Meet our team

Sara’s love for cultures, faith, learning, and social equity stems much from her upbringing in Hawaii. Sara majored in International Relations and Art at Brown University (B.A.) and Economic Development at Columbia University (M.A.). After college, she studied Arabic and worked as a small business advisor for the Peace Corps in the Sahara and researched female-founded startups in Syria as a Fulbright Fellow. She has led global initiatives at technology hubs such as Google, Mozilla, and Wikipedia.

Sara and her husband, Josh, also lived and worked as faculty at Eastside College Preparatory School, a high school for first-generation college-bound students. She served on the board for Able Works: an organization focused on teaching financial literacy to students of color and supporting females working towards economic self-sufficiency as they establish new careers.

While working in education, Sara learned about Charlotte Mason. It was through a series of workshops on Mason’s volumes that she discovered the depths of this approach for learning and living. Sara enjoys making art with her four kids, finding nature treasures with little ones, and searching for new trails in the California Bay Area.

Min Jung Hwang spends her days spreading a Charlotte Mason feast at home with her four creative children and, as a pastor’s wife, complementing her husband’s pastoral ministry at Pascack Bible Church in New Jersey. You may also find her painting, writing, leading a nonprofit ministry for mothers pursuing life-giving habits, podcasting at “Charlotte Mason For All” and “Charlotte Mason Volumes,” and bringing the feast to the children of her church as the Director of Children’s Ministry.

When her eldest was a toddler, Min “met” Miss Mason and immediately scoured online used bookstores for the unicorn “pinks,” which were the only hardcopies discoverable then. Subsequently, she was swept off her feet by this Gospel-centric educational philosophy and methods. With fire in bones, she immediately began working to bring Miss Mason’s principles to every opportunity she had over the years. This included her work overseas during her season in university administration and education, serving international students and faculty families from over 60 nations. Then, later, as the Founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit with a mission to rescue and empower pregnant women escaping forced abortion, sexual exploitation, and sex trafficking.

Min brings to the CMI Board her experience in Nursing (BSN, RN) and law (JD and former AL bar); over 20 years experience as a speaker and educator in church, university, private school, hospital, conference, and nonprofit settings; familiarity with cultivating multicultural synergy within an organization; and her passion to bring Charlotte Mason to families and churches around the world.

You will often find Min enjoy hosting book clubs, Charlotte Mason co-ops, and “mother nurture” workshops for fellow homeschool moms. Yet as an introvert, her favorite pastimes are dating her husband, Young (with Vancouver and NYC as their hometowns, they are foodies!), blissfully painting or reading away the day with a cup of tea, and exploring new terrain in God’s creation with her four adventurous children.

Lisa is a mother of seven and grandmother of twelve. First introduced to Charlotte Mason in the early 1990s, she immediately started incorporating what she learned into her homeschooling. She later participated in the first Charlotte Mason email groups, including the one that became Ambleside Online, led a local CM support group for over a decade, and has regularly attended CMI’s annual conferences since they began. She currently serves as Director of Education at Blue Willow Tutorial, a four day week program using the Alveary, where eight of her grandchildren attend.  She also serves on the board of directors at the Charlotte Mason Institute, works to support schools and train teachers and mentors Charlotte Mason school startups through the Herzog Foundation.  

LeAnn first discovered Charlotte Mason’s writings 16 years ago after a unique reading challenge from a friend. Since that day, Mason’s philosophy of life and education has guided her personal life and overflowed into the lives of her children, community, co-op groups, local school, and business enterprises. Her continued research in Mason’s philosophy and immersion in Mason’s methodology, along with her first-hand experience educating children with learning differences have developed a practical insight into the use of Mason’s work in the modern world of education, creating a deep desire to create more visibility and accessibility to the beauty and richness of relational education for everyone. She has spoken at numerous CMI conferences and serves on CMI’s board of directors.

