Erin Aleo

Apothecary

Erin is an *almost* lifelong resident of North Port, Florida and a homeschool mom of 3. She and her husband are active in their church and are raising their family in a faith-filled home. Their days are full of hands-on learning, family life, and a dash of chaos. She enjoys gardening and using the plants God has given us in simple, everyday ways.

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Ryan Bergamo

Science (Astronomy) 3-5

Ryan Bergamo is a wife and mother of three girls. She earned her Chemistry degree from the University of South Florida and has a passion for learning, which she loves sharing with others.

Having traveled and lived around the world, Ryan has spent the majority of her time in Bradenton, Florida. She believes that the deeper you delve into science, the stronger your connection to God becomes.

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Rob Bitz

Woodworking

Bio Coming Soon

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Bonnet Charles

Yearbook

MS/HS Videography

MS Photography

HS Photography

Bonnet Charles is incredibly passionate about teaching and educating students, be it in a small group setting or hosting basic videography and photography classes. Since 2010, he has had the honor of witnessing over 300 couples say “I do,” and not once has a bride expressed regret over investing in their wedding video. He is a father of two amazing children, and when he’s not filming or capturing weddings, he’s playing hide and seek with them.

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Keegan Climo

Woodworking

Bio Coming Soon

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Joanne Davis

HS Biology

Joanne Davis is a homeschooling mom and dentist. She graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in Biology, then went on to earn her DMD at Medical College of Georgia. She and her husband both practice general dentistry at their office in Bradenton, Davis Family Dentistry. Homeschooling has been a blessing to their family for the past eight years, and Joanne looks forward to continuing the journey by sharing the wonders of life, designed by our Creator, with students.

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Corey Gens

Woodworking

Bio Coming Soon

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Janessa Godber

Gardening

Critical Thinking

Living Spanish

Janessa earned her AA in Philosophy at Miami-Dade Honors College, then went on to get her BA in Political Science at Florida International University. She is the mother to two tween children who aims to create an atmosphere for learning, through probing questions, life experiences, time in nature, and materials that invite curiosity. This lends itself to creating a life of learning, so she loves to say that she’s always homeschooled her children. Janessa is passionate about facilitating critical thinking in children and helping them to think outside of the box.

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Jody Hagaman

Countries and Cultures

Jody is married to her high school sweetheart, and mom to three homeschool grads, ages 38 (law school grad), 30 (police academy grad), and 27 (business owner & pastor), and also a homeschooling grandmother to her fourth-grade granddaughter. She has been homeschooling for more than 25 years. Jody co-hosted a syndicated parenting radio show, was a columnist, travels and speaks nationwide at homeschool conventions, and writes curriculum.

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Soon Sim Hakes

3-5 Art

Soon Sim Hakes grew up in Malaysia and moved to the United States to attend college. Since Malaysia is a multicultural country, she is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Malay. She earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

Sim has been part of Learning and Families for the past ten years. She and her husband have three daughters, ages 9, 12, and 14, whom she has homeschooled since kindergarten. She is passionate about homeschooling and especially appreciates the flexibility and freedom it provides families.

Sim has loved art and creativity since she was young. In middle school, one of her artworks was selected to become a mural at her school. Today, she enjoys sharing that love of creativity by teaching art and encouraging young students to explore and express their imagination.

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Vivian Halbedel

Walkers

Vivian Halbedel grew up in Brazil and moved to the United States when she was 16 years old. She speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English fluently. She just moved from Massachusetts in August 2024, and now, she lives in North Port with her husband of 15 years, and her two sons, Dylan (14) and Tyler (12).

Vivian has been homeschooling her kids since they were in Kindergarten. She loves to teach kids about the bible and how great our God is. Her favorite things to do are to go to the beach, grow her garden, and travel.

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Andrea Healey

Cooking Around the Globe

Culinary Science

Andrea has been married to Chad her High School sweetheart for 29 years and is the proud mother to 3 children. Caitlyn who graduated from LAF in 2022, earned her Bachlors degree from the University of Tampa in 2026, and is now heading to the University of Florida for her Master’s in Vocal Performance. Colin who graduated in 2025 from LAF is currently enrolled at Southeastern University earning his Associates degree and hoping to continue his eduation in Business. Avery is entering 5th grade through LAF and loves Karate and her friends. Andrea enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, and loves entertaing family and friends.

