AAO Faculty
Debra Bell
Debra Bell is the founder and executive director of Aim Academy Online. A former high school and college English teacher, Debra and her husband Kermit home educated their four kids K–12, all of whom are college graduates with families of their own. She is a best-selling author and internationally-recognized expert on home education and online learning. Debra holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Temple University. She is vice-chair of the Global Home Education Exchange (ghex.world). She lives down wind from the Hershey chocolate factory in the heart of PA Dutch Country with her husband and last cat, Elle. She is Situ to thirteen grandchildren. She loves traveling, podcasts, Nittany Lions, Steelers, and getting together with friends and family. Contact: dbell[at]aimacademy.online
Kristen Steen
Kristen Steen is a passionate educator with 27 years of experience, specializing in various levels of high school English, including AP Language and AP Research. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles, including Gifted Coordinator, AP Coordinator, and NMSI Coordinator, where she worked to inspire and support students in their academic growth. She also continues to advise some student clubs. Kristen continues to serve as an exam reader and scorer for the College Board, gaining valuable insights into assessment practices that she shares with her students and colleagues. Outside of her professional life, she is a proud mother of five children and two dogs, and is happily married. Kristen is actively involved in her church, working with the youth and serving on the worship team. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and “glamping,” combining her love of adventure with her desire to connect with family and friends. Kristen’s commitment to education and her community shines through in everything she does, always striving to foster a love of learning and a growth mindset in her students.
Contact: ksteen[at]aimacademy.online
Sean Veights
Vicki Dincher
Vicki is the Director of Student Services for Aim Academy Online and a member of the leadership team. Vicki holds a masters of science in biology. She is a former high school and college science teacher. Together with her husband, Jerry, they home educated their four, now adult, children. During their homeschooling years, Vicki taught science courses—including life science, physical science, biology, AP biology, chemistry, physics, AP physics, and anatomy and physiology—to home educated students in co-ops and online. Contact: registrar[at]aimacademy.online
Janette Kotan
Janette is joining Aim Academy Online for the 25–26 school year as the Assistant Director of Student Engagement. Currently, she is an AAO student, member of the Distinguished Scholars program, and our first student intern. Janette founded the Aim High! newsletter and the AAO Student Center. She looks forward to creating more avenues for student involvement and fostering a sense of culture at AAO. Janette will major in Industrial Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and hopes to attend law school in the future. In her free time, Janette enjoys reading, listening to music, researching and discussing current events, traveling with her family, and playing with her beloved dogs, Honey and Beau! Contact: jkotan[at]aimacademy.online
Melissa Amos
Melissa has an MFA in Film from Loyola Marymount University and is an award-winning copywriter for film and television, She has worked on marketing campaigns for productions such as What We Do in the Shadows, Alice in Wonderland, Watchmen, and Zootopia. Prior to that she was a reader/story analyst for various production companies as well as the Sundance Institute’s Director Labs. As a teacher and theatre director, Melissa fostered outreach programs to bring the arts into local schools. One of her favorite things is to see students connect with stories — whether it’s Shakespeare or Star Wars.
Melissa is also a homeschool mom who loves learning alongside her two sons in sunny California where they can usually be found exploring museums, farmers’ markets, hiking trails, visiting bookstores, and teaching new tricks to the family corgi. Contact: mamos[at]aimacademy.online
Sally Barstow
Charles Baughman
Charles Baughman knew since childhood he was an artist. His family always supported his endeavors and in 2004 he and his wife, Kate Pepper, made dreams come true when they opened their own studio, the Monart School of Art and The Art Park Enrichment Campus. Charles is a contemporary, abstract expressionist painter, whose work is shown in several galleries internationally. He received his bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts and Art History from Kearney State College in Kearney, Nebraska and his Master of Fine Arts in Painting/Sculpture from Wichita State University. Contact: theartparkwichita[at]aimacademy.online (more…)
Penelope Buchter
Penelope Buchter graduated from American University in 2016 with a BA in international studies, and having spent her study abroad learning Chinese immersion at Peking University, promptly headed back to China with the intention to stay a year or two, but stayed almost 8 years! She has an MEd in Educational Technology, and enjoys creating opportunities for students to engage with material in meaningful ways.
Penelope is herself a homeschool graduate who understands the challenges and benefits of being a homeschool student. She has also reaped the benefits of distance learning since high school when she took her first Chinese class online. She is passionate about language, speaking both Chinese and Spanish, and is currently working on an MA in English Literature from the University of Nottingham (distance learning at work again!). If you attempt to engage her in a conversation about languages or literature, settle in for a long conversation, and perhaps cancel your next appointment! Contact: pbuchter[at]aimacademy.online
Natania Cook
Prior to becoming a homeschool mother of four, Natania’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge led her to earn a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas Woman’s University and a BS degree in Education with a specialization in English from Baylor University. She is certified to teach English and English as a Second Language in grades 1-12 and Reading for grades 6-12. With over twenty years of teaching experience, Natania has served in both public and private school settings as well as in various homeschool forums where she has taught multiple grade levels and ages. Contact: ncook[at]aimacademy.online
Melissa de Pineda
Melissa de Pineda is a passionate and dedicated Spanish teacher with a strong background in both traditional and homeschool education. With almost 18 years of experience in language instruction, Melissa is committed to fostering a love for the Spanish language and culture through engaging, student-centered teaching practices.
Melissa de Pineda holds a Master’s degree in Education and currently holds a teaching license for the state of Pennsylvania. She has taught classes in all age and ability levels. Her commitment to inclusive education ensures that every student, regardless of ability, is empowered to succeed and develop a lifelong appreciation for the Spanish language and culture.
