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. amorgan.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. friley.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. ejkotynski.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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.​ pshaltanis.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. rbright.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. chris@alwayslearningeducation.net

Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, has been working in Catholic Religious Education for over 15 years. She has taught both children and adults as a Youth Minister & Director of Religious Education. She has 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. Having observed teaching styles in a wide array of school settings in her own education and that of her children (homeschool, private, public & charter), she recognizes the necessity of restful learning wherever you may be attending school. Monika is passionate about helping revive truth in our world with relational ministry as the foundation of an exploration of literature, music, and art. She is delighted to teach at Scholé Academy in the Aquinas House of Studies as well as in the Great Hall. Monika cherishes the time she spends with her husband and four children, enjoys weightlifting and exercising in her garage gym, and loves listening to uplifting music. She also has two cats named Andrei & Natasha — bonus points if you can catch the literature reference in their names! mminehart.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Alison Grace Johansen is teaching Introduction to the Art of Poetry, Formal History of Poetry, Writing & Rhetoric Level 4, and Well-Ordered Language Level 1. 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 journalist in Washington, D.C., for over 13 years before pursuing writing and editing in all forms of media. She hopes to help inspire her students to discover the many ways 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, to exploring the beauty of God’s world with her family. If they aren’t birdwatching and enjoying a walk outside, you might find them reading together or playing their favorite instruments: the piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, and drums! You can learn more about Alison in her Scholé Academy video  and blog post about fortitude in poetry. ajohansen.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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.  arushing.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Amanda Reeves, Lower School Lead Latin Instructor,  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. After finishing her degree, she spent a year living abroad in Rome, Italy, designing and facilitating short-term study-abroad programs for students studying Latin through the Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study. She currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut, but as an avid traveler, can more times than not be found in Italy, Brazil, or anywhere else she thinks would be interesting to get to know. It is one of the great joys of her life to pass along her enthusiasm for Latin to her elementary, middle, and high school students. Having learned Latin online herself, 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. She has taught and tutored Latin online for over a decade and particularly enjoys seeing how each unique student’s personality shapes the learning environment. When she is not exploring the world, she spends her time waxing poetic about the Parthenon Marbles and Stanford football, always with a strong cup of coffee in hand. magistrareeves@gmail.com

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. amorgan.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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 and looks forward to working with students in the humanities, rhetoric, and logic.

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 onto the dissertation. A tonsured Reader, he is involved in parish ministry at Assumption Orthodox Christian Church, in Bayard, Nebraska, and is in the process to be ordained to the priesthood. a.newman.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. a.hoffman.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Ash White holds a BA in English and Theatre from Mary Baldwin University and has taught literature, writing, and logic at middle and secondary levels for over fifteen years. Ms. White is passionate about classical education and homeschooling, both of which are flourishing in the Shenandoah Valley where she and her husband Jon live and perform in the local music and theatre scene. If you visit their home, you’ll find it difficult to determine which collection is largest: their books or records! awhite.schole@gmail.com

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. achristensen.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Father Benjamin Lee is an ordained priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. He currently serves as the Rector of the Parish of Trinity, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a church which embraces the evangelical heritage of classical Anglicanism in the Book of Common Prayer tradition. He holds an Honours B.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from Providence University College in Otterburne, Manitoba, and a B.A. and M.A. in Classics from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has lectured and tutored at  the university level in Latin, classical mythology, ancient history, and theology. He has given papers at the Atlantic Theological Conference, the Canadian Association of Classics Conference, the Meeting of the Atlantic Classical Association, and the Atlantic Medieval Association Conference, some of which are published. Besides his ministry of the Word from the pulpit, his research and teaching interests include classical Anglicanism; Greek and Latin patristic thought and scriptural exegesis; Late Antique and early Medieval cosmology, anthropology, theology, and asceticism. He also works on a vegetable farm, and enjoys cooking, the outdoors, and making music  ith his family. He and his wife are raising their three young children, and they live in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

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. clegere.scholeacademy@outlook.com

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 three children for eight years and is honored to learn alongside them of the Creator and His magnificent works. She wholeheartedly believes engaging with stories is one of the best ways to foster virtue and wisdom, so she’s excited to join the instructors at Scholé Academy and share her love of literature and language with others.

