Meet the TLA Team

Allan has devoted his working life to education, having spent the first 25 years of his career in the public school system, and since 1991 as founder and principal of the Traditional Learning Academy. An advocate for the family, he strives to ensure that parents have access to a wide range of options for educating their children.

He and his late wife, Moira, raised five sons. He cherishes his five granddaughters and two grandsons. Those of school age are learning in the home setting, and already the older ones are at college. In 2010, he remarried, Teresa, and knows that retirement and travel are not too far off. In the meantime, he still spends most of his working day overseeing the incredible opportunities for students at TLA (main school, online and homeschooling).

Allan has presented several practical seminars for parents at conferences, many of which have assisted homeschooling parents to plan and teach their own children. He manages to take educational “jargon” and put it into plain English, while assuring parents they can offer a quality program for their children.

Gabe takes great joy in spending time with and supporting TLA families on their educational journeys. He joined TLA in 2006, and after several rewarding years of serving as an online teacher, took on the position of Vice-Principal in 2011, moving on to become Principal in October 2015. He is humbled to be serving as leader of such a dedicated and professional staff, and feels abundantly blessed to be an educator in a unique and wonderful community of students and families.

Gabe enjoys collaborating with other Independent Online School principals, and acting as an advocate for Independent School education in British Columbia. In October 2017 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Federation of Independent Schools Association (FISA) as an Associate Member Society of FISA (AMS) director. He currently serves as the AMS representative on the FISA iGroup that supports MyEdBC usage in independent schools, and leads FISA’s Online School committee.

An active member of Holy Family Parish in Vancouver, he loves spending any spare time with his family, playing basketball, and reading.

Mary-Anne VanderHorst lives in Langley with her husband Burke (who is also a teacher) and their four children.

Mary-Anne earned her BBA from TWU and her BEd from UBC. She first taught for 4.5 years in an independent Christian school in Langley and then joined the TLA team in 2008. She is thrilled to be leading the Grad Program as Vice Principal.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, running and playing soccer.

Steve has taught in Christian schools in Richmond, White Rock and Comox; he has homeschooled his own children at different times; and he firmly believes in the rights and responsibilities of the family to help govern the educational process.

Steve believes that an education is very important for every individual, and an individualized education promises more success than a cookie-cutter education. Schooling should fit into life rather than fitting life around schooling, and absolutes only apply to the Divine. Success can be measured more accurately by looking at one’s joy and contentment than at one’s bank account or trophy cabinet.

Steve hopes to succeed in providing good service that meets people’s needs and encourages them to enjoy all that the Good Lord brings our way. No better example of joy and contentment exists than the life of Jesus, for he knows his Father can handle things just fine.

Merissa Ang lives in Vancouver with her husband Mark and their two children, Abigail and James. She enjoys reading, sewing, kayaking and spending time in nature with her family. Merissa holds a B.A degree in Geography and Biology and a B.Ed degree specializing in high school education from Trinity Western University.

Merissa taught high school in the lower mainland before moving to a rural First Nations community (2011-2016) where she taught students in grades 2-11 in multi-grade homeroom classes at the local community school. In 2017 she returned to the Lower Mainland and began working as an LSS teacher with TLA.

Michelle loves working for TLA as a home teacher and Assistant K-9 Vice Principal as it allows her to combine her passions – helping families be successful in their educational endeavors through support and encouragement, and having flexibility to travel and work from wherever life takes her.

Michelle lives in beautiful Armstrong, B.C., where she had the opportunity to raise her three lovely girls. Though she started her career in Alberta, teaching in a private school for 5 years, she has enjoyed working at TLA for well over a decade.

Learning how to navigate an “empty nest”, e-biking, travelling, reading, and sipping a good cup of coffee are all ways she loves to fill her time not spent working with families as they educate from home.

Emily resides in Langley, B.C. with her husband Adam and her two sons Lucas and Samuel. She joined the TLA team in 2008 and appreciates the flexibility her career offers to raise her boys at home. She enjoys working with DL families, helping to meet the unique needs of each child.

Emily and her husband spent their first year of marriage in Korea, coordinating and instructing English Language training programs for teachers. After returning home, Emily taught Learning Assistance and ESL in elementary and middle schools in the Abbotsford and Langley school districts.