Melissa has taught for public schools, private schools, and homeschool co-ops. Besides teaching Spanish, Melissa has also taught English to Spanish-speakers in community based organizations and online to kids in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes comprehensible input (CI), interactive activities, and real-world applications to help students develop confidence in their communication skills and reinforce their language proficiency. She also integrates technology, music, and literature to make lessons both meaningful and engaging. Contact: mdepineda[at]aimacademy.online
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Michele Diggins
My Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Liberty University shows that I know a little about mathematics. And my Masters of Education degree from American College of Education shows that I have learned something of education theory. However, my passion for learning and for helping others learn is what really drives my desire to teach mathematics. Contact: mdiggins[at]aimacademy.online
Lisa Duckworth
Hi! I am Lisa Duckworth, and I am super excited to teach science with Aim Academy! I have been an educator for 30 years. I have a Bachelor of Science in Science Education from North Carolina State University (Go Wolfpack!) and have taught science to all ages of students. I started teaching public high school science in NC – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and AP Biology and then took time off to be a homeschooling mom to 4 fabulous kids. Over the last 20 years, I have been teaching in our homeschool coop, and my teaching repertoire has expanded to math, history, English, art, and science classes for all ages, you name a topic, and I have probably taught a course in it over the years. For the last seven years, I have been teaching science summer camp classes to kids ages 7-16 and teaching science classes at our local community college and I am an AP Reader for Environmental Science in June each year. But, as you can probably tell, I love science! Contact: lduckworth[at]aimacademy.online
Brett Eades
Brett Eades has over two decades of experience making learning engaging, relational, applicable, and always fun! A homeschool dad of two, seasoned youth pastor, and self-professed “tech geek,” he brings a wealth of professional experience to the classroom from the field of visual communication and graphic design, including his work as Director of Communications for a local non-profit in Denver, Colorado. With a diverse background in leadership, communications, organizational development, and a gift for working with middle school and high school students, he enjoys sharing his extensive professional experience to inspire students, integrating practical industry insights with foundational technical creative design principles. He is dedicated to preparing students for future success and explorations in graphic design by emphasizing the importance of both technical skills and clear communication, all in a highly relational and dynamic class experience. Contact: beades[at]aimacademy.online
Heather Eades
For as long as Heather Eades can remember, she has lived by the motto “Create GOOD things. Live a GREAT story.” And as both a maker and creator, her passion is equipping young creatives to do the same. Earning her B.A. in Visual Arts from Otterbein College in Westerville, OH and studies at the Columbus College of Art and Design helped launch her professional career in publishing where she helped create SRA/McGraw-Hill’s elementary art program, Art Connections. Contact: heades[at]aimacademy.online
Nate Gilbert
Nate Gilbert graduated from Cedarville University in 2002 with a B.A. degree in secondary social studies education. Since then he has taught and tutored many students, primarily in the subjects of history, government, and economics. Nate has worked in a variety of settings, such as teaching in Beijing, China, and at some local schools. He now focuses on utilizing his passion for social studies to teach online classes that stimulate his students’ critical thinking skills and understanding of society. Contact: ngilbert[at]aimacademy.online
Kathryn (Bell) Gomes
I was homeschooled K-12 and I loved it, but math was not the strongest part of my home education. I’ll never forget my first day in a calculus class at the University of Pittsburgh. I was so unprepared! I survived and was able to graduate with a degree in mathematics, but not without noting quite a few things I wish I had done differently in high school. Now that I am homeschooling my own kids, I’m committed to helping other homeschooled students enter college prepared and confident in their math skills. Contact: kgomes[at]aimacademy.online
I taught mathematics in the public schools of Philadelphia for seven years, hold a Masters in Math Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and authored Apologia’s elementary math program. Find out more about my curriculum here.
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Bonnie Gonzalez
The field of psychology is not only my career; it is also my passion. You might even call me a “psychology nerd.” Much of my free time is spent reading about new and interesting developments in the field. I have taught Introductory Psychology classes to homeschool students and college students and have taught AP Psychology for the past 13 years. My degrees include an M.ED. in Counseling Psychology and a B.A in Psychology, both received from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Contact: bgonzalez[at]aimacademy.online
Bev Graybill
Bev has known since she was in elementary school she’d become a teacher, having taught her one-year-younger brother everything she knew! After attending Millersville University and earning a B.S. in Special Education, a M.S. in Elementary Education, and a Reading Certificate, she taught for several years in both public and private schools and then left the world of teaching to start her own family. From there, she discovered the amazing world of home schooling, teaching all of her four children for at least some of their years of school and teaching for more than 20 years at several different co-ops. Contact: bgraybill[at]aimacademy.online
Susan Habacivch
Susan Habacivch is the academic advisor for Aim Academy Online, a member of the leadership team, and a STEM teacher. Susan Habacivch earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Washington University and a BA in French from Regis College. After working for several years in the fibers industry, she began homeschooling her four children in 2003. She has been tutoring and teaching science and mathematics in local coops since 2003 and has been teaching online since 2010. Contact: shabacivch[at]aimacademy.online
Helen Harrold
Helen Harrold is from the UK and completed her economics degree at Lancaster University and then did a post graduate qualification in economics and math. She currently tutors online and in-person economics, math and business studies. She is a UK consultant for an American high school program. Whilst living in the UK, she has homeschooled her own 7 children using the American curriculum, with several going to US universities. Contact: hharrold[at]aimacademy.online