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Jing Herman

MS/HS Mandarin

Jing Herman is an artist and educator who grew up in Beijing. She worked as an investment banker on Wall Street for 8 years before becoming a tech CEO in NYC. She founded 28Muses and taught Chinese Calligraphy for 40+ companies. She’s currently working on a series of 50 American flag paintings at JingHerman.art.

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Andrea Hoffman

Science (Astronomy) K-3

Andrea Hoffman graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education K-6. She has taught Preschool, 3rd grade, and 5th grade as well as a year of K-3 Science for LAF. She has also taught multiple online courses for children of all ages.

Andrea and her husband have three children who they have happily homeschooled for many years. She loves being able to teach other children and make learning fun and exciting.

The Hoffman Family has been a part of LAF for over two years after moving to the Bradenton area from St. Cloud, FL. LAF has been a huge blessing to her family after moving to a new place.

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Gracie Isenor

Academic Writing

Gracie Isenor is a former English Composition and Rhetoric instructor from the University of Idaho. She has a background in marketing copywriting and is the proud mother of two young sons. She and her husband Jeff have made Bradenton their home for the past five years.

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Heather Kelley

Lit 6

Lit 7

Heather is a homeschool mom of two with a degree in both Youth Ministry and Social Work. She thoroughly enjoys facilitating middle school literature. She spends her free time reading YA novels, spending quality time with her family, and snuggling with her mini bernedoodle, Zoe.

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Kai Kishpaugh

Advanced Java

Coding (Python)

Scratch

Robotics

STEM Legos

Kai Kishpaugh was born in Colorado, where he swam competitively and was part of a homeschool group before moving to Sarasota at age 8 for the warmth, community, and the Sarasota Sharks. His love for problem-solving and creativity led him to computer programming, which he pursued in college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he won $35,000 in business plan competitions. Along with programming, Kai is also an artist and has been playing piano for 10 years. After the passing of his older brother, Kai moved back to Sarasota and eventually began teaching. Now, Kai is focused on expanding his positive impact in the community. He now teaches creative coding and STEM at 6 different schools and homeschool groups.

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Shelly Kishpaugh

Bless This Mess Art

Mommy & Me Art

Shelley Kishpaugh has been working with children in various capacities her entire life. She has been teaching art classes to children for well over a decade with organizations such as Art Center Sarasota and Creative Liberties. On top of teaching art, Shelley has extensive childcare experience as well as experience teaching children to swim. Shelley also homeschooled her (now adult) children through their entire K-12 experience.

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Emily Kulchar

Kindergarten

Emily Kulchar graduated from The College of New Jersey with a double major in Elementary Education and Psychology. She previously taught second and third grade in Honolulu, Hawaii. After becoming a military spouse, she worked as a substitute teacher in public and private schools in South Carolina and Texas, gaining experience with a variety of students and classroom settings. Her favorite things about teaching are helping young learners grow in confidence and develop a love of learning. Emily is the proud mom of three children ages 15, 12, and 5. When she’s not at LAF, you’ll likely find her chauffeuring her daughters to dance or park hopping at Walt Disney World.

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Chuck Mielke

HS Church History

Graphic Design & Video Editing for YouTube

MS STEM Legos

Elementary STEM Legos

Chuck is a seasoned educator with over a decade of classroom experience with middle school and high school students. He currently serves as the Worship Pastor at Bethel Baptist Church and will be completing his PhD in Historical Theology in December 2027. Chuck has been facilitating Lego stem camps for the past eight years in Christian schools and churches. He is also a devoted husband of 22 years and father to 3 wonderful kids.

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Ella Pena

Comics and Illustration

HS Art

MS Art

Ella Pena is a live illustrator, exhibiting painter, and educator born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She came to Sarasota to study at Ringling College of Art and Design where she majored in Illustration with dual minors in Graphic Design and Creative Writing. Ella’s artistic practice encompasses a diverse range of styles from monochromatic paintings to whimsical pen and ink drawings inspired by early 20th-century children’s book illustration.

Since 2013, Ella has been dedicated to teaching art to students of all ages, both in the classroom and through on-demand video instruction. She specializes in comic arts education, guiding students to develop their own creative voice through character design, sequential storytelling, and illustration. She is also the creator of Earl’s Art House, an independent comic arts curriculum delivered through video lessons, designed for homeschool families.

