooking, and a multitude of crafts.
Scholé Academy's Department Leaders
Amanda Reeves, Lower School Academic Dean, holds a BA in Greek and Latin from Stanford University where she discovered her passion for classical languages after years of detesting them. In her 10+ years as an educator, she has fiercely held to the belief that every student can fall in love with Latin and has celebrated each of the many times it has happened in her classroom. As Dean of the Lower School, she supports teachers as they develop classrooms and curricula to help Schole’s youngest students cultivate a love of learning in their pursuit of restful classical education. [email protected]
Ash White, Lead Logic/Rhetoric Instructor, holds a BA in English and Theatre from Mary Baldwin University, and has taught literature, writing, and logic at the middle and secondary level almost twenty years. Ms. White is passionate about classical education and homeschooling. She and her husband Jon live in the Pittsburgh area, and both are voracious lovers of books and music. If you visit their home, you’ll find it difficult to determine which collection is largest: books or vinyl records! [email protected]
Amy Morgan, Scholé Academy’s Writing & Rhetoric Department chair, earned her BA in liberal arts at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and continued her education with an MA in TESOL/applied linguistics at Indiana University in Bloomington. For over 18 years, Amy has taught English to speakers of other languages in the university, community, and private tutoring contexts. Additionally, Amy educated her own two children at home in grades PreK–8. When Amy’s not teaching, you might find her serving families who care for children in vulnerable circumstances, hosting international guests, reading aloud with her family or smiling at the antics of her backyard chickens. [email protected]
Edward Kotynski, Chair of Latin Department, grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, where his parents were Bible translators. He attributes his love of languages partly to his parents’ work and his childhood experience. He received his BA in ancient languages from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2004, and his MA in classical languages from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in 2007. Mr. Kotynski has been teaching Latin and Greek for the last fifteen years, mostly at classical Christian schools. He loves sharing his passion for the ancient languages with his students, weaving in historical context and modern connections. He has edited two volumes of Latin Alive! for Classical Academic Press and has also been working on their Greek for Children series with Erin Valdez. He is very excited to be continuing with Scholé Academy this year. Besides Latin and Greek, Mr. Kotynski drinks coffee, loves reading, helps homeschool his kids, and plays board games. He lives with his wife, six children, and two cats, enjoying the craziness of life together. [email protected]
Dr. Fransell Riley, Chair of Math Department spent most of her career working as a quantitative analyst. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington with every intention of remaining in corporate America. Though she enjoyed her work, she ultimately responded to an internal call to pursue a passion for educating students, including her own children. Fransell has taught math and science to students of all ages from elementary school to college. While teaching, she noticed that her natural teaching style aligned almost perfectly with the concepts of classical education. She takes a holistic approach to teaching and involves her students in discussions aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the concept being taught with the desire that student learning extend beyond memorizing algorithms. Fransell has a passion for mathematics and seeks to share that passion with the next generation. Beyond math, Fransell enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons. They are all athletes and nature lovers; they enjoy participating in sports, hiking, exploring nature, and traveling. When they aren’t enjoying God’s creation, you can find them indoors reading or watching reruns from the Star Trek series. [email protected]
Phaedra Shaltanis, Chair of Humanities, has taught in private and classical schools for over 25 years and has educated her four children in the classical tradition, which has been the monumental joy of her life. After college graduation, she began teaching high school Writing, Literature, Spanish, and Art in classical schools. Her involvement with Scholé Academy includes teaching American Literature, British Literature, Western History, Rhetoric I, Formal Logic and Well-Ordered Language Levels 1 and 2. She is enthused to serve as the Humanities department chair and appreciates guiding parents and teachers toward restful education. In her Dallas community, she currently directs a high school university-model program, trains and mentors teachers, conducts seminars on classical education, builds curriculum, supports parents, and provides fine art instruction at a classical high school. She and her husband hope to support classical education as avenues present themselves. [email protected]
Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, a military spouse and mother of four, has been working in Catholic Religious Education for over 15 years. She has instructed children and adults as a Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Faith Formation Facilitator. She earned her B.A. in English and Early Christian Studies from The University of Michigan and her M.A. in Divinity from The University of Chicago with a focus in Biblical Studies and Koine Greek. In addition to being a homemaker and homeschooling mother, Monika enjoys reading, weightlifting, and listening to a variety of uplifting music especially Danielle Rose, The Vigil Project, and the Hillbilly Thomists. [email protected]
Rhea Bright, Chair of The Canterbury House of Studies, holds a B.A. from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and an M.A. in Classics from Dalhousie University, also in Halifax. Her Classical studies involved Latin and Greek, as well as classical and medieval literature, philosophy and theology. King’s Foundation Year Program, an early integrated great books curriculum, and the Dalhousie Classics department formed and nurtured what became a life-long love of the classics and a deep appreciation of the contribution of the ancient world to whatsoever is good and true and beautiful. She also has a Bachelor of Education from Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. Rhea taught Ancient and Medieval Humanities at the University of Central Oklahoma for nine years, and over the course of ten years at Providence Hall and The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, she taught Latin, Logic, Bible, and integrated ancient literature and history. Rhea is married to Father Patrick Bright, an ordained Anglican priest who served for over 24 years at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City and recently retired from full-time ministry. Together they raised five sons, now grown. They now live in a 170-year-old house in rural Nova Scotia. [email protected]
Meet Our Instructors By House
Instructors at Scholé Academy may teach in the Great Hall, in a particular House of Studies, or in both. Learn who teaches where by tapping the toggles below.
Great Hall Instructors
Alison Johansen
Alison Grace Johansen is teaching Classic Children’s Literature VII, Poetry Corner, Writing & Rhetoric Level 1, and Well-Ordered Language Level 1. She also hosts Scholé Academy’s poetry club. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa., and her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Richmond. She worked as a legal journalist in Washington, D.C., for over 13 years before pursuing writing and editing in all forms of media. She hopes to inspire her students to discover the many ways that they can use their own words to express themselves with truth, goodness, and beauty. Alison lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Her dedication to her faith and children influences every part of her life, from teaching Sunday school and writing a children’s picture book about food allergies, to exploring the beauty of God’s world with her family. If they aren’t birdwatching and enjoying a walk outside with their dog Nugget, you might find them reading together or playing their favorite instruments: the piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, and drums! Learn more in her "Well-Ordered Language Classroom Experience" video, “Five Questions With Your Classical Educator” video, and blog post about fortitude in poetry.
Allen Rushing
Allen Rushing has always loved story, and that love only grew when, at the age of 14, the Lord saved him. Since then he has joyfully studied the truth, beauty, and goodness of The Story found in Scripture and reflected in the great works, from Dante’s Divine Comedy to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. One of the delights of The Story is taking the time to delve deeply into it, which is why the “restful” philosophy of Scholé is so appealing to Allen. One of the reasons such an approach is natural for him is because of the way he was homeschooled K-12 in the Classical Christian educational tradition. Allen was able to expand on this solid spiritual and educational foundation through his undergraduate degree in Classics with a History focus; in the process of earning this degree, he enjoyed taking classes in Classical Latin, Koine Greek, Literature, Philosophy, and Theology. While in graduate school, he was able to broaden his historical knowledge base, gaining a greater understanding of Western civilization as a whole and focusing particularly on the periods of the Greco-Roman world, Late Antiquity, medieval period, twentieth century world history, the World Wars, and the Cold War. Since graduate school, Allen has taught the humanities from a biblical worldview. Some of Allen’s favorite ways of enjoying the adventure upon which the Lord has set him are reading, writing, building his house, climbing trees, playing ping pong, and spending time with his wife and two children.
Amanda Reeves
Lower School Academic Dean [email protected]
Amanda Reeves has a BA in Greek and Latin from Stanford University, where she received recognition in her department for both her enthusiasm for the classical world as well as her excellence in scholarship. In her 10+ years as an educator, she has fiercely held to the belief that every student can fall in love with Latin and has celebrated each of the many times it has happened in her classroom. As Dean of the Lower School at Scholé, she supports teachers as they develop classrooms and curricula to help Scholé’s youngest students cultivate a love of learning in their pursuit of restful classical education. Having learned Latin online as a homeschooled student, Amanda is passionate about distance learning and enjoys integrating traditional grammar and translation methods with spoken Latin to produce the best educational experience for her students. When she is not traveling the world, she can be found in New Haven, Connecticut, waxing poetic about the Parthenon Marbles and Stanford football, always with a strong cup of coffee in hand.
Amy Morgan
Chair of the Writing Department [email protected]
Amy Morgan, Scholé Academy’s Writing & Rhetoric Department chair, earned her BA in liberal arts at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and continued her education with an MA in TESOL/applied linguistics at Indiana University in Bloomington. For over 18 years, Amy has taught English to speakers of other languages in the university, community, and private tutoring contexts. Additionally, Amy educated her own two children at home in grades PreK–8. When Amy’s not teaching, you might find her serving families who care for children in vulnerable circumstances, hosting international guests, reading aloud with her family or smiling at the antics of her backyard chickens.
Andy Newman
Andy Newman calls western Nebraska home, that borderland where Midwest and West shake hands. There he has taught literature, composition, history, journalism, and the humanities for twenty years at the high school and college levels. His mind and heart have longed been pulled toward classical Christian education. And he is as excited as he is thankful to now be fully in its orbit.
His education is varied, having earned master’s degrees in history and English from the University of Wyoming and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, respectively. Most recently, he earned a MTh in Applied Orthodox Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies and a MA in Biblical Theology from John Paul the Great Catholic University and, in Fall of 2021, completed his coursework for the PhD in Humanities from Faulkner University and has moved on to the dissertation.
Angelique Chaverri
Angelique Chaverri holds an MSEd in special education from Missouri State University and a BA in psychology from Southwest Baptist University. Angelique has spent her adult life working to understand the underpinnings of learning. After initial interests in physical therapy and neuropsychology, she found her way into special education. Four years after entering the public school system, Angelique went into private practice. She worked for a year in a learning clinic under a neuropsychologist before starting her own business in 2005. Angelique then began cross-training in various therapy modalities usually used by medically based therapists in hospitals and rehab clinics.
For the past 15 years, Angelique has specialized in using standardized assessments to identify the underlying causes of learning difficulties and has designed individualized programs to improve learning while guiding parents and teachers in how to modify the learning environment and instruction to the student’s individual needs. Angelique has provided training for schools, parents, and hospitals. She firmly believes in teaching students to use their strengths to enjoy, not fear, the learning process.
This year, Angelique will celebrate 15 years of marriage to her wonderful husband. She is a homeschooling mom to two fantastic boys. When avoiding housework, Angelique prefers to be outside hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, tending her medicinal herb and veggie gardens, hobby farming, and learning about regenerative agriculture and classical physical education.
Annice Hoffman
Annice Hoffman holds a BA in Anthropology from Penn State University. As a young adult, curiosity and a desire to find her neighbor in the wider world led her to spend one summer abroad in Mexico City and another with missionary friends of the family in Paraguay. Following university, she spent a year teaching English at a Christian school in the Dominican Republic, where her Spanish blossomed. After further adventures as an au pair in England and English teacher in Prague, Annice made her way back to Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband. When their first child came, she transitioned from teacher to stay-at-home-mom and, eventually, to homeschool mom. A chance event introduced Annice to the work of Classical Academic Press–and the meaning of Home Education began to clarify; as Classical educators, we were not essentially fleeing from mainstream culture (her move to home schooling had first come as an instinct to protect), but rather racing toward Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.
Annice lives in Erie, Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. Her hobbies are reading, walking, learning other languages, and watching her kids grow.
Ash White
Lead Teacher for the Logic and Rhetoric Department [email protected]
Ash White holds a BA in English and Theatre from Mary Baldwin University, and has taught literature, writing, and logic at the middle and secondary levels for twenty years. Ms. White is passionate about classical education and homeschooling. She and her husband Jon live in the Shenandoah Valley and are voracious lovers of books and music. If you visit their home, you'll find it difficult to determine which collection is largest: books or vinyl records!
Audrey Rushing
Mrs. Audrey Rushing grew up in Chile until age 12. After graduating from Covenant College with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Music, Biblical/Theological Studies, and German), her deep interest in languages led her to a job teaching German and Spanish at a Montessori school. Being so curious about how God made languages, she pursued an M.A. in German, focusing on linguistics. She was able to take a graduate level course in Spanish literature from Equatorial Guinea as an elective along the way.
Since she enjoys interacting with people of all ages and cultures, Audrey has appreciated the opportunity to teach languages from toddler to adult. When she first started learning about the Classical Christian model of education from her husband, she was delighted to find how it seeks to set each subject in its historical context as well as to find its focus on grammar and rhetoric when learning a new language. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish A at Scholé Academy, and is excited to teach Spanish 1 again this year. For fun she loves to read, delve into languages, be outside, and consider all things (books, movies, shows, cultures, gardening, cooking etc.) from a biblical perspective; but her favorite thing is to spend time with her husband and their three children.
Bo Evans
Bo Evans, also known by his latin name as "Magister Evander," lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife and son. He received a BA in Philosophy/Religion from Flagler College, and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently working on an MA in Humanities from the University of Dallas and a Graduate Certificate in Latin Studies from the University of Kentucky. Bo loves to study and teach Latin using not only grammar and translation techniques, but also actively through verbal communication and composition. In his free time, he enjoys training for marathons, hiking, and cheering for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Caeli Lanzilotti
Caeli Lanzilotti lives in Northern VA with her husband and two-year-old son. She is passionate about the Liberal Arts and pursuing a life fully realized. She has taught Ancient, American, and World Literature to 9th-12th graders in a private school setting for the past six years. Before moving to VA, she taught Middle School Literature-History, English grammar, and Religion for six years at a small classical school near Philadelphia. She loves the classical model of education, and she is deeply indebted to her former students and colleagues from whom and with whom she has learned so much about the virtuous life. She holds an MA in teaching and a BA in English with a minor in Philosophy. For leisure, she loves trail running and hiking in the woods with her husband, swimming, and baking.
Caridad Legere
Caridad Legere was born and raised in Guatemala City. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Caridad worked in different industries in her native country. In 2005 she married and moved to Arizona, and in 2014 joined West Valley Christian School staff as their Spanish Teacher. Her passion for Classical education began when she and her husband started homeschooling their daughter, looking for a higher education that would aloud their daughter to search for the truth, goodness, and beauty, through a Christian Worldview. During the past ten years, they have used several of the CAP materials and her daughter is now a student of Latin at Scholé Academy. Caridad genuinely enjoys sharing her culture with her students and introducing them to the Spanish language, which is so rich and vital since we live in a time where there are so many opportunities to use it every day.
Caridad, her husband, and daughter live in Glendale, Arizona. They share their home with a dog, five cats, and more than fifteen fish. There is never a boring moment at their house. When she is not teaching her daughter, or teaching Spanish, she can be found driving her daughter to choir, theater, AHG, or hiking on one of the many trails Arizona has to explore all year round. Also, they enjoy camping, visiting interesting places in Arizona, traveling to Guatemala to visit family, and reading books aloud.
Catherine Wise
Catherine “Cat” Wise has loved to read since before she started school. Raised in a military family, she attended public school in Italy and then was homeschooled before obtaining a BA in elementary education with a Spanish minor at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Texas and becoming a bilingual kindergarten teacher. When her oldest child was a toddler, Cat discovered classical education and fell in love with the idea of cultivating wisdom and virtue through great books, fascinating histories, and the beauty of language. Cat has been classically homeschooling her own three children for nine years and is honored to learn alongside them of the Creator and His magnificent works. She loves talking about books and reading with anyone who will listen, but also enjoys working jigsaw puzzles and baking yummy desserts, and is currently trying to visit as many National Parks as she can, attend live theater performances at every opportunity, and teach herself to crochet.
Charlotte Odum
Charlotte Odum received a classical education at St. John’s College, earning a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. She then pursued graduate studies in classical political philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Wanting to share the benefits of classical education, she taught writing, rhetoric, and grammar at a classical public charter school for fourteen years, as well as a broad spectrum of English and social science courses for three years at a technical and career college. Between high school and college, she worked in a pediatric facility, where she developed a deep love and appreciation for children with challenges and disabilities. Although initially inclined towards a career in health care, her passion for classical learning redirected her path towards teaching and study. She takes pleasure in the natural beauty of her adopted state of North Carolina and enjoys cooking, drawing badly, and connecting with family and friends.
Chris Hall
Chris Hall, Lead Science Instructor, has a BA in philosophy from Gettysburg College and an MAT in elementary education from Towson University. He has been a classroom educator and administrator for 25 years, having served in public, independent, and classical schools. In that time, he has served as a classroom teacher in grades K-12, primarily as a science educator, PK-8 Science Department Chair, and a Lower School Academic Dean. Along with his professional pedigree, he is a lifelong practitioner of several of the common arts profiled in his book Common Arts Education: Renewing the Classical Tradition of Training the Head, Hands, and Heart, and the founder of Always Learning Education, an organization dedicated to teaching, learning, and propagating the common arts. He lives on a small, homesteaded farm in central Virginia with his wife and three homeschooled sons.
