Teachers
Shawna Barr, Director & Latin Teacher Although Shawna holds a California teaching credential, it has been her experience homeschooling her own 5 children, as well as many others, that has fueled her passion for classical education. It is her hope that Mountain Scholars will provide families with the education option that she wished she’d had when her children were younger. She is finding that her degree in Spanish is finally proving useful as she is studying Latin in preparation to teach it in the upcoming years. Shawna particularly loves teaching young students to read and never stops being amazed at the way God has created the human mind with the capacity to learn.
Chelcie Hayes, Grammar Level A Teacher. Chelcie and her husband Andrew have been married for almost 20 years and have four children. Her two youngest children will be joining the Mountain Scholars community this fall. Chelcie’s experience in teaching has come from over 11 years of homeschooling her children and the joys and sacrifices that entailed. She loves seeing the light of wonder and learning in children’s eyes when they learn new concepts and discover the amazing creation around them. Chelcie will be teaching level A and is excited to see what the Lord has for her in this new chapter of life.
Veronica McKinnon, Grammar Level B Teacher. Veronica’s greatest loves in this life are Jesus, her family, and teaching. She is overjoyed that all three are a part of what she gets to do at Mountain Scholars. Veronica holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and has been fostering learning and growth in young children for over 14 years, first in an Early Head Start classroom, and for the last decade as the director at the First Baptist Preschool of Mount Shasta. Last year, she began homeschooling sixth grade daughter using a beautiful, Christ-centered curriculum. The experience helped her realize what was missing in her daughter’s education, and in the education system in general. She is humbled at the fact that her daughter, and all families who attend Mountain Scholars can be blessed to learn in this way, and for the role she is able to play in that.
Amy Redelsperger, Grammar Level D Teacher. Amy has been married to the love of her life,for 18 years, and together they have served in ministry all that time. She once thought she wanted to be a missionary in Africa but God called instead called her to minister to the youth in Sacramento by Aaron’s side. Amy holds a liberal arts degree in Bible, Communications and Sociology. She decided to home school when her oldest daughter, Grace, now a high school junior, was in first grade, and has been teaching her own children and children of other families for ten year. Amy was also a homeschool graduate herself. She is passionate about teaching and modeling the love of Jesus through all subjects.
Tracy Hilsenberg, Grammar Level E Teacher. The three things most important to Tracy are the Lord, her husband, and her
four children. Tracy has homeschooled all of her children, and in 2018, joined the Mt. Scholars teaching team. For her, Mountain Scholars has provided the safe, secure, and sanctified place that her youngest daughter Heidi has needed to learn and grow. Her greatest hope for her students is that the Lord would use her in each of their lives to help them learn math well, to laugh along the way, and to reflect His gospel each time she is with them
Louise Pieper, Logic-Level Language Arts Teacher. It wasn’t until Louise was a young adult that she realized how very fortunate she’d been to have received a classical education as a child. Louise holds two undergraduate degrees in business administration and sociology, and her professional background is as a marketing executive. For the past 14 years she has been deeply and joyfully involved in homeschooling her two children, along with others, with a specific focus on quality literature and time-tested classical curriculum. Her commitment to teaching language arts to Mountain Scholars older grammar students for the last two year has been to help each child grow in their knowledge of reading, writing, grammar, and now Latin within the classical program. She deeply values children as unique individuals, cherishes each child’s eagerness to share meaningful literature study insights, to read aloud an essay they’ve just completed, or to stand and recite a grammar rule.
Jacob Bass, Logic Level Math and Bible Teacher. Jacob graduated from Northern Michigan University with a degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on science. He first made the journey to the west coast to work at Kidder Creek Camps. After 5 summers of camp ministry he found that he could take his love for Jesus, education, and youth and make it his career. He serves as the director of youth ministry and outreach at The Crossing, and is excited to join the Mountain Scholars team in 2020 as our Bible and Outdoor Education instructor.
Advisory Team
Jenny Fisher Jenny is an RN and mom of three wonderful kids, all who are Mountain Scholars students. It was her desire for her children to have a really strong moral and academic foundation and to thrive in their education and in life that first brought her to Mt. Scholars. Today, she values the sense of belonging and community that her children have found, and the pride they take in their academics. Her kids love learning and have become confident individuals. Jenny’s hope for Mountain Scholars is that is be a place where student will thrive both academically and spiritually. It is her heart’s desire to see families enriched by belonging to this community of intention, and that many would be inspired and transformed through the job of our Mountain Scholars youth.
Dr. Tully Lale, PhD Tully is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 28 years in practice. He holds a Bachelors’ degree in Biology, a Masters in Counseling and Guidance, and a Doctorate of Psychology. Prior to earning his Phd, Tully was a Naval flight officer and taught graduate school. While holding a high regard for academics, Tully believes that in this day and age it is even more important that young people not only excel academically but develop a Christian influenced “Moral Compass” to navigate through a world of ever-changing and ambiguous standards and values. His life verse is verse Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, acknowledge Him in all that you do, and He will make your paths straight.”
Randy Baker. One of Randy’s favorite verses, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28, says it all to him and has throughout his career. If we love Him and serve others, we are meeting His purpose, and this is what it’s all about. As a retired school administrator with over 28 years in education he has learned that there is always hope in every situation. Randy sees a need for a greater educational program not bound to a system of bureaucratic mandates but one that brings hope of a future built on a solid academic and moral foundation. The Mountain Scholars program meets that need through dedicated Christian staff and classical educational processes. It is Randy’s hope that every family who seeks a unique, Christian based educational program will have this opportunity.