LeAnn and her husband, Duane, celebrated 20 years of marriage this year and enjoy working together daily as COO and CEO of their two companies. In 2020, they relocated to the little historic town of Salisbury, North Carolina, with their children, who range in age from 11 to 20. LeAnn seeks out green spaces, adventurous food, great books, and world travel, not in any particular order. She seems to be attracted to challenges and finds these are great catalysts for learning.

Jack Beckman has spent over 40 years under the regulus and patterns of teaching and learning – initially as an Early Childhood educator in the classroom, then as an educational leader, and finally as Professor of Elementary Education at Covenant College. Each of these contexts has allowed him the privilege of working with students, teachers, and parents on a variety of levels involving instructional pedagogy, curriculum development, and teacher professional learning.

Over the past fifteen years Jack has moved to the other side of the teacher’s desk in his work with preservice elementary teachers at Covenant College. From freshman year Christian Mind through senior Fall Block and student teaching, he witnesses the progression of growth in their identity from students to full instructional practitioners ready for the classroom. It is thrilling to hear stories of how God is using their gifts and talents in His kingdom work. These dedicated teachers are His “faithful presence” in a world filled with many diverse needs.

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Deani Van Pelt, an Ontario Certified Teacher, is President of Edvance Christian Schools Association in Ontario, Canada. Previously Associate Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education at Redeemer University College, and formerly a teacher in both Christian and public high schools, she holds a B.Commerce (McMaster University), B.Ed. (University of Toronto), and Master’s and Ph.D. in Education (Western University). She was awarded a medal for excellence in graduate studies for her master thesis on Charlotte Mason’s Design for Education, and her article For a Great Door is Opened: The Legacy of Charlotte Mason draws on her studies during that period. She led an exciting international research collaboration, funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, at the Armitt Museum and Library that resulted in the Charlotte Mason Digital Collection, available worldwide through Redeemer University College and recently received CMI’s Charlotte Mason Tribute award for doing so. Van Pelt, a Cardus Senior Fellow and a Fraser Institute Senior Fellow, has researched and published frequently on aspects of school choice in Canada (including home schooling, charter schools, religious schools, and independent schools) and on education spending and school sector enrollments. She has served as an expert witness, presented at numerous academic and education conferences across North America, and her work has been regularly featured in Canadian print and broadcast media. She and her husband, Michael, raised their three children near Toronto, Canada and both are thankful to have “met” Charlotte Mason early in their parenting years.

Amber O’Neal Johnston fell in love with the principles of Charlotte Mason when her oldest was a preschooler. After wholeheartedly committing to follow Mason’s philosophy, she became disheartened when months went by with little mention, if any, of the stories and accomplishments of Black people in her school room. The literary quality of the books was better, but she found that the cultural emptiness she experienced as a schoolgirl was being perpetuated within the walls of her own home.

Committed to bridging the gap for her four children, Amber has embarked on a journey of uniquely merging living books with a culturally-rich atmosphere to ensure that their education is not merely a legalistic Charlotte Mason venture but an honest experience that honors the Truth while helping her children to see beauty in themselves and others. Amber shares her observations on home education, diverse books, worldschooling, and more at www.HeritageMom.com, and when asked about her path she likes to smile and say, “In my house, Charlotte Mason has an afro.”

In addition to her experience as a Charlotte Mason practitioner, speaker, and writer, Amber runs a non-profit organization focused on promoting and supporting home education among Black families in her community. She holds an MBA from Florida A&M University and brings over twenty years of combined corporate and entrepreneurial marketing, brand management, and business experience to her perspectives on the Board.

Kerri Forney, like many, was introduced to the life-giving principles of Charlotte Mason through reading For the Children’s Sake. She and her husband, Scott, live in Wake Forest, NC, and are continuing to grow in their ability to live out Mason's principles. She has graduated four children and the last is a senior in high school. Leader of a monthly CM study group in North Raleigh, Kerri enjoys rescuing used books, researching and writing about Charlotte Mason, and mentoring and growing with fellow educators. She holds a B. A. in Sociology and Bible from Wheaton College and has completed additional coursework in biblical counseling. Kerri has presented at numerous conferences, in the US and the UK, and has led workshops on topics such as teaching learning at the high school level, exams and assessment, parenting, teaching history, and narration. Kerri, an Alveary curriculum team member from its inception, has provided leadership as a CMI board director and as a Templeton grant recipient. She is passionate about Charlotte Mason's life-giving principles for education and gifted in the work of bringing them into the 21st century. Beginning in the fall of 2024, Kerri began serving the Charlotte Mason Institute as Executive Director.