Cat’s family recently moved back from the mission field, where Cat and her husband provided pastoral care to church planters in the middle east. They now live in East Tennessee and love experiencing all four seasons after several years in the desert! Cat’s favorite pastimes usually involve books, but when she’s not reading, she loves baking yummy desserts and working jigsaw puzzles. cwise.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Chris Clancy earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at Duke University and the University of Chicago, she decided to leave academia and stay home with her firstborn son. She and her husband homeschool their four children. After reading Dorothy Sayers’ “The Lost Tools of Learning”, she was inspired to teach her children in the classical style of learning.

Chris has taught high school Biology, Chemistry, and Physics to both her own children and other homeschoolers at a Catholic homeschool co-op which she and her husband helped found. She is equally enthusiastic about history and literature and is always willing to play a board game, cribbage, or backgammon. clancy_schole@comcast.net

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.  cherring.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. chris@alwayslearningeducation.net

Christa Maldonado has a love for learning and a deep enjoyment of puzzles and patterns. She enjoys identifying the patterns in nature, mathematics, and language that can lead the restful mind to contemplate the good and the beautiful. She has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences from Excelsior College and a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Western Governor University. She is currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Instructional Design from Western Governor University. Although she has a great love for the patterns found in courses that give foundational structure, such as grammar and mathematics, she also enjoys learning more about the arts and sciences.

Christa is married and has three children. Her family enjoys discovering nature through hiking and camping. They live a restful life, full of good books and good food. Christa loves to read, sew, and bake. She has tutoring professionally since 2017. Christa is excited to help facilitate your child’s learning about to goodness, beauty, and truth. c.maldonado.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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 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. cseaward.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. cmarch34@gmail.com

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.  Cbarker.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. dmedsall.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. dbartko.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. ejkotynski.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. ehenreckson@gmail.com

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. ekaufman.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. ebrigham.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. friley.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Heather McCoy has a BA in liberal studies with an emphasis in art from California State University, Northridge, and a MEd in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in online teaching and learning and biblical literacy from Concordia University. Prior to homeschooling her four children, she taught special education in public schools in California and Missouri. When Heather noticed her local district allowed significant gaps in her daughter’s education, the family made the decision to move to home schooling. Heather was intrigued by the classical Christian education model and found it to be a good fit for her family. Since then, Heather has participated in workshops through the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education to further her appreciation and understanding of the classical Christian model. With 13 years of teaching experience in a variety of settings, she has had many opportunities to develop strategies for individual student achievement. She enjoys working with individual students and their families to develop personalized strategies that lead to academic success and increased confidence. Heather lives in Lansing, Michigan, with her husband and four children. They enjoy supporting Spartan Athletics at Michigan State University and exploring the arts and the beautiful state of Michigan! E-mail: heather.mccoy05@gmail.com 

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.

Jamie Terral has been teaching math and science in variety of settings including private Christiaan 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. jterral.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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!

