Head of School
Dr. Eric Stennett
Penn Woods Classical Academy has selected Dr. Eric Stennett to serve as the founding Head of School.
Dr. Eric Stennett is an accomplished and highly experienced educational leader with a passion for Christian and Classical Education and a deep commitment to the development of students. With a diverse background and strong academic foundation, Dr. Stennett has dedicated his career to shaping young minds and fostering excellence in education. Stennett holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Earth Science from Wittenberg University, a Masters in Education from Wright State University, and a Doctorate of Education from Nova Southeastern University.
Associate Head of School for Operations & Support
Nancy Gillespie
Nancy is an experienced leader with a diverse background in nonprofit leadership, development, and organizational management. She began her career as Regional Vice President for Princeton Softech before dedicating years to volunteer leadership in faith-based schools. Most recently, she served as Development Director for Preambula Group, enhancing operations and advancing mission initiatives. A strong advocate for Hillsdale College’s mission, she is committed to building a thriving classical school community rooted in virtue, truth, and faith.
Colleen McKerley
Colleen brings more than a decade of experience in development, marketing, and admissions. Prior to joining Penn Woods, she served as the Development Manager at Light of Life Rescue Mission, where she led and supported a team of fundraisers in advancing the organization’s mission.
Colleen also spent over 18 years at Jubilee Christian School, playing a key role in establishing the middle school and overseeing operations and marketing initiatives. Her three children attended Jubilee and pursued a variety of educational pathways—including charter, Catholic, public, private, and dual-enrollment programs—which strengthened her belief that every child’s education is foundational in shaping the person God intends them to become. She is excited to see a Classical option now in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
Hannah Stombaugh
Hannah brings nearly a decade of experience from PNC Bank, where she developed a strong background in client relations, operational efficiency, and administrative support. As a graduate of private Christian schools, including Grove City College, she deeply understands the value and need for Biblical and classical teaching. Hannah is committed to providing exceptional service and to fostering an environment in which parents can confidently partner with the school in the Biblical formation of their children.
Director of Preschool
Mara Lestitian
Mara values the opportunity to nurture the whole child through a Christ-centered, classical education. She is especially drawn to classical education’s emphasis on truth, goodness, and beauty, the development of character, and the sense of wonder it cultivates in young children. Inspired by her parents, who were educators, Mara brings patience, creativity, love, and respect for children to her classroom. She delights in learning alongside her students and watching them discover the world around them, always seeking to honor each child as a capable individual created by God.
Kindergarten Teacher
Heather Anderson
Heather values classical education for its ability to cultivate lifelong learners who know how to think carefully, articulate ideas, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them. Teaching in a Christian school allows Heather to partner closely with parents while intentionally modeling faith and helping children build biblical knowledge and character. Her own love of learning inspired her to become a teacher, and she especially enjoys sparking that same joy in her students. Heather brings flexibility, a nurturing spirit, and a strong commitment to relationship-building to her classroom, believing meaningful relationships are foundational to successful learning.
Kindergarten Teacher
Grace Reed
Grace values classical education for its pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty and its ability to develop thoughtful, virtuous, lifelong learners. Raised in a faith-centered family, Grace was drawn to Christian education because she wanted to teach in a community where biblical principles are woven naturally into everyday learning and relationships. Teaching has felt like a calling since childhood, and her own kindergarten experience inspired her desire to give students a joyful, memorable, and academically strong beginning to school. Grace enjoys finding creative ways to explain concepts from multiple perspectives so each child can understand and grow.
First Grade Teacher
Sarah Higgs
Sarah loves classical education because it helps form responsible, hardworking, and well-rounded students while introducing them to what is true, good, and beautiful. Sarah’s Christian faith is central to her life and teaching, and she values the opportunity to help students grow not only academically, but also in wisdom, virtue, character, and love for what is good. She knew from a young age that she wanted to teach and finds great joy in nurturing young minds and watching children grow in confidence. Sarah brings organization, patience, strong communication, and a commitment to reaching every student to her classroom.
