Teacher Bios
Melissa Jones melissajones@stonetablestudygroup.org --Algebra, Geometry, Personal Finance.
Melissa, wife to Tim for twenty-seven years and mom to two daughters, ages 23 and 21, had the great pleasure of homeschooling for fifteen years. She earned her bachelor's degree in math education from Southwest Baptist University. Her favorite things include spending time with family and other moms, as well as traveling and ministering at her church. She is looking forward to her ninth year of teaching with Stone Table.
Susan Reilly susanreilly@stonetablestudygroup.org --Earth Science, Board Leadership.
Susan, wife to Bill and mother of five, has homeschooled her children for the past twenty-five years. She studied electronics technologies in college and worked in an electronics design and manufacturing company until starting her family. In her many years of teaching, she has most enjoyed modeling and teaching "how to learn", so that students might gain the tools necessary to learn anything inside-out. Her greatest desire in life is to be a faithful daughter to her Father in Heaven, serving him in both her home and the community. This year Susan is teaching Language, Electronic Circuitry, and Secondary Art.
Bill Reilly billreilly@stonetablestudygroup.org --Computer Science.
Bill is an IT professional with over 35 years of experience in various areas of technologies ranging from electronics design to computer programming. He holds an Associate's Degree in Computer Science Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and attended UMKC’s Computer Science Engineering program. Bill has taught STSG's Electronic course for three years and Computer Science class in the 22/23 school year. Bill is passionate about the education of technology skills and enjoys passing on his knowledge to participating students.
Shanna Pennington shannapennington@stonetablestudygroup.org -- Board Leadership.
Shanna is a former homeschool mother of two graduates. She graduated with a BA in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Work and School Social Work. Her degree led her to positions that involved teaching, so it was a natural transition into the homeschool world nineteen years ago. She also taught history, science, language, Bible, and character-building skills through literature at a private school for two years. At STSG over the past eight years, Shanna has taught a variety of classes in elementary and has a focus on secondary classes of various histories, geography, and government. Her passion is building a strong foundation so students can become more independent and gain the joy of learning throughout life.
Kim Wegley kimwegley@stonetablestudygroup.org --Chemistry, Physics, Medieval Classical History, Board Leadership.
Kim has homeschooled her three children (ages 19, 17, and 15) for over a decade, teaching in various homeschool programs. She has a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Oklahoma State, and she has been married to Brian, a chemical engineer, since 2002. Her daughter is currently studying electrical and computer engineering at Missouri S & T. Kim wants to inspire a love of learning, admiring the beauty and complexity of God's orderly creation, which consistently obeys the laws of physics and chemistry with mathematical precision. When she is not too busy watching her sons’ KC East Lions soccer games or Metro Homeschool Robotics events, she enjoys reading, hiking, camping, and traveling to interesting historical places since she has traveled extensively in other countries.
Adrienne Golubski adriennegolubski@stonetablestudygroup.org --PE and Memory Games (Classical Co-op), Health (Secondary), Board Leadership.
Adrienne graduated from Hannibal LaGrange College with her bachelor's degree in elementary education, and from Central Christian College of the Bible with her Bachelor's of Biblical Studies. She has always enjoyed motivating students and seeing them grow into who God has made them to be. Before having kids, she taught girls exercise classes for church youth, worked at Curves, taught a reading initiative at the public school, and substitute taught. With the support of her husband, she now homeschools and motivates their 4 girls, ages 14, 12, 10, and 7. She has enjoyed teaching PE, Memory Games, Health, 4-6th literature and Language, and is looking forward to teaching health again this year.
Marci Anzalone marcianzalone@stonetablestudygroup.org --American Sign Language.
Marci has been married to her husband, Tim, for 26 years. They have two children, Keelin (22) and Kai (19), whom she homeschooled. Marci works part-time as a sign language interpreter doing freelance and works at Sorenson Communications as a Video Relay Interpreter. She graduated from the Interpreting program at Johnson County Community College in 1997 with an AA degree. She holds the highest certification level in both KS and MO. She has been interpreting for 27 years and still loves it! She is passionate about sign language and is excited to pass that love of the language on to her students.
