Lisa Abler
Columbia Campus Operations Manager
Math
Lisa Abler has been a part of the Granite family since 2005 when her oldest daughter came to Granite in 3rd grade. She has been homeschooling her three daughters since 2002 and completed her homeschooling journey in May of 2023 when her youngest graduated from Granite. Besides her role as Operations Manager at Granite she also teaches Saxon 5/4 in the Options program. As a struggling learner in her younger years, Lisa finds great joy in teaching these 3rd and 4th graders math concepts that she herself found difficult. She loves to show them that math can be fun, and it can be an adventure as they solve the “mysteries.” Teaching has been a passion for Lisa ever since she can remember. Since her late teens she has taught all ages of Sunday School and VBS classes, including an adult women’s class. She has directed VBS for her church and been the Women’s Ministry leader. She has four children, Ryan who is married to Stephanie and has two children, Candace (GCT class of 2015) who is married to Michael, Susanna (GCT class of 2017), and Madeline (GCT class of 2023). Lisa enjoys reading, sewing, gardening, taking care of her chickens, and living life with her husband since 1991.
Jenn Armstrong
English and History
Jenn Armstrong has a B.S. in English and an M.A. in Student Affairs Administration from Ball State University in Indiana. She has worked in Higher Education for the past 20+ years and continues as an Academic Advisor at Howard Community College. She has been a Granite parent since 2014 and has been pursuing her own classical education by reading the Great Books and participating in classical education courses through the CiRCE Institute and Classical U. She and her husband Mark have two children, Natalie (GCT Class of 2025) and Hazel.
Susie Bauer
Science and Math
Susie Bauer homeschooled her 3 children at least through elementary school. In the past she has taught high school chemistry as well as biology lab at Granite. She also worked at St. Stephen’s Christian Classical Academy, where she taught middle school sciences as well as Math 6, pre-Algebra and geometry. She has been married to James for 41 years. They have two married sons and a married daughter and two grandchildren. Her hobbies include gardening, crocheting, and mosaic art.
Caleb Bernhardt
Science (Timonium)
My childhood home was a quiet town in NE Wisconsin. My four siblings and I were homeschooled while my father worked as a public school music teacher. I am grateful for their commitment to God’s command to train me up in “the way [I] should go” in order to learn to cherish virtue and to love and obey God. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” Mark 8:36. I graduated from Vanderbilt University and had the privilege to serve in the Army as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. God blessed my wife and I with two daughters, Mara and Talitha. We are excited about this new adventure at Granite Timonium.
Melody Bonilla
Science
Melody Bonilla has been a part of the Granite community since 2017. She holds an AAS in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and enjoyed several years practicing massage in clinical centers to rehabilitate those suffering from chronic pain. After having her first child, Melody transitioned to a full time homemaker. She now finds her own education flourishing in fresh ways as she homeschools her four children classically alongside Granite. She loves to read, (especially classic literature) and write, (poetry, among other things) and most of her free time is spent in one of those pursuits, preferably while being outdoors in nature. She is passionate about the arts and using them to find one’s voice for self-expression. Always a student herself, she finds joy in being a seeker of the good, the true, and the beautiful in everyday life and hopes to pass on that enthusiasm to her children and students. She lives in Catonsville with her husband Phill, and four children, Natalie, Django, Story, and Abel.
Carole Degenford
Science and Math
Carole Degenford has enjoyed being part of Granite Classical Tutorials since 2006. She has a B.S. in Biology along with a teaching certificate for Biology and General Science from Geneva College. She has completed 33 graduate hours in Environmental Science from Hood College. She worked for seven years as a Research Technician at Ft. Detrick in Frederick, MD, before she and her husband welcomed their three children.
Aubry Dyakon
Director of Classical Education
Aubry Dyakon has tutored at Granite since 2012. She holds a B.A. in English from Belhaven University and an M.A. in English from The Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. She has served as a faculty member on the Academic Committee at Faith Theological Seminary, and she has taught courses for Belhaven University. Presently, she teaches dual-enrolled college courses at Granite through Belhaven. She and her husband, Chris, attend Church of the Resurrection in Lutherville, Maryland. Aubry and Chris have two children whom they look forward to homeschooling at Granite when they are school-aged.
