Karrie Beckmann
Financial Literacy and Money Management
Economics
Karrie is a homeschool veteran of 13 years, with her oldest in college at the University of Florida. Her youngest graduates from LAF in 2024. Karrie has been a licensed Realtor for 10+ years (sometimes part-time and sometimes full-time, as time allowed and finances were needed). This allowed her to use her degree in business administration, all while still being able to homeschool her children. Working with so many people over the years, she realized there is a gap between what schools teach and what students need when they get into the real world. Karrie’s goal is to make sure her students have a firm foundation and understanding of how finances, money, and the economy work. Email KarrieKimberly Collins
Biology
High School Anatomy and Physiology
Trish Cruise
Middle School Anatomy & Physiology
Trish is a mom of five children, a daughter (16) and 12-year-old quadruplets. Trish and her family moved from California in January of 2022 and have loved exploring their new home and finding new adventures. She and her husband have homeschooled their children for the better part of the last four years. This coming year, all children will be taking classes at LAF, and they are extremely excited! Trish is excited to teach Middle School Anatomy and Physiology and has a passion for this science. She has worked for 18 years as a NICU nurse, but since her move to Florida, works as a neonatal resuscitation RN very part-time so she can spend more time at home with her children and focus on homeschooling. Trish and her family have a heart for Jesus and are so blessed to have found LAF and the biblical foundation on which their program stands.
Natalia Drumm
High School Bible
Melissa England
Middle School Apologetics
Melissa England is a Sarasota native. She has been married for 13 years and has a 10-year-old daughter. She is currently a court reporter and has been for 17 years. Two years ago she received the book Mama Bear Apologetics for Christmas and it opened her eyes to the world of apologetics… the intellectual defense of the truth of Christianity. She’s jumped in with both feet, having a new appreciation for loving God with her mind.
Lani Ferguson
Literature 8
Civics
Cari Gibson
Middle School Writing 1
Speech and Logic
Cari earned her English literature degree from UCF with a minor in history in 2009. She completed teaching classes and student teaching at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia. After having her second child, however, she decided to stay home with her children instead of further pursuing her career. Cari has been blessed with five healthy children, and she loves teaching them and learning with them every day. Her ultimate teaching goal is to have her children and students pursue a relationship with Christ, witness to others, and learn to think for themselves.
Summer Gordon
Literature 7
Olga Halo
High School Art
Olga was born in Ukraine and moved to the U.S. when she was nine. She lived all over the U.S. and finally settled in Florida in 2004 after she married her husband Vlad. Putting her physical therapy career on hold, Olga homeschools her three boys, Simon (14), Jasper (9), and Oren (7). She designs wallpaper for a paper company based in Portland, Oregon. Olga enjoys reading, collecting plants, and traveling with her men.
Nick Gutsche
Middle School Chemistry/Physics
Middle School Physical Science
Intro to Robotics
High School Chemistry
Algebra 1
Algebra 2
Geometry
Intro to Circuits and Computer Programming
Heather Kelley
Literature 6
Mariel Marconi
Advanced Composition and Creative Writing
Speech and Public Speaking
Shakespeare
Mariel is a passionate Language Arts teacher with a Master’s in English Literature from University of South Florida. A two-year LAF veteran and new mom, Mariel loves being part of the south Florida homeschooling community through the LAF Co-op.
Brandi McNulty
Pre-Algebra
Kathleen Reardon
STEAM Makerspace (Second Semester)
Chrissy Roberts
Middle School U.S. History
General Science
Jenni Stahlmann
Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Course (Fall Semester)
Comparative Literature and Composition
Andrea Stanford
Government
Life Skills
Andrea Stanford is a Christian, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a patriot. She attended University of Arizona, Tucson and has since had a number of jobs, including civil and mechanical work planner and field engineer in the nuclear power construction and maintenance field and campaign strategist and coordinator for Candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Andrea is a member of American Agri-Women, Inc., where she served as White House Liaison, a member of Florida Agri-Women, Inc., where she serves as secretary/treasurer, and remains active in several local political and charitable organizations.
Kim Thomson
American History
American Literature
Annie White
Middle School Art
Annie has loved her full life with her best friend these past 20 years and as a mom to five unique homeschoolers for the past 14 years. As a family involved in cross-cultural business ventures, the home/world-school lessons that have been lived together have built character and have fueled daily faith in God’s sovereignty. Annie grew up in Idaho appreciating farm life and nature, indoor and outdoor sports, and travel adventures beyond her small-town world. She enjoys beach time with her family, coffee with conversation, gardening, cooking, trying ethnic foods, reading, making useful things, and learning as she goes. She is thankful for the opportunity to share her love for art and creativity with middle school students.
Wendy Willis
Spanish 1
Rachel Ying
Photography
Rachel Ying is a Florida native and graduate of Florida State University. She started homeschooling her children four years ago and says it’s the best decision she ever made! In addition to homeschooling her three children, she is also a full-time professional wedding photographer. In any small amount of spare time she is able to find, she enjoys playing violin and reading every book she can get her hands on.