Sarah Hinkle sarahhinkle@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW).
Sarah has been married to her husband, Douglas, for 19 years. They have 3 children, Noah (17), Hannah (14) and Micah (7). Graduating from UCM with her bachelor’s degree and Missouri certification to teach Middle School Language Arts, she loves to motivate student learning. Sarah has worked with IEW writing curriculum for nine years either teaching in a co-op setting or previously to her own children. When she is not teaching, she can be found walking, biking, hiking, or cheering on her children in soccer, cross country mountain biking or volleyball. She is excited to teach IEW this year.
Jen Wright jenniferwright@stonetablestudygroup.org --World histories, U.S. History.
Jen has been married to her husband, Joe, for 29 years. They have four children (ages 23, 20, 18, and 16). She began homeschooling in 2005 and has loved the special time spent with her children. Jen enjoys how homeschooling helps her rediscover concepts and stories as her children encounter them on their learning journey. History has especially caught her interest. This will be Jen’s third year teaching at STSG, and she is excited to teach Accounting, American History, and World History. Jen also stays busy working as a bookkeeper and retail planner at the auto parts stores that she and her husband own.
Holly Owen hollyowen@stonetablestudygroup.org --Cooking, Baking, Board Leadership.
Holly has two amazing children - Victoria (22) and Christian (14), and one awesome son-in-law, Noah. She has been homeschooling since 2014 and has taught at STSG since January 2019. She studied Elementary and Early Childhood Education in college. She has a heart for teaching children and has been doing so in various capacities for over 20 years. She enjoys working alongside students in hands-on learning experiences, and wants to help them find life-long learning to be fun! Holly also shares her love of baking and cooking by owning her own cottage bakery and teaching in-home cooking class parties. Her favorite thing to do in her spare time is spending time with her family, whether they are enjoying (very competitive) family game nights, watching movies together, or traveling for their various activities.
Sara Hutchinson sarahutchinson@stonetablestudygroup.org --Pre-Algebra.
Sara received her B.A. in Psychology from Southwest Baptist University (GO BEARCATS!!!). She has enjoyed working with troubled teens, special needs adults, and attorneys. Many of the skills required were similar. :) Stone Table has been a game-changing blessing for her homeschooling family. This is her fifth year teaching at STSG and her second year teaching Pre-algebra. She, her husband of 24 years, and their two children live in Harrisonville, MO.
Sarah Welch sarahwelch@stonetablestudygroup.org --Spanish, Music Appreciation (spring), Intro to Computers.
Sarah Welch graduated from Bob Jones University with a BS in Music Education and after getting married, lived in Independence for 16 years after her husband graduated seminary there. Now she and her husband and four children reside in the Northland of Kansas City. Before she was married, she taught Junior High and High school ELA and Spanish in the public and private school setting. Since 2010 she has homeschooled her children and substitute taught at her alma mater in the Northland. She has traveled on five mission trips including many parts of South America and Spain and has a heart for Hispanic people and their culture. She enjoys gardening, music, and playing with her two dogs Roxy and Sunny.
Johanna Scott johannascott@stonetablestudygroup.org --Science, Theater in Classical Co-op.
Johanna is constantly amazed at how God has put this world together, which makes it so rewarding to share this joy and wonder with students while teaching science. Johanna has an amazing husband and four great, fun, inquisitive kids (yeah, she’s bragging a little bit!). Johanna also loves to perform, so it is fun to share that love of theater with her students in drama class. Her favorite activity is praying for people and helping them experience the love of Jesus!
Christy Berry christyberry@stonetablestudygroup.org --Story of the World (history) Classical Co-op.
Christy and her husband Tim live in Raytown with their three children and have been homeschooling for 9 years. Christy graduated from UMKC with a BA in art education, specializing in painting and fiber art. She taught art and fiber art for 6 years at Brighton Academy before taking a break after her second child was born. She loves to encourage students in creativity and experimentation with different art media. She is a hobby collector and her current passion is foreign languages, studying French and Spanish with her kids.