In her spare time she enjoys gardening with her boys, adventuring in the local outdoors with her family, reading a good book, and enjoying a hot coffee with a good friend.

Since lining up dolls in her play classroom, teaching has been Judith’s passion. Judith is a BC-certified teacher who has taught both primary and intermediate grades in the independent schools, home schooled her own eight children, and worked as a home teacher for a number of years.

Presently Judith works with online students in the humanities area as she encourages interactive opportunities among students and connects learning to the real world. Being part of online learning in the twenty-first century is an exciting challenge for Judith.

She lives in her hometown New Westminster with her Dutch-born husband, still homeschools her youngest, and gardens her unusual ravine plot.

AmandaEve holds Bachelor degrees in Music and Biblical Scholarship from Rocky Mountain College (Calgary), a Masters of Applied Linguistics from Charles Darwin University (Darwin AUS) and became a BC certified teacher in 2018.

She has taught at Long & McQuade (Abbotsford), Harmony Music School (Calgary), Encore Music Studio (Calgary), Providence College (Otterburne MB), Rocky Mountain College (Calgary), Ziegfeld School of Dance (Winnipeg), Doreen Bissett School of Dance (Winnipeg) and also worked as a Teaching Assistant at CanIL @ Trinity Western University (Langley). She has extensive experience with children’s programming in church and camp settings.

Musically, she has enjoyed performing with various choral and instrumental ensembles across Canada and the USA. She has also been involved in choral composition, arranging, and directing in various contexts.

Her approach to education is to learn through play, topics of interest, exploring the world, and for each child to grow based on their level of ability. She believes strongly in the flexibility home education offers to families and is honoured to be part of helping other families achieve their goals.

She is navigating the diversity of LSS from both sides of the coin because autism is also part of her daily family life.

Amy Jones lives in Cloverdale with her husband, Marty, and her 3 children, Judah, Myah and Joshua. She and her husband are also foster parents.

Amy graduated from university with her Bachelor of Education in 1998 and specializes in teaching French as a second language. She is currently part of the K-9 Home Program serving families in the Lower Mainland.

Amy loves spending time with her children, going to sporting events, visiting family and friends and working on the odd DIY project. She is very thankful to be a part of the TLA team.

A desire to help children reach their potential is what drew Charles to education. He enjoyed working in various Christian schools throughout the Lower Mainland.

Previous to that he worked supporting adults with physical and mental challenges in the community. After graduating from Simon Fraser University, he went on to complete a master’s degree in education at the University of British Columbia.

He and his wife Nicole (also an educator) live in White Rock, where they spend their time adding to their substantial film collection or taking photographs of family members.

Chris has worked with TLA before in 2003-2005 as a DL teacher before moving to Kelowna where he continued his work in Distance Learning, classroom teaching, curriculum development, career planning for high school students, and even dabbled in administration work and was excited to return to the DL environment.

Before working at TLA, Chris taught grades six and seven before moving into teaching a variety of humanities courses in high school. Chris enjoys working with the TLA program, and assisting families as they meet the challenge of educating their children by blending the British Columbia’s curriculum into their home environment and online education.

Chris lives in Kelowna with his wife Karen. They have 4 grown children.

Deanna earned a Science degree with a major in Math. Since then, she has enjoyed passing along her love for math to her students. She has been teaching Math and other subjects for over 8 years, and continues to enjoy the challenges it brings. Her goal is to work with students in collaboration with their parents as they tackle the later years of high school mathematics.

In her spare time, she is an avid volleyball and tennis player, and enjoys reading a good book, although spare time is not easy to come by with four children in her home. She thoroughly enjoys the time she gets to spend with them every day.

Debi has worked as a classroom teacher for 35 years in the public school system. She taught K-2 in the classroom and was a learning assistance teacher for students in K-7. Debi has also worked privately on teams supporting children with autism.

She graduated from SFU with a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies and then completed the PDP program with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and Learning Disabilities. Debi has also completed a diploma in Law Education at UBC.

Currently, she is very happy to work at TLA with families of students with special needs! She enjoys travelling, sailing, running, yoga, reading and spending time with her friends and family.

Erin joined TLA in 2011 after teaching at two other distributed learning schools as well as in the classroom. Originally from Victoria, she moved to Prince George after she graduated from the teaching program at the University of Victoria. After five years in the north, she moved back to Victoria in 2013, closer to family and the west coast life she loves.