Cathryn Eckley
Logic
After attending Bible school with Torchbearers International Cathryn Eckley attended Central Washington University and received B.S. in Nutrition and soon after she earned an RN license. She worked taking care of patients in a hospital for 3 years and then dedicated herself to her growing family. As an Army family, the Eckleys moved every 2-3 years and learned to plug into new church families with each move. She taught Sunday school classes and assisted in children’s ministries in Washington, Arizona, Texas, Virginia, California, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. She started her homeschooling journey eleven years ago when her oldest of four sons was six years old. Through the years she has had the opportunity to tutor various subjects in homeschool communities. This is her first year tutoring at Granite. She wants her students to know that she cares about them and what they are learning, and that all truth is grounded in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). She has been married to her best friend, David for over 20 years. The family enjoys cheering for each other on the soccer field and serving together at church. She enjoys walking when the morning is new and the air feels crisp.
Kim Gotiangco
Director of Admissions, DA Coordinator
Kim Gotiangco has served as the Admissions Administrator since 2013 and has been a Granite mom since 2008. She holds a B.A. in Special Education with an emphasis in Autism from the University of Maryland. She enjoys running, reading, and serving her church and Granite family communities. Both Kim and her husband, Gil, have served on the GCT board since 2013. They have two children: Gabriel (GCT Class of 2017) and Isabella (GCT Class of 2022).
Gloria Hague
Kindergarten, 2nd Grade Music/Art/Drama, 1st-3rdGrade Choir, 4th-6th Grade Choir (Timonium)
Gloria Hague has a B.M. in Church Music and piano from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ and an M.A. in Old Testament from Biblical Theological Seminary, Hatfield, PA. She currently conducts an Upper School choir at St. Stephen’s Classical Christian Academy in Eldersburg and a church choir in Jarrettsville. Her college teaching experience includes teaching at a university in China, Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, Pinebrook Junior College in Coopersburg, PA, Faith Theological Seminary in Catonsville, MD and conducting at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA. She has taught in Oxford at the Dragon School and Lynams Prep, the American Boychoir School in Princeton, NJ, Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA and St. James Academy, Monkton, MD. She homeschooled two sons through high school and one son through the seventh grade. Pursuing and delighting in discovery and wonder of God’s creation sums up her educational philosophy which includes helping students develop a hunger for truth, beauty and artistic expression. She enjoys visiting art museums, attending lectures and concerts and studying history.
Kim Hess
3rd Grade (Timomium)
Kim Hess earned her B.S. from Virginia Tech, where her son currently attends and her daughter will attend next year. Ms. Hess rocked being a homeschool mom of two, but freely admits to learning more from her children and students over the past ten years in classical Christian co-ops. Granite has provided her the opportunity to teach third grade language arts, Latin, public speaking, and math. Ms. Hess firmly believes that God blessed parents with the responsibility of teaching their children, and she enthusiastically supports them. In addition to teaching, she has raced enduro karts, done flying trapeze, and passed the motorcycle license class, but prefers to take adrenaline-free walks with her husband. Recently, Ms. Hess started a publishing company, Blessings Press LLC, and has self-published a healing journal. Her favorite pastime is being a prayer minister who relentlessly asks, “Do you want prayer?”
Carolyn Jenkins
Omnibus
Carolyn Jenkins is a licensed architect and holds a Masters of Architecture from MIT and a Bachelors of Architecture and Architecture History from the University of Virginia. She briefly practiced architecture in Boston, MA, focusing on higher education campuses and libraries. God called her growing family to Baltimore via D.C. and London. In 2020 they began homeschooling and regularly attending Church of the Resurrection in Timonium. Her zeal for history began while learning alongside her kids. She enjoys running, reading, reel mowers, and spending as much time outside as possible.
Briget Koch
Omnibus (Timonium)
Briget Koch has a BA in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and an MA in Leadership in Teaching from the University of Notre Dame of Maryland. She has taught various grades in the Baltimore County Public School system for the past 27 years, most recently 6th, 7th and 8th grade “Effective Learning Habits for College and Career Readiness” at Dumbarton Middle School in Towson. Briget and her husband have a 24 year old daughter who currently works as a Baltimore County firefighter and EMT. Briget enjoys SUP, hiking, reading and traveling. She also loves to collect heart-shaped rocks wherever she can find them.
Alan Link
Logic and Rhetoric
Alan Link has taught logic and/or rhetoric at Granite since 2019. He has a B.A. from Duke University in Public Policy Studies and is retired from a career in information technology both in the private sector and federal government service. Alan is a father of three and serves in his church as an elder, teacher, and musician.
Stephanie Link
Latin
Stephanie Link has taught at Granite since 2008. She received her B.A. in Christian Education with an emphasis in Youth Ministry and a minor in Music from Messiah College. Following college, Stephanie worked in youth ministry for 8 years, beginning with several years in Young Life, and then as a youth leader in her church, Presbyterian Church of the Atonement. It was at Atonement (in a contemporary choir) that she met her husband, Alan. They have been married for over 30 years. They have 3 adult children: Luke, Grace, and David (GCT classes of ’11, ’13, and ’16, respectively). In addition to teaching Latin at Granite, Stephanie serves on Granite’s Board of Directors.