Jessica Rankin jessicarankin@stonetablestudygroup.org --Creative Writing, Policy Debate, Speech, Physical Science.
Jessica has been married to her husband, Matthew, for 21 years. Before starting their family, she received a B.S. in Scientific and Technical Communication and spent a portion of her college years in the study of Electrical Engineering. She has been homeschooling their four children—Ainsley 18 (graduate 2024), Andrew 15, Asa 11, and Adaire 9—for 14 years. “We homeschool because we feel strongly that it is our job as parents to equip our children with the knowledge of God in order that they would have a strong foundation, stand firm, and defend a worldview that is rooted in Christ Jesus.” Jessica is excited to help students within STSG explore the beauty, skill, and creativity of writing, science, policy debate, and public speaking this coming year! Outside of teaching she enjoys exercising, cooking, researching, and spending time with her family and friends. This will be Jessica’s 2nd year at Stone Table and she is excited to see what the coming year brings.
Amber Prohaska amberprohaska@stonetablestudygroup.org --Senior High Sciences.
Amber has been homeschooling for 8 years. She has 5 kids (Elle, Alex, Will, Graham, and Ben), and has been married to her husband, Mike, for 20 years. She holds an AA, and both a Bachelor's and Master's of Science in Nursing. She primarily stays home to homeschool these days. In her free time, she loves horseback riding, camping, and hiking, as well as taking her kids to the park and spending time with friends. She has taught science classes in another co-op in the past, and is excited to teach again at STSG!
Edie Mohn ediemohn@stonetablestudygroup.org -–Book Club Classical Co-op 4th-8th grade, Board Leadership.
Edie and her husband Daniel have three amazing kids ages 23, 15, & 4. Edie has homeschooled their children for the past 15 years, while her husband Daniel owns and operates their Heating and Cooling company. They're living their dream on a few acres in Oak Grove, Missouri. Edie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Counseling from Covenant Bible College and Seminary. Her greatest love is Jesus and she has a heart for bringing up the next generation in the love and admonition of the Lord. Edie enjoys Christ-centered, family-style learning where together the teaching comes alongside life as in Deuteronomy 6:5-9. She enjoys Bible study, hospitality, gardening, cooking, connecting with her family, being a cheerleader for her sons’ sports, seeking out beauty and wonder with her children, spending time in nature, learning new skills and working alongside her husband on their property. This will be Edie's 8th year with Stonetable and she's excited for what this season will bring.
Kari Godshall karigodshall@stonetablestudygroup.org --Language, Literature, Music in Classical Co-op.
Kari has been married to Adam, pastor of Grace Bible Church, for 22 years. She's homeschooled all 6 of her children for the past 17 years and feels it such a privilege to do so. Her favorite aspects of teaching have been doing read-aloud books, working through catechisms and Bible truth together, and a lot of music and extracurricular activities! Speaking of music, it has been a very prominent part of her education and experience. She studied music and counseling at a Bible college, plays the piano for worship in her church, teaches piano lessons, and guides her own 3 girls and 1 boy alongside their music teachers week to week. She enjoys spending time with other moms (here at co-op) and women in her church family. Also spending time with her married daughter and son-in-law, her teen girls (one now off to college), her little guy, Evan, and especially, her hubby are some of the greatest blessings from the Lord.
Jenn Driskell jenndriskell@stonetablestudygroup.org --Art in both Secondary and Classical Co-op.
Jennifer, wife to Todd and mother of two girls Madilynn (8) and Gracelynn (11). She graduated from CMSU with a Master’s of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor in Fine Arts. Before homeschooling, she taught for 13 years in the Grain Valley and Raytown school districts. She has taught a variety of subjects over the past 16 years, most of her teaching experience has been in elementary and secondary art, ceramics and photography. She has been homeschooling for 5 years and loves being able to share her passion for Christ and love of learning with her students.
Rachel Conner rachelconner@stonetablestudygroup.org --Medieval Classical Literature.