First Grade Teacher
Marna Day
For Marna, truth, goodness, and beauty are at the heart of classical education, with virtue cultivated intentionally over time through every part of a child’s education. She sees Jesus Christ as the anchor of all that is true, good, and beautiful and considers the classroom an important place for helping children grow in faith and character. Coming from a family of teachers, Marna has always viewed teaching as her calling. She especially enjoys the moment when a student finally grasps a difficult concept after perseverance, extra practice, and a new approach. Her classroom is marked by consistency, clear expectations, routine, and thoughtful instruction.
Second Grade Teacher
Zach Niznik
Zach values classical education for the lasting foundation of knowledge it gives students and strives to make learning meaningful, memorable, and engaging. Having attended Catholic school from kindergarten through high school, Zach appreciates a school community where faith, learning, and friendship come together. His own experiences as a student inspired him to become the kind of teacher children know genuinely cares about them and can be counted on. In the classroom, he combines high expectations with a desire to make learning fun, and he especially enjoys seeing students become excited about a new idea.
Second Grade Teacher
Meadow Lokaitis
Meadow is passionate about cultivating wonder and helping students think deeply about God’s world. Rather than simply memorizing facts, Meadow encourages children to ask thoughtful questions, seek understanding, and develop wisdom, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning. Sharing the Gospel is central to her calling as a teacher, and she seeks to reflect Christ’s love through the way she encourages and serves her students each day. Meadow especially enjoys students’ ‘lightbulb moments’ and strives to build a classroom culture rooted in trust, joy, virtue, and meaningful relationships.
Third Grade Teacher
Erin Fanning
Erin values classical education because it forms the whole child, helping students grow in critical thinking, virtue, character, and purpose rather than simply acquiring information. She chose Christian education because she wanted the freedom to share her love for Christ and explore Scripture alongside her students. Her own love of learning, several influential teachers, and her older sister’s example as an educator all helped inspire her calling to teach. Erin especially enjoys the ‘lightbulb’ moments when students make a connection or finally grasp a challenging concept. She brings patience and genuine enthusiasm for learning to her classroom and enjoys helping that excitement spread to her students.
Fourth Grade Teacher
Cameron Mckeever
Cameron values classical education because it teaches students how to think deeply, wonder about what they are learning, and pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. Cameron believes education should form the whole person academically, spiritually, and morally, and she appreciates partnering with families in a Christ-centered community. Inspired by her mother, an art teacher, Cameron came to see teaching as an opportunity to use her own gifts in service to God and to students. She especially enjoys helping children experience the moment when a difficult concept finally clicks and is committed to understanding each student’s individual needs.
Fifth Grade Teacher
Kate McKerley
Kate values classical education for combining strong teaching practices with the intentional cultivation of virtue. She believes education should form both the mind and the heart, helping students grow academically while also learning to love and follow God. Inspired by teachers in her own life, she views teaching as a calling through which she can serve God and her Christian community. Kate especially enjoys encouraging students through challenging material and celebrating with them when they master a new skill. She is currently pursuing a Master of Classical Education Leadership through Hillsdale College, deepening her understanding of classical education and educational leadership.
Sixth Grade Teacher
Amy Dady
Amy values classical education for its thoughtful progression through the trivium – grammar, logic, and rhetoric – and for its commitment to forming students who recognize what is true, good, and beautiful. She was drawn to Christian education by a desire to teach in a place where truth and beauty matter deeply and where the whole child is formed. Her passion for teaching comes from wanting to encourage students who may feel uncertain of their path and to help them discover a genuine desire to learn. She especially enjoys seeing students find wonder in new material and become engaged through thoughtful questions and conversation. Amy is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership.