Christa Maldonado
Christa Maldonado is a naturally curious person who is constantly reading. The wonder of the natural world led her to studying science deeply in her adult life, but she is really a polymath and philosopher at heart. She has a Master of Education in Instructional Design, a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences - Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Hospital Administration, and an Associate of Science in Chemistry. Christa has formal experience teaching science, mathematics, Latin, and grammar as well as a host of additional subjects through tutoring and homeschooling.
Christa is a Catholic wife and mother. Her family lives the rhythms of liturgical life and they have developed a great love of Catholic traditions and culture. Her husband is a school administrator working in public education. Her children learn at home from the rich curriculum that nourished the minds of the saints past. Aside from their liturgical and educational interests, her family enjoys raising chickens and rabbits, growing a garden, reading good books, baking delicious breads, and exploring nature.
Christian Herring
Christian Herring holds a B.S in History from Western Carolina University, an M.Div from Hood Theological Seminary, and a Th.M in Church History from Liberty University. He has been teaching in a variety of settings from churches to prisons to a hybrid-model Classical Christian school, since 2005. He loves sharing his passion for history, the Bible, and great literature. His teaching philosophy revolves around reading great books, having great discussions, and writing great papers. It is his conviction that education is an essential part of discipleship, no matter what the specific subject matter is, therefore the Christian worldview brings itself to bear on all areas of study. Furthermore, all areas of study contribute to forming us into wise, virtuous, and godly human beings. Christian and his wife and four children call central North Carolina home. Mr. Herring typically enjoys a cup of hot tea during class.
Christina Royals
Christina Royals began her journey as an educator in 2005 and holds a B.S in Middle Grades Education with certifications in ELA, Math, and Gifted as well as a Minor in Music. She has spent much of her career as a math instructor in a variety of instructional settings in Georgia. She is joining the Scholé Academy instructional team as a mathematics instructor and is excited to share her joy and passion for the content with young, eager learners. Christina feels it is a blessing and a “calling” to be allowed the opportunity to assist children with their academic progress. She enjoys showing even the most apprehensive students that math doesn’t have to be scary, and they CAN find success! When she isn’t engaged in math teaching, you can find her playing with her sprightly toddler, enjoying walks at parks, or reading in her hammock. She also loves crossword puzzles and math logic puzzles such as KenKen, Sudoku, and Suguru! (Expect to see those pop up during class sessions to challenge the students!) Christina was born, raised and continues to live in sunny Savannah, Georgia with her son and husband. Además, Christina habla español porque su marido es de la República Dominicana!
Christine Seaward
Christine Seaward was born and raised in central California. She received her B.A. in Liberal Arts and earned her elementary teaching credential at California State University, Stanislaus before becoming an Air Force wife in 1992. During the nomadic years of military life, she lived in various places: Oklahoma, Colorado, South Korea, Japan, Hawaii, and Florida. She is blessed to be a wife and mother of two teenage girls. Christine has served as the President of the Protestant Women of the Chapel at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. She has also served as a group and administrative leader in Bible Study Fellowship. She completed her M.A. in Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills and her Ph.D. in Humanities with a concentration in Literature from Faulkner University where the Great Books program changed the way she viewed education. Christine has taught high school English in a traditional Christian school. She also taught a course on Aquinas and Dante and served as the faculty adviser for the student book club at Kepler Education. She is a long-time admirer of C.S. Lewis, and she continues to grow in her appreciation for the Great Books of the Western World. She enjoys supporting her daughters, taking long walks with her husband, following sumo wrestling, and the pleasure of reading.
Christopher Marchand
Chris Marchand (pronounced mar-shan) is a music pastor and priest within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), serving in Peoria, Illinois. He holds a Master of Theological Studies and a Master of Arts in Music Ministry from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, and was trained as a hospital chaplain in a residency program at Saint Francis Hospital. A former headmaster and teacher at Aletheia Classical Christian School, he has taught humanities, history, science, and government courses. He is married to Elisa and they have four children. The author of Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas: a guide for churches and families, he also produces podcasts, composes music, and loves to discuss anything related the arts and his favorite sport tennis.
Danielle Bartko
Danielle Bartko is an experienced Math and Science teacher, and Orthodox Church Cantor and Choir Director. She taught in public schools and a Montessori based Orthodox private school. She has served the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese as a Cantor and Choir Director, and the Orthodox Church in America as a Choir Director. She spent countless summers at Camp Nazareth, first as a camper, and later as a counselor and chant teacher.
She holds degrees in Biology and Music from Lafayette College, and Secondary Teacher Certification from DeSales University. She has taught grades 5-12, and currently homeschools her children. She has experience in a variety of teaching methods, and has taught students with diverse academic needs. She is a lifelong learner, and has enjoyed growing and changing as an educator over the years. Her goal is to inspire her students to become lifelong learners as well.
Her Liturgical music education comes from a variety of coursework in Orthodox Music and Choral Directing. She has taken classes through Christ the Saviour Seminary and the OCA Liturgical Music Department, and independent study with Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Rosco and Professors Paul Hilko, George Hanas, Andrew Talarovich, and Jerry Jumba. Whenever she travels and visits a church, she will sneak into the choir loft, wait for an invitation to sing with the choir, and then ask for copies of good music to keep as a souvenir.
She grew up in New Jersey, but now lives in Pittsburgh PA with her husband and two young daughters. When she is not homeschooling her children or teaching classes, she enjoys gardening, jigsaw puzzles, SRS Iconography classes, visiting with friends and family, and going to the beach.
Eddie Kotynski
Chair of the Latin Department [email protected]
Edward Kotynski, Chair of Latin Department, grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, where his parents were Bible translators. He attributes his love of languages partly to his parents’ work and his childhood experience. He received his BA in ancient languages from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2004, and his MA in classical languages from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in 2007. Mr. Kotynski has been teaching Latin and Greek for the last fifteen years, mostly at classical Christian schools. He loves sharing his passion for the ancient languages with his students, weaving in historical context and modern connections. He has edited two volumes of Latin Alive! for Classical Academic Press and has also been working on their Greek for Children series with Erin Valdez. He is very excited to be continuing with Scholé Academy this year. Besides Latin and Greek, Mr. Kotynski drinks coffee, loves reading, helps homeschool his kids, and plays board games. He lives with his wife, six children, and two cats, enjoying the craziness of life together.
Elena Henreckson
Elena Henreckson earned her BA in English and Theater from Hillsdale College in Michigan. There she thrived in embracing her schedule of reading, writing, rehearsing, and photography. After college, she spent several years teaching high school English Literature at a public charter school outside of Boston. She has since moved to the midwest with her husband and is excited about being a part of classical Christian education. She was educated in the classical model herself at a small Christian school where she now serves as a board member. Passionate about the power of stories and our ability to communicate effectively, she is thrilled to guide students through the process of becoming strong and effective writers and thinkers.
Elena spends her spare time making her way through her lengthy reading list and running a local high school drama program. She adores used book stores, bright sunny mornings, afternoon tea, and spending time with friends and family.
Emily Kashin
Emily Brigham Kashin holds a BA in Primary Education from the University of North Florida. She was homeschooled K-12 in the classical tradition and previously taught the elementary grades in a Waldorf-inspired public charter school. Her classical upbringing instilled in her what Plato called an “affinity for the good” in academics, art, and virtue, while her Waldorf training inspired an appreciation of the unique nature of the child. Since 2020, she has brought the two together, cultivating those whole-child pedagogical approaches in the classical, liturgical tradition, to awaken in her own students that “affinity for the good” through her Scholé classes.
Emily and her husband Mikhail live in North Florida where they find great delight in playing folk music, listening to Bach, taking long walks, and enjoying being aunt and uncle to their eight nephews and one niece. St. Augustine’s saying “Canta et ambula” (sing and soldier on) encourages her daily in the ordinariness of teaching, homemaking, and grading many, many papers.
Eric Robinson
Eric Robinson has a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in printmaking from Iowa State University and a BS in secondary math education from Western Governors University. Eric and his wife homeschool, so he has taught math from number recognition through Calculus 2. Having taught in private Christian (protestant and Catholic) schools and in public schools as well as tutoring in person and online, he is excited to teach courses in the Great Hall of Scholé Academy so that learning can be the true focus.
Eric was attracted to Scholé Academy for the commitment to restful learning. Eric loves the beauty of mathematical reasoning. He loves the feeling of accomplishment and confidence that comes from learning math. He loves the lightbulb moments, and he loves the real skills math builds--skills that make so many things doable and possible.
Eric also loves the Word of God. God is a God of truth and order, and so we find in scripture truth and logical arguments that help us to understand creation--God, ourselves, one another, redemptive history, and our hope in Christ Jesus. Eric loves sharing the Word of God to start every course session. Eric does that for the same reason he learns and teaches math: because doing so enriches us and helps us to discover the truths God has made. As Proverbs 25:2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
Esther Deiana
Esther Deiana was born and raised in a little town by the sea, in the island of Sardinia (south of Italy). Growing up in a land of ancient traditions she was always fascinated by learning about the history, language and artifacts of her ancestors and that fascination quickly turned into unending curiosity for all different civilizations. She graduated with a B.A. in Italian Grammar and Literature and then pursued her passion for the symbolic lives of cultures through her master's degree in Anthropology. She has been teaching on and off for the last 20 years and has experienced a variety of learning scenarios; she has worked as an in-person and online private tutor teaching Latin, Spanish, Italian and English as a foreign language. She has also taught group classes for adults as well as children, in the three countries she has lived (Italy, Spain and US). Esther is now married with three kids, and she can't but recognize the fractal similarities between raising kids and the calling of being an educator. Her dedication to teaching is only exceeded by her enthusiasm for learning and her love for Beauty in all its forms; she is eager to share this new chapter of her journey with her family in Christ, at the Schole Academy. Mrs. Deiana and her family attend St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado where she serves as part of the Youth Ministry Leadership.
Francie Longshore
Francie Longshore has taught Latin, humanities, writing, and logic to middle schoolers, high schoolers, and undergraduate college students for over fifteen years. Most recently, she worked as the lead humanities teacher at an ecumenically-minded classical Christian school. She possesses an M. A. in Medieval Studies (Catholic University of America), an M. A. in Christian Thought with an emphasis in philosophy of religion (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), and a Ph. D. in Philosophy (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium). Francie lives in the Portland, Oregon area with her husband, two elementary-aged kids, and three cats. The kids are home-schooled and the cats are self-taught. When not reading Virgil or facilitating Socratic seminars, Francie enjoys a good game of Scrabble and the occasional British game show. In the summer, she can often be found turning tomatoes into salsa or blackberries into jam.
Fransell Riley
Chair of the Math Department [email protected]
Dr. Fransell Riley, Chair of Math Department spent most of her career working as a quantitative analyst. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington with every intention of remaining in corporate America. Though she enjoyed her work, she ultimately responded to an internal call to pursue a passion for educating students, including her own children. Fransell has taught math and science to students of all ages from elementary school to college. While teaching, she noticed that her natural teaching style aligned almost perfectly with the concepts of classical education. She takes a holistic approach to teaching and involves her students in discussions aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the concept being taught with the desire that student learning extend beyond memorizing algorithms. Fransell has a passion for mathematics and seeks to share that passion with the next generation. Beyond math, Fransell enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons. They are all athletes and nature lovers; they enjoy participating in sports, hiking, exploring nature, and traveling. When they aren’t enjoying God’s creation, you can find them indoors reading or watching reruns from the Star Trek series.
Hannah Graves
Hannah Graves earned her BA at Wyoming Catholic College where she gained a love and respect for the great outdoors. She then pursued an MA in Scriptural Theology from Christendom College and is currently working on a second from St. Mary on the Lake in Liturgical Studies. She has taught various subjects and spent two years teaching in Africa. Currently, she teaches for Schole and Aquinas Classical Academy in Bremerton, WA. In her free time she loves "the home arts" -- knitting, spinning, weaving -- as well as hiking and archery.
Helga Maier
Helga Maier speaks German as her native tongue. She has inherited her love for languages and learning languages from her mother, who would always study the language of a new European country their family was visiting. She began teaching German to English speakers on the mission field, when Americans came to work alongside her to reach Germany, her home country, for Christ. She has since earned a certificate for an English as a foreign language teacher and have studied Classical Education through ClassicalU, where she has earned level I.
She has taught German at a private after-school program in Connecticut and is still teaching several private students, from beginner levels to preparing for the German entry exam to universities in Germany. Most recently she has taught German to high school students at Chapel Field Christian Schools, a Classical Christian School in upstate New York.
Jacob Voyce
Jacob Voyce brings over two decades of experience in Christian education, excelling in roles as both teacher and administrator across various private programs. Equipped with a BA in Bible and Theology and an MAED in Curriculum and Instruction, his diverse teaching background enables him to address the needs of students across all subjects. Having worked with students from kindergarten to adulthood, he currently homeschools his own children in Northern California. With a recent certification in coding data analytics, Mr. Voyce is also passionate about equipping students for future vocations and opportunities. He is committed to supporting families in their educational journey, fostering academic excellence and holistic development toward God. Beyond education, Mr. Voyce finds joy in participating in unique sports such as water polo, disc golf, and ultimate frisbee!
Jamie Terral
Jamie Terral has been teaching math and science in variety of settings including private Christian education, online tutoring, community college, and homeschool for the past 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Education from Concordia University Texas. She currently lives with her husband and four children in North Texas. Her husband serves as the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church and together they homeschool their children. Her journey in homeschooling has lead to the discovery of Classical Christian education and the nurturing of restful learning.
Jamie strives to engage her students in the learning process by making her classes enjoyable and creative. When not in the classroom or teaching her own children, Jamie enjoys studying nutrition, growing food, paddle boarding and getting her Vitamin D outside in God’s creation.
Jennifer Armstrong
Jennifer Armstrong has a B.S. in English and an M.A. in Student Affairs Administration from Ball State University in Indiana. She is a homeschool mom of two and has been homeschooling her daughters with the support of a classical tutorial since 2014. She has been teaching lower school English and History in the tutorial since 2019 where she enjoys looking for the true, good, and beautiful with her students. After more than twenty years working in Higher Education, she’s looking forward to focusing on educating young students in the fundamentals of the English language and giving them the tools to recognize and create beautiful and true things as they grow. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys reading and discussing literature, creating things from fabric and yarn, and trying to make a garden grow.
Jennifer Breidenbach
Jennifer Breidenbach holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. She has experience in homeschool co-ops, private Catholic schools, and a private art studio. Jennifer is a devoted wife and mother, who loves living out her vocation and spending time with her family.
Currently, she volunteers at her local Catholic homeschool co-op, and runs her own website. It is a great joy for her to be an instructor with the Aquinas House of Studies at Scholé Academy. She spends her free-time going on nature walks with her toddlers, painting and drawing, learning new skills, and deepening her faith life!
Jillian Strecker
Jillian Strecker has a BA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a MA in Russian literature from University College London and is currently working on a certificate in Classical Learning from the University of Dallas. She has shared her passion for literature, writing and poetry with children at private schools in New York City and New Orleans for over a decade. She is also a homeschool mom who has been educating her children for more than 13 years. Additionally, Jillian is a published poet who is currently working on two books of poetry, one for children and one for adults. When not teaching and writing, Jillian loves reading literature. Her favorite writers are Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, Flannery O’ Connor and Charles Dickens. She also loves riding her bike with her husband and two sons, baking and watching the original Twilight Zone series with a large bowl of popcorn.
Jimmy Schambach
Jimmy Schambach holds a Master of Divinity from Regent University, and a BA in theology and philosophy from Evangel University. Currently, he works as the executive director of a faith-based nonprofit organization called M28 Ministry, which operates out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In his past, Jimmy worked as a youth and young adult pastor at a large church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since his time in college, Jimmy has grown in his love for philosophy, logic, and theology. He has taught in many settings over the years and enjoys his classes at Scholé Academy. Jimmy and his wife, Tristin, live in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, where they have a young daughter named Aviana and a dog named Panda.
Joelle Riethmiller
Joelle Riethmiller believes true education impacts the body, mind, and soul of an individual through all subject areas and promotes personal and virtuous growth through life-long learning. Mrs. Riethmiller received a BS in Mathematics-Mathematics Secondary Education from Grove City College (1999). While teaching seventh and eighth grade mathematics in public school, she earned a M-ED in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon University (2002). Mrs. Riethmiller chose to step away from the classroom in 2003 to focus her attention on her young and growing family. In 2007, she embarked on the home education journey with two of her three children. Continuing that journey, she is still experiencing the humbling beauty and depth of true and real life-long learning. She believes her 20 years of sacramental marriage, parenting and home educating her now four children, and her personal faith journey have cultivated a desire to seek truth, beauty, and goodness in all aspects of life.
Mrs. Riethmiller strives to ignite a love for learning and desire for virtue in her students that ex-tends beyond the study of mathematics. She is thrilled to participate in the Scholè Academy mission to cultivate student learning that endures.
Jonam Walter
Jonam Walter received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Physics from Haverford College and an M.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in Agricultural Engineering. While at UIUC, he worked as an engineer for John Deere where he did testing with automated equipment.
Jonam has been involved in teaching from a young age, assisting his father in homeschool classrooms with the younger grades. He has continued teaching math and the physical sciences throughout his career both in one on one tutoring and in larger classroom settings. As a TA at UIUC he taught extensively online and helped students navigate the transition to online learning.