Jessica Lough
Timonium Campus Administrator
Jessica Lough began working at Granite in 2021 as part of the new Granite Timonium campus. Jessica holds a B.S. in Psychology from William and Mary and an M.S. in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University. She previously worked in the field of special education at Kennedy Krieger and in the public school system until leaving to help plant the Granite Timonium campus and homeschool her own children. Jessica loves Jesus, running, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Char Milligan
Science, Math and French
Char Milligan is a graduate of Penn State University, with a B.S. in Secondary Education, with emphases in General Science and Chemistry. She has expertise in Calculus, Physics and Organic Chemistry. She delved into geology while taking The Geology of Shenandoah National Park as a graduate course. She is often taking seminars from NASA, earning certificates. She absolutely loves Science.She has been the homeschool community since 2000. She is married and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. She has been a born again believer since 1974 and a member of Columbia Presbyterian Church since 1985. She currently tutors Earth Science, Chemistry and French I.
Becky Morton
Columbia Campus Administrator
Becky Morton began tutoring at Granite in 2012 but has homeschooled her children with Granite since 2005. Becky has a B.A. in Psychology and Christian Ministries from Grove City College. She was a special education teacher before she and the love of her life, Kendall, started raising their family. Becky is passionate about encouraging the love of Jesus and learning in all students.
Kendall Morton
High School Resource Advisor
Kendall Morton is a public school high school teacher and Granite parent and advocate. He is also a former Granite Board member and chemistry lab tutor. All four of his children have graduated from Granite and studied at colleges of their choice. He has been a public school teacher for over 25 years, nearly all at Glenelg High School. He has always been motivated to help students through high school and in their transition from high school to college. He is happy to offer any assistance to Granite students and parents transitioning into and out of high school.
Rachel Nash
2nd Grade
Rachel Nash is serving for her first year at Granite as the 2nd grade tutor. She has always had a passion for teaching and has been teaching is some capacity since she was 16: music lessons, Sunday school, homeschooling, assisting homeschool parents, and teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten at a full-time Classical Christian school for 9 years. This year begins her 14th year of homeschooling as her youngest daughter, Hope, attends Granite for her senior year. By the grace of God, Rachel and her husband, Dan, have been married over 32 years and have reared their eight children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, faithfully in the church, and with a Christian education. As an educator, Rachel finds it a privilege to walk alongside parents as they teach their children to worship the Almighty in all areas of their life. She enjoys spending time outdoors and in her spare time she finds a way to travel the country to visit her children and 8 grandchildren.
Susan Norman
1st Grade
As a life-long Marylander, Susan grew up in Southern Maryland and moved to Baltimore to earn her BA in Communications from Towson University. After having three children, she felt God’s great call to leave the 9-5 and homeschool. His will led them to Granite Classical Tutorials, where all three children currently attend. Susan is very involved in her church as the Nursery Coordinator. She enjoys small group and women’s studies, as well as managing multiple annual church events for the community, including VBS. As a continual learner, she appreciates educating young minds in the classical style – valuing truth, goodness, and beauty. Her favorite part of the day is the beginning, where students memorize and recite scripture, imprinting it on their hearts. Outside of Granite, Susan enjoys camping above all else! Just being one with nature, perhaps on a hammock with a good book. She also enjoys designing everything from floral arrangements to bedrooms.
Colleen Pescatrice
Omnibus
Colleen Pescatrice taught 7th and 8th Omnibus at Granite for 2 years before taking a gap year after the birth of her daughter, Elisa. She is returning this year to teach 7th Omnibus. Before Granite she taught for 8 years as a substitute teacher at Howard County Public Schools, frequently doing months-long jobs in History, ESOL, English, and Elementary School teaching. She has a Bachelors in History from McDaniel College with a minor in Arabic Language and Cross Cultural Studies. She loves having engaging discussions with her students on the literature and concepts introduced in their reading, and telling them bizarre historical facts their books leave out. Colleen met her husband, Dominic, swing dancing and frequently fenced with him while dating. They married in 2017 and welcomed Elisa in 2022. Besides dancing and foil, Colleen enjoys reading mysteries and histories, walking, baking, and crawling around on the floor with her daughter.
