Instructors
Jackie Allen
Jackie Allen began homeschooling her two kiddos nine years ago just following a move from her home state of Texas. While all history is engaging to this book worm, Texas History is her favorite. Educated at a small, liberal-arts school in Ft. Worth, she began her studies as a music ed. major specializing in piano, singing with her college choir, and minoring in history. Following her first year in school, she switched to history and minored in music instead. During her first teaching gig out of college as a middle-school choral director, Jackie started working toward a M.A.Th. at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Unsure if she was to be a foreign missionary, a church worship leader, a Biblical archaeologist, a Christian counselor, or all four, she threw up her hands and got married instead. ?? After a decade teaching choral music and history in public schools, both in Texas and Virginia (and teaching piano lessons here and there), she and her husband, Jason, are endeavoring to use their former classroom-teaching experience to enhance their children's home educations. Jackie enjoys making music (piano, guitar, and vocals), gardening, reading, writing, hiking, camping, and caring for a very friendly cat, a friendly kitten that loves water (???), and a silly little brood of quail. Jackie taught elementary science at Home-School-Hub in Leesburg for four years and taught co-op science and music appreciation/humanities at SAIL in Winchester last year. She is thrilled to teach her two favorite subjects this year at Plumbline!
Tiffany Ater
My name is Tiffany Ater and I am so beyond excited for this school year together! God is SO good and I can't wait to be on this journey with your child as we learn, explore, and do life together. I have been a teacher with Loudoun County Public Schools for the last 10 years, and this June I felt called to close that door for now and trust God to open a new one. That closed door led me HERE to you, Plumbline was the open door and your children are part of it.
Jennifer Chandler
Jennifer Chandler RN, BSN
Jennifer was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her BS in Nursing and worked as an oncology certified nurse at the UCLA Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, among others. A mother of five, this will be her 14th year homeschooling. She also works outside of the home as a substitute nurse and a substitute math and science teacher at a local Christian high school. She is excited to be Plumbline’s geometry teacher this school year!
Kim Crowder
Kim Crowder, RN, BSN
Kim has been homeschooling her own 5 children for 15 years both in Virginia and the United Kingdom where she and her family served as church planters for 7 years. Kim earned her bachelors degree in nursing and then returned to school to be certified as a special education teacher with a focus on learning and emotional disabilities and science. She loves to learn about and share her love of God’s creation.
Heather Dixon
Heather Dixon, MA
My name is Heather Dixon and I am blessed and thrilled to be involved for the Plumbline 24-25 school year! Since a very young age my heart has always gravitated towards art and the beauty of Gods creation. I currently reside in Berryville with my husband, my son Liam and two daughters Claire and Ava. I have a Bachelors of Fine Arts (with a concentration in Illustration and Graphic Design) from Shepherd University and a Masters of the Arts in Teaching Art k-12 from Mount St. Mary’s University. Previous to teaching I was employed as a graphic illustrator for a design company. I also enjoyed working as a production silversmith for a local artisan jeweler and did various freelance work. I then decided I wanted to teach art and became a teacher for FCPS in Md. I have experience teaching middle school art and high school ceramics. I then taught Middle school Life Skills (continuing my love of art through sewing and culinary arts) until I had my second baby and decided I wanted to be a stay at home Mom. Since then I have been homeschooling my three kiddos for the past 5 years. For me art is fused into everything and can be utilized in so many different forms but it is important to have a strong foundation and understanding of art principles and techniques. It is my joy to have an opportunity to equip others with the knowledge and skills to create and appreciate Art.
Dr. Doug Favelo
Patrick Henry College Chairman of the Department of Classical Liberal Arts; Professor of History
Email: [email protected]
Educational Background:
Ph.D. in History, University of California Los Angeles
M.A. in Classics, University of California Los Angeles
M.A. in History, University of California Los Angeles
M.A. in History, California State University Fresno
B.A. in History, California State University Fresno
Dr. Favelo teaches courses in the history of western civilization, Roman history, Greek history, Greek, Latin, and historical research methods at Patrick Henry College. Prior to coming to Patrick Henry College, he served for ten years as a lecturer at California State University Fresno, teaching history, literature, and Latin.
Dr. Favelo is heavily involved in the classical education and homeschool communities. He has taught hundreds of students Latin, Greek, history, and literature, and has spoken at homeschooling conferences on the topic of classical Christian education.
Dr. Favelo's passion is to facilitate students in their intellectual and spiritual development, primarily through the medium of a rigorous, Biblically-centered classical education, to the greater glory of God. He, his wife, and his six children live on a mountain farm in Loudoun County, VA, where they raise pigs, cows, and chickens.