Currently, Jonam lives near Thermopolis, Wyoming and runs a bio-diverse vegetable and livestock farm with his wife, Joy. They decided to start farming so that they could homeschool and work along side their new son in a calm environment that highlights God’s nature. Jonam also enjoys designing and building furniture, reading, and hiking.
Jordan Henderson
Dr. Jordan Henderson has taught middle school, high school, and college students in some capacity for over a decade. He has a deep love both for learning and teaching, especially in the humanities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Memphis, a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in Religion (specializing in Religions of Western Antiquity) from Florida State University. His research has appeared in several academic journals, and he is currently working on his first book on the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.
Originally from Jackson, MS, Jordan currently lives in Tallahassee, FL with his wife and four children. He and his wife have homeschooled their three older children over the past six years. They also teach Sunday School together to middle school students at Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church in Tallahassee. Jordan enjoys reading, hiking, writing, the outdoors, and spending time with his family.
Julie Boudreaux
Julie Boudreaux has been a teacher at a brick-and-mortar classical school for three years. She has taught Creative Writing, Geography, American Literature, and Modern History and Literature. She also assists in her school's yearly Shakespeare production. Her journey with classical education began in middle school and she has been captivated by its truth and beauty ever since. She received her Bachelor's degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. At Scholé Academy, she offers tutoring services, summer programs, and humanities instruction. Julie is dedicated to cultivating joy for learning in her students.
Kara Lobley
Kara Lobley, enjoys finding answers and imparting those discoveries to everyone. This passion for truth inspired her to earn her bachelor’s degree in history at Patrick Henry College (PHC), in Purcellville, VA. The classical experience at PHC and her own experience being homeschooled outside the classical tradition (K-12) showed Kara the beauties of each approach. She delights in witnessing how classical homeschooling equips students to identify and discover “the true, the good, and the beautiful” in the world around them and to share those revelations with others.
Kara began working with children as a high schooler at children’s theater camps and at her church’s Vacation Bible Schools. During college and post-graduation, she spent five years as a high school writing tutor and one year as a preschool teaching assistant. Kara has spent the past three years teaching lower school Well-Ordered Language and Writing and Rhetoric with Scholé Academy and is excited to return for a fourth year this year. Outside of the classroom, Kara can be found reading, hiking, or singing.
Kate McSharry
Kate McSharry holds a BA in French from Western Washington University and studied history, art, and literature at the Centre International D’Etudes Françaises in Angers, France. Her love for France and French led her to spend three years living in Nice, France where she taught English to French middle, high school and college students. In her free time, she volunteered tutoring Moroccan and Algerian immigrant children using their common language of French. During this time, God placed in her a desire to see all nations, tribes, and tongues know and confess Jesus as Lord. Since returning to the US, she has taught in a variety of settings, including several years as a middle school teacher at her church. Teaching French with Scholé Academy allows Kate to combine her love for the French language with her desire to see young people passionate about Jesus and his mission. Kate lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. She enjoys hiking, skiing, camping, paddle boarding and reading. She has traveled extensively and has been to 5 different continents. France will always be her favorite place to travel!
Kate Weise
Kate Weise has worked as a tutor, teacher, or school administrator since 2010 and has experience teaching multiple grade levels and across disciplines. She believes any student can fall in love with learning and loves helping them discover their unique giftings as God's image bearers. She holds degrees in History and Writing from Union University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Most recently, she helped launch an urban, Classical Christian school where she worked primarily in curriculum development and academic support. Along the way, she developed a passion for math education that emphasizes building mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. She and her husband have three children that they are homeschooling together.
Kellie Tandilyan
Kellie Tandilyan graduated from a Classical Christian high school in rural Montana before matriculating to Hillsdale College to study Classical Languages and Literature. While there she was received into the Orthodox Church which led her to continue her studies at Hellenic College in Brookline, MA where she met and married a handsome seminarian from Armenia. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Education from the Waldorf Teacher training program at Antioch University with a thesis entitled “”Making Space for the Sacred: The Creative Arts and the Spiritual Development of Children””. Presvytera recently also completed the Master’s of Divinity degree at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
A veteran homeschooling mom of three, she has been teaching in and out of the classroom for over twenty years. Kellie and Father Anthony live in Wilmington, MA and serve the Dormition of the Virgin Mary parish in Somerville. When not teaching, Presvytera enjoys making music with her children, gardening, hiking and keeping company with their 11 chickens.
Kirsten Fortier
Kirsten Fortier holds a BA in Education from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. The bulk of her experience comes from 18+ years of classically homeschooling four sons K-12 who are now successfully living and working out on their own. She has taught in various settings including at home, in co-ops, in brick-and-mortar schools, and online. She enjoyed a short stint as the Director of Curriculum and Assistant Head of School at a small classical Christian school that closed permanently during “COVID.” She now looks forward to a part-time career teaching restfully at Scholé Academy. Her passion for classical education in Writing & Rhetoric is on its focus with mastery learning and creative expression within a structured, time-tested model. In her free time, she enjoys visiting her children and grandchildren, hiking, camping, living history, and researching family genealogy. She and her husband live in Michigan with their three active dogs, one old cat, a handful of chatty chickens and silly ducks, and two busy hives of honeybees.
Lauren Hartke
Lauren Della Piazza Hartke is a third generation teacher, raised by parents who instilled in her a passion for history and literature. She graduated from a Christian high school before attending Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Lauren had the opportunity to study abroad in Scotland for a semester before obtaining a B.A. in History. As a teaching assistant at Geneva College she fell in love with teaching the humanities and accordingly went on to obtain an M.A. in Public History from Georgia Southern University where she also worked as a teaching assistant and a coordinator for the Ogeechee International History Film Festival.
Lauren’s abiding interest is in educating people of all ages in all matters of history, but her favorite eras are classical and medieval Europe. Her experience in both Christian and secular higher education made her consider her own pedagogy and preference for the classical model. She firmly believes that an education in the humanities enables us to better love God and love our neighbors.
Besides reading and watching old films, Lauren loves baking, traveling, playing the piano, and hiking. She and her husband Logan live in Jacksonville, Florida where they share a house with their cat, Katya. They love cooking for friends and family members, and can frequently be found at exotic grocery stores shopping for unique ingredients.
Lisa Jacobson
Lisa Jacobson has been in education since 1983 when she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Music Therapy. Raising and homeschooling her own five children in the Classic tradition has been her greatest achievement. She believes that beauty in all its forms should surround all education. God the Creator is the source of all beauty. She is an accomplished musician who enjoys folk music and jazz. She has played a variety of instruments including piano, clarinet, saxophone, flute, ukulele, guitar as well and enjoys singing. When she has time to herself, she can often be found tending to her porch garden, playing her guitar, spending time with children, cooking, reading, or exercising. She and her husband live in the hill country of Texas.
Mark Signorelli
Mark A. Signorelli has over twenty years of experience in education, as a teacher, administrator, and consultant. He has served as the head of two Catholic classical secondary programs located in New Jersey. Over the years, he has taught a variety of courses, including British and American Literature, Ancient Humanities, Medieval Humanities, Rhetoric, Poetry, and Great Books. He works with the Beautiful Teaching company, providing professional development to other classical educators. In addition to his work as an educator, Mr. Signorelli is also a published author, whose writing has appeared in over a dozen separate journals, including places like The Public Discourse, Modern Age, The University Bookman, The Front Porch Republic, and The Imaginative Conservative. He currently shares his thoughts on classical education at his own site, The Classical Corner.
Marv Retzer
Marv Retzer, Chemistry Instructor, began teaching in 1977. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Grace College, a Master of Arts degree in Christian School Administration from Grace Theological Seminary and completed EdD (ABD) studies at Ball State University in Educational Leadership with a Curriculum cognate. Mr. Retzer began his undergrad studies in medical research before switching to Elementary Education and, with his extensive Math and Science background, has taught MS-HS Math and Science classes for over 20+ years in addition to work in administration. Mr. Retzer’s personal scientific “love” is for Chemistry and he was privileged to receive a summer Eisenhower Fellowship in the 1980’s to study Microscale Chemistry at MIT in Boston. “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:3 ESV) Mr. Retzer’s goal is for all students to see the majesty and power of God in creation through the study of Science.
Matthew Davenport
Matthew Davenport earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University with a second major in Philosophy. After working five years with the US Army as a project engineer, he left to study the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard at St. Olaf College and renewed his faith at the English L’Abri Fellowship. Afterwards, he found his calling as a Classical Christian educator at Samuel Fuller School, where he taught math, science and logic and helped to launch their high school expansion. He currently works for Massachusetts General Hospital as a project manager in the Cancer Center.
Matthew lives in Worcester, MA with his wife and son, where he enjoys hiking, disc-golfing, gardening, playing piano, and learning more each day about the truth, goodness, and beauty of God’s creation.
Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts holds a master’s degree in painting from the New York Academy of art. He has been teaching students of various ages for over 20 years. He currently serves as an elementary librarian in Mechanicsburg, PA where he lives with his wife and two sons. In addition to drawing and painting, he enjoys singing in the choir, playing guitar, biking and kayaking.
Milica Savic
Milica Savic was born in Belgrade, Serbia. At the age of six she immigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Growing up in south Florida, and visiting her family in Serbia every summer, grew her love for travel, culture, history, and learning. When deciding on a track in college, she chose International Relations as it blended many of her interests and life experiences. Upon graduating from the University of Central Florida, she took a teaching position at Paideia Classical Academy in Coconut Creek, Florida. She started out as a teacher’s assistant, and the following year, she was offered her own class. Milica taught the first and second grade levels for two years. She also has experience as the Administrative Assistant in the Missionary Department for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida. This is her second year with Scholé/SRS, and her second year teaching Level 4 Liberal Arts, Children’s Literature. Currently, Milica lives in Belgrade with her husband Stefan and daughter Danica. [email protected]
Parker Moore
Parker Moore has been teaching in an online, classical Christian school setting since 2021, and loves the role of teaching younger minds in a classical, online format. Parker is himself a homeschool graduate, coming from a family of nine, homeschooled students.
After graduating in 2013, Parker went on to pursue a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Master’s in Biblical Exposition, both from Liberty University. He began a PhD in Public Policy, with a focus on political theory and philosophy, in 2021, which is to be completed at the end of 2024.
In addition to his studies, Parker also enjoys books, strong coffee, strength training, and music, having toured the U.S. and Canada with his family band in previous years. Sharing his love of both Latin and the humanities is something which he counts as a great blessing from God, and which he looks forward to at the start of every class.
Paul Laywell
Paul Laywell has four decades of teaching experience and has taught everything from seventh-grade Earth Science to Advanced Placement Biology and Chemistry.
After teaching in the public schools for sixteen-years, he transitioned to classical Christian schools. For the past eighteen years, he has served as the science department head at Covenant Christian Academy in Colleyville, TX where he most recently taught physics and Advanced Placement Chemistry.
As a science teacher in classical educational he is continually searching for ways to integrate robust science content with history, philosophy and theology in meaningful ways. Lessons often include eye-catching demonstrations and are routinely sprinkled with humor.
In addition to these secondary teaching positions, he has also taught in an adjunct capacity at both Tarrant County College and Dallas Baptist University.
Peter Belfry
Peter Belfry has a range of teaching and tutoring experience in a variety of subjects and age levels from kindergarten through to adult education at the college level and has taught at several classical, Christian and public schools. He has enjoyed having the experience of teaching Programming and Logic classes to students, which ties well to his background in philosophy and computer science. In addition to serving as an instructor with Schole, Peter serves as a professor of Computer Science and Video Game Development with Canadore College, teaching courses on Operating Systems and programming languages such as Windows, Linux, HTML, CSS, C++, C#, and Visual Basic as well as Artificial Intelligence, Object Oriented Programming, Mathematics, Business and Workplace Skills. Peter holds an Honors BA from Trent University in History as well as a BA in Education, specializing in History and Computer Science. He holds an MA from Knox Theological Seminary in Classical and Christian studies, which provides him a background for teaching from a classical perspective. For his MA program, he read and reflected on many of the Great Books as well as studied Scripture and church history. Peter has completed a week-long teacher training with the Association of Classical Christian Schools and Rockbridge Academy. His favorite piece of classical literature is Dante’s The Divine Comedy.
In addition to teaching, Peter also has experience serving in a pastoral role and enjoys volunteering to serve in his local church and community. He helps in evangelistic outreach as well as teaching lessons from the Bible. Peter has experience and training as an English as a Second Language instructor as well. He has experience teaching both online and in person. He believes in Scholé’s approach in seeking “restful learning” and believes that education should be life-giving and freeing for the soul as it should acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the source of all that is true, good and beautiful. Peter lives in the North Bay, Ontario area with his wife and twin boys.
Peter provides tutoring services with Scholé Academy and teaches the following classes: The Art of Argument: An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies, Formal Logic: The Discovery of Deduction, The Logic of Computer Programming, and The Art of Computer Programming.
Phaedra Shaltanis
Chair of the History and Literature Department [email protected]
Phaedra Shaltanis, Chair of the Humanities Department, has taught in private and classical schools for over 25 years and has educated her four children in the classical tradition, which has been the monumental joy of her life. After college graduation, she began teaching high school Writing, Literature, Spanish, and Art in classical schools. Her involvement with Scholé Academy includes teaching American Literature, British Literature, Western History, Rhetoric I, Formal Logic and Well-Ordered Language Levels 1 and 2. She is enthused to serve as the Humanities department chair and appreciates guiding parents and teachers toward restful education. In her Dallas community, she currently directs a high school university-model program, trains and mentors teachers, conducts seminars on classical education, builds curriculum, supports parents, and provides fine art instruction at a classical high school. She and her husband hope to support classical education as avenues present themselves.
Rebekah Furubotten
Rebekah Furubotten holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Creative Writing emphasis from Western Washington University and is a lover of literature, beauty, and the story of Jesus. Gathering friends to talk about books is one of her favorite things in the world, especially when the story is filled with gorgeous imagery, interesting characters, and artful writing. As she has homeschooled her four children over the past twelve years, instructed at a classical co-op, and taught an acclaimed writing program to neighbor kids alongside her own, she has sought to display God’s Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in every subject, especially the literature they read. Loving their neighbors is an integral part of her family’s weekly rhythms, and you can find Rebekah hosting book clubs and parties for children and adults where they can discuss stories, ask good questions, and deepen their understanding of what they read and what makes good writing, good. Rebekah lives in Olympia, WA with her husband, four kids, and two dogs. When she isn’t teaching, chauffeuring, or reading, Rebekah enjoys making memories with her family, writing, cooking, moving her body, and redecorating her house.
Reny Bake
Reny Bake was born and raised in Guatemala. The daughter of a Dutch-Indo father and a Guatemalan mother, she split her time as a child between Guatemala, Miami, and the Netherlands.
Her academic background includes degrees in business administration, economics, international trade, and national security issues, with a particular focus on the United States. She uses her multifaceted background to analyze and explain global issues on her radio program in Guatemala. Most recently, she became a professor of theology for Guatemalan high school students.
Her interest in theology was sparked by her father's stories about their family's European origins, recently journeying to Philadelphia to explore a family connection to a Protestant reverend mentioned in American Revolution archives. This pivotal moment inspired her to delve deeper into her family's history and Christian values. Reny continues her quest to know her family's story in the Netherlands and beyond as she begins to learn Latin and Greek to better understand her notable scholarly ancestors .
Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time with her three cats, tending to plants, reading, and taking cooking classes. Her dedication to education, research, and family heritage is a driving force in her life.
Samuel Walter
Samuel Walter received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Haverford College, and a M.M. and M.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. During his time at Yale University Samuel established himself in New Haven as a commissioned portrait and still-life artist. He has been awarded in numerous international and national competitions including the 2022 ARC International Salon competition, the 2022 Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition and the 2021 Portrait Society of America’s Future Generation award. He has also been featured in the International Artist Magazine, The Art of The Portrait Magazine, and the American Art Collector Magazine. Samuel has received portrait commissions from presidents, professors and administration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Swarthmore College, Haverford College, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. In his portraiture, Samuel tries to emphasize that all are created in the image of God.
Samuel is also a passionate teacher and has provided both art and music instruction for nearly a decade. Teaching art is a wonderful way to open students’ eyes to the beauty of God’s creation all around them: to notice beautiful colors, shapes, lighting and compositions. Art can be an act of worship in which we appreciate what God has created, and imitate Him, the great Artist and Creator.
Sara Silkwood
Sara Silkwood holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Syracuse University. Sara has several years experience teaching in a variety of areas including college level, church-run camps, Classical schools and privately. Currently, Sara works out of her home studio in Houston, Texas where she lives with her great dane-lab mix, Oberon. She spends her free-time backpacking, reading and illustrating her own stories.
Sherry Joslin
Sherry Joslin earned her BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas and holds a MA in Science and Religion from Biola University. She and her husband Brian live just south of Forth Worth in Burleson, Tx.
With over 12 years of experience in the classroom and as a homeschool mom, she has taught every grade K through 12th. Her classroom experience includes Logic, AP Physics, Honors Geometry, Algebra, Singapore Math and more. Prior to teaching, Sherry worked in Mission Control as a NASA engineer. When asked why she left, she explains that children are far more complicated than space shuttles, and that her greatest accomplishment has been in the role of mentoring and educating her three children who are living for Christ as young adults.