Olga Robbins is the CMI Teacher Training Coordinator. Olga lives in Stonington, Connecticut, right by the border with Rhode Island, with her husband, Jason, and two children (ages 12 and 15), who are homeschooled. Her oldest daughter is a freshman in Gordon College. Olga discovered the lifegiving principles of Charlotte Mason when her oldest was a toddler, and she has been using them in homeschool and in the classroom ever since. In her professional life, Olga spent 16 years teaching ESOL and 10 years in private Christian school teaching. In her last job, Olga had the privilege of leading workshops for teachers in CM principles. In her spare time, Olga likes to go on long walks on the beach, which is only 10 minutes away, spend time with her family, read, travel, sing in a community choir, and volunteer with a local puppet theater group.

Desiree Salcido lives in Colorado Springs, CO with her husband, her two daughters, and their border collie Mia. She has been homeschooling since her oldest was in kindergarten and discovered Charlotte Mason right before her oldest started 1st grade, which changed her approach to homeschooling at the perfect time. The first thing that drew her to the Charlotte Mason philosophy was the term "living books". As an avid reader, she knew this was worth exploring and as she learned more about Charlotte Mason's principles she knew this approach was just what her family needed. Desiree is the Support Specialist for the Charlotte Mason Institute. She has a background in customer service and user experience. She is also an Alveary member and is looking forward to serving in multiple capacities within the organization. In her free time, she can be found snuggling up to a good book, camping, hiking, baking bread, or crocheting.

Sarah first learned about Charlotte Mason’s life-giving ideas from Susan Schaeffer Macaulay’s book For the Children’s Sake. Since then she has tried “however imperfectly” to carry out Mason’s principles in her home which she shares with her husband, Max, and three school-aged children. She has co-led Charlotte Mason reading groups, organized a weekly co-op, and hosted mother culture events. Sarah is passionate about championing moms in their role as home educators. She enjoys learning alongside her children, hiking, and going on family adventures, large or small. Now serving as Marketing Coordinator, Sarah has also served on the CMI Volunteer team and has been enjoying the Alveary since 2018.

Sage Hernandez is the Administrative Assistant for the Charlotte Mason Institute. She lives in lovely Lilburn, GA, with her husband and two kids. Sage found Charlotte Mason early on in her homeschooling journey and stumbled upon the Alveary curriculum a few years ago. The Alveary helps her provide a Charlotte Mason education to her family while working full time. Before joining the CMI team, she worked in a large public school, first as an English teacher and then as a program coordinator, where she learned to juggle the demands of multiple program initiatives and the importance of a detailed task list. She enjoys putting her time management skills, attention to detail, and passion for a Charlotte Mason education to good use in her role at CMI. When she is not working or homeschooling, you can find Sage traveling, reading a book, doing yoga, or quilting. 

Ashley Meyers currently lives in North Texas with her husband who is activity duty Air Force and two children. Almost from the moment her first son was born she knew she wanted to homeschool. Then when her son was a toddler, a friend introduced her to Charlotte Mason. She read For the Children's Sake and then dove into Mason's volumes soon after.  Ever since then, she has tried to implement Charlotte Mason's methods and philosophy in her home as best as possible.  Ashley has served as an Alveary mentor and volunteer for several years and is now on the Alveary team as an editor. In her spare time she enjoys baking, thrift shopping (especially for books), and going on family adventures with her husband Jeremy and their two children.