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. jarmstrong.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Presvytera Jennifer Moore was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. The youngest of four children, she became an aunt at the age of five and thus began her career as an educator. Presvytera Jennifer attended Indiana Wesleyan University, completing coursework and practicums for both Children’s Ministry and Secondary English Education, eventually graduating with a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Southern New Hampshire University. She has a passion for education, especially language, writing, literature, and faith studies. Presvytera Jennifer has volunteered as a Sunday school teacher, worked as an ESL teacher on an international platform, and created and implemented a multi-generational Orthodox family education program in her previous parish.  She married her high school sweetheart in 2003. Father Matthew was ordained in 2014 and currently serves Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Steubenville, Ohio. They have three daughters, Adeline, Katherine, and Beatrice, all of whom Presvytera Jennifer has home-educated over the past ten years. Their family has multiple bonus features, such as ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, asynchrony, and sensory issues. Presvytera Jennifer believes in the potential of every child, and it is her great joy and privilege to help facilitate their growth and achievement. She is an insatiable reader of anything she can get her hands on and a writer of creative nonfiction and poetry in her free time. She also volunteers as a social media manager for a local philanthropic organization and enjoys time with her incredible family and friends. Presvytera Jennifer believes that both literature and Orthodoxy Christianity can change the world. j.mooreraphaelschool@gmail.com

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. jschambach.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. jriethmiller.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Julie Boudreaux has been a teacher at a brick-and-mortar school for two years. She has taught Creative Writing, Geography, American Literature, and Modern World History and Literature. 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 and teaches summer courses. Julie is dedicated to cultivating joy for learning in her students. jboudreaux.schole@gmail.com

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. klobley.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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!

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. kfortier.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. lhartke.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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.

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. ljacobson.scholeacademy@gmail.com 

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. mdavenport.scholeacademy@gmail.com 

Melissa Browne holds an Honors BA in Anthropology from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada as well as an Honors Certificate in TESL. Melissa taught English in Peru for almost a decade in various settings, including language institutes and a Waldorf-inspired school. She also earned a certificate in Waldorf Pedagogy in Peru. Upon returning to Canada, she began her journey in Classical education. By God’s grace, in her search for solid Christ-centered pedagogy and curriculum to continue homeschooling her children, she found and pursued the Classical Christian model. Providentially, a new Classical Christian school opened in her neighborhood where she now teaches grade 3/4.

A love for children paired with the responsibility to point students to all that is good, true, and beautiful according to Christ as the center of wisdom and virtue is fundamental to Melissa’s teaching philosophy. In addition to teaching at a Classical Christian school, she serves in Children’s Ministry at her church. During the long Canadian winter, good books and board games abound and the summers are filled with swimming at the beach, and gardening. Cooking, fellowship, and hospitality are year-long joys. mbrowne.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. mroberts.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, has been working in Catholic Religious Education for over 15 years. She has taught both children and adults as a Youth Minister & Director of Religious Education. She has 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. Having observed teaching styles in a wide array of school settings in her own education and that of her children (homeschool, private, public & charter), she recognizes the necessity of restful learning wherever you may be attending school. Monika is passionate about helping revive truth in our world with relational ministry as the foundation of an exploration of literature, music, and art. She is delighted to teach at Scholé Academy in the Aquinas House of Studies as well as in the Great Hall. Monika cherishes the time she spends with her husband and four children, enjoys weightlifting and exercising in her garage gym, and loves listening to uplifting music. She also has two cats named Andrei & Natasha — bonus points if you can catch the literature reference in their names! mminehart.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. ndickinson5192@gmail.com 

Nomikos Vaporis currently holds a bachelors in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

His interest in math education began upon the realization that it was his mathematics education that provided the mental capacity and framework necessary to understand the world around him. Having done peer-to-peer tutoring work in subjects such as Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as having worked with private tutoring companies in Pre-Algebra and Algebra I, Nomikos’ experience has provided context to understand the needs of students at any point in their academic lives.

Some of Nomikos’ other interests and hobbies include: reading the Russian writers Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, learning Mandarin Chinese and Modern Greek, applied linguistics and the linguistics of second-language acquisition, Spencerian Calligraphy and Palmer Business Writing, and designing/constructing mechanical keyboards. NomikosVaporisEducation@gmail.com

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. Currently, he serves as a professor of computer science with Canadore College, teaching courses on Operating Systems and programming languages such as Windows, Linux, HTML, C++ and Visual Basic. 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 many of the Great Books as well as studied Scripture and church history. He has completed a week-long teacher training with the Association of Classical Christian Schools and Rockbridge Academy. His favourite 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. He enjoys skiing, hiking and gardening.

