Our team

'Mrs. Eileen'

ASSISTANT TEACHER

Mrs. Eileen attended public schools growing up in Delaware. She wants to help children such as she had been, especially those who are intimidated by large class sizes and feeling lost because the teachers may not teach in a way that make sense to them. She attended Delaware State College on a full scholarship where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with her BS in Elementary Education. She taught special education for 4 years; however, she felt a lack of support from administrators and left the teaching arena to pursue a career as a dental assistant. After 26 years in dentistry, Mrs. Eileen became a Dental Assisting Instructor at Carrington College where she could combine her love of teaching with her love of dentistry.

Mrs. Eileen is excited to fulfill her dream of making school a place where kids feel safe and are fully engaged in learning and exploring their world.

She is also very involved with her church, volunteering in the children's ministry, leading ladies Bible study, supervising the church cleaning crew, and helping with every project she can.

Fun fact: Mrs. Eileen has an adorable pug named Pugsley who is the best cuddler, and 2 black cats named Pepe and Pipsqueak.

'Mrs. Julie'

ASSISTANT TEACHER

Mrs. Julie has experience supporting kids of all abilities, both personally and professionally. She has served as a substitute teacher at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School since 2023. She loves the rewarding experience of developing relationships with the students and teachers. While substitute teaching, she taught and supported a variety of students within the general education and special education settings. In addition to her professional experience, she is a wonderful mom to 13-year-old triplets: Ryan, Andrew and Nadia. Her daughter, Nadia, was born with Down Syndrome, which is a genetic condition that affects her learning and speech. Through this journey, she learned a multitude of strategies that helped her daughter and she is now even better equipped to help others who may struggle with traditional methods of learning.

Mrs. Julie also stays active serving in her church's children's ministry as a Sunday School teacher. Some other hobbies she enjoys include traveling, exercising, the outdoors, music, and dance. She is most excited about uncovering how each child learns best and developing their natural talents at Enlighten Christian Academy!

Fun Fact: She makes the best gluten-free brownies in the world and has perfected sourdough bread and other recipes in the kitchen!

'Mrs. Erin'

Culinary Around the World teacher

Mrs. Erin has worked enthusiastically with children, from babies to teens, for over 25 years. Since she is teaching a global cooking enrichment course, she is pictured in one of her recent international trips. As a former U.S. Army JAG Corps Sergeant and military spouse, Erin loves to travel and learn both the history and culture of various localities and cultures. Notably, Erin lived in South Korea for two years, has climbed the Great Wall in China, and just returned from a picturesque trip to Scotland where she and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Additionally, she stays active in ladies’ church ministry, homeschools her two teen boys, and “holds down the fort.” She holds a Legal Assistant certificate (Westminster College of Salt Lake City), a B.S. in Management Studies (University of Maryland) and a M.S. in Criminal Justice (University of Cincinnati). She currently resides in Toano with her family and pets – a corgi, a cat, and a dozen chickens. She is also thrilled to have a married adult son in Texas and she dotes on her two-year-old grandson, Mason.

Fun Fact: Mrs. Erin has sampled wide-ranging foods from sauteed crickets to haggis to alligator bites on her travels. She is thrilled to “bring to the table” her knowledge of global cuisine with our students!

'Mrs. Amanda'

ASSISTANT TEACHER, Director

Mrs. Amanda loves having fun while learning. She has been quoted as saying "I better not be bored in class" and wants her students to always be free to express their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. She understands the importance of quality education, and graduated from William and Mary with a BS in Biology in 2001. In 2005, she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming an optometrist and graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Optometry with a doctorate in Optometry and a Masters in Vision Science. She still practices optometry part-time, but she has found a love for instilling quality education in her children. After she and her husband partnered to homeschool their eldest daughter for 14 years, she started Enlighten Christian Academy to provide a unique blend of homeschooling and private schooling. They have incorporated their many years of teaching at Co-ops and Enrichment Programs into creating an academically strong school that provides personalized educational programs for each student, including their own two elementary-aged daughters.

Fun Fact: In 5th grade (many moons ago), Amanda was honored to receive 1st place in her school's Invent America contest by inventing a fingernail clipper that doesn't spill the clippings!