Erin is passionate about empowering families to be successful in their home education journey. She enjoys sharing her ideas and creating connections with students and parents. She has worked in a variety of different roles including as Online, Home and Blended teacher. In 2018 she transitioned to Learning Assistance and is now the coordinator for this aspect of student’s learning in K-9.

Erin derives her approach from a variety of research, professional development and experts such as Dr Ross Greene, Dianne Craft, Sir Ken Robinson and others. “I believe in Dr Ross Greene’s idea that children want to do well and they will do well when they can. It’s important to listen to what our children are telling us through their behaviour and words so that we can frame realistic and achievable goals for them.”

Gareth Howell is a Math teacher living in Kamloops, BC. He has taught in the Kamloops district for many years, teaching everything from Math 7 to AP Calculus and has been tutoring math for over 12 years.

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Arlee, and his 2 children, Ephraim and Nathan. He enjoys playing piano, drums, and ukulele and writes a lot of music at home.

He has a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Mathematics from Thompson Rivers University, and a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Secondary Math Education from Simon Fraser University.

Heidi joined the TLA staff in the fall of 2010, and is currently the Grad Adapted Program coordinator. She feels very blessed to have the opportunity to work from home and continue teaching.

Heidi lives in Langley with her husband, Ryan, and her two sons, Braeden and Nathan. In her spare time Heidi enjoys visiting with family and friends and spending a great deal of time outdoors.

Jaime is a veteran homeschool mom of three beautiful children – Lily, Gabriel, and John – who brings a love of home education to her role as DL teacher.

Having received a Bachelor’s degree in history and music from Trinity Western University, Jaime returned to school later in life to enhance her education skills by attaining a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia.

Jaime loves exploring the innovative educational opportunities that are enabled by blending online learning with homeschooling. In addition to a love of learning, she enjoys reading, music performance, directing her church choir, and the art of homemaking.

Jessica Kotanen lives in Mission, BC with her husband Jonny and daughters Olive, Fern, and Juniper. She has worked as a Home Teacher for TLA since 2012. Jessica was raised traditionally homeschooled through her elementary years, and although she obtained her teaching degree with the goal of being a public school teacher, her heart was eventually drawn back to the world of homeschooling as something she deeply believes in and loves.

Jessica particularly enjoys working alongside enthusiastic families of young children who are new to DL.

Kim Thomas is a Humanities teacher living in Vancouver, BC. She graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a degree in Sociology, Geography, and History. She received a Bachelor of Education from UBC in 2012 and has been working with TLA ever since.

As a teacher, Kim is passionate about connecting with students and families to form meaningful relationships. Her ultimate goal is to instill a lifelong passion for learning in her students.

Although she grew up in Langley, Kim now loves living in Vancouver so that her husband, an animator in the film industry, can be close to work. Working for TLA online means that she can work from their small city apartment with her two young children, Lucy and Jack. In her spare time, Kim enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies, and going on sweet adventures!

After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Maureen worked in the Catholic school system for two years before starting her own family. Since then, life has been an exciting and rewarding adventure of learning along with her nine children whom she has home-schooled “since the beginning”. Learning is an adventure that begins with birth and never ends!

Maureen was a member of the TLA community as a parent for many years before joining the K-9 Staff as a Home Teacher in 2013. She feels privileged to assist other families in their own homeschooling journey while still homeschooling her youngest child.

Maureen lives in Burnaby where she is a member of St. Michael’s parish. She finds her Catholic faith central to all aspects of her life. In her spare time Maureen is an avid gardener, loves music, playing board games, sewing, and spending time with her husband and their children.

Megan Mackenzie is an actor, director, writer, teacher and all around lover of the arts. She holds her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing and Theatre from the University of the Fraser Valley and her Bachelor of Education with a minor in Secondary Teaching from Simon Fraser University.

Megan had the pleasure of teaching within the Abbotsford School District before making the shift to DL Education. Megan worked three years in the Blended Program at TLA teaching Humanities and Drama before taking a leave of absence to work on a passion project: writing her first novel! Now that the novel is almost complete, Megan is thrilled to be back with TLA, this time working within the wonderful LSS Department.

