Mindy Black graduated from Illinois State University with a BS in Elementary and Middle School Education with a 30- hour math education emphasis. Through the state of North Carolina, she earned her certification in the education of the Academically Gifted. Mindy’s teaching career began in Durham Public Schools where she taught 6th grade math for seven years. For the past eighteen years she has enjoyed home schooling her four children. She has also privately tutored students who struggle with math. Mindy has a genuine passion for helping students understand math, using hands-on learning wherever possible to remove the mystery and fear that too often enfolds math. She desires to make math meaningful while demonstrating how important math is in the amazing world God designed.
Contact: mindyb2020@yahoo.com
Classes: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1
Teresa Bowyer graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double BA in Mathematics and Psychology. She completed the Teacher Certification Program (Grade 9-12) at UNC, and taught middle school math for 3 1⁄2 years. She has been tutoring high school math since 1994, and has enjoyed teaching at HARC for the past 10 years. She is married to Mitchell Bowyer and they have three daughters and one son. Teresa is also active in Moms in Prayer International.
Contact: tsbowyer@gmail.com
Classes: Geometry (Wednesday), Calculus, Pre-Calculus
Lauren Chriscoe graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in Spanish. She studied abroad in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Chile, and she volunteered as a translator with Kids Alive International in Guatemala. She has twelve years of experience teaching Spanish levels 1 through AP. Lauren has led student mission trips to Mexico and Guatemala, and she loves demonstrating how learning the language can connect students to their Spanish-speaking neighbors. Her classes incorporate songs, partner speaking activities, review games, and creative projects. Many of Lauren’s students have chosen to continue studying Spanish in college, enhancing their fluency for use in their careers, on the mission field, or in their communities. Lauren is married to her husband, Ryan, and they have a son, Owen, and a daughter, Clara. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and running.
Contact: lhchriscoe@gmail.com
Classes: Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 3
Valerie Collier graduated from Meredith College with a BA in Math Education 6-12. She taught middle and high school math classes in the public schools for 30 years and retired from the system in March of 2021. After retiring, she has since continued tutoring students and teaches high school math classes part-time. She enjoys exercising, reading, and art projects in her downtime. She has passion to assist teens to understand mathematics and to develop a love for learning in her students.
Contact: collier.valerie@gmail.com
Class: Algebra 2, Algebra 3, Geometry (Tuesday)
Ken Edwards, PE ( registered professional engineer in the state of North Carolina) has a double B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from North Carolina State University. He worked for Nortel, Genband, Ribbon and presently Connected Development, a company that builds devices that use Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Lora technologies, primarily for Internet of Things (IoT). Ken is married to Nancy Edwards, and they have two grown daughters. He plays the flute in the Shepherd’s orchestra. Ken has seen the blessing God has provided in his personal and professional life. His desire to teach comes from the inspiration of a teacher he had in high school who gave him the skills and motivation to help those who want a basic understanding of the complicated technologies of today.
Contact : ken.edwards@mindspring.com
Class : Basic Electronics, Basic Programming
Beth Grose has a B.S. from Purdue University in Animal Sciences with a focus on Biology and Chemistry. She has 8 years of experience in Medical Research with the University of Indiana, Ball State University and Case Western University. She also has 8 years of experience in the field of Veterinary Medicine working with local Veterinarians and the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine. Beth homeschooled her 2 children since 1998 and has taught chemistry to high schoolers since 2001. Both her daughters graduated from undergraduate college programs. One daughter has her degree in education and homeschools her three children. The other graduated with an MD and is a resident in Surgery.
Beth is certified as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner as well as in Functional Nutrition. She firmly believes that education is more than just information and wants all her students to see the God of the Universe through the study of science.
Contact: ladywisdom2@gmail.com
Classes: Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Health Sciences & Wellness
Erika Hess graduated from NC State with dual degrees in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. While she had originally only planned on the engineering degree, she enjoyed her physics-based classes so much she decided to add a second major. After college, Erika worked for the power company and eventually a consulting firm designing transmission lines. Erika is married with one son and one daughter. It was through volunteer activities such as teaching her kids’ Sunday School classes and being a leader in AHG and Shepherd’s Girls that she discovered her love of teaching. Erika is excited to share her love of physics with students and help them better understand just a small piece of God’s amazing creation through the laws of physics.
Contact: HessHARC@gmail.com
Class: Physics
Charla McKinley graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Finance. She went on to become a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years working in both the corporate and private sector. While homeschooling her two children, Charla was inspired to write an interactive personal finance curriculum that opens the student’s eyes to the high costs of being an adult. After retiring from homeschooling, Charla continues to teach teens locally and across the country using her Beyond Personal Finance curriculum.
Charla’s passion is teaching teens that their choices matter. She is a follower of Jesus Christ and uses biblical principles along with modern day applications to make the future come alive for her students in order that they may be prepared for the road ahead.
Contact email: bpfteacher@gmail.com
Class: Personal Finance
Steve Noble – follower of Jesus Christ, husband, father, talk radio show host, author, speaker and former owner of a small business – “an ordinary man who believes in an extraordinary God.” His motto? No Sacred Cows
- Host of Called2Action Today, a Christian talk radio show heard M-F at 4pm across North Carolina on the Truth Radio Network.