You can explore more of her work at www.ellapena.com

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Ann Prochnow

HS Psychology

Ann Prochnow holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida and has a background in case management, supporting individuals and teens through mental health, homelessness, and substance abuse challenges. Ann also has a passion for music, with over 20 years of experience teaching private piano lessons. As a homeschooling mother of six ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old, Ann has spent nearly a decade as a dedicated community leader, organizing numerous homeschool educational and athletic events. Ann brings a unique blend of professional expertise and creativity to her classes, fueled by a genuine desire to foster a love for learning in students of all ages.

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Amilee Sanders

Girls Bible Study

Literature

Amilee Sanders (pronounced Amy+Lee) is a wife and mother to four kids ranging in age from 17 to 5. She and her husband, Scott, have been homeschooling their kids for over ten years now. They moved to Sarasota at the end of 2019 for her husband to become the youth pastor at South Shore Community Church. Both she and her husband love working with students and teaching them more about Jesus. Amilee is passionate about helping youth girls learn to study the Bible for themselves and find their identity in Christ.

One of Amilee’s favorite things about homeschooling has been reading great books with her kids! Growing up, her favorite subject in school was English because she believes we can all glean many things from great books. Through reading and writing, we can learn to express ourselves and enrich our lives as we read about different ideas and perspectives. She has a degree in English with a minor in Rhetoric. She is excited to introduce her LAF classes to some new books and hear what others are learning in the class.

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Samantha Sherfy

HS Biblical Worldview

Civics (Good and Beautiful)

Story of the World (Modern Times)

MS Science (Science in the Beginning)

MS Science Chem/Phys

Samantha is a dedicated wife and mother to one child, with another on the way. A proud graduate of LAF, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from the University of South Florida.

With years of experience teaching violin and music education to children of all ages across Florida, Samantha brings both skill and passion to the classroom.

She is deeply committed to creating a safe, supportive learning environment where every child feels valued and inspired to grow. Teaching isn’t just a job for Samantha—it’s a calling, and she’s excited to continue sharing that love for learning with her students.

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Sophia Smith

Nursery

Bio Coming Soon

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Jenni Stahlmann

Lessons from Proverbs (SPRING)

Write a Play (FALL)

HS World History (Medieval & Renaissance)

Bible Overview (SPRING)

DAR Essay Contest (FALL)

Jenni Stahlmann is the mom of seven children, ages 8 to 27, including one child on the autism spectrum, and one grandchild. The Stahlmann family has homeschooled since 2004 and has belonged to LAF since 2008. Their oldest five are LAF grads. One of her kiddos graduated Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music, and another two earned the prestigious Eagle Scout rank. Jenni’s fourth child Sam is the founder of the LAF Theatre Troupe. Jenni hosted a nationally syndicated parenting radio show and column. She currently writes curriculum and speaks at homeschool conventions.

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Tetyana (Tanya) Taylor

Speech

HS Writing

Lost Tools of Writing

IEW

Tanya Taylor is a Christian first, and also a wife, mother, and educator who God has called to homeschool her four children.

Mrs. Taylor’s teaching experience spans two countries and 20+ years. Trained as an English teacher initially, she has branched out and fell in love with learning in general.

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Kim Thomson

HS American History

British Literature

American Literature

Kim Thomson has been married for 45 years. She homeschooled their eight children through 12th grade — for about 30 years total.

In college, Kim majored in New Testament with an English minor. She has always enjoyed reading and the study of literature. The study of history has been a rich addition.

This is her seventh year teaching literature, and her third teaching history at Learning and Families and she is thankful for the opportunity to stay involved with the homeschooling community and to continue to share her love of learning with students.

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Melanie Welch

Art K-3

Creative Writing

Melanie, a mother of four boys, has homeschooled for 12 years. She attended SCF. She has always enjoyed working with children, and owned/ operated a licensed childcare in the state of Michigan (Pre-K-5). She previously taught at an accredited private school, working with 4th-8th grade students. Melanie brings a creative and imaginative outlook to the classroom. Her hobbies include writing, painting, music, interior design, gardening and spending time with her family.

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Sarah Wyatt

Mommy & Me Music

MS General Science

MS American History

Sarah Wyatt graduated from Liberty University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Music Performance. She is stepping away from over a decade in the public school world to bring Science, Social Studies, and Music to life at LAF! Sarah is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences through hands-on discovery, creativity, and FUN while keeping a biblical worldview at the center. When Sarah is not teaching, she is serving alongside her husband at Faith Bible Church and going on lots of adventures with their three little ones.

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Email:	learningandfamiliesinfo@gmail.com
Phone:	941-961-4114
Mailing:	Bethel Church ATTN: Learning and Families 1805 30th Ave W. Bradenton, FL 34205