Peter is available for tutoring and private instruction in the Humanities (including History and Literature), Logic, Mathematics, Rhetoric, Writing/Grammar, Bible and is open to any other tutoring needs you might have. pbelfry.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. pshaltanis.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. rbright.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Dr. Ross B. Williams is excited to join Scholé Academy as an instructor for the 2022-2023 school year! Dr. Williams is currently the Director of Music and Principal Organist at St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church in Hilliard, Ohio, and he is the Director of Music at St. Catharine School in Bexley, Ohio. Dr. Williams and his wife, Elizabeth, maintain a very active household of homeschooling their nine children. Dr. Williams’ research investigates sacred music of the Catholic Church, as participation in rituals such as classrooms, rehearsals, concerts, and worship services draw a closer relationship to Christ through song. In addition to directing choirs and playing the organ, Dr. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a master’s degree in percussion performance from the University of Southern California, and he recently completed a doctorate in music education from Boston University. His performance experience tends toward creative and improvisatory idioms such as such as Ngoma (singing-drumming-dancing) in Nairobi, Kenya, dragon lantern drumming and dancing in Hong Kong, and the hammering of almglocken from ancestral apprenticeships in Barau, Switzerland. In 2022, Dr. Williams and his family launched a YouTube channel called DRUMNBUDDIES, as an educational resource for children learning how to play the drums!  rwilliams.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. swalter.scholeacademy@gmail.com 

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. She also serves as the fine arts teacher at Valor Preparatory Academy. Currently, Sara works out of her home studio in Waco, Texas where she lives with her great dane-lab mix, Oberon. She spends her free-time backpacking, reading and illustrating her own stories. ssilkwood.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. sjoslin.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. stephenwilliams.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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. davault.science@gmail.com

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. tfrost.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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, and paving the path of grammar into logic and rhetoric. For five 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 the same love in all his students. Among other hobbies, Mgr. Benson enjoys chess and is excited to teach a new Scholé course in chess this summer.  magisterbenson.scholeacademy@gmail.com

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.  vixiefriedman.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Weslea Bell holds a MA in English from Mississippi State University and has taught Language Arts courses, including Literature, Composition, Mythology, and Logic, for almost thirty years. She has written for various publications and venues and homeschooled her own children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She enjoys gardening, coffee dates with friends, training her horse, playing piano, and – most of all – spending time with her husband and two daughters. wbell.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Whitney Barnes began her teaching career in the humanities in 2012. She holds a Masters in history from Georgia State University and a PhD in history from Boston College. Throughout her career, Whitney has developed a passion for teaching rhetoric, writing, and critical thinking to her humanities students and believes deeply in the spiritual and academic value of honing these skills. Whitney is a published author, she was the recipient of the Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award at Boston College, she held the esteemed post of Pensionnaire étranger  at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France between 2016-2017, and she has been an avid reader and bookworm her whole life. In her spare time, Whitney enjoys singing in the chancel choir at church, playing the mandolin, and attempting to garden. She lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, their 3-year-old son, and their affable golden retriever, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Dr. William DiPuccio has been teaching science since 2002. He served as a science instructor and department head for five years at St. Nicholas Orthodox School, a classical school in Akron, Ohio. More recently, he taught Physical and Earth Science at Heritage Classical Academy, near Akron. Bill has designed and taught online, laboratory courses in meteorology, geology, and astronomy, for the Classical Learning Resource Center. He has also conducted summer and weekend science camps.

Bill has a Ph.D. in historical theology, and a professional background in meteorology, engineering (ultrasonic and electromagnetic polymer joining processes, automation) and graphic design. In addition to teaching science, he enjoys tinkering with scientific equipment and performing experiments at home. He also owns a small business, Sacred Engraving, which specializes in cast and etched metal plaques. wdipuccio.scholeacademy@gmail.com