Dr. Shannon Whiteside is the Program Director for the Alveary. She lives in northwest Indiana with her husband, Mark, and their three children (ages 10-15). Before homeschooling her children, she was an elementary teacher and board member at a Christian school. Over 10 years ago, she discovered the life-giving principles of Charlotte Mason when searching the internet for alternative educational philosophies. This discovery inspired her to pursue a PhD in Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her dissertation research focused on the storytelling aspects of narration and how Mason’s educational theories compare to the classical model of education. In her spare time, Shannon enjoys reading, trying new recipes, and hiking in the Indiana Dunes.

Melissa Ferguson stumbled across the name Charlotte Mason while exploring home education options when her oldest child was a preschooler. She soon found a Charlotte Mason group within driving distance and knew right away she had found “her people.” She, her husband Floyd, and their two children live in Northwest Missouri where they (mostly) enjoy living surrounded by woods and experiencing all four seasons. Her favorite pastimes are hunting for living books to add to their ever-expanding library and planning their next family travels. Melissa serves on our team as CMI’s Director of Operations. She holds an M.B.A. and has spent over 20 years working in higher education administration and non-profit management. Melissa has also served as the CMI Volunteer Marketing Team Lead since 2019, coordinated the volunteer team, and worked on conference teams for several years.

Kimberly was introduced to Charlotte Mason by a dear friend in 2015 at the beginning of her homeschooling journey, and she has enjoyed getting to know her ever since. Kimberly earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology from Saint Anselm College and has worked in the instructional systems design and mental health fields.  She brings eight years of experience coordinating events in the nonprofit sector to the team and is thrilled to serve as CMI's Event Coordinator.  She is a military spouse and homeschooling mother of five, and passionate about spending time appreciating nature and exploring with her family.  In her spare time, you might find her hiding somewhere reading a book, organizing books, or talking about books.

Kathryn Avery was schooled through high school with Mason’s philosophy and methods and continues to see the applicability of Mason’s principles in academics and all of life. After studying Mandarin Chinese in China for a year, she then completed a B.A. in English. Kathryn serves the Charlotte Mason Institute as the coordinator for programs and services and creates music content for the Alveary. She is especially fascinated by the way Charlotte Mason’s philosophy reveals intersections between theology, counseling, literature, and writing. In her free time, you’ll find her playing ultimate frisbee or volleyball, gardening, hiking with her husband Evan, reading, or just spending time with friends and family.

As a public school teacher it was never Kim’s intent to homeschool, but when the time came for her to send her oldest to school, her plans changed. She soon discovered Charlotte Mason and jumped in with both feet, reading every book on Mason available at the time and beginning the exciting journey of home education. Kim earned a Bachelor’s Degree in K-12 Music Education from Brigham Young University-Idaho and has taught in various public and private settings for 12 years. She is a charter Alveary member, having enjoyed the curriculum since its inception seven years ago, and has served as an Alveary mentor and volunteer for the past two years. Kim is the founder and director of the hybrid Charlotte Mason school, Plumfield House of Education in Augusta, GA, where she supports local families as they implement Mason’s educational philosophies and teaches the 7th- and 8th-graders in a variety of subjects. You can often find her crafting, singing, reading, hanging out with her kids at the park, or digging into a good research project. She is pleased to use her tech and research skills in her role as CMI’s Data Coordinator and is excited to see how she can help bring the beauty of Mason into a more digital-friendly format. 

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Dawan Hart lives in the Lexington, Kentucky area with her husband and two boys. She received her Bachelors degree in Accounting from Transylvania University and began her career with a local accounting firm where she worked on both personal and corporate accounts. For the last 23 years, she has been the owner and operator of an insurance agency in Lexington. She began her journey in homeschooling when her oldest was starting Kindergarten and was fortunate to be introduced to a Charlotte Mason education by friends who had been utilizing her methodology for several years.  After attending her first Charlotte Mason Institute conference in Virginia, she believed a CM education was what her family had been looking for!  In 2013, she was one of the founding members of Overstone School, a cooperative whose teaching is based on the Charlotte Mason Philosophy of Education. She currently serves Overstone as treasurer, board member, and as their high school mathematics instructor. She has also been blessed to serve as the Charlotte Mason Institute accounting manager since 2017.