Sherry is passionate about showing students how the relationship between faith and science is not one of conflict but of qualified agreement; and before attending university, students should be confident that the Christian worldview provides a coherent understanding of both reality and their place in it as children of God.
Silouan Oberholtzer
Silouan Oberholtzer holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from Temple University, Philadelphia. During his studies he tutored college-level mathematics both in-person and online in the subjects of Calculus I, Calculus II and Algebra. After graduating in 2022, Mr. Oberholtzer worked for two years as a Service Technician for commercial HVAC/R equipment.
Having learned on-the-job as a mechanic under senior technicians as well as formally in university, Mr. Oberholtzer’s pedagogy seeks to emphasize the practical and intuitive aspects of math education.
Mr. Oberholtzer currently attends Holy Resurrection of Christ Serbian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, PA. He hopes, God willing, to pursue further education in Orthodox Theology and Church history.
Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams once told his longsuffering, homeschooling mother that his future job would never depend on his ability to write in cursive or diagram a sentence. Similarly, he spent over a decade swearing that he would never enter pastoral ministry, yet he is nonetheless now creeping towards a decade in the classroom while pursuing theological studies at Beeson Divinity School in preparation for the Anglican priesthood.
Stephen has had the privilege of being shaped by several classical institutions throughout the course of his life, most notably his alma mater, Patrick Henry College, which exposed him to the glories of the Western Canon and began to grow in him a love of literature, history and theology. After a season spent in campus ministry at PHC, he stumbled into a teaching career that has spanned the elementary, middle, and high school levels, turning him into an amateur medievalist, Inklings enthusiast, and subject-matter expert on the psyches of middle school boys. Rumor has it that he sleeps with a baseball and a copy of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion under his pillow each night.
When he doesn’t have his head in a book, Stephen enjoys hiking, dabbling in poetry and cooking, and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals with his brilliant and hilarious wife and fellow Scholé instructor, Sarah Williams.
Tamara Davault
Tamara Davault is a native Texan who loves Biology. She graduated from the University of Texas Permian Basin with B.S. degrees in Biology and Chemistry. Mrs. Davault went on to earn an M.S. in Medical Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Since graduation, she has been teaching various Biology courses at several community colleges and universities in Texas. Mrs. Davault’s hobbies include archery, crochet, and nature walks.
Tyrone Benson
Tyrone Benson loves language and studied classical languages throughout his undergraduate and graduate careers. He holds a B.A. in Bible and Educational Ministry (double major), an M.A. in Christian Education, and an M.A. in Theology. While in Bible college, before graduating summa cum laude as the valedictorian of his class, he relished four semesters of Biblical Greek, received the distinguished Greek award, and served as lead campus tutor of Biblical Greek. Afterwards, while engaging the classical theological disciplines as a graduate level seminary student, he studied both further Biblical Greek and Biblical Hebrew, from which studies he naturally transitioned into the study and teaching of classical Latin.
Although a lifelong student of various disciplines (even as a magister “teacher,” he ever remains a discipulus “student”), Mgr. Benson is currently focusing on the Latin language, particularly its spinal role within a classical liberal arts curriculum, linking language(s) to history, literature, and theology. For six years, he has been using the Latin texts of Classical Academic Press in teaching Latin out of his love for learning. Having been drawn to Scholé Academy by this very love, he seeks to instill a similar love in all his students.
Vixie Friedman
Vixie Friedman Since she was a little girl, Vixie Friedman always wanted to be a teacher and lined up her dolls and stuffed animals to compose her classroom. That dream became a reality when she began homeschooling her oldest son in 1988, a journey that continued with her six children until her youngest graduated from their family’s homeschool in 2015. Vixie has taught in a formal classical education setting since 2008 and assisted with curriculum development and staff training with a classical Christian curriculum company. After graduating with a BS degree in nursing from Western Carolina University, Vixie entered the US Army Nurse Corps, where she was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. This fueled her love of travel and history as she married and left her Army commission to raise a family. She and her husband lived in Germany for nine years and enjoyed traveling throughout Europe, studying the region’s history as they traveled.
These days she continues to travel as she and her husband travel to Israel, Europe, and Africa through their ministry, Children of Jacob.
She is continuing her education as she takes classes in classical education, history, literature, Russian, and German and enjoys enriching her education through Bible studies, personal reading, and book clubs. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, including a growing number of grandchildren, cooking, and a multitude of crafts.
Aquinas House of Studies Instructors
Hannah Graves
Hannah Graves earned her BA at Wyoming Catholic College where she gained a love and respect for the great outdoors. She then pursued an MA in Scriptural Theology from Christendom College and is currently working on a second from St. Mary on the Lake in Liturgical Studies. She has taught various subjects and spent two years teaching in Africa. Currently, she teaches for Schole and Aquinas Classical Academy in Bremerton, WA. In her free time she loves "the home arts" -- knitting, spinning, weaving -- as well as hiking and archery.
Joseph Lanzilotti
Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti began teaching with Scholé Academy in 2024. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He has reading proficiencies in Latin, Koine Greek, Spanish, French, and German. His dissertation was written on the significance of the biblical heart in the theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI. Dr. Lanzilotti also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Ave Maria University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a second major in Philosophy from DeSales University, and a certification in Health Care Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
Dr. Lanzilotti's passion for teaching theology and philosophy grew during his undergraduate years, particularly when he was introduced to the writings of Aristotle, Plato, C.S. Lewis, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Karol Wojtyła/Pope John Paul II. Dr. Lanzilotti has taught at the college, high school, and elementary school levels. He currently teaches high school students at a private classical school in the Catholic tradition.
Dr. Lanzilotti spent his childhood and adolescence in the rural northwest portion of New Jersey. He has a great love for the outdoors and the natural world. He is a beekeeper and a gardener. He enjoys trail running, swimming, and skiing. He is actively involved in his local Melkite Greek Catholic parish where he serves as a reader and chanter. Dr. Lanzilotti and his wife have a two-year-old son and are expecting their second child. They reside in Northern Virginia.
Luke Arredondo
Luke Arredondo, PhD, serves as the Director of Faith Formation for the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization in the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas. He earned a BA in Philosophy at St. Joseph Seminary College, an MA in Theological Studies at Notre Dame Seminary, and a PhD in Comparative Religious Ethics at Florida State University. He has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels, both in person and online and also has volunteered in homeschool cooperatives. Luke has been married for 14 years and has four daughters and one son. He and his wife, Elena, homeschool their children in East Texas and they are diehard New Orleans Saints fans.
Monika Minehart
Chair of the Aquinas House of Studies [email protected]
Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, a military spouse and mother of four, has been working in Catholic Religious Education for over 15 years. She has instructed children and adults as a Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Faith Formation Facilitator. She earned her B.A. in English and Early Christian Studies from The University of Michigan and her M.A. in Divinity from The University of Chicago with a focus in Biblical Studies and Koine Greek. In addition to being a homemaker and homeschooling mother, Monika enjoys reading, weightlifting, and listening to a variety of uplifting music especially Danielle Rose, The Vigil Project, and the Hillbilly Thomists.
Tisha Frost
Tisha Frost has been teaching in a variety of settings over the last 20 years after following one of the best pieces of advice she was ever given, “Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on fire” (attributed to St. Catherine of Siena). This inspired her to study both history and theology during her undergraduate years.
She obtained a B.A. in American Studies, with a minor in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She also holds a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame, specializing in Middle School and High School Social Studies. Through her experiences of teaching many students, including her own children, she has seen the need for restful education that is focused on the true, good, and beautiful.
Tisha resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and six children. When she has a moment to herself, she enjoys children’s literature, British mysteries, good movies, and baking.
Canterbury House of Studies Instructors
Elizabeth Kaufman
Elizabeth Kaufman holds a M.Ed. and earned her BA in Spanish from Hope College with minors in Music (piano performance) and Elementary Ed.. A missional mindset led her to work in various countries, teaching art and music in an American School in the Dominican Republic, grades 2 and 3 in a British school in Tanzania, and Spanish at a Montessori school in Michigan. Elizabeth went on to choose motherhood and homeschooling as a full-time pursuit and has loved teaching her four sons at home for the past eight years. Throughout this time, she has grown increasingly committed to Classical Christian education and has developed a love for “living” literature and biblical scholarship. She has also combined her love of music and scripture to compose several collections of songs for students and families to learn scripture together and to sing through liturgical seasons. She believes that every course of study is an invitation to witness God’s redemptive work in the world, to be formed and transformed by it, and to engage with Him in it.
Elizabeth lives in Kenya where her husband teaches biblically-based church discipleship and her sons enjoy living and learning “in the bush.” When not teaching or studying classical ed, you can find Elizabeth trail running, composing new music, doing laundry, hosting meals for friends and travelers, or attempting (poorly) to ride motorbikes with her boys. You can listen to her music for learning scripture at www.musictomemorize.org.
Nathan Dickinson
Nathan Dickinson holds a M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently serves as a deacon at Christ the King Anglican Church in Beckley, West Virginia. He is a West Virginia native who has had approximately a decade of teaching experiences in local churches and missionary settings. He has taught the Bible in Kenya, Zambia, Myanmar, and Jamaica, and has taught English (among other things) to students in a Christian school setting. He loves helping students see the beauty of God in Holy Scripture and helping students learn to engage in meaningful dialogue.
His two boys (Barnabas, 5, and Martin, 3) keep his home life interesting and full of adventure! When he is not adventuring with his wife and boys, he is looking for a good cup of coffee, a good book, and a good conversation.
Rhea Bright
Chair of the Canterbury House of Studies [email protected]
Rhea Bright, Chair of The Canterbury House of Studies, holds a B.A. from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and an M.A. in Classics from Dalhousie University, also in Halifax. Her Classical studies involved Latin and Greek, as well as classical and medieval literature, philosophy and theology. King’s Foundation Year Program, an early integrated great books curriculum, and the Dalhousie Classics department formed and nurtured what became a life-long love of the classics and a deep appreciation of the contribution of the ancient world to whatsoever is good and true and beautiful. She also has a Bachelor of Education from Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. Rhea taught Ancient and Medieval Humanities at the University of Central Oklahoma for nine years, and over the course of ten years at Providence Hall and The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, she taught Latin, Logic, Bible, and integrated ancient literature and history. Rhea is married to Father Patrick Bright, an ordained Anglican priest who served for over 24 years at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City and recently retired from full-time ministry. Together they raised five sons, now grown. They now live in a 170-year-old house in rural Nova Scotia.
St. Raphael School Instructors
Pres. Maria Koulianos
Tutoring Center & CSLD Manager Principal of St. Raphael School [email protected]
Presbytera Maria Koulianos, Principal, has been an educator for over 25 years, loving every minute, with vast experiences in both public and private schools as a classroom teacher, a developer and implementer of learning programs for students, and an area administrator. She earned her bachelor of science in education from Indiana University with certifications in elementary education, 7/8 non-departmental, language arts 1–9, and computer education K–12. She holds a master of divinity and a master of theology from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she wrote her thesis, “The Annunciation of the Theotokos from a Liturgical Perspective.” Presbytera Maria and her husband, Father Dionysios, live in the greater Springfield area where he is the Dean of Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. As an educator, she hopes to inspire her students to love literature and become lifelong learners. As principal, she is a servant-leader who is charged with building a community that supports students and parents striving for Orthodox restful classical education.
Fr. Noah Bushelli
Spiritual Father of St. Raphael School Lead Catechist [email protected]
Father Noah Bushelli is grateful to be married to a living saint, Khouria Elizabeth, who homeschools their 7 marvelous children. He met his wife at a vespers service in Alaska and still remembers the joyous and awkward moment. He is an archpriest in the Antiochian Archdiocese and was received into the Orthodox Church in 1994. He graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage with a BEd in 2000, and then he and his wife moved to St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He graduated with an MDiv in 2004. His thesis explored St. John Chrysostom’s notion of the Church as a spiritual hospital. After serving St. Nicholas in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for three years, they moved to St. Philip in Souderton, Pennsylvania, in 2006. Fr. Noah is grateful to raise his family in this warm, generous, faithful, and vibrant community and is working very hard to meet the demands of parish life as well as focusing on “the one thing needful.” He spends his downtime taking walks, reading theology, changing diapers, telling stories to his children, and playing a little guitar. He is grateful for the success of St. Raphael School and Scholé Academy, excited to share his love for God and the Church with students, and looking forward to stretching his teaching skills into cyberspace. He thanks you for your prayers for him, his family, parishioners, and students!
Fr. Nikolai Meyers
Father Nikolai Meyers is a native of Southern California. He holds a bachelor of arts in Bible and cross-cultural ministry from Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan, Kansas. He earned his master of divinity from St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary, in South Cannon, Pennsylvania. He was ordained Deacon in September of 2007 by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochain Archdiocese at St. Tikhon Monastery in South Cannon, Pennsylvania, and to the holy Priesthood in July of 2008 by His Eminence at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, California. He served 6 years as assistant pastor of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and concurrently was the priest in charge of the St. Paul Orthodox Mission in Tupelo, Mississippi. From October of 2014 to July of 2019 he was the pastor of St. George Orthodox Church in New Hartford, New York, where he was also the spiritual adviser for Teen SOYO in the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York. He now serves as the pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Topeka, Kansas. He is married and has 5 children. [email protected]
Fr. Timothy Hojnicki
Father Timothy Hojnicki was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a 2002 graduate from the University of Delaware, where he received his MDiv from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in May of 2005. In June of 2005 he was assigned to Holy Apostles Mission in Mechanicsburg, PA, where he currently serves as pastor. He has taught liturgics and homiletics at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, and given many retreats and talks over the years. He is married to his lovely wife, Anastasia, and has four children: Nicholas, Kyra, Elijah, and Joachim. He is excited for this class and looks forward to the continued opportunity and responsibility of teaching the faith for St. Raphael School!
Fr. Gabriel Souza
Father Gabriel Souza was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of blessed memory in February of 2021. He currently serves under the Omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York in the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. Fr. Souza’s education and priestly formation prepared him to serve in various positions as an educator, director of religious education and faith formation for youth and young adults, and pastoral counselor. With strong interpersonal skills, he builds and develops strong relationships with parishioners and students.
Passionate about working with youth and leading the liturgy and prayers of the church, it is through teaching and preaching that his passion for Jesus truly comes alive. He enjoys spending time with my very close-knit family and socializing with my friends- especially other clergy. Reading, traveling, learning about the great treasures of Orthodoxy, meeting people, and learning about and experiencing different cultures are also the great joys of his life.
Alexander Titus
Dr. Alexander Titus is a learner, educator, translator, and Church historian, specializing in the Byzantine and medieval Western periods. He holds a BA (2011) in Classics from the University of Oregon, an MA (2015) and ThM (2016) from St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary, and a PhD (2022) in Church History from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he wrote his dissertation on St. Gregory Palamas. His English translation of Palamas’ Triads is also forthcoming from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Dr. Titus has come to believe strongly in the salvific value of classical education, not only for the soul of the individual Christian, but for the building up of the whole Church. Dr. Titus currently lives in Western Oregon, with his wife and two sons. His other interests include cooking, literature, visual arts (e.g., film, animation, games), and volunteering in his local Orthodox community.
Anastasia Wilkinson
Anastasia Wilkinson holds a BA in Russian and an MA in Second Language Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After homeschooling her children for fourteen years, she decided to pursue a career in teaching Russian. She taught Russian at the University of Hawaii as a GA and then began teaching at St. Raphael School in the 2023-24 school year. Since 2005, her family has been part of the Iveron Icon Russian Orthodox Community in Kailua, HI. In her free time, Mrs. Wilkinson enjoys hiking and beach outings as well as traveling to the mainland with her family.
Courtney Chancey
Courtney Chancey loved pondering icons as she and her husband Denton began their Orthodox Journey several years ago. She loves how each one tells a story that needs no words so people of all ages and backgrounds can learn from them. When her 4 children were a bit older, she began Maria Sider-Rose’s adult iconography apprenticeship program at St. Raphael School and found such peace learning about the practice of writing icons. She has also been recently accepted to the Writing the Light Program with Dr. George Kordis at the Institute of Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Courtney graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a M.A. in Community Counseling. She then worked for a few years as a Licensed Professional Counselor in OKC with children and families involved with the child welfare system. After having children, she and her husband decided she would be a stay-at-home mom and through this time, Courtney has been involved in her children’s activities as well as parish life after her and her family’s conversion to Orthodoxy.
Courtney has always loved working with and teaching kids throughout her life. She and her family are active parishioners at St. Elijah’s Antiochian Parish in Oklahoma City, OK where her husband is a Reader and she is a Co-Director for their Vacation Bible School, Co-Chair for various booths at their Food Festival, and has been on their Antiochian Women Board.
Dustin Finch
Dustin Finch’s love for Greek began in the Fall of 2008 at Williams Baptist College (Walnut Ridge, AR), where he was later honored with the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek in 2009 and for both Greek and Hebrew in 2010. He graduated with an M.Div from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN) and was honored with the Gertrude Roten Excellence in Greek Exegesis award in 2019. Since becoming Orthodox, his love for Greek has only grown as he has read the Greek text of icons, hymns, liturgical services, the Symbol of Faith, lives of the saints, and the Fathers. Moreover, he has been learning to pray in Greek—using the Psalms and the prayers of the Church. He lives in Jonesboro, AR with his wife, Angela, his sons, Owen (14) and Wilkes (10), and his dog, Maggie. He is a member of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN.