Michelle Richards
Kindergarten
Michelle Richards has been a Granite mom since 2013. She holds a B.A. in Criminology from the University of Maryland and had the opportunity to work as a case administrator in bankruptcy law before her oldest child was born. Previously, she’s served on the leadership team for a homeschool co-op, and currently serves in the Children’s Worship and Pioneer Girls ministries at her church. In her free time, she enjoys being outside in God’s creation with her family. Michelle and her husband, Tim, have served on the GCT board since 2016 and have three children: Lydia, Silas, and Naomi.
Kellan Smalley 
Math
Kellan Smalley began as a substitute teacher at Granite in Fall 2022 before becoming a tutor of Geometry at Granite in the Fall of 2023. Kellan has a B.A. in Economics and certificates in Finance and Managerial Economics from UMBC. She worked as a Bank Examiner for the FDIC for 10 years prior to marrying Stephen and raising their three children. For 16 years, Kellan was a homeschooling mother, teaching primarily from classical Christian curriculum. Her youngest child graduated high school in the Spring of 2022. Over the years, Kellan has served in her church in various ways: Sunday school teacher, Children’s worship teacher, Pioneer Girls leader, English Language Ministry classroom assistant, MOPS Mentor Mom, and Women’s Bible Study participant. She also enjoys reading and taking walks with her husband and family.
Madison Smith
Science
Madison Smith has been a Granite Tutor since 2021, where she is committed toinspiring a deep love for Jesus in all of her students. This fall, she will begin her final full year in Mount St. Mary’s Adult Undergraduate program, pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. Madison grew up in Columbia, MD, and was homeschooled in the classical Christian tradition. Her educational background inspired her to bring this wholesome, effective method to another generation of students. After getting saved as a teenager, Madison’s abiding desire is to see her students love and accept Jesus. When she is not teaching, Madison enjoys attending Catholic mass and Messianic Jewish services, reading, writing, and playing the banjo. Her interests include farming, homesteading skills, and old country, folk, and bluegrass music.
Angela Stoltzfus
Omnibus and Spanish
Angela Stoltzfus completed her B.A. at Indiana Wesleyan University, with a major in Social Studies Education (grades 5-12) and a Modern Language Association (Spanish) endorsement. She has over 20 years of teaching experience in homeschool, public and classical Christian school environments. After 6 years of teaching middle and high school humanities and history courses at a Classical Christian school in Arizona, she began tutoring at Granite in 2019. Her passion and calling is to inspire young people with the lessons from history, literature, Spanish language and culture so that they will be equipped to be salt and light wherever God calls them. Angela and her husband Daniel have three adult daughters and a son who is finishing his education journey at Granite Classical. They attend TrinityLife Church in Timonium and enjoy volunteering at various Baltimore City ministries, traveling, exploring new National Parks and visiting family all over the country.
Sara Straw
Latin, history, English (Timonium)
Sara holds a B.S. in Spanish from the University of MD. After living in Costa Rica for a year post-college, Sara taught middle and high school Spanish in the Baltimore County Public School system. Her passion for working with students led her to pursue a career in full-time youth ministry and she served as a Campus Life director with Youth for Christ for 10 years. After homeschooling her oldest child during the pandemic, Sara connected with a local group of homeschool families and was excited to get back in the classroom and help launch the new Granite Timonium campus. Sara loves languages (even Latin!), reading, writing, traveling, and creating community wherever she goes. She and her husband enjoy being outside and camping with their two young sons.
Jennifer Ulrich
Omnibus and Logic
Jennifer Bolan Ulrich has tutored at Granite since 2021. She earned her Master of Arts degree in History from Liberty University. She used her MA thesis research to write “The Free Trade Philosophy of Sir George Paish.” Jennifer has previously taught in a Christian high school and as an online college adjunct. Jennifer has been interested in Classical Education since 2011 and loves participating in the Great Conversation with her students and colleagues at Granite. History is foundational to Christianity, so she seeks to enhance students’ understanding of the ancient world and the Biblical narrative. Her courses explore various philosophies and cultures through primary sources and individual research. Jennifer’s husband Ean was homeschooled, and upon moving to Maryland, they decided to enroll their oldest at Granite for Kindergarten. They currently have two sons attending Granite, but their daughter is too young to enroll. Their family attends Anchor Baptist Church, where they serve in the music ministry together. Jennifer always has a book in progress, and she enjoys baking and gardening.
Carrie Whitney
Timonium Campus Coordinator
History, Geography
Carrie Whitney joined Granite’s faculty in 2022. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Seattle Pacific University and an M.A. in Governance and Development from the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. She grew up on the mission field in Brazil and taught Sunday school and Bible classes in river communities along the Amazon River. Last year was her first year homeschooling her children. She loves learning and enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Justin, and their four children attend Baltimore Bible Church.