Megan fills her limited spare time reading, writing, creating, travelling, dreaming and baking all kinds of desserts … which she tries not to eat … but always does, anyway.

Peggy joined TLA in 2008. She enjoys seeing students develop to their full potential in their home setting with the ultimate goal of a lifelong joy of learning. Peggy loves working with the limitless resources in curriculum and studying techniques and learning alongside her families.

Peggy’s interests includes sailing, kayaking, and enjoying numerous outdoor activities in beautiful British Columbia.

PJ is an avid outdoorsman. He has been an educator/administrator for over 28 years in public, First Nations, and Christian Schools.

In his spare time PJ enjoys soapstone sculpting and painting houses. He has two grown children and resides in Kamloops.

Island raised, LSS Teacher Sarah Stolz and her young daughter Emily live in Victoria, B.C. Sarah joined the TLA team in July 2014 and is thoroughly excited to be working with families to ensure their child’s program is as individual and unique as they are.

Sarah’s interest in family focused education comes naturally from her background which includes 10 years as a nanny, behavioral interventionist, respite worker, summer camp leader, and educational assistant. She completed her BA in Psychology and Business early in 2010 and finished her Bachelor of Education (K-12) with an emphasis on Special Education later that fall.

Communicating regularly with families is one of the things Sarah enjoys most about her position with TLA. In person visits to the home or extracurricular activities, home videos of learning experiences, email and skype sessions are ways in which Sarah is able to really connect with the students. Phone calls, emails and online document sharing allow Sarah to communicate effectively with parents and educational team members weekly.

Suzanne was a high school Social Studies teacher in Richmond before homeschooling her two girls, Mary and Abigail from K-12. She is passionate about Canadian history and encouraging teens to be proud, responsible Canadians. Suzanne has a BA in History from TWU, and studied for a term at Oxford. She is excited to be sharing her love of history and investing in the lives of our TLA teens.

Always on a hunt for great historical moments, Suzanne has dragged her husband Jason around the globe since 1993, enjoying many amazing adventures together. When trips are not in the cards, then kayaking, quilting, and spending time with family are her favourites.

Alison has been with TLA since March 2014, and currently works as the LSS financial administrator.

She lives in Surrey with her husband, Murray, and their three boys, Nathan, Daniel & Joshua. In her “spare” time, you will find her reading, making cards and spending time with friends.

Sarah was born in Vancouver, and grew up on a hobby farm in Surrey with her 6 siblings who were all homeschooled. There she maintained a large menagerie from hamsters to horses, and ran a few small businesses including a horse riding school.

She went on to work with a renowned dressage coach, training horses and students and became the Riding Director for Intervarsity’s horse camp in Harrison Mills, BC.

She married Edward Hewlett, the tech guy, and moved to New York for three years, where she earned certification as a Birth Doula with Doulas of North America, and started her rewarding passion of helping mothers enjoy satisfying birth experiences.

While working on her Bachelors in Business Administration at Kwantlen University, she studied business and French culture in Paris for 6 months as well as backpacking around Europe with her 3 home-schooled children who were 11, 7, and 4 at the time.

Sarah has been a homeschooling mom and TLA parent for over 10 years, and is thrilled to be part of the TLA team.

Jacqueline has been with TLA since August 2017 as the bookkeeper and is super happy to have found such amazing people to work with!

Jacqueline lives in Langley with her husband Brian and son Barry. Her interests are supporting Barry in his Ukulele Ensemble activities, camping, golf, gardening, shopping, scrapbooking, and spending time with her large extended family, AKA the Hessels Clan.

Jacqueline is a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Langley where she has been an RCIA team member since 2005.

Caitlin started working at TLA in November 2013 as part time help, and later happily accepted a position as an office assistant. She currently enjoys answering questions, troubleshooting, and working in the Student Records department.

Caitlin was homeschooled from K-12 and wouldn’t have had it any other way! Being homeschooled allowed her to pursue her interests, including sports, photography, and piano. She loves the ocean, reading, travelling, and her truly fantastic coworkers.

Esther has been with TLA since June 2013. Some of her favourite parts of the job are keeping student records organized and talking with people on the phone.

Esther loves to spend quality time with her family and friends, and during her free time you will find her either hiking, running, going outside to the ocean, or enjoying a cup of coffee!