Elijah Turrell
Elijah Turrell is a Liturgical Artist from Seattle, WA. He holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and an M.A. in Traditional Arts from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He grew up as a Baptist preacher’s kid in Oklahoma where his mom homeschooled him and his siblings. After nearly a decade in the US Navy and a few years working in civilian healthcare, he returned to school to study Iconography and other Liturgical Arts in London. His art focuses on Manuscript Illumination and draws from the many cultures within and around medieval Byzantium, particularly the pre-schism West. He approaches art as a spiritual practice and incorporates prayer and meditation with practical instruction in an effort to live out the Benedictine ethos of “Ora et Labora.” Outside of teaching and creating art, he enjoys cooking, reading, walking around the woods, volunteering at church, and spending time with his family.
Esther Deiana
Esther Deiana was born and raised in a little town by the sea, in the island of Sardinia (south of Italy). Growing up in a land of ancient traditions she was always fascinated by learning about the history, language and artifacts of her ancestors and that fascination quickly turned into unending curiosity for all different civilizations. She graduated with a B.A. in Italian Grammar and Literature and then pursued her passion for the symbolic lives of cultures through her master's degree in Anthropology. She has been teaching on and off for the last 20 years and has experienced a variety of learning scenarios; she has worked as an in-person and online private tutor teaching Latin, Spanish, Italian and English as a foreign language. She has also taught group classes for adults as well as children, in the three countries she has lived (Italy, Spain and US). Esther is now married with three kids, and she can't but recognize the fractal similarities between raising kids and the calling of being an educator. Her dedication to teaching is only exceeded by her enthusiasm for learning and her love for Beauty in all its forms; she is eager to share this new chapter of her journey with her family in Christ, at the Schole Academy. Mrs. Deiana and her family attend St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado where she serves as part of the Youth Ministry Leadership.
Kh. Kassiani Newman
Kassiani Newman has a Masters in Teaching from the University of New Hampshire with a background in Language. She taught secondary school for more than five years before starting a family. Now at home with children, she has focused on her passion for art. While she had some foundational art courses at UNH, she was blessed to participate in courses in iconography, and she developed her skills while caring for her three young children. Over the past 7 years she has shared the fruits of these labors on her children’s website for free coloring pages. She taught for a year as PreK teacher at a small Classical Academy in OH, but now homeschools her three children, choosing to continue with classical themes, methods and languages. Her passion for art has grown into an iconography studio in the home.
Kelley Kohout
Kelley Kohout has been teaching in some form for 26 years. She earned her bachelor of science in education from Cameron University in Oklahoma, with certifications in both elementary education and science.
Kelley has been homeschooling her kids for 12 years, graduating her daughter in 2022. She has experience teaching in public and private schools, homeschool co-ops, and adult art classes. Kelley is the Sunday School Director at her local parish, Holy Apostles Church, and enjoys teaching catechism classes to the upper elementary and middle school children. She works for an online paper crafting company, teaching classes, and is part of their product development team.
Kelley’s husband, Chad is active duty Air Force, and they currently reside in South Carolina.
Kristin Edwards-Kubrina
Kristin Edwards-Kubrina (Kristina Robertovna) has been teaching Russian and literature for over 10 years. She has an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University and an M.A. in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Her courses in modern Russian help students to become more confident and adept Russian-speakers. The courses will draw upon the language’s cultural backdrop and its interaction with the language spoken today. We will look at (and, hopefully, delight in) a few of the ways that the beauty of Church Slavonic and Russian Orthodoxy are hidden inside modern Russian. Mrs. Edwards-Kubrina hopes that the rigor of learning Russian will enrich and beautify the minds, hearts, and everyday lives of students, much as it has in her own family. She lives in South Carolina and serves as the choir director at her local parish.
Marissa Davidson
Marissa Davidson was raised in the Northeast United States. She always knew she would work alongside children, and for the last 20 years, she has in public and private schools using a multitude of pedagogy. She has a knack for making her pupils comfortable so they can trust in themselves that they can and will learn.
She currently homeschools her three young sons. In her spare time, she loves to try out new sourdough recipes, camp with her family, garden in her backyard, and discover beautiful books to read.
Melissa Naasko
Melissa Elizabeth Naasko is married to a ROCOR priest and lives in the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan on a small farm. She uses her prior catering and restaurant work in her recipe development. She is also the mother of eleven children, grandmother of one, and a strong believer in teaching people how to cook for themselves.
Milica Savic
Milica Savic was born in Belgrade, Serbia. At the age of six she immigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Growing up in south Florida, and visiting her family in Serbia every summer, grew her love for travel, culture, history, and learning. When deciding on a track in college, she chose International Relations as it blended many of her interests and life experiences. Upon graduating from the University of Central Florida, she took a teaching position at Paideia Classical Academy in Coconut Creek, Florida. She started out as a teacher’s assistant, and the following year, she was offered her own class. Milica taught the first and second grade levels for two years. She also has experience as the Administrative Assistant in the Missionary Department for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida. This is her second year with Scholé/SRS, and her second year teaching Level 4 Liberal Arts, Children’s Literature. Currently, Milica lives in Belgrade with her husband Stefan and daughter Danica. [email protected]
Mindi Popovich-Schneider
Mindi Popovich-Schneider knew from the time she was seven years old that her future career would involve books. She received her BA in English with a minor in Classics from Hillsdale College and a Master's in Library Science with a focus in Youth Services from the University of Wisconsin. Ultimately, she realized that she wanted to serve the Church more directly (while still reading as many books as possible) and left libraries to work in education. She is currently the assistant for Saint Emmelia Ministries, and previously served as a college counselor at Philadelphia Classical School. As a homeschool alumna, she is delighted and honored to walk with homeschool families as their children learn more about our Creator and the beautiful world He has given us. In her free time, she enjoys playing the ukulele, writing, or delightedly making mediocre watercolors and embroidery pieces. She lives in Eastern PA with her husband Calvin, their son, two beehives, and one grouchy cat.
Paul Murray
Paul Murray is a 2021 graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, earning his Master of Divinity and Certificate in Byzantine Music. He has been chanting since the age of 10 at churches in the Antiochian and Greek Orthodox Archdioceses. He has studied under Fr. Romanos Karanos and briefly under Gabriel Cremeens. He has taught classes in Byzantine Chant at summer camps and other programs, and has given some private chanting lessons. He is currently the School Administrator of St. Herman of Alaska Christian School in Allston, MA, and serves as the Protopsaltis (lead chanter) of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Newburyport, MA. He lives in Boston with is wife, Despina, who is also a chanter, and his one-year-old daughter, Photini.
Ramona Bean
Ramona V. Saridakis Bean, a first generation Greek-American, born in Vero Beach and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida. After finishing at Cardinal Newman High School in 1996, graduated from University of Florida in 2001 after completing a student-athlete career as a Lady Gator Cross-Country and Track runner with a B.A. in English.
Served as a congressional aide for former U.S. Rep. Mark A. Foley, serving a legislative portfolio that included Ways and Means appropriations and issues regarding education and the environment. Followed with an appointee position for President George W. Bush’s administration in the office of Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her other teaching pursuits include helping Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton with their Sunday School program and her children’s Greek School.
Currently serving as “CEO of the Home” administering home and online education for three children, managing care of a widowed grandfather 96 years young, and recently acquired her MBA degree from University of Florida in December 2020.
In addition to serving as a parish council member at Saint Mark, she’s a volunteer for Junior League of the Palm Beaches and a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Authority. Ramona loves running, singing, painting, gardening and helping others.
Randi Sider-Rose
Randi Maria Sider-Rose's journey into iconography began in Russia and Latvia, where she had been a highschool exchange student, college student, and after college- Fulbright Scholar. In 1998 she came back to the states and was able to travel to learn from different iconography teachers. Since then, she has married Michael Sider-Rose and completed an MDiv, specializing in iconography, at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
As well as taking commissions from churches and individuals, Randi (aka Maria, as in Saint Maria of Paris) loves to walk with students aged 9-97 on the journey of learning to see better and more intentionally, using this “prayer of the hands” to grow in holiness, with God’s grace. Michael, Maria, and their 5 kids attend Saint Moses the Black Orthodox Mission Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she has been blessed by His Grace Bishop Thomas to serve in the ministry of iconography.
Kh. Rima Zafaran
Khouria Rima Zaffaran has a love for learning and a deep enjoyment of chanting and teaching. She is Lebanese, married to a Syrian Priest, has four children and Lives in Pennsylvania. Khouria Rima has a bachelor’s degree of Theology from St John of Damascus, Balamand, Lebanon.
She is well versed in Byzantine music and leads a children and adult choir at her parish. She has spent more than 30 years teaching choirs, religion, and the Arabic Language. Her Love to Her native Language makes her very excited to teach it to the students in a fun and professional way.
Sarah Marshall
Sarah Marshall has an endless love of music and deep appreciation for the sights and sounds of God’s remarkable creation. She studied at two Summer Music Institutes at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as well as taking college coursework in music studies. She has directed choirs in both the Orthodox Church in America and the Antiochian Archdiocese for the past 40 years. She has developed and grown mission choirs and directed cathedral choirs, making beautiful music for the Glory of God with countless people of all ages and skill levels. Sarah has retired from a long career in software development and with her husband has raised 4 incredible children. She lives in Massachusetts and attends St. George Antiochian Cathedral in Worcester, MA.
Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith– Shalom! Or should I say, שלום! My name is Sarah Smith and I am very excited to join St. Raphael School this year. I am a wife, a mom of two young kids, and an avid reader. I joined the Orthodox Faith with my Chrismation along with my husband, and now as a family live the faith. Before I inquired into the Orthodox faith I served as a youth minister in an other faith tradition. I love the honest questions, the search for truth, and the fun-loving nature of teenagers.
Old Testament is more than something I study – it’s my absolute passion! I received my BA in Biblical Studies at Olivet Nazarene University in 2013 and continued my education with an MDiv at Asbury Theological Seminary in 2017 where I spent all my electives on the Ancient Near East. Some of my specialties include Biblical archaeology – I spent a summer living in Israel digging at Tel Abel Beth Maacah – as well as Biblical Hebrew as I was the teaching assistant and grader for two years in Seminary).
I came into the Orthodox Faith by way of Old Testament study – when I first attended the Divine Liturgy I was brought to tears because I saw the worship of the Old Testament taking place in front of me. My year as a catechumen was spent wrestling with theological ideas and personal ideas I had to let go of, but I never looked back. Orthodoxy is a clear continuation of the Faith of our ancient ancestors. I’m excited to get to know you and I hope to see you in one of my classes!
Sarah Wolf
Sarah Wolf has been teaching for over 15 years. She holds a BA in 7-12 English and History Education and an MA in Secondary Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Throughout her career, Sarah has taught writing, literature, speaking, and music to both middle and high school students. Sarah offers her students a passion for studying literature, history, poetry, music, and nature, and looks forward to helping them learn, grow, and reflect on “the good, the true, and the beautiful” in everything. In addition to teaching, Sarah is blessed to serve as Youth Ministry Coordinator and chanter at St. George Orthodox Church in Kearney, Nebraska. She also loves spoiling her three young nieces, reading, writing, gardening, coffee and conversation with friends, and volunteering at her church.
Stephanie Jones
Stephanie Jones has been teaching in some capacity for over a decade and has a deep love for Christian education. She graduated in 2002 with a double major in Business Management and Marketing. She has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the last seven years, advocating for eleven foster children in her area. Brandon and Stephanie also work weekly at pregnancy home in their area, helping the young women find stability for them and their new babies. She also serves as co-chair of the Children’s Education committee at her home parish Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Norman Oklahoma. She teaches church school and assists in implementing a four year cycle of children’s curriculum for the parish. Stephanie and Brandon have four adopted children, all of whom she has educated at home over the past 12 years.
Tutoring Center Instructors at Scholé Academy
Alexander Titus
Dr. Alexander Titus is a learner, educator, translator, and Church historian, specializing in the Byzantine and medieval Western periods. He holds a BA (2011) in Classics from the University of Oregon, an MA (2015) and ThM (2016) from St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary, and a PhD (2022) in Church History from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he wrote his dissertation on St. Gregory Palamas. His English translation of Palamas’ Triads is also forthcoming from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Dr. Titus has come to believe strongly in the salvific value of classical education, not only for the soul of the individual Christian, but for the building up of the whole Church. Dr. Titus currently lives in Western Oregon, with his wife and two sons. His other interests include cooking, literature, visual arts (e.g., film, animation, games), and volunteering in his local Orthodox community.
Alison Johansen
Alison Grace Johansen is teaching Classic Children’s Literature VII, Poetry Corner, Writing & Rhetoric Level 1, and Well-Ordered Language Level 1. She also hosts Scholé Academy’s poetry club. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa., and her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Richmond. She worked as a legal journalist in Washington, D.C., for over 13 years before pursuing writing and editing in all forms of media. She hopes to inspire her students to discover the many ways that they can use their own words to express themselves with truth, goodness, and beauty. Alison lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Her dedication to her faith and children influences every part of her life, from teaching Sunday school and writing a children’s picture book about food allergies, to exploring the beauty of God’s world with her family. If they aren’t birdwatching and enjoying a walk outside with their dog Nugget, you might find them reading together or playing their favorite instruments: the piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, and drums! Learn more in her "Well-Ordered Language Classroom Experience" video, “Five Questions With Your Classical Educator” video, and blog post about fortitude in poetry.
Alivia Ragan
Alivia Ragan received a BA in Early Childhood Education, as well as a Bible minor from Cedarville University. She taught Pre-K for 3 years and second grade for two years at a small Christian school in Ohio. This school was in the process of transitioning to a Classical Christian school when she was added to the staff. Restful learning was a new concept to her but she quickly fell in love with this methodology and learned a lot while there. She has a passion for helping students grow in their knowledge and understanding. As much as she loved her students and time in the classroom, she decided to begin her career as a stay at home mom when God blessed her and her husband with a beautiful baby girl. In her free time, her and her family enjoy the outdoors, playing music, and trying new coffee shops!
Amanda Reeves
Lower School Academic Dean [email protected]
Amanda Reeves has a BA in Greek and Latin from Stanford University, where she received recognition in her department for both her enthusiasm for the classical world as well as her excellence in scholarship. In her 10+ years as an educator, she has fiercely held to the belief that every student can fall in love with Latin and has celebrated each of the many times it has happened in her classroom. As Dean of the Lower School at Scholé, she supports teachers as they develop classrooms and curricula to help Scholé’s youngest students cultivate a love of learning in their pursuit of restful classical education. Having learned Latin online as a homeschooled student, Amanda is passionate about distance learning and enjoys integrating traditional grammar and translation methods with spoken Latin to produce the best educational experience for her students. When she is not traveling the world, she can be found in New Haven, Connecticut, waxing poetic about the Parthenon Marbles and Stanford football, always with a strong cup of coffee in hand.
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Andrew Lindsey
Andrew Lindsey has been an educator since 2005, with an M.Ed. from Georgia State University, and an M.Div. and Th.M. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He joined as a tutor for Scholé Academy in 2022. Andrew’s greatest passion in life is making the good news of the Lord Jesus known to those who have never heard it before and making this gospel message more clearly known to those who are already following Christ.
Angelique Chaverri
Angelique Chaverri holds an MSEd in special education from Missouri State University and a BA in psychology from Southwest Baptist University. Angelique has spent her adult life working to understand the underpinnings of learning. After initial interests in physical therapy and neuropsychology, she found her way into special education. Four years after entering the public school system, Angelique went into private practice. She worked for a year in a learning clinic under a neuropsychologist before starting her own business in 2005. Angelique then began cross-training in various therapy modalities usually used by medically based therapists in hospitals and rehab clinics.
For the past 15 years, Angelique has specialized in using standardized assessments to identify the underlying causes of learning difficulties and has designed individualized programs to improve learning while guiding parents and teachers in how to modify the learning environment and instruction to the student’s individual needs. Angelique has provided training for schools, parents, and hospitals. She firmly believes in teaching students to use their strengths to enjoy, not fear, the learning process.
This year, Angelique will celebrate 15 years of marriage to her wonderful husband. She is a homeschooling mom to two fantastic boys. When avoiding housework, Angelique prefers to be outside hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, tending her medicinal herb and veggie gardens, hobby farming, and learning about regenerative agriculture and classical physical education.
Annice Hoffman
Annice Hoffman holds a BA in Anthropology from Penn State University. As a young adult, curiosity and a desire to find her neighbor in the wider world led her to spend one summer abroad in Mexico City and another with missionary friends of the family in Paraguay. Following university, she spent a year teaching English at a Christian school in the Dominican Republic, where her Spanish blossomed. After further adventures as an au pair in England and English teacher in Prague, Annice made her way back to Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband. When their first child came, she transitioned from teacher to stay-at-home-mom and, eventually, to homeschool mom. A chance event introduced Annice to the work of Classical Academic Press–and the meaning of Home Education began to clarify; as Classical educators, we were not essentially fleeing from mainstream culture (her move to home schooling had first come as an instinct to protect), but rather racing toward Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.