When Amanda Rose was seeking more information about homeschooling, her research and values continually brought her back to Charlotte Mason. During this time, a seasoned homeschool mom mentored her and she read steadily through the volumes of Charlotte Mason's Home Education series and attended the Charlotte Mason Institute Conference. Amanda homeschooled exclusively for six years and now participates in a Charlotte Mason hybrid school where she teaches kindergarten and her husband teaches sixth grade. Amanda lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin with her husband and five children (14 - 3 years). They enjoy spending time in nature and playing music, and they are continually running out of shelf space for books and board games. She holds a Master of Arts in Music Composition and continues to compose and teach private music lessons. Amanda sings regularly with The Lutheran Ceili Orchestra whose focus is on a Celtic interpretation of Christian worship. She is honored to serve CMI in further cultivating the use and enjoyment of sol-fa in Alveary!

Angela Reed has been a student of lingua Latina and classical civilization for over twenty-five years. She started on the path to ancient Rome in high school when she took her first Latin class and, for extra credit, joined the Latin club. She’s been enthusiastically carrying a classical torch ever since. She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Classical Studies and M.A. in Latin, and holds a Florida Professional Teacher Certificate in English (6-12) and Latin (K-12). She and her husband enjoy sharing books, music, and outdoor adventures with their five children.

When she first encountered the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason in 2014, it was not long before she began to study how Latin fit within it. This research led to some surprising insights, experimentation in the classroom, and a new direction for her teaching: Living Latin Lessons—live online classes offering a Charlotte Mason approach to Latin. She is delighted to be joining the Alveary team, providing instruction and lesson plans for the study of Latin. In this effort, she hopes to make Latin accessible to more families, furthering Mason’s vision of “A Liberal Education for All.”  

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Growing up at the foot of Virginia's Shenandoah Mountains, Anna learned a deep appreciation for the natural world and our relationship with it. During college, Anna worked with state and nonprofit partners to identify and document ecological communities across the Virginia Piedmont. That work informed her future projects and guided her approach to developing CMI's Nature History Clubs. Since then, Anna has worked with The Nature Conservancy on land and water rights in the West with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Minnesota on energy and environmental issues and spent time on regional watershed planning across Minnesota. Anna received a Charlotte Mason-based K-12 education, and she is thrilled to work with CMI on bringing Charlotte Mason's work into the 21st century to modern audiences. She administers the Nature History Club program and is a developer on the citizenship and government team. Anna practices law in Rappahannock County, Virginia, where she works with the community on land and water-based issues. In her free time, Anna enjoys reading poetry, working with native plants, and hiking with her basset hound, Georgia.

Cara first encountered Charlotte Mason as a teenage student at her home, where she was educated by her mom, Kelli Christenberry. She is passionate about inspiring a love of history in students through a multi-faceted approach to historical study that includes art and architecture, archaeology, religious studies, and literature. Her current research focuses on the history of ancient Iran. Cara currently lives with her husband Luke in northwestern Montana, where they are starting up a small farm in between skiing, hiking, and road-tripping.

When Cathy Barrington and her husband, Jim, were exploring educational possibilities for their young children, they were immediately drawn to CM’s ideas of short lessons, lots of outdoor hours, and living books. Their daughter’s love of nature, curiosity and creative bent were what taught them to adopt Charlotte Mason’s philosophy for their homeschool. In 2001, As a young mom of a then 4- and 1-year-old, Cathy began attending a monthly CM mom’s group. On her bedside table you could find copies of Home Education, Charlotte Mason Companion and For the Children’s Sake which she read often. Over the past 15 years, Cathy has served, taught and participated in homeschool, private schools, support groups and co-ops putting the CM philosophy into practice. She is currently a teacher at Crestwood Day School and a Lesson Plan Writer for CMI. Over the years, she has also volunteered her time as a weekly summer Camp Director, Children’s Choir teacher, library helper, and Women’s Ministry committee member. Cathy makes time for hiking, swimming, handicrafts, sketching, reading and weekly walks at the city gardens. Cathy has a B.S. degree from the University of Montevallo and lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

