My name is Tess Ackroyd Jordan (she/they). I’ve been attending CHEC since I was little, and making art for even longer. I’ve always had a passion for combining drawing and writing with all kinds of animals and fictional creatures. I’m hoping to help kids find out how to express their creativity, and to foster the same love of art that I’ve always had. (P.S. I also have lots of experience playing video games, raising kittens, and formerly being a baby.)

Meredith Ackroyd is a poet, artist, and mother of two kids, who she has been homeschooling for the past 12 years.  She has a MFA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University and a BA in English from the College of William and Mary, and she has also studied ceramics and taken classes in both English and Art education.  Meredith writes poetry for both adults and children, mostly in the field of contemporary English-language haiku, and her work has been published widely in poetry journals.  She loves to read, write poetry, make art, garden, and take walks in nature, and she’s looking forward to sharing and exploring these interests with her students at CHEC.

My name is Devric Ahlman and I  am currently a student at VCU pursuing a degree in Political Science. I began taking college courses while still in high school and graduated with a 4.6 weighted GPA while maintaining straight A's throughout my academic career. As the oldest of four siblings, I've spent much of my life helping care for and mentor younger children, which has helped me develop patience, responsibility, and strong communication skills. My family has also been involved with CHEC for a bit now, giving me familiarity with its community and values. I look forward to creating a positive, engaging, and supportive learning environment for students.

I’m Joy Ahlman, mom to Devric (17), River (15), Kelvin (11), and Ender (9). We have always homeschooled. I have a degree in K12 education and my husband was homeschooled, so it was an easy decision for us. I have started co-ops in other places that we have lived and was so happy to find CHEC in this move so I didn’t have to start another one! I always love teaching as well as encouraging others in their homeschool journey!

My name is Erica Barga, and I have been teaching kids and adults in many forms of movement since 2002.  I started at The Little Gym, then moved to teaching social dance and finally Aerial dance.  As a child, my focus was classically focused (ballet, jazz, tap, and modern). I then studied at East Carolina University, where I earned my BFA in Dance Performance in 2023.  I opened The Phoenix Dance Studio in 2012, where we teach adults and kids to transform while taking flight with us.  I love seeing my students grow though this art; helping them push through their insecurities and their perceived limitations as I show them that yes, this is hard AND you CAN do hard things!  I like to balance the hard work in the class with some fun and self expression.  We are helping to foster students who aren't afraid to try new things, to mess up and thus to grow! I have two high energy boys of my own, ages 6 and 9 and we have a 6 month old cat, Ce Ce.  The kids in my classes will tell you that while I push hard to get you to "point your toes!!" I also have a silly side, and will ham it up with my students any time the opportunity arises. 

I'm Stephanie Berry, my BS is in Human Services and I am currently attending UVA for a Master's in Education - Higher Education. I spent 20 years in the Air Force and retired in 2024. I spent most of my career teaching others, I love it! I also have a certificate in American Sign Language. I love teaching others about ASL and Deaf Culture. 

Lain Bowman is a teacher and the Head of Operations at Blue Ridge Boost, and a 2024 UVA grad, where they double majored in Physics and Computer Science. At Blue Ridge Boost, Lain teaches physics, math, computer coding, robotics, and video game development. They love video games (especially Minecraft!), drawing/animating, and playing with their young kid-siblings: 10 year old Tenley, and 7 year old twins Ada and Connor!

Gwen Bright is a full time apprentice midwife and homeschool mom. She has worked for McSweeney's Publishing and SQUAT Birth Journal previously, and has been writing for pleasure and publication for many years. Other than birthwork and poetry, Gwen's other favorite projects to cultivate are her garden and community.

Becky Calvert is a culinary educator and writer, which she uses to justify her large collection of mostly older cookbooks. She has focused on teaching kids to cook for a dozen years at several area schools and programs. She uses the same approach to her class menus as she does for her family: seasonal, mostly healthy with a few treats thrown in for variety. Her favorite foods are pizza and totchos.

Hello! I am Carol Greene, Flora/Fauna's mom. I graduated from VCU with a BFA concentration in textiles. I have been a substitute teacher and volunteered as a classroom assistant. I taught handicrafts, nature study and Plutarch at a Charlotte Mason inspired co-op. I am a compulsive crafter and find joy in our homemade life. I love that learning can be approached from a place of curiosity and guided exploration. Nature always plays a part in our homeschooling and our lives.  In my spare time I love hanging out with our chickens! I also love hot tea and reading books and sewing and baking and most of all I love learning! 

Fun facts! Pets I have had include: lots of cats, dogs, guinea pigs, lots of ferrets, mice, hamsters, hermit crabs, fish, rabbits, and a pet Tarantula named "Ye Ole Sticky Feet". My daughter and I love watching the Great British Bake-off and Bob Ross Painting!

I'm Katie Harper and I love finding the joy in learning and helping kids explore new ideas while spending time with friends at CHEC. I have a master’s degree in teaching and have taught in many local private and public schools in everything from preschool to middle school classrooms. I welcome all kinds of learners and believe everyone brings something special to our group. When I’m not teaching, I love going on long hikes in the woods with my two german shepherds, Balto and Zuzu. A fun fact about me is that I have 9 chickens and my favorite one is a tiny chicken named Masha. I am also a homeschool parent to an 11th grader! 

Hey friends, I'm Melissa Kirkpatrick.  In addition to being the CHEC Registrar, I'm also a CHEC teacher!  I have taught all ages and have found myself really drawn to the 5-7 age group, although my favorite class to teach so far has been Insect and Butterfly Taxidermy with the teenagers!  I'm a firm believer in controlled chaos and brain breaks for kiddos, as well as setting achievable expectations.  Almost all of my classes will get some amount of homework, aimed to be something the kids will enjoy and WANT to do.  Fun fact:  I can sing the alphabet backwards

Hello, I’m Cameron Steege, and my pronouns are he/they. I am new as a teacher, but I have been attending CHEC as a student for a couple of years prior. I’m somewhat known in the community for my masks and costumes, but I dabble in all kinds of crafting and art, animation being my favorite! In class, I do my best to host a fun, creative, and welcoming space where students can express their unique artistic visions, and every student's voice is heard and respected. Two fun facts about me are that I am secretly a strange assortment of creatures disguised as a human, and me and a team created a short animated film about cats that was the winner of the 2025 Youth Film Festival Audience Award!

Hello, my name is Louis (with a silent s) Torkornoo, your friendly neighborhood Renaissance man. I've been blessed to work with children for 27 yrs, from academics (mostly math) to musical instruments (5 of them), from coaching soccer to teaching karate, from summer camp counseling to Sunday school, from creative writing/poetry to college advisory, and from local volunteering to international missionary work.  I'm a life long learner and a life long teacher and I'm fortunate to be part of your CHEC learning development team. 

I'm Shannon Weiner, homeschool mom of 14 years.  You can usually find me falling down a rabbit hole of one sort or another.  I have a BS in engineering from Harvey Mudd College, and I love figuring how things work and fit together, then explaining them to others.  From nutrition and crafting to neuroscience and homesteading, I can't seem to stop getting excited about new ideas!

I'm Cara Leigh Williams and I have been in and around education for over 20 years now! I've homeschooled my children for the last 12 years and graduated my oldest last year who is now attending Longwood University. I worked in special education, specifically with autistic and adhd populations and in public and private school settings. In 2020, I started and ran a homeschool co-op in Northern Virginia before moving to Charlottesville 3 years ago. I'm loving being a part of this CHEC community!