Alisha Deddens is an installation artist currently living and working in the Vernon area. She also works with a range of other media including painting, drawing, sculpture, video and sound.

In 2014, Alisha graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Fraser Valley. She has been involved in several juried group shows, installations, murals and community engagement pieces including Buy One Get None: Conformity, Consumerism and The Collective Voice, exhibited at The Reach Gallery Museum and the 2015 Fraser Valley Biennale. Alisha was recognized at the 2015 Abbotsford Arty Awards and won the Christine Caldwell Arts Advocate Award.

Alisha’s projects often focus on specific themes including her personal experience with epilepsy, the fear of losing control, and the fragility of self. She has had the opportunity to teach and engage with students in various workshops and classes, sharing her knowledge of and passion for the arts.

Cara Lee lives in Mission with her husband, David and her three amazing children, David, Connor, and Emily.

Cara Lee has been working with TLA families since 2002 as a DL teacher for students living in Maple Ridge and Port Coquitlam.

David had a long history of teaching in the Independent school system before transitioning into the role of pastor of a church in Maple Ridge. As life often goes, he has come full-circle back to teaching at TLA while continuing to pastor.

David married Cara Lee in 1994 and 5 addresses, 3 kids, and a dog later – they’re still going strong!

David Depner was born and raised in the Lower Mainland. Before coming to TLA, David was in the property management industry where he was Accounting Manager and Controller for a few local property management companies. His beautiful wife Christine is also in the property management world as a strata manager.

He is a typical bean counter, stickler for the rules, quotes accounting principles and CRA, but don’t let that cloud your image of him. Outside of work he enjoys skiing with Christine and their two children, Cameron and Elizabeth, on the many ski mountains in BC.

He is also known to tell a few fishing stories so don’t get him started.

Jen lives in Fort St. James with her husband Steve and four children. Her homeschool journey began in 2008 with the entry of her eldest, Aidan, into kindergarten. Having taught English at high school prior to having children, she was excited to start her journey as a support teacher. Connecting parents and combating isolation are two ways that Jen helps improve the experience of homeschooling for Northern families.

In her “free” time, Jen loves to scrapbook, play with clay, and spend time outside with her family. Summer is one of her favourite times as she gets to spend it at Echo Lake Bible Camp, which her husband directs.

Jennifer Boessenkool is a high school Math and Science teacher living in Port Moody, BC. She has recently taught in the Calgary School Board in math and science, in addition to being a “city champion” basketball coach.

She enjoys spending time with her husband, Derek, and her children Alexienna – born in Sept. 2008, and Levi – born Oct. 2011. She enjoys going for walks with her dog Nash, swimming, hiking, and reading.

Jenn holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. She also spent time living and teaching in the UK.

Jessica Ens joined the TLA team in 2013 as a Home Teacher and enjoys helping TLA families find the flexibility they need to meet their educational goals for their children.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Education from Simon Fraser University, and has taught in both independent and public schools.

Having grown up in Northern BC and lived on Vancouver Island and in Surrey, Jessica now resides in Kamloops with her husband and three adorable children. She likes coffee, knitting, public libraries, her vegetable garden and writing letters.

Kara lives in Smithers, BC with her husband James (who is also a teacher) and their three young children. Kara has been working as a Home Teacher with TLA for many years and appreciates being able to stay at home with her children while working with families to pursue an excellent education for their children.

Kara enjoys cross country skiing, and the family built a skating rink in the backyard. Kara looks forward to summers and spending time at the lake camping with family and friends.

Pauline and her family live in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. She has been involved with TLA for over 15 years as a homeschooling parent, and on the ‘other side’ as a Home Teacher. Pauline’s real passion is for close and healthy families, as well as for fostering the opportunities homeschooling offers for students to develop their own unique gifts and interests in the way that best works for them. Pauline has experienced these benefits through the homeschooling of her own children, and her goal is to be an encouragement and support to other families.

Prior to receiving her Education degree, Pauline had a B.A. in Psychology as well as her Early Childhood Education Certificate and her Montessori teachers diploma.

During her spare time Pauline enjoys the outdoors, hiking, reading, and painting. She continues to develop her family’s property into a fruitful endeavour.

Libby Voth lives in Abbotsford with her husband and two children.

