Bozeman Homeschool Teachers

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Mrs. Balian loves being with people, and enjoying their God given personalities. As a nurse, she also enjoys listening to what's going on inside her patients lungs, heart, stomach...and caring for them as they are sick. Mrs. Balian believes God put amazing things inside all his creation, therefore learning about the human body, plants and animals is like a treasure hunt to learn these amazing things. She has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and a Bachelors of Arts in Biblical Studies. She has worked as a Whitewater Raft Guide, Wilderness Medicine Instructor at Aerie Backcountry Medicine, EMT on an ambulance and most currently as a Registered Nurse. She lived overseas for 5 years, and dearly loves her husband and 3 kids.

Mrs. Black’s love of historical fiction novels sparked her interest in history. While she was growing up in Belgrade, it was rare to find her without a book nearby. She graduated from Montana State University with a degree in History and a minor in Museum Studies. During her studies she had the opportunity to help catalog Yellowstone National Park’s collections as well as assist the park historian with research for his books. After marrying her love, she lived in Livingston and then in Colorado; exploring, learning, and raising her two cute kids. She is excited to be back in the Gallatin Valley, where roots run deep, and is looking forward to being in the classroom.

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Mrs. Fauerbach grew up in tropical Maui, HI. She went to MSU in 2015 for college, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2019. She has taught Kindergarten, First Grade, and has experience with being a paraprofessional working with grades K-5. She is very excited to have the opportunity to teach in a Christian school, and share the love of Jesus with her students. When Mrs. Fauerbach is not teaching, you can find her getting cozy with a good book, going on bike rides, or playing board games with friends.

Mrs. Hay has a passion for creating. Whether sewing, doing photography, woodworking, or growing plants she is always embracing new art forms. She loves spending time outside with her family hiking, rock climbing, camping, biking, always looking for adventure. She graduated from from Kutztown University in 2006 with a degree in Art Education and is happy to make use of it! Sarah lives in Belgrade with her husband and four children.

Mrs. Hofstad first began her official training within the health and fitness industry in 2004 by receiving her certification as a Biblical Health Coach. Her love for health and nutrition led her to become a Certified Personal Trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. One of the activities she enjoys is the study of the body, especially relating to movement. This interest naturally evolved into becoming certified as a Corrective Exercise Specialist with NASM. Over many years she has loved helping people live with less pain by assisting them in correcting postural misalignments. Additional certifications earned over the years include, TRX training, Youth Fitness Specialization, and Group Fitness Instructor through AFAA, amongst others. The mental, emotional and physical health of our youth is very important to her. This passion drew her to run a Junior and Senior Youth Groups with her husband in her hometown of Nampa, ID. Later going on to help with the Senior Youth Group at Journey Church here in Bozeman. She considers a day well spent getting out for some form of physical activity along with deep conversations with her five kids and husband of 22 years.

Mrs. Jackson grew up in Kalispell, MT, and has an Early childhood education degree from the University of Northwestern St Paul. She taught in Minneapolis before moving back to Bozeman in 2020. She is a wife and mom to two amazing and busy toddlers. In her spare time, she enjoys singing and music, hiking, running, and spending time outside with her family. She is passionate about teaching the next generation and helping them grow in Christ!

Mrs. Johnson earned her bachelor degree in Psychology from UCLA. Her fascination with people in both the present and past led her to further delve into literature, history and art history. Mrs. Johnson and her husband, Broose, have been married for 30 years, have ten children (most of them grown), and homeschooled for 20 years. She enjoys good books, movies, crafts, raising Belgian Tervuren dogs and babies. Mrs. Johnson loves Jesus, her family, God's Word and the mountains.

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Mr. McEntee has been playing guitar for over two decades and has played in clubs and venues up and down the West Coast as well as lead worship at numerous churches and camps. He has recorded and released multiple albums (with numerous bands) and currently writes, records, and releases his own music just for the pure enjoyment of it. He loves road trips, the beach, hiking, camping, vinyl records, reading books, listening to live music, and serving young people for Christ. Mr. McEntee is the Associate Pastor of Children's and Youth ministry at Alliance Fellowship Church in Bozeman. He loves spending time with his amazing wife, Danielle and their three daughters: Lucy, Jubilee, and Lavender.

Mrs. Oard is a mom, wife, former kindergarten teacher and report writer for a small college, and current grad student at Sioux Falls Seminary. No matter how varied her interests, fitness has always been part of her adult life. A certified personal trainer with a variety of group exercise certifications and experiences, Tasha loves to help people stay healthy and do things they thought were impossible. Her absolute favorite things are time with loved ones, sunshine, and climbing to the top of a mountain; all of those at once means a total home-run.