Rachel loves words, books, and the process of writing! She holds a bachelor's of journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, and worked as the Assistant Art Director of Salt Water Sportsman Magazine in Boston, before beginning the patchwork of houses and jobs of her adult life. During that time, she has been a better-than-Mary-Poppins nanny, a supermarket price-slashing warrior (think Wonderwoman in the canned goods aisle), the organizer of ten family moves to five states, and the wrangler of 10,000 homeschool books on 25 subjects. That is to say, she has homeschooled her kids since 2008 and has been married to Brett, an Air Force veteran and M.I.T. graduate, since 1999. Her oldest child is a graduate of Missouri S&T, and her second is a student at the University of Missouri. The youngest is in high school and attends the Stone Table along with her. If she could do absolutely anything, Rachel would deliver a stand-up comedy routine to an audience of a thousand, attend a ball at Netherfield with all the characters of Pride and Prejudice, paint a fence with Mark Twain even if she had to pay him for the privilege, and help every person on this planet to see that Jesus is the best friend anyone could ever have.
Rachel Tien racheltien@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Mandarin Chinese, Psychology.
Rachel, wife to Henry for 26 years and mom to four children, has been homeschooling for 21 years. After immigrating to the USA as a child, Rachel is passionate about sharing her Taiwanese culture. She has a Master in Art degree in Counseling from Regent University and worked in the field until becoming a full-time housewife/mom. She has taught a variety of subjects in both public and private settings for the last 17 years. Rachel is excited to help students connect with the subject matter in a meaningful way. She enjoys listening to people’s stories over a nice cup of coffee. This is her first year at STSG. She will be teaching Chinese and Psychology.
Becki Tucker beckitucker@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Book Club Classical Co-op 1st-3rd grade.
Becki has been married to her husband Paul for 14 years and they have 6 precious kiddos, ages 13 down to 4. Both Becki and Paul grew up in homeschooled families and were excited to begin their own homeschool journey 9 years ago. One of Becki’s favorite aspects of homeschooling has always been read-aloud books because it’s something the whole family can participate in. With a background in speech and drama, doing all the voices for all the different characters is something her children delight in. During her “free” time Becki is a passionate runner, enjoys long walks with her family, and takes care of their 5-acre property, 4 cats and 18 chickens (having grown up in NYC this has all been a new and thrilling journey!) This will be her first year teaching at Stone Table and she is excited to impart a love for good books to each child that enters her classroom.
Sahsha Kochanowicz sahshakochanowicz@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Photography.
Sahsha has been homeschooling for 4 years. She has 6 kids (Mason, Anya, Leeland, Evy, Buz, and Wylla), and has been married to her husband, Mark, for 17 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Pensacola Christian College. She taught 3rd grade in a school for one year but decided to focus on her family as God gave her children. She is a self-taught photographer of over 10 years and is passionate about teaching others manual mode and how to think outside the box while having fun creating art in this form. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband, photography, hiking, and gardening in her urban garden, as well road trips with her family and spending time with friends. She has privately mentored aspiring photographers and is excited to utilize her love for the craft for the first time at STSG!
Jaime Silvernail jaimesilvernail@stonetablestudygroup.org -–Medieval Literature and Writing, Government and Economics.
Jaime, wife of Isaac for twenty-two years, and mother of four or five kids ~give or take a few, has been homeschooling for thirteen years. Jaime has taught Latin, cooking, math, grammar, and writing in classical communities and homeschool cooperatives for the past ten years. Prior to homeschooling, Jaime volunteered in MOPS programs where she lived in Colorado. Jaime’s favorite part of homeschooling has been watching her children grow and learn during their school careers and getting to see their eyes light up and their smiles brighten when something they’ve worked so hard on finally clicks. Reading great literature with her children is a highlight and she enjoys discussing books, history, current events, politics and religion with her children when various topics come up. She enjoys cooking, crocheting and knitting, as well as reading and cherishing the time with her youngest daughter, Danae, the last bird in the nest. This is Jaime’s first year teaching at STSG and she’s looking forward to great discussions in the Junior High Medieval Literature and Writing class as well as the Government and Economics classes with high schoolers.