Originally from the UK, Libby earned her BA from the University of Stirling. Several years later, she took the teacher education course at SFU part time while working as an EA with special needs students. She taught for 6 years in an independent Christian school in Abbotsford before joining the TLA team in 2017. She is passionate about connecting with students and is excited to be part of facilitating their learning and growth.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, taking photographs, and drinking chai.

Joyce Froese is a high school Math and Science teacher. She has considerable experience teaching Math and Science at all levels, as well as teaching students with various challenges.

She enjoys exploring, creating, growing and learning.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia.

It was the joy of helping other students in his computer class in high school that convinced Edward that he might enjoy teaching – enjoying computers was a given.

Edward obtained his BA in History and his BEd in SS-History from UBC, spent time in Japan and New York, then returned to the Lower Mainland with his family.

In his first year at TLA, Edward served as the school’s English and Social Studies Specialist, Grad Coordinator, and Tech Guy. As TLA has grown and others have stepped in to take over some of those roles, Edward has been blessed with the opportunity to focus once again on one of his first loves: helping others utilize computers!

Kyler is a graduate from the University of Regina where he received his Masters of Science in Mathematics. Since his time in Regina, he has pursued a course of self study relating to web development. He is now employed in the tech department at TLA where he assists people with tech related questions and helps improve the TLA web services.

In his spare time, you can find him shooting hoops up the street at the local school, or playing mind bending puzzle games such as Portal or Antichamber.

Richard is a graduate from the University of the Fraser Valley with a degree in Computer Information Systems. With a love of Linux, it is not uncommon to see him in front of a desk with a Linux computer or server.

Rita has been a part of the TLA community for over a decade as a homeschooling parent. She has dedicated her life to educating students, from her own three children as well as other children, in a variety of settings. In addition to homeschooling, she worked as an Education Assistant in the Catholic school system and as a volunteer catechist at her parish. Her own passion for learning fueled her desire in nurturing and teaching her own children, with the goal of imparting a life-long love of learning and with the idea that learning can take place anywhere.

Prior to having children, Rita taught university-level students as a Teaching Fellow while pursuing her graduate studies in Economics in the United States. She was excited to come back to TLA, this time as a Blended Teacher, entering a new chapter in her life.

When she’s not busy with all her commitments, Rita enjoys the outdoors with her husband and children, kayaking, hiking, and camping.

Darren enjoys quiet time, walking somewhere/anywhere and sitting under the clouds and trees next to water.

Darren relishes time at home playing intensely with his kids. He loves his wife’s hugs, his eldest’s ideas, his middle one’s playfulness and his youngest’s eyes.

He appreciates competition, the predictability and unpredictability of sport, the life illustrations found in chess and the making something out of nothing in the game of backgammon.

He’s amazed at the fingerprints of God throughout nature and is humbled by the voice of Yahweh on the Page and in his heart, learning His ways are perfect and his aren’t, the precious gift of repentance and a broken heart.

Darren is thrilled by learning about history and that Solomon was right, the alphabetical symbols and all their permutations of combinations of meaning and playing board games with friends.

And yes, he salivates over wholesome-rich-thick-nutritious-tasty-mmmm toxic-and-gmo-free grown yourself food, as well as savouring three shot espressos in the morning.

Finally, he anticipates “the-lights-came-on” look in the eyes of his students and the search for truth, working in a professional field where what he does makes families stronger and children more confident and creative.

Annette grew up, and still lives, in the Langley area. Our family has been a part of the TLA community since 1999 when we started homeschooling the eldest of our five children. All 5 of our children graduated from TLA.

My teaching adventures include a B.Ed. from UBC and a diploma in Christian Studies from ACTS, in Langley. Most of my teaching experience has been as a Christian-school teacher in Colombia, South America, and in British Columbia. I’ve also been a teacher-support for DL students and a tutor.

I live in Maple Ridge and enjoy music, gardening, reading, being outdoors, and volunteering at a local animal rescue. And when football season starts, out come the Seattle Seahawks and BC Lions jerseys.

Wendy Levasseur first earned a bachelor of Outdoor Education at University of Alberta, then an Education Degree at the University of Calgary. For ten rewarding years, Wendy taught at a First Nations public school near Grande Cache, Alberta. During those years, her and her wonderful husband Marc received their life’s greatest gifts, three beautiful children; Kail, Maelle and Talie-Anouk.

