Instructors
Angie Daye
Angie Daye and her husband, who have been married since 2003, live in Somerset and have 5 children together, and 4 bonus children ages 3- 25, and several amazing grand children. They have been homeschooling their children since 2012. Angie holds a Bachelor's degree in business management, and has been a virtual assistant, and dabbled in e-commerce over the years. Angie has worked in education most of her working years.. She began working in an early education center in 2001, where she worked for 10 years as a teacher of varied ages, hooked on phonics teacher, administrator, bookkeeper, staff trainer, health and safety coordinator and more. After their third child was born, it was important for Angie to stay home and raise their children and homeschool. Angie has also taught ESL virtually for several years, to children of all ages, up through adults. She has also coached younger and upper elementary basketball and volleyball locally for a few seasons. Although she loves teaching in any situation, her heart is at home with her family. She continues to have a passion for education, and puts that to use with her children, through schooling at home, fun adventures, and homesteading as a family. Angie enjoys gardening, tending to her homestead, adventures with her family, and good coffee. Angie has been at MOCC since 2022. She is one of our Trustees and will be teaching preschool classes and Digital Design with Canva. She is looking forward to planning fun learning activities with the preschoolers, and helping them learn by play!
Mrs. Juliet DePriest
Juliet DePriest holds degrees from Muskingum University and Ashland Theological Seminary and is currently an adjunct professor with Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Indiana Wesleyan University. She has been teaching for over twenty years and has a wide range of experience including serving as a youth pastor and teaching language arts at a Christian school. Juliet has increasingly felt led to become a part of the homeschool movement and is hoping to teach Bible, essay and research writing, and critical thinking skills at MOCC. She is also available as a tutor in English for grades 7-12. Juliet is married to Charley who serves as the lead mental health therapist at COTC/OSU-N. When not teaching and counseling, Juliet and Charley enjoy travelling, hiking, and spoiling their 16-pound shorkie-tzu Winston who has his own backpack and stroller for their adventures! They attend Cornerstone Church in Heath.
Jessica Dermer
Hi, I’m Jess Dermer. I’m a homeschooling mom of four, and we’ve been part of the ELCC community since 2019. I married my high school sweetheart, Rob, and together we’ve built a life full of learning, faith, and a lot of grace. We live in Newark on a little homestead where we keep chickens, quail, rabbits, and other various animals. We’re slowly learning how to garden and figuring things out one season at a time. Life’s a bit chaotic some days, but full of purpose and joy—even in the mess. Two of our kids have graduated from the program, and we’re continuing the journey with our younger two.
Before homeschooling, I worked as a licensed practical nurse. These days, I pour my energy into our home and homeschool—doing my best to create a space where our family can learn and thrive (with the help of strong coffee and God’s grace). Since 2019, our family has attended Infinite Church in New Albany, where we’ve found a strong, faith-filled community. We love being involved and serving together as a family. Our faith is the foundation of everything we do, shaping how we live, parent, and educate.
I also serve within the MOCC community as the Board Moderator and help plan and coordinate field trips throughout the year. I count it a blessing to be part of a group that values connection, encouragement, and walking this journey side by side.
I’m grateful to walk this homeschool journey alongside such a supportive group of families and look forward to another year of growing together—with God’s grace and a lot of coffee.
Amy Fraunfelter
Amy Fraunfelter and her husband Jeff have three children, Hunter (high school), Gabriella (high school) and Trapper (elementary). They have homeschooled from the beginning and believe that this has been a greatest blessing in their lives. Amy previously worked for a finance company. Jeff has been with the Muskingum County Juvenile Detention Center since 2008. Amy has been attending ELCC since 2015 and teaching kindergarten since 2016.
Casey Green
Casey Green is a homeschooling mom of five, so she understands the challenges homeschooling parents face at every level. She has been teaching at ELCC since 2019. She is also a Senior Member of Civil Air Patrol, Licking County Composite Squadron. She functions as the Aerospace Education Officer for her local squadron, located at Everett Park in Newark. Casey is passionate about enriching children’s education and providing tools to educators and homeschooling parents to spark an interest in children’s minds regarding science. Casey also owns her own photography business, Pixelated Photography, located in Newark, Ohio.
Mrs. Sarah Hegemier
Hi, my name is Sarah Hegemier. My husband Nick, and I have two teenagers. We live in Morrow County on a small farm where our kids raise and show livestock all over the country. Before our two kids were born I was a Special Education teacher in the public schools. I also am very passionate about 4H and other youth livestock programs. I enjoy volunteering and helping youth in these programs.