Emily Fowler
Hello! My name is Emily Fowler, I was born and raised in California, and Jesus saved me when I was in middle school at a summer camp. In high school I failed Spanish and completely fell in love with ASL, I then learned that I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. I went to Cal State University of Northridge and majored in Deaf Studies to become an interpreter. However God opened a door to move to Virginia, where I met my husband and have now been building my life in Berryville Virginia. I have been teaching ASL for 2 years, starting with to special needs children and then at another Co-op. The beauty of expression in American Sign Language has made a passionate impression on my heart. I absolutely love teaching this language and it’s history!
Bijan Gilanshah
I've been married for 25 years now to my amazing wife (her bio says I'm the amazing one--not true) and four awesome kids, two girls and two boys, ranging in age from 22 to 15. I've been an attorney for the U.S. government for over 25 years (which still shocks me!). Most of my time has been spent doing international law work at the National Science Foundation. I've been blessed to have been able to help build major telescopes, work on research ships and even hurricane hunting aircraft projects. As the senior attorney to the United States Antarctic Program, I've been to Antarctica three times, including the South Pole. Brrrrrrrrr, but penguins are super cool. :) It's been a great privilege to push U.S. interests in the international arena for these many years. I love to run and try to stay in shape, primarily because I also like to eat. I help coach Varsity Boys Basketball with the Loudoun County Patriots. I also like cars. If you take my class, maybe you get a ride in a '69 convertible Camaro. . .
Dr. Catherine Gilanshah
Catherine Gilanshah, PhD
I am first a follower of Jesus Christ! Second, I’ve been married to my amazing husband, Bijan, for 25 years. I am honored to be the mom of four wonderful “children”, ranging from 23 to 16. I am passionate about homeschooling and believe that this is God’s provision, allowing us to fulfill Scriptural mandates such as Deuteronomy 11:19 and and Psalm 1:1-3. In addition to homeschooling our four kids for nineteen years, I’ve enjoyed serving in various roles supporting homeschool enrichment activities like Loudoun Homeschool Soccer, American Heritage Girls and Loudoun County Patriots Basketball. In my spare time, I absolutely love to garden—flowers and veggies, especially spicy peppers for my husband who eats nothing without jalapeños! I love spending time with family, watching basketball and doing pretty much anything outside.
In my former life, a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…I was an economist! I majored in Economics at Hillsdale College, where I earned my B.A., studied abroad for a year, and then, by God’s grace and with lots of his help, completed my Masters and PhD in Economics from George Mason University. Along the way, I taught for a semester at Hillsdale College and at George Mason University. I am appalled that anyone could think economics is boring and make it my goal to fix that misconception whenever I encounter it!
Daniel Gilmore
Daniel Gilmore was born and raised in Loudoun County and loves the community, the people, and the beauty it has. He is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Daniel owns Lion's Den Fitness, LLC and has been running PE classes for kids in the local area and doing private training groups around Loudoun and Frederick as well. He has also volunteered as a coach for a Christian youth basketball organization called Upwards Sports for two years. He was homeschooled for several years and his little brother is homeschooled now, so he has a knowledge of, and a great appreciation for, the benefits of homeschooling. In high school Daniel realized his love and inclination for exercise and has decided to pursue it as a lifestyle and career, excitedly aware that it can also be used to reach other people in a positive way. Daniel is looking forward to sharing his knowledge of the benefits and blessings that God gives us through exercise with the great kids at Plumbline Schoolhouse!
Jeanne Gilmore
Teacher Bio: Jeanne has worked with children in many settings. First as a mother herself, then as a nanny, a school bus driver, a substitute teacher, a church childcare volunteer, and more. Recently, she has become very involved in the homeschool community including being a Homeschool P.E. class assistant at another large Homeschool group. Her desire is to see happy healthy children educated in a way that is consistent with their family's beliefs. It has become her goal to provide a setting where they can meet some social needs we all have...to have friends and fellowship!
Tonianne Hall
Tonianne Hall is an early childhood educator and homeschooling mom who loves teaching
through meaningful learning experiences. She received her Bachelors degree in early
childhood education with a minor in history from Stonehill College. Tonianne taught
kindergarten in Fairfax County for six years prior to staying home to raise her two children. She
has a passion for history, traveling, and spending time with her family.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
- Benjamin Franklin
Vanessa Hart
Vanessa Hart, MS, RD
Vanessa has been a homeschooling mom for 11 years. She started homeschooling her 3 girls when her oldest was in 2nd grade and her twins in Kindergarten. The twins are now going into 12th grade and taking classes at NVCC and her oldest just completed her A.S. in Science & Biology and is venturing off to Bridgewater College in the fall to pursue Environmental Science. Vanessa has a B.S. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Virginia, a M.S. degree in Nutrition from Virginia Tech and is a Registered Dietitian. While never setting out to homeschool, she and her family found that it was one of the greatest blessings and adventures graced to them. She will forever treasure the time spent and sweet memories made that were specifically made possible because of homeschooling.