Courtney Gunter grew up near Asheville, North Carolina where she began her dance training at age 3.  During her youth, she trained with private instructor and mentor Veronica Zink, Ballet Spartanburg, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and Joffrey Ballet School.  While completing her BFA in Dance from Florida State University she studied with and performed works by Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Suzanne Farrell, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Alex Ketley, and Dan Wagoner.  While in Tallahassee, she taught dance at Wildwood Ballet and Tallahassee Ballet.  After relocating to Atlanta, Courtney danced professionally with contemporary dance company Staibdance and taught classes at Emory University and Perimeter Ballet. She founded the ministry, Westminster Ballet, and served as the Artistic Director from 2008-2022.  Courtney discovered Charlotte Mason after seeing children at her church who were noticeably different and was given Susan Schaeffer Macaulay’s, For the Children’s Sake.  After attempting a boxed curriculum for her first year of homeschooling, she sought a more gentle approach adopting the Charlotte Mason philosophy, joined a Charlotte Mason co-op, and eventually began using the Charlotte Mason Institute’s Alveary curriculum.  The opportunity arose for Courtney to contribute physical education instruction for the Alveary in 2018 and it quickly expanded to the Historical Dance offering where she has been able to explore, research, and share many different styles of dance from the past.  Courtney is excited that her love of dance and Charlotte Mason have intersected beautifully and that the Charlotte Mason Institute provides an outlet for her.

After earning two degrees in Chemistry, Danielle pursued academic and pharmaceutical research for a number of years. When she and her husband, Jay, began looking for an educational alternative for their children, she stumbled upon Home Education. Due to her spirituality and her own nurturing by many inspired science teachers, the text immediately resonated and it was a natural switch from research chemist to Charlotte Mason educator. She and Jay have established their school on a little homestead in North Carolina. Danielle creates science content for the Alveary.

Dr. Cindy Swicegood has been involved in the Charlotte Mason Institute conference since its inception—from providing classical music to processing hundreds of registration checks by hand. A pianist by profession (B.M. in piano performance from Oklahoma Baptist University, M.M. and D.M. in piano performance, chamber music, and accompanying from Florida State University), Cindy homeschooled her two daughters for six years, then taught at Willow Tree Community School (founded by Dr. Jen Spencer). She loves collaborating with other passionate musicians (especially Metropolitan Opera soprano, Claudia Waite) and often plays for visiting artists at Gardner-Webb University. Cindy is joyful in her celebration of God’s creativity. Passion flowers, calla lilies, Michelangelo’s Pieta, and all of Johannes Brahms’ chamber works with piano are some of the many blessings she receives as gifts from the Father above. Cindy has served CMI in numerous capacities over the years and currently provides input and expertise on Alveary Music lessons. And we think you might be interested in the fact that Cindy once rode her bicycle from California to Delaware.

Dr. Jen Spencer has been an educator, school administrator, and curriculum writer since 1997. With degrees in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Curriculum & Instruction, she has served in public, private, and home schools across all ages, from preschool through high school. Jen discovered Charlotte Mason in 2001. Since then, she has led study groups, founded a school,  helped digitize the archive at the Armitt Museum, and created the Alveary, serving as program director for it's first 7 years. She was recently appointed as a Visiting Research Fellow in Charlotte Mason Studies at the University of Cumbria, Ambleside. Jen and her husband Wes have two adult children, and their first grandchild is due any day. They live among the peach trees in Gaffney, South Carolina with their rescued English Pointer mix, Daisy Mae, who loves to go on nature walks.

Dr. Meredith Donaldson Clark is a scholar and a full-time homeschool educator.