Leigha Hickman
Leigha Hickman is a homeschool mother of three elementary aged kids who she has been teaching from the beginning of her oldest's education in 2018. Prior to moving back to Licking County in 2021, she was a Camp Financial Director, Homestead Director, and Homeschool Program Coordinator for a Christian camp in West Virginia. She has her degree in Business from Ohio Dominican University and had a career in finance for several years before deciding to stay home full-time with her children, and work part-time in student ministry. She is currently a part of her church's student leadership team. Even though she is usually involved with children through service projects, work, and ministry, she loves serving and building relationships with the whole family!
Mrs. Kristin Hupp
Kristin and her husband Andrew have two children (Lydia and Bella). She has been homeschooling her girls since February 2020. She loves the changes and freedoms homeschooling has afforded their family. The Hupp family is actively involved in their church. Kristin, Andrew, and Lydia all serve in the children's ministry. Kristin and Andrew also lead a small group of adult couples. In addition, Kristin is a host mom on a Motherhood Ministry Team. Kristin is a graduate of Ohio University. She invests her time trying to further God's Kingdom. In any spare time she enjoys reading, cooking, baking, working outside with her husband and spending quality time with her family. Being a wife and a mother is Kristin's biggest passion in life. She feels very blessed to live and walk out this calling on her life.
Kayce Long
Kayce Long is a homeschooling mama who has attended MOCC since 2021 and 20 year veteran dance instructor at Millennium Academy of Irish Dance.
Mrs. Sigrid Neilsen
Sigrid Neilsen lives in Newark with her husband and 4 small children. She has homeschooled since their oldest was in kindergarten. She attended college and was very involved in the biology program before she left to serve in the military. She is retired from the United States Army where she served as a Combat Medic. Sigrid is now an amateur mycologist and forager. She has published field guides as well as taught classes at Dawes. Sigrid has been at ELCC since 2021.
John Raetzel
John is a full-time homeschool dad with a passion for math, coding, and engineering. After relocating from Tennessee to the Nashport, Ohio area, he and his wife have enjoyed raising their two children, Oliver and Chloe. Whether fishing, swimming, or exploring outside, the family thrives on outdoor adventure.
With a love for problem-solving, John brings an engaging approach to his teaching. He believes learning should be curiosity-driven and fun, and he enjoys guiding students as they discover how math applies to the world around them. In his free time, you’ll find him building a new app, debugging code, or having fun with his family.
Mrs. Gina Robichaux
Gina Robichaux lives in Newark with her husband and their two daughters. They started homeschooling and joined MOCC in the fall of 2022. Gina is a Girl Scout leader, and enjoys time with family, taking road trips, and camping. She also owns and operates UE Services, her company that provides sewer cleaning and video services. Her educational background includes an A.S. in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Accounting. Gina is teaching several Math classes and is also serving MOCC as our President.
Lindsay Simon
Lindsay Simon, homeschool alumni has a Bachelor’s in Nursing from Muskingum University, a lifetime resident of Licking County she serves in various ministry positions at Christian Life Center with her husband, Michael and three children Ian, Aubrey, and Remy and is a 4H advisor. She works per diem at Licking Memorial Hospital in inpatient rehab and Oncology. Outside of homeschooling, work and volunteering she loves interior design, crocheting, gardening and caring for her dairy goats.
Mrs. Chrystina Tharp
Chrystina Tharp and her husband have been members of MOCC since 2021 and have been homeschooling their daughter since the beginning. She is the director of the Little Arrows Play Cafe in Newark and a Girl Scouts Leader. Her family lost their second daughter, Olive, in 2020 and are choosing to live their lives through her memory and love to share their story. She loves all things adventure and science and has a passion for teaching in an engaging and hands-on way. Chrystina is teaching Science Experiments at co-op and is our Treasurer
Mrs. Lisa Vantilburg
Lisa VanTilburg has been a member of MOCC since 2018 and a homeschooling mom for 11 years. She has been a teacher in co-ops for most of those years. She has taught science, gym and cooking in past years, but her real love is history. She tries to bring history alive to her students and to help them love it as much as she does. Lisa comes from a long line of teachers. Her great-grandmother taught in a one room schoolhouse, her grandmother was a well-loved 3rd grade teacher in the Hilliard School District and her mother is a professor at a college in Arizona. She is mom to 5 children, 3 are teenagers here at MOCC, 2 grandchildren and many, many, furred, feathered, and scaled kids. In her spare time, Lisa loves to bake and many of her creations are enjoyed in her history classes.
Mrs. Betsy Wright
Betsy Wright is a wife to a 6th generation farmer and mom to half a dozen children. She likes hot cups of coffee, conversation, community, crafting, and alliterations! She also loves raising crops, cattle, and kids.