Annice lives in Erie, Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. Her hobbies are reading, walking, learning other languages, and watching her kids grow.
Anthea Shirk
Anthea Shirk earned a BA in English Education from Cedarville University in 1996. Her love of teaching was ignited in Taiwan as she rubbed shoulders with missionary kids at Morrison Academy and learned to delight in the complexities of an international classroom. In her first full professional teaching role, Anthea taught English, speech and drama, and fitness to middle and upper school students in Alaska and Indiana. As a young mother, she discovered homeschooling and classical Christian education. She dug deep into the theories and practice of homeschool education, becoming a resource for others in their homeschool journey. Anthea continues to passionately pursue homeschooling, supporting homeschool parents, and encouraging children to see the beauty of language. She uses conversation and humor to cultivate a love of writing in her students.
Anthea lives on the Hawaiian island of Oahu with her husband and three children. Her favorite books usually contain dragons and everyday heroes, but she wishes she could read them in Latin. You might find her reading on the beach when she isn’t reading aloud to her children or serving at Honolulu Speech and Debate Club.
Audrey Christensen
Audrey Christensen holds a BA in English from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a minor in Education and is currently pursuing an MA in Composition & Rhetoric from Shawnee State University. She loves teaching all things English—grammar and composition in particular—and has experience in the classical classroom as both a student and a teacher. Audrey’s strengths lie in helping students understand the mechanics behind effective grammar and strong composition. With experience as a writing tutor for 5 years and classical writing instructor for 2 years, she has a passion for helping students become confident writers.
Growing up in Appalachia gave her a love for storytelling and seeing the Lord's glory in nature, making real-life connections with the good, true, and beautiful. Audrey enjoys being active, reading, spending time outside, traveling with her husband Jonathan, and being involved in her local church alongside her husband. The Christensens currently reside in Fort Worth, Texas.
Audrey Merrell
Audrey Merrell earned a B.A. in Biology and Linguistics from Swarthmore College. She is currently pursuing graduate studies in Classics at Villanova University. Her interests include Greek and Roman Archaeology and Christian Persecution in the Roman Empire. She happily resides in Utah with her husband and children. She currently tutors Latin and other subjects at Scholé Academy.
Bo Evans
Bo Evans, also known by his latin name as "Magister Evander," lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife and son. He received a BA in Philosophy/Religion from Flagler College, and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently working on an MA in Humanities from the University of Dallas and a Graduate Certificate in Latin Studies from the University of Kentucky. Bo loves to study and teach Latin using not only grammar and translation techniques, but also actively through verbal communication and composition. In his free time, he enjoys training for marathons, hiking, and cheering for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brenda Tchoundjo
Brenda Tchoundjo has a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning with Technology (MATLT) from Ashford University and a certification for teaching English as a second language. She has taught in many different capacities from child development centers to community colleges, military environments and homeschool co-ops.
Brenda homeschools her two sons and was introduced to Scholé Academy through their homeschool curriculum at the co-op where she began her classical education journey. She also has a stepdaughter graduating from a Classical private school next year.
Brenda has an enthusiasm for learning in fun and creative ways which has been developing even more as she homeschools. She uses different methods of teaching depending on the children’s’ learning styles and has been learning the different needs of learners with autism, ADHD and dyslexia.
Brenda taught after school programs for American children on an Army base in Germany, international military students in Ft Jackson, as well as German children and adults learning English while living for 10 years in Bavaria. She has substitute taught for Baltimore County Public Schools.
As a a military wife and mother of 3, Brenda wanted stability and continuity in her childrens’ education. She was called to homeschool in 2023.
In her free time, Brenda cares for pets in her community while their owners are away or needing walks during the day. She continues to study French, German, Spanish and ASL. She enjoys arts and crafts, nature walks with her family and toy poodle and women’s Bible study. She and her husband volunteer in their church youth groups and marriage ministry.
Caridad Legere
Caridad Legere was born and raised in Guatemala City. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Caridad worked in different industries in her native country. In 2005 she married and moved to Arizona, and in 2014 joined West Valley Christian School staff as their Spanish Teacher. Her passion for Classical education began when she and her husband started homeschooling their daughter, looking for a higher education that would aloud their daughter to search for the truth, goodness, and beauty, through a Christian Worldview. During the past ten years, they have used several of the CAP materials and her daughter is now a student of Latin at Scholé Academy. Caridad genuinely enjoys sharing her culture with her students and introducing them to the Spanish language, which is so rich and vital since we live in a time where there are so many opportunities to use it every day.
Caridad, her husband, and daughter live in Glendale, Arizona. They share their home with a dog, five cats, and more than fifteen fish. There is never a boring moment at their house. When she is not teaching her daughter, or teaching Spanish, she can be found driving her daughter to choir, theater, AHG, or hiking on one of the many trails Arizona has to explore all year round. Also, they enjoy camping, visiting interesting places in Arizona, traveling to Guatemala to visit family, and reading books aloud.
Catherine Wise
Catherine “Cat” Wise has loved to read since before she started school. Raised in a military family, she attended public school in Italy and then was homeschooled before obtaining a BA in elementary education with a Spanish minor at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Texas and becoming a bilingual kindergarten teacher. When her oldest child was a toddler, Cat discovered classical education and fell in love with the idea of cultivating wisdom and virtue through great books, fascinating histories, and the beauty of language. Cat has been classically homeschooling her own three children for nine years and is honored to learn alongside them of the Creator and His magnificent works. She loves talking about books and reading with anyone who will listen, but also enjoys working jigsaw puzzles and baking yummy desserts, and is currently trying to visit as many National Parks as she can, attend live theater performances at every opportunity, and teach herself to crochet.
Charity Jacobson
Charity Jacobson is always ready for an adventure, whether it be a walk in the rain, taking a last-minute 2-day tour of Norway, or being taught by Ukrainian children to catch jellyfish without being stung. Her love for children influences much of her life as she enjoys teaching children from her community and often travels internationally to develop relationships with children who don’t have families of their own. At every encounter with children, Charity endeavors to see the world through the eyes of those children and to interact with them on a level that is easy for them to understand. Each child is uniquely gifted by God, and she enjoys nurturing them to be exactly who God has made them to be. She is currently pursuing an MA in biblical studies from the Master’s University. Teaching both adults and children is a pleasure for her. The greatest reward for her is when she sees her students master the material and turn around and teach it to someone else, or become so passionate about the subject that they begin to surpass her in knowledge.
Charlotte Odum
Charlotte Odum received a classical education at St. John’s College, earning a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. She then pursued graduate studies in classical political philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Wanting to share the benefits of classical education, she taught writing, rhetoric, and grammar at a classical public charter school for fourteen years, as well as a broad spectrum of English and social science courses for three years at a technical and career college. Between high school and college, she worked in a pediatric facility, where she developed a deep love and appreciation for children with challenges and disabilities. Although initially inclined towards a career in health care, her passion for classical learning redirected her path towards teaching and study. She takes pleasure in the natural beauty of her adopted state of North Carolina and enjoys cooking, drawing badly, and connecting with family and friends.
Christa Maldonado
Christa Maldonado is a naturally curious person who is constantly reading. The wonder of the natural world led her to studying science deeply in her adult life, but she is really a polymath and philosopher at heart. She has a Master of Education in Instructional Design, a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences - Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Hospital Administration, and an Associate of Science in Chemistry. Christa has formal experience teaching science, mathematics, Latin, and grammar as well as a host of additional subjects through tutoring and homeschooling.
Christa is a Catholic wife and mother. Her family lives the rhythms of liturgical life and they have developed a great love of Catholic traditions and culture. Her husband is a school administrator working in public education. Her children learn at home from the rich curriculum that nourished the minds of the saints past. Aside from their liturgical and educational interests, her family enjoys raising chickens and rabbits, growing a garden, reading good books, baking delicious breads, and exploring nature.
Christina Royals
Christina Royals began her journey as an educator in 2005 and holds a B.S in Middle Grades Education with certifications in ELA, Math, and Gifted as well as a Minor in Music. She has spent much of her career as a math instructor in a variety of instructional settings in Georgia. She is joining the Scholé Academy instructional team as a mathematics instructor and is excited to share her joy and passion for the content with young, eager learners. Christina feels it is a blessing and a “calling” to be allowed the opportunity to assist children with their academic progress. She enjoys showing even the most apprehensive students that math doesn’t have to be scary, and they CAN find success! When she isn’t engaged in math teaching, you can find her playing with her sprightly toddler, enjoying walks at parks, or reading in her hammock. She also loves crossword puzzles and math logic puzzles such as KenKen, Sudoku, and Suguru! (Expect to see those pop up during class sessions to challenge the students!) Christina was born, raised and continues to live in sunny Savannah, Georgia with her son and husband. Además, Christina habla español porque su marido es de la República Dominicana!
Dr. Christy Vaughan
Dr. Christy Anne Vaughan holds an Ed.D. from Liberty University in Educational Leadership. Her doctoral dissertation, published in February of 2020 through the Journal of Research on Christian Education, is titled: DIFFERENCES OF MEAN SCORES ON THE PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (PSAT) FOR CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS COMPARED TO NON-CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. She holds an M.A. Ed. with a concentration in special education from Georgetown College and a B.A. from the University of Baltimore in English, concentration in business and professional writing. Dr. Vaughan serves as Secretary and Educational Consultant for Classical Christian Education International, Inc. (www.2CEI.ORG) and homeschools two of her grandchildren in Ohio.
With more than 10 years of research and service in classical and Christian educational associations (ACCS, SCL, Circe institute) and more than 14 years of scholarship in accredited universities, Dr. Vaughan brings a wealth of experience to students at Scholé Academy.
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Cindy Barker
Cindy Barker has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Midwestern State University and a M.Ed. in Education Administration from Lamar University. Her career in education includes 22 years of teaching all math content from sixth grade through calculus. Additionally, she has been a school administrator in both private and public schools for 8 years as district wide secondary math curriculum and instruction specialist, Director of Instruction and Director of Academics. As an educational consultant, Cindy has provided curriculum for homeschool associations, private schools, and professional development for teachers as far away as Singapore. She tried to retire but missed working with students and taking them on a journey through the patterns that God has given us for delightful learning in math classes. She is very excited to begin that journey with Schole Academy this year. Whether it’s playing games, hiking, bowling, or going to a park, Cindy enjoys spending time with her family: husband Daryl, two daughters, and four grandchildren.
Danae Edsall
Danae McGregor Edsall holds a B.A. in Classical Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Literature and Latin from Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA. Danae’s own background in the public, home, and private school traditions has provided her with a unique perspective on the intricacies of each system. She has taught in a variety of education models, including private, homeschool co-op, collaborative, classical, and subject-specific tutoring. Her teaching experience spans nearly all levels of education from primary to secondary school. Danae finds her deepest joy in teaching the Humanities, including English, Composition, Logic, Literature, History, Poetry, and most especially, Latin. Most recently, she taught Latin for five years and served one year as the Foreign Language Department Chair at a private school in northern Virginia, where she oversaw the administration of the Spanish, French, and Latin programs for the school. Danae believes that language plays a beautiful and powerful role in the pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful. Whether through reading well-known stories or writing a complex epigram, she is convinced that the study of language offers something for everyone to learn.
Danae currently lives in the mountains of Blacksburg, VA where she enjoys an active and often adventurous lifestyle. She spends much of her time weight training at a local gym, biking around the New River Valley on both road and trail, and hiking on the weekend with her husband. Danae is thankful for the Lord’s providence in her life to infuse her multi-faceted background with greater purpose than she can see, and she is excited to partner with her brothers and sisters in growing Christ’s kingdom through education.
Daniel Monroe
Dan Monroe, tutor, took a B.A. in Religious Studies (University of Oregon, 1986). On a trip to Singapore in 1989, he had the opportunity to teach English as a Foreign Language to Japanese middle school students. When he returned to America, he started to teach Latin and, somewhat later, math. He has taught pre-algebra, business math, algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2.
Mr. Monroe is a reader in the Orthodox Church. He enjoys reading the Iliad in Greek, Spanish and German and the Bible in German, Greek, Spanish, Latin, Old English, Old High German and Syriac. He also translates supplicatory canons from Greek into English. In his spare time, he studies logic and argumentation.
Mr. Monroe is delightfully married to his wife of 36 years and is inordinately pleased with his daughter and son. After teaching for 30 years, Mr. Monroe firmly believes that anyone can learn anything. [email protected]
Dustin Finch
Dustin Finch’s love for Greek began in the Fall of 2008 at Williams Baptist College (Walnut Ridge, AR), where he was later honored with the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek in 2009 and for both Greek and Hebrew in 2010. He graduated with an M.Div from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN) and was honored with the Gertrude Roten Excellence in Greek Exegesis award in 2019. Since becoming Orthodox, his love for Greek has only grown as he has read the Greek text of icons, hymns, liturgical services, the Symbol of Faith, lives of the saints, and the Fathers. Moreover, he has been learning to pray in Greek—using the Psalms and the prayers of the Church. He lives in Jonesboro, AR with his wife, Angela, his sons, Owen (14) and Wilkes (10), and his dog, Maggie. He is a member of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN.
Eddie Kotynski
Chair of the Latin Department [email protected]
Edward Kotynski, Chair of Latin Department, grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, where his parents were Bible translators. He attributes his love of languages partly to his parents’ work and his childhood experience. He received his BA in ancient languages from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2004, and his MA in classical languages from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in 2007. Mr. Kotynski has been teaching Latin and Greek for the last fifteen years, mostly at classical Christian schools. He loves sharing his passion for the ancient languages with his students, weaving in historical context and modern connections. He has edited two volumes of Latin Alive! for Classical Academic Press and has also been working on their Greek for Children series with Erin Valdez. He is very excited to be continuing with Scholé Academy this year. Besides Latin and Greek, Mr. Kotynski drinks coffee, loves reading, helps homeschool his kids, and plays board games. He lives with his wife, six children, and two cats, enjoying the craziness of life together.
Eleni Kallaur
Presvytera Eleni Kallaur holds her Dyslexia Practitioner Certification in the Wilson Reading System–a Tier 3 Structured Literacy program based on phonological-coding research and Orton-Gillingham principles. She was inspired to learn more about dyslexia and reading difficulties after her youngest son was diagnosed as being severely dyslexic.
Presvytera Eleni has worked in the private and public sector, as well as Director of International Students at Franciscan University of Steubenville before having children. She holds a BA in European History/International Relations from Goucher College, studied in Athens, Greece, and attended Drew University’s Semester at the United Nations. She also holds an MA in Public and International Affairs, and her TESOL Certification from the University of Pittsburgh.
Presvytera Eleni is married to Father Michael Kallaur. Together they serve Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh, PA, where she teaches the Youth Forum Church School class and chants for some of the services. Presvytera Eleni homeschooled her three boys. They enjoyed the freedom that it gave them to learn according to their needs, and to learn by traveling to multiple historic sites in the States, as well as Greece and Italy. Her two older sons are now graduated from college, and her youngest son is a senior in high school.
Elizabeth Kaufman
Elizabeth Kaufman holds a M.Ed. and earned her BA in Spanish from Hope College with minors in Music (piano performance) and Elementary Ed.. A missional mindset led her to work in various countries, teaching art and music in an American School in the Dominican Republic, grades 2 and 3 in a British school in Tanzania, and Spanish at a Montessori school in Michigan. Elizabeth went on to choose motherhood and homeschooling as a full-time pursuit and has loved teaching her four sons at home for the past eight years. Throughout this time, she has grown increasingly committed to Classical Christian education and has developed a love for “living” literature and biblical scholarship. She has also combined her love of music and scripture to compose several collections of songs for students and families to learn scripture together and to sing through liturgical seasons. She believes that every course of study is an invitation to witness God’s redemptive work in the world, to be formed and transformed by it, and to engage with Him in it.
Elizabeth lives in Kenya where her husband teaches biblically-based church discipleship and her sons enjoy living and learning “in the bush.” When not teaching or studying classical ed, you can find Elizabeth trail running, composing new music, doing laundry, hosting meals for friends and travelers, or attempting (poorly) to ride motorbikes with her boys. You can listen to her music for learning scripture at www.musictomemorize.org.
Emily Kashin
Emily Brigham Kashin holds a BA in Primary Education from the University of North Florida. She was homeschooled K-12 in the classical tradition and previously taught the elementary grades in a Waldorf-inspired public charter school. Her classical upbringing instilled in her what Plato called an “affinity for the good” in academics, art, and virtue, while her Waldorf training inspired an appreciation of the unique nature of the child. Since 2020, she has brought the two together, cultivating those whole-child pedagogical approaches in the classical, liturgical tradition, to awaken in her own students that “affinity for the good” through her Scholé classes.
Emily and her husband Mikhail live in North Florida where they find great delight in playing folk music, listening to Bach, taking long walks, and enjoying being aunt and uncle to their eight nephews and one niece. St. Augustine’s saying “Canta et ambula” (sing and soldier on) encourages her daily in the ordinariness of teaching, homemaking, and grading many, many papers.
Eric Robinson
Eric Robinson has a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in printmaking from Iowa State University and a BS in secondary math education from Western Governors University. Eric and his wife homeschool, so he has taught math from number recognition through Calculus 2. Having taught in private Christian (protestant and Catholic) schools and in public schools as well as tutoring in person and online, he is excited to teach courses in the Great Hall of Scholé Academy so that learning can be the true focus.
