Bozeman Homeschool Teachers

Mrs. Allen is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and group ex instructor at the YMCA. She has worked there for the past 4 years and absolutely loves encouraging and coaching people. Her most recent certification is from CETI and it is a cancer training certification that allows her to work with people during and post cancer treatment. She works alongside several other trainers in a program called the ReCharge program at the Y. Mrs. Allen is blessed to watch clients gain their strength back, energy, vitality, and passion for life after dealing with so much stress and pain from cancer. She has been married to her husband Brad for the past 15 years and they have two beautiful daughters. As a family they love to be outside camping, riding four wheelers, hiking, or playing with their new puppy Winston.

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.

While she was growing up, it was rare to find Mrs. Black without a book nearby. This sparked a desire to learn more about the people, places, and times that inspired the literature she enjoyed. 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. In the classroom, Mrs. Black believes that by understanding the complexities of history, students can better comprehend the world around them. During her free time, you may find her immersed in a good book, spending quality time with her husband and children, or enjoying the beauty of the natural world. Mrs. Black is thankful for the life she has been given and for God’s enduring love for humanity across the course of history.

Mrs. Bogardus was adopted from Mexico as a baby and seeing God’s hand in her story has created a passion to help, encourage, and share Christ’s love to those in need, no matter the age. She received her Bachelor’s degree in History from Pensacola Christian College in 2020. In addition to working on a couple of potato farms in Manhattan, the Lord has recently led her to pursue paraprofessional work in hopes of one day becoming a full-time teacher. Mrs. Bogardus is also working towards ACBC certification in hopes of being able to offer biblical counseling to those traversing through hard times. Her hobbies are gardening, wood working, baking and thrifting. She is very excited to be part of the EMERGE family and to see students thrive not only in academics but spiritually too.

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Dr. George Callahan has served in many pastoral positions throughout his 30+ years in the Gallatin Valley. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma, his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Doctor of Ministry from Assembly of God Theological Seminary. He has served as a Senior Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Campus Pastor, Administrator at Heritage Christian School, helped start 3 churches, ministered with various overseas trips, and is currently helping with the youth ministry at his church. His strengths are in research, teaching, training believers, and faithfully stewarding God’s Biblical principles. He and his wife, Valerie, have been married for 38 years, and they are currently co-teaching classes at Christian City Church (C3), as well as overseeing the Pastoral Care. He loves the outdoors, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and Dad jokes. He is most proud of his four children and two grandchildren, and he counts it a great honor to serve and equip the next generation.

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. Herron comes from a heritage of educators and school administrators. She graduated from Southwest Baptist University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education while also minoring in Art and Sociology. She taught in urban elementary schools on the east coast and in St. Louis Public Schools, going on to mentor new urban teachers through the University of Missouri-St. Louis before deciding to stay home and raise her children. While homeschooling her children, Alison began, and currently runs, a thriving (part-time) wedding coordination business and enjoys making order out of chaos! She and her husband, Scott, a local Youth and Families Pastor, love to hike, ski, road trip, and have long dinner conversations with their three teenagers. Alison truly loves and values students, families, and education and is excited to do what she can to promote the flourishing of the EMERGE community!

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.

Michelle received her doctorate in neuroscience from Marquette University in 2000. However, she soon gave up brain research to become "just a mom." She still loves science, though, and loves teaching it, homeschooling her two boys. Due to her science background she is also interested in special ed; she has taught math and science to kids who were frustrated by traditional teaching methods, helped autistic kids learn social skills, and taught dyslexic boys how to read (both examples happen to be her sons, though she has taught in special ed classrooms as well.) She also loves to build things, particularly wood furniture, and to hike in the beautiful Montana outdoors.

Cheralie (pronounced Chair-uh-lee) McCorkendale grew up in Southwestern Missouri, deep in the Ozarks. She and her family moved to Bozeman in 2021 and are loving the Montana life! After many years of teaching at a rural elementary school teacher, followed by moving to Bozeman, Cheralie changed gears and began a career working at a local accounting firm. Some of her fondest memories growing up are of being with her grandparents on their farm. Playing cards with her grandmother and sister, reading the Bible before doing the farm chores with her grandfather, and so many other memories made for a rich childhood! Her hobbies now include reading, cooking, quilting, and, yes, PLAYING GAMES! In 2020 Cheralie began her own game collection, which now includes over 200 games! She has a passion for teaching about life through play, and is excited to share this passion with her students at EMERGE!

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.

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.

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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.