Meredith’s academic training focused on English Renaissance literature. She completed three degrees in English: BA (Trinity College, University of Toronto), MA (Dalhousie University), and PhD (McGill University). Her doctoral dissertation and SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship explored English poetry in conversation with Renaissance ideas about classical literature, cartography, and history. Meredith taught at several Canadian universities and presented her research internationally. She has also worked as a Latin translator and as a freelance academic editor.

When she became a mother, Meredith decided to dedicate herself to educating her children through homeschooling. As she researched educational philosophies, she discovered Charlotte Mason—and was drawn to Mason’s love of literature, devotion to God, and respect for the dignity of children. The transition from scholarly work to homeschooling has been exciting, challenging, and rewarding; for the past nine years, Meredith has enjoyed learning alongside her children.

Meredith lives in a village in southwestern Ontario with her husband (a minister, military chaplain, and theologian) and their three delightful children. She enjoys reading, baking, gardening, playing the flute, exploring the Great Lakes, and cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays!

Erin C. Day is a child of God, wife, mom of four girls and an artist. She has been a student of art for almost thirty years and still has so much more to learn! Erin has been in the field of art education since 1999, holding a B.F.A. in Art Education with a concentration in Ceramics and Minor in Psychology. Erin has taught in settings from preschool through retirement centers. She works in all media from oils to printmaking to ceramics and enjoys them all immensely! Erin has been homeschooling and studying Charlotte Mason for 11 years.

George is a writer and instructional designer. While in college he ran a performing arts club before earning a Bachelor of Arts in English. His love for stage plays continued as a high school English teacher where he used interactive methods to teach Shakespearean and contemporary plays. While not raised with Mason's philosophy of curriculum, he loves teaching strategies that emphasizes the student as an active participant in their education. He and his wife are new parents to their beautiful daughter Maya. The three of them live in North Carolina. They love dogs, walks, coffee, and watching traveling shows!

Jenny Elias lives in Southern California with her husband and their six children. She has been homeschooling for over 17 years. The introduction to Charlotte Mason (CM) was welcomed warmly. Jenny quickly developed an interest and excitement in sharing CM with others in her community.  She started a CM discussion group, Learning Charlotte Mason in Conejo and Simi Valleys, with other homeschooling mothers in 2011. This group blossomed into a weekly CM co-op community known as the “Large Room” from 2012-2020, which she gladly moderated. Lately, you will find her knitting, nature journaling, and teaching CM-inspired classes at her local homeschool group and teen center. She also currently serves as a board member at IvyTech Charter School. Her belief in a CM education has inspired her to pursue a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Through dedication to her Christian faith and the principles of a CM education, she finds grace in her daily life. Jenny brings her expertise to the Alveary team particularly in Alveary Spanish lessons.

Jessica received her honours BA in French and history from McMaster University. She honed her French skills while working on a women’s health curriculum in West Africa. She currently lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her husband and two sons. She coordinates her church’s Sunday school program and is an active volunteer at her local classical/Charlotte Mason school. Jessica is often found exploring the Royal Botanical Gardens and frequenting the local library with her children. Jessica serves as a Canadian history lesson plan writer on the Alveary team.

With over 15 years of experience in diverse educational settings, Joshua McIsaac has developed a dynamic teaching approach across disciplines, including music, English, math, science, social studies, and technology. He has a rich background in supporting students with learning differences, bringing passion and adaptability to his work. Now serving as Head of School at Harvest Christian Academy in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Joshua is passionate about nurturing intellectual and character growth in learners. He integrates the Charlotte Mason philosophy to cultivate curiosity and respect within a multi-age classroom, creating a learning environment where each student’s personhood is valued.

Kelli Wick and her husband have three young adult children whom she homeschooled. Having been raised in a family of pastors, Kelli has always been interested in how our theology affects our daily lives. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute and later received her Masters in Bible and Theology from DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary). Her family recently moved to Northwest Indiana, but before that, she was on staff at her church in Illinois with a focus on helping coordinate their marriage program for engaged couples. She also taught piano and has done freelance editing and social media work. Kelli is an avid reader but also enjoys playing the piano, following the Cubs, trying new things, and taking a good walk in the Indiana Dunes. She serves on the Alveary team with her research skills and editing expertise.