Eric was attracted to Scholé Academy for the commitment to restful learning. Eric loves the beauty of mathematical reasoning. He loves the feeling of accomplishment and confidence that comes from learning math. He loves the lightbulb moments, and he loves the real skills math builds--skills that make so many things doable and possible.
Eric also loves the Word of God. God is a God of truth and order, and so we find in scripture truth and logical arguments that help us to understand creation--God, ourselves, one another, redemptive history, and our hope in Christ Jesus. Eric loves sharing the Word of God to start every course session. Eric does that for the same reason he learns and teaches math: because doing so enriches us and helps us to discover the truths God has made. As Proverbs 25:2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
Erin Moulton
Dr. Erin Moulton has a deep love for education and has been teaching in some capacity for over two decades. She holds a PhD in Slavic linguistics from the University of Kansas and has also studied at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri, and in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In the past, she served as an instructor of Russian language, literature, and culture at University of Kansas. She has worked professionally as an editor, copywriter, and project manager in the fields of international compliance and revenue operations. She also serves as youth communications liaison for the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the Midwest and as board president of the Orthodox Christian Translation Society. Erin and her husband, Christian, are parishioners at Holy Trinity Church in Overland Park, Kansas, where she teaches church school and assists in creating a multiyear cycle of curriculum for the parish. Erin and Christian have four children, all of whom she has educated at home over the past 15 years.
Esther Deiana
Esther Deiana was born and raised in a little town by the sea, in the island of Sardinia (south of Italy). Growing up in a land of ancient traditions she was always fascinated by learning about the history, language and artifacts of her ancestors and that fascination quickly turned into unending curiosity for all different civilizations. She graduated with a B.A. in Italian Grammar and Literature and then pursued her passion for the symbolic lives of cultures through her master's degree in Anthropology. She has been teaching on and off for the last 20 years and has experienced a variety of learning scenarios; she has worked as an in-person and online private tutor teaching Latin, Spanish, Italian and English as a foreign language. She has also taught group classes for adults as well as children, in the three countries she has lived (Italy, Spain and US). Esther is now married with three kids, and she can't but recognize the fractal similarities between raising kids and the calling of being an educator. Her dedication to teaching is only exceeded by her enthusiasm for learning and her love for Beauty in all its forms; she is eager to share this new chapter of her journey with her family in Christ, at the Schole Academy. Mrs. Deiana and her family attend St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado where she serves as part of the Youth Ministry Leadership.
Francie Longshore
Francie Longshore has taught Latin, humanities, writing, and logic to middle schoolers, high schoolers, and undergraduate college students for over fifteen years. Most recently, she worked as the lead humanities teacher at an ecumenically-minded classical Christian school. She possesses an M. A. in Medieval Studies (Catholic University of America), an M. A. in Christian Thought with an emphasis in philosophy of religion (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), and a Ph. D. in Philosophy (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium). Francie lives in the Portland, Oregon area with her husband, two elementary-aged kids, and three cats. The kids are home-schooled and the cats are self-taught. When not reading Virgil or facilitating Socratic seminars, Francie enjoys a good game of Scrabble and the occasional British game show. In the summer, she can often be found turning tomatoes into salsa or blackberries into jam.
Fransell Riley
Chair of the Math Department [email protected]
Dr. Fransell Riley, Chair of Math Department spent most of her career working as a quantitative analyst. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington with every intention of remaining in corporate America. Though she enjoyed her work, she ultimately responded to an internal call to pursue a passion for educating students, including her own children. Fransell has taught math and science to students of all ages from elementary school to college. While teaching, she noticed that her natural teaching style aligned almost perfectly with the concepts of classical education. She takes a holistic approach to teaching and involves her students in discussions aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the concept being taught with the desire that student learning extend beyond memorizing algorithms. Fransell has a passion for mathematics and seeks to share that passion with the next generation. Beyond math, Fransell enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons. They are all athletes and nature lovers; they enjoy participating in sports, hiking, exploring nature, and traveling. When they aren’t enjoying God’s creation, you can find them indoors reading or watching reruns from the Star Trek series.
Hannah Graves
Hannah Graves earned her BA at Wyoming Catholic College where she gained a love and respect for the great outdoors. She then pursued an MA in Scriptural Theology from Christendom College and is currently working on a second from St. Mary on the Lake in Liturgical Studies. She has taught various subjects and spent two years teaching in Africa. Currently, she teaches for Schole and Aquinas Classical Academy in Bremerton, WA. In her free time she loves "the home arts" -- knitting, spinning, weaving -- as well as hiking and archery.
Helga Maier
Helga Maier speaks German as her native tongue. She has inherited her love for languages and learning languages from her mother, who would always study the language of a new European country their family was visiting. She began teaching German to English speakers on the mission field, when Americans came to work alongside her to reach Germany, her home country, for Christ. She has since earned a certificate for an English as a foreign language teacher and have studied Classical Education through ClassicalU, where she has earned level I.
She has taught German at a private after-school program in Connecticut and is still teaching several private students, from beginner levels to preparing for the German entry exam to universities in Germany. Most recently she has taught German to high school students at Chapel Field Christian Schools, a Classical Christian School in upstate New York.
Jacob Voyce
Jacob Voyce brings over two decades of experience in Christian education, excelling in roles as both teacher and administrator across various private programs. Equipped with a BA in Bible and Theology and an MAED in Curriculum and Instruction, his diverse teaching background enables him to address the needs of students across all subjects. Having worked with students from kindergarten to adulthood, he currently homeschools his own children in Northern California. With a recent certification in coding data analytics, Mr. Voyce is also passionate about equipping students for future vocations and opportunities. He is committed to supporting families in their educational journey, fostering academic excellence and holistic development toward God. Beyond education, Mr. Voyce finds joy in participating in unique sports such as water polo, disc golf, and ultimate frisbee!
Jamie Terral
Jamie Terral has been teaching math and science in variety of settings including private Christian education, online tutoring, community college, and homeschool for the past 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Education from Concordia University Texas. She currently lives with her husband and four children in North Texas. Her husband serves as the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church and together they homeschool their children. Her journey in homeschooling has lead to the discovery of Classical Christian education and the nurturing of restful learning.
Jamie strives to engage her students in the learning process by making her classes enjoyable and creative. When not in the classroom or teaching her own children, Jamie enjoys studying nutrition, growing food, paddle boarding and getting her Vitamin D outside in God’s creation.
Jennifer Armstrong
Jennifer Armstrong has a B.S. in English and an M.A. in Student Affairs Administration from Ball State University in Indiana. She is a homeschool mom of two and has been homeschooling her daughters with the support of a classical tutorial since 2014. She has been teaching lower school English and History in the tutorial since 2019 where she enjoys looking for the true, good, and beautiful with her students. After more than twenty years working in Higher Education, she’s looking forward to focusing on educating young students in the fundamentals of the English language and giving them the tools to recognize and create beautiful and true things as they grow. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys reading and discussing literature, creating things from fabric and yarn, and trying to make a garden grow.
Jennifer Breidenbach
Jennifer Breidenbach holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. She has experience in homeschool co-ops, private Catholic schools, and a private art studio. Jennifer is a devoted wife and mother, who loves living out her vocation and spending time with her family.
Currently, she volunteers at her local Catholic homeschool co-op, and runs her own website. It is a great joy for her to be an instructor with the Aquinas House of Studies at Scholé Academy. She spends her free-time going on nature walks with her toddlers, painting and drawing, learning new skills, and deepening her faith life!
Joelle Riethmiller
Joelle Riethmiller believes true education impacts the body, mind, and soul of an individual through all subject areas and promotes personal and virtuous growth through life-long learning. Mrs. Riethmiller received a BS in Mathematics-Mathematics Secondary Education from Grove City College (1999). While teaching seventh and eighth grade mathematics in public school, she earned a M-ED in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon University (2002). Mrs. Riethmiller chose to step away from the classroom in 2003 to focus her attention on her young and growing family. In 2007, she embarked on the home education journey with two of her three children. Continuing that journey, she is still experiencing the humbling beauty and depth of true and real life-long learning. She believes her 20 years of sacramental marriage, parenting and home educating her now four children, and her personal faith journey have cultivated a desire to seek truth, beauty, and goodness in all aspects of life.
Mrs. Riethmiller strives to ignite a love for learning and desire for virtue in her students that ex-tends beyond the study of mathematics. She is thrilled to participate in the Scholè Academy mission to cultivate student learning that endures.
Jonam Walter
Jonam Walter received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Physics from Haverford College and an M.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in Agricultural Engineering. While at UIUC, he worked as an engineer for John Deere where he did testing with automated equipment.
Jonam has been involved in teaching from a young age, assisting his father in homeschool classrooms with the younger grades. He has continued teaching math and the physical sciences throughout his career both in one on one tutoring and in larger classroom settings. As a TA at UIUC he taught extensively online and helped students navigate the transition to online learning.
Currently, Jonam lives near Thermopolis, Wyoming and runs a bio-diverse vegetable and livestock farm with his wife, Joy. They decided to start farming so that they could homeschool and work along side their new son in a calm environment that highlights God’s nature. Jonam also enjoys designing and building furniture, reading, and hiking.
Julie Boudreaux
Julie Boudreaux has been a teacher at a brick-and-mortar classical school for three years. She has taught Creative Writing, Geography, American Literature, and Modern History and Literature. She also assists in her school's yearly Shakespeare production. Her journey with classical education began in middle school and she has been captivated by its truth and beauty ever since. She received her Bachelor's degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. At Scholé Academy, she offers tutoring services, summer programs, and humanities instruction. Julie is dedicated to cultivating joy for learning in her students.
Kate Weise
Kate Weise has worked as a tutor, teacher, or school administrator since 2010 and has experience teaching multiple grade levels and across disciplines. She believes any student can fall in love with learning and loves helping them discover their unique giftings as God's image bearers. She holds degrees in History and Writing from Union University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Most recently, she helped launch an urban, Classical Christian school where she worked primarily in curriculum development and academic support. Along the way, she developed a passion for math education that emphasizes building mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. She and her husband have three children that they are homeschooling together.
Kellie Tandilyan
Kellie Tandilyan graduated from a Classical Christian high school in rural Montana before matriculating to Hillsdale College to study Classical Languages and Literature. While there she was received into the Orthodox Church which led her to continue her studies at Hellenic College in Brookline, MA where she met and married a handsome seminarian from Armenia. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Education from the Waldorf Teacher training program at Antioch University with a thesis entitled “”Making Space for the Sacred: The Creative Arts and the Spiritual Development of Children””. Presvytera recently also completed the Master’s of Divinity degree at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
A veteran homeschooling mom of three, she has been teaching in and out of the classroom for over twenty years. Kellie and Father Anthony live in Wilmington, MA and serve the Dormition of the Virgin Mary parish in Somerville. When not teaching, Presvytera enjoys making music with her children, gardening, hiking and keeping company with their 11 chickens.
Kelly Hensley
Kelly Hensley graduated from Georgia College and State University with a BS in Mathematics Education. She completed her MA in Secondary Mathematics Education at Georgia College and State University and began teaching math in 2004. She has taught at public schools, private schools, and at the college level for the last 20 years. She has taught classically for 12 years. Kelly enjoys sharing her love for all things math and puzzles as she facilitates student learning through critical thinking. She believes math is a wonderful way to help students gain confidence in their own abilities and learn how to think deeply.
She is married to her husband Ty, a classical school administrator, and has two wonderful teenage children, Avery and Ace. As a family, they have a small hobby farm full of animals and enjoy spending time outside together. They enjoy horseback riding, dog training, hiking and swimming. She currently resides in Daphne, AL.
Kirsten Fortier
Kirsten Fortier holds a BA in Education from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. The bulk of her experience comes from 18+ years of classically homeschooling four sons K-12 who are now successfully living and working out on their own. She has taught in various settings including at home, in co-ops, in brick-and-mortar schools, and online. She enjoyed a short stint as the Director of Curriculum and Assistant Head of School at a small classical Christian school that closed permanently during “COVID.” She now looks forward to a part-time career teaching restfully at Scholé Academy. Her passion for classical education in Writing & Rhetoric is on its focus with mastery learning and creative expression within a structured, time-tested model. In her free time, she enjoys visiting her children and grandchildren, hiking, camping, living history, and researching family genealogy. She and her husband live in Michigan with their three active dogs, one old cat, a handful of chatty chickens and silly ducks, and two busy hives of honeybees.
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Lara Wald
Lara Wald earned a BS in biomedical chemistry from Oral Roberts University and a PhD in chemistry from Oklahoma State University in 2003. For fifteen years she enjoyed working in research at a company that developed sensors for explosives and other threats to life and health. After leaving her career in industry, she began homeschooling her daughter. She's always had a passion for science and math education and enjoys instructing high school students in chemistry and biology at her local Charlotte Mason cooperative. In her free time she loves reading, gardening, and walking the family dog.
Lauren Hartke
Lauren Della Piazza Hartke is a third generation teacher, raised by parents who instilled in her a passion for history and literature. She graduated from a Christian high school before attending Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Lauren had the opportunity to study abroad in Scotland for a semester before obtaining a B.A. in History. As a teaching assistant at Geneva College she fell in love with teaching the humanities and accordingly went on to obtain an M.A. in Public History from Georgia Southern University where she also worked as a teaching assistant and a coordinator for the Ogeechee International History Film Festival.
Lauren’s abiding interest is in educating people of all ages in all matters of history, but her favorite eras are classical and medieval Europe. Her experience in both Christian and secular higher education made her consider her own pedagogy and preference for the classical model. She firmly believes that an education in the humanities enables us to better love God and love our neighbors.
Besides reading and watching old films, Lauren loves baking, traveling, playing the piano, and hiking. She and her husband Logan live in Jacksonville, Florida where they share a house with their cat, Katya. They love cooking for friends and family members, and can frequently be found at exotic grocery stores shopping for unique ingredients.
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Leigh Ann Rowlands
Leigh Ann Rowlands, MPA is an experienced classical Christian homeschool and private school teacher, with over 16 years’ experience teaching Latin to all ages. Besides teaching Latin, other educational experience includes general homeschooling (all subjects, including classical subjects such as logic and rhetoric); teaching in a homeschool co-op; teaching elementary Sunday School; as well as having the amazing opportunity to teach Latin (4th – 12th grade), literature (7th-12th grade) and Church history (9th-12th grade) at Midland Christian School in Michigan. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M University and has always been involved in education. She conducted Business English classes for international Fortune 500 companies in Stockholm, Sweden; managed the Berkeley Center for Executive Development (University of California) and coordinated the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Center for Preventive Health with a focus on children’s injury prevention.
She has a passion for teaching and a particular love of Latin and all things classical. She currently lives in Central Texas where the winters are mild, and the food is spectacular. When not studying Latin she may be playing the piano, gardening or playing with her fluffy cat, Pippin.
Marissa Davidson
Marissa Davidson was raised in the Northeast United States. She always knew she would work alongside children, and for the last 20 years, she has in public and private schools using a multitude of pedagogy. She has a knack for making her pupils comfortable so they can trust in themselves that they can and will learn.
She currently homeschools her three young sons. In her spare time, she loves to try out new sourdough recipes, camp with her family, garden in her backyard, and discover beautiful books to read.
Melissa Browne
Melissa Browne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, and is certified TESL Instructor. She taught privately as an English teacher in China, Taiwan, and in Peru for 10 years where she also studied Waldorf Pedagogy. She is currently a brick-and-mortar Classical Elementary school teacher in Peterborough, Ontario where she teaches grade 3/4 with Classical Academic Press' Latin, Writing, and Grammar curriculum. She tutors these subjects as well as spelling, Spanish language, Singapore Math, and Literature studies in the afternoons. Melissa also teaches Sunday school at her local church and periodically teaches ESL with the local college and university. Her students, both online and in-person, are an incredible encouragement and blessing.
Long Canadian winters lend themselves to board games and books, and the summers are filled with swimming at the beach and gardening. Hospitality and fellowshipping with healthy meals are a year-round joy. She lives with her husband and two children in Lakefield, Ontario, and makes occasional trips to Peru. She enjoys travelling, reading, cooking, and with her husband serving the body of Christ and watching her boys grow into godly young men.
Melissa Williams
Melissa Williams graduated from Southern Nazarene University where she majored in Early Childhood Education and minored in Elementary Education. She has 18 years combined experience of teaching in the public classroom, homeschool instructor to her four children, and tutoring in homeschool co-ops. Because learning is one of the greatest gifts that the Lord has given to us; Melissa finds it a joy to be on a continuous path of learning that leads the mind and soul on a journey of expectant wonder and delight in what is true, good, and beautiful. This joy of hers propels her forward and urges her to join with and assist others to experience a kind of learning that moves knowledge beyond stale information that is to be worked to death in the mind for utilitarian purposes to an education which takes what we learn (our knowledge) and expands the world around us so that we may delight in our Creator and his good creation as we joyfully go forth doing those things to what each of us are called.
Some favorite ways of restful learning for her include: going on hikes with her family, sitting outside while watching and listening to birds, reading poetry and great stories, listening to podcasts.