Wouldn't you agree that a sermon should never be boring?! Mrs. Olsen would be the first to say that collaborating with pastors on their sermons makes her heart sing! Mrs. Olsen has a BA in Speech Communication and an MA in Human Resource Management. She taught Public Speaking at Montana State University, owns multiple businesses in the Gallatin Valley, started the Gallatin Christian Homeschool Co-op and co-founded EMERGE. In addition to her love for Jesus, she is crazy about her husband and her four children. In Mrs. Olsen’s spare time, you will find her enjoying the great outdoors, whether on land (biking and hiking) or in water (skiing, swimming, and surfing).

Mrs. Pierson received her Elementary Ed degree from MSU Billings and has taught preschool through high school here in Bozeman. Her experience includes teaching in various Christian schools in Kansas, Nebraska, Troy, and Kalispell, MT. She has homeschooled seven children including four of her own, three of which have graduated from Emerge. She is excited to be back in the classroom at Emerge to continue her passion for education.

Erik has been involved in the development and production of TV and feature films over the past 15 years, and has supported countless productions in various roles. Erik worked through the ranks and departments learning the trades on his journey to becoming a DP, licensed aerial cinematographer and gaffer. He and his wife own Backcountry Media where they create and produce film and TV content and they both freelance on projects as inspiring opportunities present themselves. They also enjoy using their business to share the Gospel through various ministry partnerships.

Sydney Resel owns and operates Backcountry Media, a film and TV production company based in Bozeman, Montana. She has been blessed to create and work on numerous network TV shows, films, and traveled the world experiencing everything from life in a rail-car in Africa, to being dropped into the frozen abyss of New Zealand’s Southern Alps by helicopter. She is a graduate of Montana State University where she studied film and television and civil engineering. Sydney’s roots run deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana where she grew up listening to first-hand tales and lore of the Wild West by the great people that worked this land. Her unique perspective and passion for storytelling has led to content that highlights unique characters and their life’s experiences. She is excited to help youth learn about video production and how it can be used to help spread positive content and creativity.

Mrs. Ristow holds a Social Science degree and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from Simpson University. Passionate about the power of words, she has spent twenty- five years working with musicians and vocalists, leading bands, and writing in multiple capacities. She homeschools her children and serves alongside her husband, who is a pastor at a church in Bozeman. Life has been a grand adventure; one that points back to the goodness of God again and again.

A la Señora Sander le encanta el español! Joy first fell in love with the Spanish language on a mission trip with her family when she was 7 years old. She will tell you that Spanish is a heartfelt passion that has always been inside her. She loves to improve her own Spanish skills and hopes to pass on that excitement to her fabulous students.

Mrs. Sander graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish in 2007. She is a licensed educator in the State of Montana. In 2022 she added a K-12 Spanish-teaching endorsement to her Montana license.

Beginning in 2009, she and her family worked with Youth With A Mission, participating in short-term missions trips to Costa Rica, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic. They later moved down to the Dominican Republic to serve (also with YWAM) for another 2 years, which is where her Spanish fluency really took flight!

Señora Sander loves Jesus, singing and playing piano with her church worship team, cheering on her five children in their various sports and activities, spending as much time as possible with family and friends, and teaching Spanish at Emerge!

Mrs. Beth Stohlmann earned her Bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master’s degree in International Economics from Troy State University. She served for six years as an Intelligence Officer in the US Air Force. After moving to Bozeman in 2010, she spent ten years teaching Economics, Rhetoric, Government and Entrepreneurship. Beth and her husband Andy are small business owners and parents to four pretty neat kids.

Megan is a singer/songwriter, worship leader, photographer, and a lover of all things creative. With 35+ years of music and 20+ years of Photoshop experience, paired with a love for kids, a gift for teaching, and a sunshiny disposition, her classes— whether it’s music, musical theater, or Photoshop— are exciting, educational, and encouraging. No matter what hat she’s wearing, be it worship leader, wife, or homeschooling mother of 5, Jesus is at the center of it all.

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Mrs. Wayland is a teacher who recently completed her Master’s degree in Education, building on her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education where she specialized in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Her passion for Christ-centered education with children has led her to work in children’s ministry for the past ten years. She currently serves as the Children’s Ministry Leader at her church for grades first through sixth and loves it! She is a wife and mom to 3 amazing girls. Her family enjoys all Montana has to offer and can be found during her downtime camping, hiking, and being by the lake. In her downtime, she enjoys window shopping, reading, and taking walks with her Bernese Mountain Dog, Koda.