- Director of Mobilization, Harvest Ministries/Harvest America with Pastor Greg Laurie.
- Teacher, “Foundations of Freedom” – high school civics course for homeschoolers from a Christian perspective.
- Teacher, “Christian Ethics” – high school level course introducing students to ethical theory and developing a working Christian ethic of response.
- Author, The Making of a Christian Wacko, the story of how God transformed him from pew potato to “Christian Wacko”.
- Conference speaker and teacher.
- Homeschooling Advocate
- Chairman, Called2Action – Christian Activism
- Small business owner for 14 years.
- Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Christian Ethics, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Steve and his wife Gina have been married since 1992 and they have four, homeschooled children. Steve’s life verse is Galatians 2:20…
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Steve has been blessed to lead local efforts for many national ministries including: Focus on the Family, The Truth Project, Harvest Crusades and Harvest America with Greg Laurie, Dr. David Jeremiah, Convoy of Hope, and Justice For All. These efforts organized over 5,000 local Christian volunteers and resulted in over 100,000 people in participation.
Contact: c2atoday@yahoo.com
Classes: Christian Ethics, Civics and Government, US History, World History
Jill Savoye earned her teaching degree from Buffalo State College in 1995. Soon after, she decided to continue her career by moving to North Carolina for improved weather and quality of life. She taught in the public school system for ten years and achieved her National Board Teaching Certification. She then stayed home for eight years to have three children (Hope, Faith and Titus). She returned to teaching at her children’s charter school for three years only to leave again and start tutoring and teaching homeschool classes while her children also started homeschooling. She currently is working on her master’s degree in biblical counseling and hopes to help teenagers learn how to navigate their emotions while discovering God’s purpose for their life. She is also particularly interested in God’s created temperaments and how people can better understand each other’s needs relationally, according to their temperament, within the family dynamic. For fun she loves to read, write, paddle board, water and snow ski, travel with her family and play with her three Shih Tzus.
Contact: jill_proverbs2121@yahoo.com
Classes: 6th & 7th Grade Math
Laurel Solorzano earned her BA in English at the age of seventeen doing an online program. At that point, after being told by multiple people not to become a teacher because of “the pay,” she decided to pursue law school. However, her parents encouraged her to try something else before getting into more schooling. She traveled out of the country for the first time to participate in a YWAM program. The joke that YWAM actually stands for ‘yes, we arrange marriages’ stood true with Laurel as well. She met her husband there and returned to Costa Rica as a missionary for a few years. She began teaching ESL to Spanish speakers as well as English to native English speakers in Costa Rica and realized that teaching really was where her strength was. Teaching has always been her passion, and she plans to be a homeschool mom herself when she has children. Once she was able to bring her husband to the US, she began teaching both Spanish and English courses in 2017. While creative writing is Laurel’s favorite, she has also taught group classes and tutoring sessions focused on essay writing, blog writing, and English literature. Laurel Solorzano currently has one book published in the YA genre and plans to continue publishing and teaching- her two passions- in the future.
Contact: laurelsolorzano@gmail.com
Class: English Grammar and Composition, English 1, Study Skills for Academic Success, Spanish 3
Laurie Torres has a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech in Biological Sciences and a Master of Science from Virginia Tech in Civil & Environmental Engineering. After working in the IT consulting industry and in architectural drafting and design fields for many years, Laurie came home to be a mother and teacher to her children. Laurie has homeschooled her 2 children since 2012, has taught classical curriculum classes at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and has taught biology at the high school level to both private and homeschool students. Laurie is very interested in developing in students a love for learning and excited about applying that love in the sciences where many of the mysteries of God’s creation are on display for us to uncover.
Contact: lktorres88@gmail.com
Class: Physical Science
Emily Young graduated summa cum laude from Lee University with a BA in English with minors in Bible and Political Science. After graduation she worked as a university admissions counselor, helping prospective students and families navigate the college application process, guiding them through university interviews, application material submission, campus tours, and financial aid. She and her husband then moved to NC, where Emily completed an MA in English at Wake Forest University, going on to work as a grant writer in university advancement. For the past 12 years she has been a stay-at-home mom to her three kids and has enjoyed volunteering regularly in the community, at church, and in her children’s school. She has taught Bible studies, led book clubs, and led a weekly children’s music program for the past six years. Professionally, she has worked consistently as an independent editor and grant writer, helping others to tell their stories in clear, compelling ways. Her passion is literature, writing, and teaching others to understand and appreciate storytelling in light of God’s truth. Stories help us understand who we are, give us empathy for others, shed light on the past, transmit cultural values, and help us wrestle with life’s most pressing questions – why are we here? Where are we going? And why does it matter? Whether we are reading the Bible, great literature throughout history, or even current Facebook or Instagram stories, the stories we read and the stories we tell are have power to shape us and our understanding of one another and the world. Studying literature and learning how to write about it can help students formulate answers to these questions as well sharpen their critical thinking skills and prepare for college, career, and life beyond school.
Contact: young.em@gmail.com
Class: English 2, English 3