Darla Mentesana darlamentesana@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Journey Around the World, Handicrafts in Classical Co-op
Darla has been married for 34 years and has homeschooled all four of her children. She has been teaching in children’s ministry since 1999 and the last 7 years as the Children’s Ministry Director. She loves teaching children -especially about Jesus- and helping them develop a foundation in their faith. She loves planning special events (weddings, birthdays, showers, etc), fishing, crafts, and being at the lake. Most importantly, she loves spending time with her family. She is excited to be teaching at STSG this year.
Nadia Cook nadiacook@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Preschool
Nadia is a single mom to two wonderful boys, ages 4 and 8. Nadia grew up in a homeschooled family and has enjoyed embarking on the homeschool journey with her kiddos. Nadia has been working with kids for over 15 years, beginning in children's ministry at her church to working at a summer camp for kids to becoming the children’s and youth coordinator at her church. Nadia has since dedicated her time to homeschooling and working as an EMT. She is very excited and looking forward to teaching the preschoolers this year at STSG.
Jennifer Linton jenniferlinton@stonetablestudygroup.org –-JH Medieval History (secondary), Cooking for Classical Co-op 5th-8th grades.
Jennifer and her husband Patrick have two amazing children, MacKenzie (23) and MaKayla (12). They live on a 40-acre farm and raise KuneKune Heritage pigs and Angus beef cattle. Life for the Linton’s is centered around God, family and the farm by living to glorify our Lord and Savior while living on the land that God has graciously provided.” We use regenerative agriculture practices and share our love of farming and living life as God has intended caring for the land and animals in a humane manner to provide us and others nourishment to their families.” Jennifer’s educational background consists of Accounting, Business Administration as well as Early Childhood Education. Jennifer has had the privilege of working with children for over 24 years in different capacities including: church ministry, preschool owner, homeschool co-op co-founder and Director, paraprofessional, and working as Assistant/Accounting/Nurse Aide to the High School Principal in public education for 6 years. Jennifer and her family love outdoor activities, hiking, nature trails, gardening, crafting, and entrepreneurship. Jennifer is excited to join fellow teachers and families at STSG in educating the future generation and being a part of the homeschool movement. “This opportunity is a blessing to be a part of teaching children that Christ is our foundation, our compass and our GPS through life. As parents, we are blessed and chosen to lead these children with a biblical worldview to equip them to stand for the future before them. To give children a religious education is indispensable.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Joanna Petsch joannapetsch@stonetablestudygroup.org –-Music Appreciation.
Joanna and her husband Eli have been married for a little over a year. They are both familiar with the homeschool world and were previous homeschoolers themselves. Because music has been a big part of Joanna’s life as she grew up, she took many piano and violin lessons, and she pursued music in college. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music from West Coast Baptist College. It is her passion to share her knowledge of music with others. In her spare time, she loves to hike with her husband, go on walks, spend time with family, make sourdough bread, and brew kombucha. She’s excited to teach this year at STSG and see students grow in their appreciation for music.
Shari Goring -- Junior/Senior High science instructor (2016 - 2023)
Mrs. Goring is no longer teaching with us after 2023. We are grateful for her commitment to STSG over the past seven years. If you would like to reach out to Mrs. Goring, please email admin, and we will share your correspondence with her. She will miss her students!
Amanda Love --Writing instructor (2016 - 2024)
Mrs. Love is no longer teaching with us after 2024. We are grateful for her commitment to STSG over the past years. If you would like to reach out to Mrs. Love, please email admin, and we will share your correspondence with her. She will miss her students!
Jamesina Kittle --Junior high science, 4th-6th grade science, intermediate Art, and drama instructor (2016-2024)
Mrs. Kittle is no longer teaching with us after 2024. We are grateful for her commitment to STSG over the past years. If you would like to reach out to Mrs. Kittle, please email admin, and we will share your correspondence with her. She will miss her students!