Daniel Heffington
Teacher Bio: Daniel Heffington is a guitarist, songwriter, and recording artist. He grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he was homeschooled by parents who were professional music educators. Daniel has played guitar since his grandfather gave him one at age 15. (He had previously sworn that he would never play guitar because he felt like it was a cliche amongst his teenage friends. He changed his mind and hasn't looked back.)
Daniel lives in Berryville, Virginia with his wife, Abigail, their two daughters, Ellie and Piper, and their son, Tuck. He is one of the worship leaders at his church (Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia) and regularly serves as a guest worship leader at conferences, summer camps, and churches around Virginia and the US. Daniel has released a growing catalog of original music on all major music platforms and streaming services and he regularly plays shows throughout Virginia and D.C.
In addition to music, Daniel has a heart for justice, advocacy, and empowering future leaders. He pursues these goals by serving as part of the core teaching staff at HSLDA's Generation Joshua.
Hannah Heitz
I am extremely excited to be teaching this year at Plumbline Schoolhouse. I grew up in England and graduated with a bachelor of medicine and surgery. I have years of experience teaching a wide range of science classes at the high school level. I love being able to apply my clinical experience and bring real-life application to the topic of study. Studying science and the intricacies of life display our Creator’s truly perfect and matchless majesty.
My husband and I moved to Virginia in 2017 and we have three precious girls. I homeschooled my children for a few years which was such a blessing for our family. My two oldest are now attending Cornerstone Christian Academy and we are regular attendees of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg. I am excited to get to know the families at Plumbline and bring the sciences to life as we study the human body!
Jaclyn Jenkins
Jaclyn Jenkins is a native to Western Loudoun, married her high school sweetheart from Loudoun Valley, and now raises her 4 children on One Day Farm in Hamilton. She earned two bachelor degrees from College of Charleston, SC, Business Management & Hospitality Management. After working for Great Country Farms for a few years, she developed a passion for farming and opened a nature preschool program at her home called Farm School. After 5 years of teaching preschoolers about farm animals, growing fruits and vegetables, and getting them ready for kindergarten, she has expanded that program to amazing homesteading classes for her older children. She wanted them to know where their food comes from and now grinds her own flour to make breads and pastas, uses raw milk to make yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, and even teaches them how to process meat. She is excited to share her knowledge with others so that they can learn to respect and eat healthy foods and hopes they will One Day have their own farm.
Kimberly Millhouse
Homeschooling my children continues to be the best part of my life! My story is one that proves God can empower us to do what He calls us to do if we just trust Him. I started homeschooling reluctantly in 1999, and back then people would ask, "Can you really do that??" I look back now and can't belive it has been 25 years. I'm so thankful that my husband was obedient to the Lord when no one else around us even knew what homeschooling was.
After graduating from Auburn University with a BA in Public Relations/Journalism/Marketing, I married my college sweetheart, Paul. We have been married for 32 years, we have 5 children which we all homeschooled from the beginning, ranging in ages from 29 to 12, and I now have the amazing joy of being "Gigi" to 4 grandbabies (plus 1 more on the way this summer). Besides homeschooling and managing my home, I love to knit, sew, paint (although I don't consider myself very creative!), snow ski, hike/backpack/camp, and travel the world to wonderful places to see where history actually happened.
I have been active in the Loudoun County homeschooling community since 1999, so I feel really old! In additon to teaching high school writing classes, I directed the Vector Speech & Debate club for 10 years, coaching students in public speaking to win national top awards. I'm currently working on certification for dyslexia training, as we have worked with our own children through the challenges of dyslexia. It's my heart to support homeschool families by sharing my experience and connecting them to homeschool resources of all kinds.
In my homeschool I have taught all my children to write using a time-tested classical method called the Progymnasmata. I use the same techniques for my high school writing classes and have enjoyed watching so many of my students learn to actually enjoy the writing process. It's my goal to help my students learn that writing isn't the daunting process they may think it is!
Grace Moore
Grace Moore, CFP®, CKA®
Grace is a financial planner who advises individuals and families concerning their finances and stewardship of the resources entrusted to them, including
investment, financial management and retirement planning. Grace is a graduate of Liberty University, from which she received her Business Degree,
with an emphasis in Financial Planning. She has earned both the Certified Financial Planner® and Certified Kingdom Advisor® designations and works
as a private wealth advisor with Blue Trust (formerly the Ronald Blue Company), one of the largest Christian financial advisory firms in the world,
with assets under management of over $15B. Grace not only provides technical financial management and investment expertise, but she assists
clients in applying Biblical principals and wisdom in the area of finances. Grace grew up in the Loudoun County, where she and her four siblings were
homeschooled by her parents ( … mostly her mom). Grace and her husband, Parker, reside in Burke, Virginia, but can’t wait to get back to Loudoun County
as soon as the real estate market cools down.