Lisa has studied Mason since providentially hearing of her from Ranald and Susan Macaulay at a Rochester, MN L’Abri Conference in the summer of 1982 while an undergraduate education major at Covenant College. Upon returning to school that fall, she found a few of Mason’s volumes in the college library and was entirely swept up in what she recognized as a much needed antidote to the decidedly mechanistic approach to teaching prevalent in most teacher education programs and even Christian education practice in those days. She was blessed to find a school some years later (Intown Community School) that employed Mason’s methods and has enjoyed a career of teaching, learning and sharing Mason’s ideas and practice with those who endeavor to bring a “sane” education to children and families in diverse settings. Lisa lives in Cincinnati with her husband Matt who is a PCA pastor and two dachshunds who preside over home security. She is a catechist in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd children’s spiritual formation program at Faith Presbyterian Church, and the director of Great River Learning, a non-profit organization that brings Charlotte Mason education to Cincinnati in the forms of classes for homeschooled children, in-service training for schools, and educational rehabilitation to students of all ages, shapes and sizes. She develops CMI’s reading curriculum, and holds a B. S. in Early Childhood Education from Covenant College and a M. Ed. in Literacy Instruction from Georgia State University.

Dr. Max Stabenow was introduced to Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education through the book For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. Since then, he and his wife Sarah have strived to create an atmosphere of learning that encompasses all of life for their three school-aged children. Max is passionate about assisting parents with cultivating their own philosophy of education so they can confidently embrace their God-given responsibility to educate their children to obey the first and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:34-40). Max’s formal education includes a BA in Humanities, an M.Div. and Th.M. in Historical Theology, and an Ed.D. Max’s dissertation explored the educational philosophy of Francis Schaeffer (father of Susan Schaeffer Macaulay). Max spends his leisure time reading, hiking, shooting, and exploring God’s creation with his family.

Meghan is a graduate of Redeemer University, where she studied History and Political Science. She worked with the Charlotte Mason Digital Collection at the Peter Turkstra Library at Redeemer, and was a contributing author in CMI’s Essays on the Life and Work of Charlotte Mason. She currently works at the Christian School Foundation, where she supports Christian schools and donors in Canada by developing and administering grant programs.

Melissa earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts in French and a Master of Arts degree in French from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. During her undergraduate studies, she spent a year abroad in Vichy, France, where she met her husband. She continued her learning with a Bachelor of Education degree from Brock University and became a K-12 teacher specializing in French and the Arts. She taught French to grades 4 through 8 before moving across Canada. She lives on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia with her French husband and three children. She runs a bilingual French and English Montessori program and partially homeschools her children. She draws upon Dr. Montessori and Charlotte Mason for inspiration in her lessons and brings her expertise to French lessons for Alveary students.

Parke is the mother of five boys, ages 13-20, all of whom she has home schooled. After graduating in 1995 with an education degree, she read For the Children’s Sake in 2002. She soon joined a CM study group and began to implement what she had been learning about with her growing family. Parke currently teaches at Crestwood Day School in Birmingham, Alabama. She has been known as the local ‘book lady’ for years, scouring thrift stores, library sales, and yard sales looking for living books, and passing them along to other CM moms.

Rachel earned her degree in French and Education in 2000. After serving as an “assitante étrangère” in the Normandy region of France, she moved to Florida to teach at a small high school. After leaving the classroom to stay home with her children, she now offers French classes for homeschool students. Rachel became acquainted with Charlotte Mason’s philosophy when she and her husband made the decision to homeschool. She is passionate about Mason’s principles, particularly as they apply to language study.

After encountering the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason through friends in Birmingham, Alabama, Sarah surprised herself and her husband by deciding to turn the sunny room at the front of the house into The School Room. Her two young daughters are thrilled about home school and are impatient to learn as much as they can. With a degree in Classics, Sarah has taught Latin to middle and high school students, and now creates the Latin content for the Alveary.