Seventh Grade Teacher
Christy Hinkelman
Christy values classical education for the way exposure to the classics develops strong critical-thinking skills and helps students make meaningful connections across subjects. After teaching in public, charter, and private schools, Christy appreciates being part of a community where Christian faith can be openly integrated into the study of history and the wider curriculum. Coming from a family of teachers, she has wanted to teach for as long as she can remember. Christy brings broad content knowledge to the classroom and enjoys helping students connect ideas that may initially seem unrelated, encouraging them to grow as thoughtful learners.
Middle School Math & Science Teacher
Karen Kress
Karen teaches seventh-grade math and science, sixth-grade science, and math
resource. She values classical education for its focus on forming the whole child by developing character, deep thinking, thoughtful questions, and engagement with great ideas. Karen has spent her career in Christian education and sees faith formation as central to her work as both a teacher and a mother. She especially enjoys helping middle school students make connections between what they are learning, their faith, and the world around them. Karen brings a love of learning, strong content knowledge in math and
STEM, clear communication, and high expectations to her classroom.
Music Teacher
Brandon Miller
Brandon values classical education for the way it helps students understand the past so they can thoughtfully walk into the future. He chose Christian education because it allows him to express his faith openly in the classroom and lead students with a faith-forward perspective. His own love of learning and the influence of a high school mentor inspired him to become a teacher and share new discoveries with others. One of his favorite parts of teaching is hearing students ask to sing a song they have learned in class or discovering that they have continued listening to music explored together. Brandon enjoys finding new ways to help students understand challenging concepts.
Art Teacher
Olivia Pettigrew
Olivia Pettigrew values classical education for its well-rounded, integrated approach to developing the whole child in mind, body, and soul. Because her Christian faith shapes how she understands the world, Olivia appreciates being able to integrate faith naturally into the study and creation of art. She was drawn to teaching by the opportunity to use her own gifts and talents to give children a rich educational experience. In the classroom, Olivia especially enjoys building relationships with students and using creativity to encourage them as they learn. Her strengths include adaptability, creative problem-solving, and helping students grow in confidence.
Physical Education Teacher
Haedyn Herzer
Haedyn’s approach to teaching is grounded in repetition, strong relationships, and the belief that genuine connection helps children grow in both skill and character. Haedyn’s experience serving at 1st Shot, a Christian nonprofit founded by his father in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, helped shape his understanding of the importance of keeping Jesus as the foundation in every setting. His love of coaching young people inspired him to become an educator, and he believes students are more willing to challenge themselves when they know their teacher genuinely cares for them. Building relationships with students is at the heart of his work at Penn Woods.
Latin Teacher
Ella Balet
Ella brings a love of language, history, and classical learning to Penn Woods. She holds a
joint B.A. in Classical Studies from the College of William & Mary and the University of St Andrews, where she focused on Latin and Roman culture. Ella has also worked with several Pittsburgh-area museums and has a particular appreciation for Latin literature, including the works of Ovid and Pliny the Younger. She values teaching in a Christian school where faith can be naturally incorporated into the classroom, especially through the rich Latin writings of the Early Church. She enjoys sharing a subject she is passionate about and seeing students experience ‘lightbulb moments’ as they make connections between new concepts and prior knowledge.
Facilities & Maintenance
Domenick Deutsch
Domenick serves in Facilities and Maintenance at PWCA, overseeing building upkeep, safety systems, and daily operations. He previously spent the majority of his professional career in the CPG and retail industry with companies such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and JTI. Outside of work, he enjoys endurance events—including ultra marathons—spending time outdoors, and making memories with his kids. He is encouraged by Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.
SRO
JAMES SECREET
A graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command has 40 years in law enforcement experience. Serving 15 years as the Chief of Police in Scott Township. SRO Secreet has been a two-time recipient of a Senator John Heinz Law Enforcement Award recognizing outstanding police service during an incident. He lives by his favorite bible verse, Mark 9:23, “All things are possible for those who have faith”.
Shape Your Child’s Future with Purpose
Through a Christ-centered education rooted in timeless methods, your child will discover the joy of learning, develop strong character, and gain the wisdom needed to navigate life with purpose and integrity.