Mrs. Misa Nickerson
Misa Nickerson is a half-Japanese bilingual English-Japanese speaker. She spent ten years (seven as a child and three as an adult) living and studying in Japan and studied International Business and Japanese at the University of Utah. She is currently homeschooling her two bilingual teen daughters in English and Japanese. She is also actively involved with the Washington Japanese Language School (sponsored by the Japanese Board of Education and associated with the Japanese Embassy in DC), which her daughters have attended for tenyears. She is excited to share her love of Japanese culture and language this school year!
Rebecca Redman
Becky Redman, PharmD
Becky received a B.S. in Political Science from West Virginia University before moving to the Washington, D.C. area and becoming gainfully employed by a well-known political analyst. That first “gig” lasted a few short years before her true love of science won out and she returned to the University of Maryland, obtaining a Doctorate of Pharmacy. She enjoyed a variety of experiences in the field of pharmacy, including teaching at schools of pharmacy and working at the Food and Drug Administration, before her “retirement” in 2010 to homeschool her growing family. She has taught a wide variety of homeschool classes, focusing primarily on science but also on history and geography.
Becky and her husband, Red, are long-time members of Purcellville Baptist Church and active in ministry. Their favorite pastime is time with their four kids as well as with extended family and friends.
Lemar Rivera
Rivera has a B.A. degree in Business Administration. She worked in a Christian non-profit organization for five years. During those years she got married to a pastor and in 2008 they began a school at their church in Puerto Rico, where she worked as a teacher and school director for 10 years. Her family moved to Virginia in June of 2018 because her husband Alexis, who has been a pastor for almost 20 years, was asked to come and serve in a Hispanic church in northern Virginia. Since then, Lemar and her husband began homeschooling their 2 kids; Her oldest daughter Daniela is already in college and her youngest son David is a current high schooler. From 2019 to this day, she has been teaching Spanish in different co-op’s. works with the women’s and worship ministries at her church too. She also runs her own business with Rodan and Fields, a prestige skin-care company, and recently became a Financial Coach as well. Lemar loves cooking, baking, singing and spending time with her family.
Chris Rogan
Christopher Rogan, Esq.
I have been a business attorney for 35 years, representing clients in a wide variety of business transactions and litigation, throughout Virginia, Maryland
and DC. My practice has primarily focused on the representation of individuals and businesses in financial matters including debtor/creditor law,
bankruptcy and financial restructuring and reorganization. Prior to the formation of my law firm, RoganMillerZimmerman, PLLC, I worked in other
firms of various sizes and as in-house general counsel to a Northern Virginia technology company. The best part of my job is solving problems and helping
people navigate some of the most difficult and stressful times of their lives. I received my undergraduate degree from a small Christian college, Barrington
College (now Gordon College), studied Architecture at Maryland University and obtained a Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of
Law, where I met my bride, Melissa. We have 5 children, ages 17 – 31, all of whom we (... mostly she) homeschooled from K-12.
Angela Stock
Angela Stock graduated from Florida International University in Miami, FL with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy. She enjoyed working in Florida and California before graduating to her esteemed role as wife of John Stock, and homeschooling mom to 2 wonderful kids since 2013. She studied multiple years of Spanish in high school and college, but didn't fall in love with the language until she got to use it with the many Spanish-speaking patients and staff and saw how fascinating it was to open doors of communication!
Mrs. Stock and family are long time members of Leesburg Community Church, and are thrilled to be part of God's family with you. She enjoys spending time with family and animals, and this will be her 5th year teaching Middle School Spanish classes.
Sydney Vaughn
Sydney Vaughn is a classically trained Violinist and Fiddler with over ten years of playing and performing experience and three years of teaching experience. She loves to worship The Lord through music and dance and has always had a passion for musical education. Some of her credits include: Suzuki Teacher Certification (Greater Washington Suzuki Institute), Paul Roland String Technique Endorsement (University of Illinois), Director of the Maranatha Children's Music Academy Beginner Strings, Maranatha Youth Music Academy Alumnus (Concertmaster).
Some other things that bring her joy include her family's game nights, dancing (Lindy hop/Swing, Contra, Hebrew/Davidic, etc.), singing with friends, and keeping her only plant alive.
Sarah Wilson
I am a graduate of Liberty University with a BA in History, and I am a homeschool graduate too! I have enjoyed the privilege of being involved with the Loudoun County homeschool community for the past eighteen years, and persisted in my passion for teaching by working as a tutor in both one-on-one and group settings during my time at college. I love both teaching and learning - two things that I have found tend to go hand in hand - and am looking forward to working with the great students at Plumbline Schoolhouse this year!