Milica Savic
Milica Savic was born in Belgrade, Serbia. At the age of six she immigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Growing up in south Florida, and visiting her family in Serbia every summer, grew her love for travel, culture, history, and learning. When deciding on a track in college, she chose International Relations as it blended many of her interests and life experiences. Upon graduating from the University of Central Florida, she took a teaching position at Paideia Classical Academy in Coconut Creek, Florida. She started out as a teacher’s assistant, and the following year, she was offered her own class. Milica taught the first and second grade levels for two years. She also has experience as the Administrative Assistant in the Missionary Department for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida. This is her second year with Scholé/SRS, and her second year teaching Level 4 Liberal Arts, Children’s Literature. Currently, Milica lives in Belgrade with her husband Stefan and daughter Danica. [email protected]
Mindi Popovich-Schneider
Mindi Popovich-Schneider knew from the time she was seven years old that her future career would involve books. She received her BA in English with a minor in Classics from Hillsdale College and a Master's in Library Science with a focus in Youth Services from the University of Wisconsin. Ultimately, she realized that she wanted to serve the Church more directly (while still reading as many books as possible) and left libraries to work in education. She is currently the assistant for Saint Emmelia Ministries, and previously served as a college counselor at Philadelphia Classical School. As a homeschool alumna, she is delighted and honored to walk with homeschool families as their children learn more about our Creator and the beautiful world He has given us. In her free time, she enjoys playing the ukulele, writing, or delightedly making mediocre watercolors and embroidery pieces. She lives in Eastern PA with her husband Calvin, their son, two beehives, and one grouchy cat.
Morgan Moore
Morgan Moore has been teaching ever since she learned how to explain to her younger siblings the difference between an adjective and an adverb. As a homeschool graduate, Morgan loves the classical, online learning environment and began professionally teaching English, Integrated Humanities, and Writing to middle schoolers and high schoolers upon graduating with her Bachelor’s in English: Creative Writing from Liberty University online in 2022. Wanting to take her academic studies even further, she graduated with a M.F.A. in Creative Writing the summer of 2024, also from Liberty University online.
Being the oldest daughter of nine siblings has not only accustomed Morgan to sharing dressers, beds, and clothes, and hearing the battle cries of blanket-caped warriors running through halls, but it has also familiarized her with both the challenges and joys a classical, homeschool education can provide. It is her experiences with these situations that she brings to her teaching to encourage both her students and their parents and show how exciting learning truly can be.
Morgan loves children and her goal is to one day marry a God-fearing man and raise a big family of her own who she can shower with tales of chivalrous knights and daring hobbits. Until that time comes, however, she believes that the Lord has called her to teach others’ children. Now more than ever, children need to know the joy and hope that literature and writing may bring them; for, to quote C.S. Lewis, “it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, [so] let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” When she’s not teaching, you’ll find Morgan writing her novel, knitting lots of sweaters, playing the guitar or piano, walking in the North Carolinian outdoors, and singing along with The Sound of Music—all while drinking lots of coffee.
Nathan Dickinson
Nathan Dickinson holds a M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently serves as a deacon at Christ the King Anglican Church in Beckley, West Virginia. He is a West Virginia native who has had approximately a decade of teaching experiences in local churches and missionary settings. He has taught the Bible in Kenya, Zambia, Myanmar, and Jamaica, and has taught English (among other things) to students in a Christian school setting. He loves helping students see the beauty of God in Holy Scripture and helping students learn to engage in meaningful dialogue.
His two boys (Barnabas, 5, and Martin, 3) keep his home life interesting and full of adventure! When he is not adventuring with his wife and boys, he is looking for a good cup of coffee, a good book, and a good conversation.
Nathaniel Hostetter
Nate Hostetter is a graduate of Messiah University (2021) where he received his BA in Spanish Education (K-12) and his certification in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). He has worked, since graduating, as a Primary teacher in a Christian school in Guadalajara, Mexico. In his free time, he enjoys reading the Bible, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Chronicles of Narnia as well as kayaking, paddleboarding, playing tennis, biking, hiking, and playing piano.
Paul Klauke
Paul Klauke received a BA in Mathematics from Holy Cross College, where he was elected to the Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society and played football on scholarship. He is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS) and worked as an actuary in the US, London, and Bermuda. Paul and his Norwegian wife, Elin, just returned from Africa where they served for 12 years as missionaries under the direction of the Rafiki Foundation. Paul taught Math and was Headmaster for the K-12 schools in both Malawi and Kenya. He has fallen in love with Classical Christian Education and looks forward to showing his students what is good, true and beautiful about Mathematics.
Perlita Martorana
Perlita Martorana had a curiosity for natural sciences and a fascination with the miracles of the human body since childhood. She received her B.S. in Biology from UCLA and M.D. medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. Shortly after accomplishing her life-long dream to practice Pediatrics, she discerned that God was actually calling her to raise and homeschool her four children. After being fully committed for almost 25 years to the formation of her own children’s minds and spirits, she realized how valuable those skills are for all children. Perlita made a trans-continental move with her family to South Carolina and continues teaching Life Science, Human Anatomy, Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry from a classical education perspective. She tutors and teaches students about God’s creation through the disciplines of science and delights in sharing the moments of wonder and discovery with students. In her free time, she spends time with her family, is entertained by a houseful of pets, enjoys the music and art created by her children, cooks, reads and explores the beautiful splendors of her new southern state which never ceases to display God’s magnificent glory! Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96: 11-12
Peter Belfry
Peter Belfry has a range of teaching and tutoring experience in a variety of subjects and age levels from kindergarten through to adult education at the college level and has taught at several classical, Christian and public schools. He has enjoyed having the experience of teaching Programming and Logic classes to students, which ties well to his background in philosophy and computer science. In addition to serving as an instructor with Schole, Peter serves as a professor of Computer Science and Video Game Development with Canadore College, teaching courses on Operating Systems and programming languages such as Windows, Linux, HTML, CSS, C++, C#, and Visual Basic as well as Artificial Intelligence, Object Oriented Programming, Mathematics, Business and Workplace Skills. Peter holds an Honors BA from Trent University in History as well as a BA in Education, specializing in History and Computer Science. He holds an MA from Knox Theological Seminary in Classical and Christian studies, which provides him a background for teaching from a classical perspective. For his MA program, he read and reflected on many of the Great Books as well as studied Scripture and church history. Peter has completed a week-long teacher training with the Association of Classical Christian Schools and Rockbridge Academy. His favorite piece of classical literature is Dante’s The Divine Comedy.
In addition to teaching, Peter also has experience serving in a pastoral role and enjoys volunteering to serve in his local church and community. He helps in evangelistic outreach as well as teaching lessons from the Bible. Peter has experience and training as an English as a Second Language instructor as well. He has experience teaching both online and in person. He believes in Scholé’s approach in seeking “restful learning” and believes that education should be life-giving and freeing for the soul as it should acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the source of all that is true, good and beautiful. Peter lives in the North Bay, Ontario area with his wife and twin boys.
Peter provides tutoring services with Scholé Academy and teaches the following classes: The Art of Argument: An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies, Formal Logic: The Discovery of Deduction, The Logic of Computer Programming, and The Art of Computer Programming.
Rachel Greb
Rachel Greb teaches 12th grade Humanities at Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to joining the faculty, Mrs. Greb had administrative and teaching roles at two other classical Christian schools as well as experience serving as the Director of Secondary Partnerships for CLT. Her love for classic texts was awakened when she read Homer’s Odyssey, and she earned a BA in Christian Studies from Hillsdale College and a MA in Christian & Classical Studies from Knox Theological Seminary. Mrs. Greb is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in the history of the philosophy of education. She and her husband, Jason, have two daughters who attend Veritas, as well as three adult children and two grandchildren. Her pets include a polydactyl cat with 26 toes, a wise old tabby, and a Bernese Mountain Dog who requires more love than the rest of her family members combined.
Ramona Bean
Ramona V. Saridakis Bean, a first generation Greek-American, born in Vero Beach and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida. After finishing at Cardinal Newman High School in 1996, graduated from University of Florida in 2001 after completing a student-athlete career as a Lady Gator Cross-Country and Track runner with a B.A. in English.
Served as a congressional aide for former U.S. Rep. Mark A. Foley, serving a legislative portfolio that included Ways and Means appropriations and issues regarding education and the environment. Followed with an appointee position for President George W. Bush’s administration in the office of Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her other teaching pursuits include helping Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton with their Sunday School program and her children’s Greek School.
Currently serving as “CEO of the Home” administering home and online education for three children, managing care of a widowed grandfather 96 years young, and recently acquired her MBA degree from University of Florida in December 2020.
In addition to serving as a parish council member at Saint Mark, she’s a volunteer for Junior League of the Palm Beaches and a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Authority. Ramona loves running, singing, painting, gardening and helping others.
Samuel Walter
Samuel Walter received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Haverford College, and a M.M. and M.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. During his time at Yale University Samuel established himself in New Haven as a commissioned portrait and still-life artist. He has been awarded in numerous international and national competitions including the 2022 ARC International Salon competition, the 2022 Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition and the 2021 Portrait Society of America’s Future Generation award. He has also been featured in the International Artist Magazine, The Art of The Portrait Magazine, and the American Art Collector Magazine. Samuel has received portrait commissions from presidents, professors and administration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Swarthmore College, Haverford College, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. In his portraiture, Samuel tries to emphasize that all are created in the image of God.
Samuel is also a passionate teacher and has provided both art and music instruction for nearly a decade. Teaching art is a wonderful way to open students’ eyes to the beauty of God’s creation all around them: to notice beautiful colors, shapes, lighting and compositions. Art can be an act of worship in which we appreciate what God has created, and imitate Him, the great Artist and Creator.
Sara Silkwood
Sara Silkwood holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Syracuse University. Sara has several years experience teaching in a variety of areas including college level, church-run camps, Classical schools and privately. Currently, Sara works out of her home studio in Houston, Texas where she lives with her great dane-lab mix, Oberon. She spends her free-time backpacking, reading and illustrating her own stories.
Sarah Marshall
Sarah Marshall has an endless love of music and deep appreciation for the sights and sounds of God’s remarkable creation. She studied at two Summer Music Institutes at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as well as taking college coursework in music studies. She has directed choirs in both the Orthodox Church in America and the Antiochian Archdiocese for the past 40 years. She has developed and grown mission choirs and directed cathedral choirs, making beautiful music for the Glory of God with countless people of all ages and skill levels. Sarah has retired from a long career in software development and with her husband has raised 4 incredible children. She lives in Massachusetts and attends St. George Antiochian Cathedral in Worcester, MA.
Shannon Rush
Shannon Rush passionate about helping people learn! She loves the puzzle of trying to figure out what is causing the disconnect or locating the gap in understanding, then designing the question or activity that will help the learner make the connection. It makes her day when a person lights up with an "Ah-ha" and sits up straighter with confidence.
Since graduating from Seattle Pacific University in 2000 with a BA in Mathematics, Shannon earned her national teaching certification and gained extensive teaching experience across public, private, and international schools, as well as through private tutoring. She has also worked as a summer camp counselor (where she met her husband of 22 years) and youth director, writing Sunday school curriculum and organizing youth and family events.
When not teaching, you might find Shannon crafting with a purpose, volunteering at church, playing a strategic or cooperative board game with her two teen daughters, reading in a hammock, paddle boarding, or trying out new recipes.
Sherry Joslin
Sherry Joslin earned her BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas and holds a MA in Science and Religion from Biola University. She and her husband Brian live just south of Forth Worth in Burleson, Tx.
With over 12 years of experience in the classroom and as a homeschool mom, she has taught every grade K through 12th. Her classroom experience includes Logic, AP Physics, Honors Geometry, Algebra, Singapore Math and more. Prior to teaching, Sherry worked in Mission Control as a NASA engineer. When asked why she left, she explains that children are far more complicated than space shuttles, and that her greatest accomplishment has been in the role of mentoring and educating her three children who are living for Christ as young adults.
Sherry is passionate about showing students how the relationship between faith and science is not one of conflict but of qualified agreement; and before attending university, students should be confident that the Christian worldview provides a coherent understanding of both reality and their place in it as children of God.
Silouan Oberholtzer
Silouan Oberholtzer holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from Temple University, Philadelphia. During his studies he tutored college-level mathematics both in-person and online in the subjects of Calculus I, Calculus II and Algebra. After graduating in 2022, Mr. Oberholtzer worked for two years as a Service Technician for commercial HVAC/R equipment.
Having learned on-the-job as a mechanic under senior technicians as well as formally in university, Mr. Oberholtzer’s pedagogy seeks to emphasize the practical and intuitive aspects of math education.
Mr. Oberholtzer currently attends Holy Resurrection of Christ Serbian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, PA. He hopes, God willing, to pursue further education in Orthodox Theology and Church history.
Stephanie Jones
Stephanie Jones has been teaching in some capacity for over a decade and has a deep love for Christian education. She graduated in 2002 with a double major in Business Management and Marketing. She has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the last seven years, advocating for eleven foster children in her area. Brandon and Stephanie also work weekly at pregnancy home in their area, helping the young women find stability for them and their new babies. She also serves as co-chair of the Children’s Education committee at her home parish Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Norman Oklahoma. She teaches church school and assists in implementing a four year cycle of children’s curriculum for the parish. Stephanie and Brandon have four adopted children, all of whom she has educated at home over the past 12 years.
Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams once told his longsuffering, homeschooling mother that his future job would never depend on his ability to write in cursive or diagram a sentence. Similarly, he spent over a decade swearing that he would never enter pastoral ministry, yet he is nonetheless now creeping towards a decade in the classroom while pursuing theological studies at Beeson Divinity School in preparation for the Anglican priesthood.
Stephen has had the privilege of being shaped by several classical institutions throughout the course of his life, most notably his alma mater, Patrick Henry College, which exposed him to the glories of the Western Canon and began to grow in him a love of literature, history and theology. After a season spent in campus ministry at PHC, he stumbled into a teaching career that has spanned the elementary, middle, and high school levels, turning him into an amateur medievalist, Inklings enthusiast, and subject-matter expert on the psyches of middle school boys. Rumor has it that he sleeps with a baseball and a copy of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion under his pillow each night.
When he doesn’t have his head in a book, Stephen enjoys hiking, dabbling in poetry and cooking, and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals with his brilliant and hilarious wife and fellow Scholé instructor, Sarah Williams.
Tamara Davault
Tamara Davault is a native Texan who loves Biology. She graduated from the University of Texas Permian Basin with B.S. degrees in Biology and Chemistry. Mrs. Davault went on to earn an M.S. in Medical Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Since graduation, she has been teaching various Biology courses at several community colleges and universities in Texas. Mrs. Davault’s hobbies include archery, crochet, and nature walks.
Tisha Frost
Tisha Frost has been teaching in a variety of settings over the last 20 years after following one of the best pieces of advice she was ever given, “Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on fire” (attributed to St. Catherine of Siena). This inspired her to study both history and theology during her undergraduate years.
She obtained a B.A. in American Studies, with a minor in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She also holds a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame, specializing in Middle School and High School Social Studies. Through her experiences of teaching many students, including her own children, she has seen the need for restful education that is focused on the true, good, and beautiful.
Tisha resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and six children. When she has a moment to herself, she enjoys children’s literature, British mysteries, good movies, and baking.
Tracey Beers
Tracey Beers earned a B.S. in Computer & Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1996 and an M.Ed. in Christian Education from Regent University in 2002. She spent six years serving our great country in the United States Air Force as a Communications Officer and fourteen additional years supporting her husband’s dedicated career as an Air Force pilot.
A resourceful math enthusiast and thirteen-year veteran of home education, she understands the struggle to balance the inspiration of Classical Christian Education with a restful learning environment. Educating her four children, as she and her family traveled around the world (Yes! Hawaii is THE BEST PLACE ON THE PLANET), has taught her that every student learns differently, but God’s provision never fails. She enjoys discovering whether a student needs to ‘see’ the subject through a unique lens or ‘handle’ concepts with personal experiences and then providing learning opportunities tailored to their needs. Tracey’s dedication to the home-educated student and her love of math is one of the many reasons she’s excited to serve Schole Academy as the Algebra Tutorial Instructor as well as a private math tutor.
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Vincent Capone
Vincent Capone has taught for the past nine years at Greystone Academy, a small Christian school in Newtown, Pennsylvania for grades 7-12. He earned a B.A. in History from Thomas Edison State University. While history has been and will remain his first love, he has gained the experience of - as he likes to describe it - a 19th-century one-room-schoolhouse teacher. Besides history, he has also taught the sciences, writing, literature, logic, and the U.S. Constitution, and has nearly eleven years of experience tutoring math from elementary arithmetic to pre-calculus. In addition to his work with Schole Academy, Mr. Capone will be continuing to work with homeschool families this coming fall through private, virtual instruction and a local schoolhouse in New Jersey, where he has lived all of his life.
When he is not teaching (or reading in preparation for teaching), Mr. Capone enjoys spending time with his parents, taking walks, unearthing good stories through well-made films both old and new, fellowshipping with his church family, and working on the fourth and final manuscript for his prospective MG/YA Dunhaven Manor series. He also savors the humor of a conversation about his surname!
Contact Us
For general inquiries, placement questions, or questions about enrollments please contact:
[email protected]
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866-730-0711