In 2012 the family followed a life dream and moved to a hobby farm near Dawson Creek. It quickly began to remarkably look like Noah’s ark with two every kind of farm animal.

On the farm they also started the adventure of home-learning. They are grateful for this opportunity to understand their kids hearts and gifts. Wendy so appreciates this time and loves supporting other home-learning families.

Most importantly Wendy is grateful for Jesus’s kind and enduring love. For His forgiveness and gentleness in early morning hours, gently guiding her and moulding her spirit to be more like His own.

Fabien was a special education teacher for almost ten years before joining TLA in 2019. He has had experience in both Alberta and British Columbia’s public school system where he taught Kindergarten-Grade 12 classes. He also had his first experience teaching homeschooling in Alberta where he worked with many families developing school plans for their kids.

Fabien is excited to help families with the rewarding work of educating their children in a home setting and is excited to share his learning passion with parents. He is an avid traveler and loves to play and coach basketball. Seeing Christ in Everyone – I enjoy all my students for who they are, as they are made in God’s image.

Mary lives in North Delta with her husband Edward and two homeschooled children. Her journey with homeschooling started in 2012 when her oldest, Alice, started Kindergarten. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and having taught Science and French at BC high schools prior to having children, she was excited to start her journey as a teacher parent.

When not teaching or homeschooling, Mary likes trying new recipes, reading books, and having nature walks with her family.

Born into a French speaking family, Michelle grew up in Toronto and Gatineau, Quebec. Though she attended English schools French was spoken in the home, therefore, she is fluent in both languages.
Michelle moved to Fort McMurray, AB in 1979 where she worked on her E.C.E. certificate and was employed as an EA for 5 years. She then attended Northwest Baptist Theological College in Vancouver from 1984-88, earning her BRE with a major in Music. During this time she met this guy, Geoff, and earned her MRS. ‘degree’ when she married him in June 1988.  It was also during her time at college she first heard & became intrigued with the idea of home-schooling.
Michelle spent 8 years as an EA in the Surrey School District before leaving work to homeschool. She & Geoff have enjoyed homeschooling all 6 of their kids. When they registered their oldest in 1997, TLA was just a couple of portables in Delta with no teachers! How we have grown!!
In 2012 Michelle joined the staff of TLA. She has enjoyed several roles during her 8 years here. She is thrilled to be working with the French students and is passionate about helping them learn a second language.

Originally born in Washington State but raised in Canada, Sandy married her husband Don in 1993 and now lives in the Okanagan. They have 4 grown children whom they homeschooled for most of their education.

When Sandy is not working online, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking, kayaking, or doing some landscaping work. She also enjoys doing home improvement projects, sewing, and baking. However, the most important part of her life is continually learning about her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and studying His Word.

Joanne has been a part of the TLA LSS teaching team since 2008. She has been extremely blessed learning from her talented colleagues and working with students and families to create and implement educational plans that cater to their individual strengths and needs.

She studied English and History in her undergrad years and then completed her Bachelor of Education in Secondary English and Socials Studies. She has always known that her passion was in educating special needs children, and so she continued on and received a post-graduate diploma in Special Education at UBC. She has taught a range of students, from kindergarten to grade 12, in both the public and private education systems.

In her spare time, Joanne loves to laugh, relax and read, and simply be with her family and friends.

Gen resides in Surrey, BC with her husband, Joe, and two children, Jacqui (age 3) and Walter (age 1). She joined the TLA team in 2019 and loves the flexibility of DL teaching, allowing for the perfect work—life balance. Gen has taught grades 1-8 and specializes in learning support services. In the past, Gen has worked as a teacher in both the Burnaby School District and in Manitoba, as well as a behaviour interventionist, educational assistant, and personal trainer.

Gen’s philosophy of teaching encompasses the ideas that each student is unique, special, and valuable and believes in assisting families to discover what makes their children special, and thereby empower them with the confidence needed to maximize their potential. Gen loves working together with families to brainstorm new resources that may help a student reach his/her goals and/or work at an accelerated rate to improve on skills which may have been overlooked in the past. Gen’s expertise lies in identifying and making the adaptations needed for each individual to develop a sense of autonomy, belonging, and competency they need in order to access their talents and share them with the world.

Gen loves music in all forms and can play multiple instruments. Exercise and nutrition are a big part of her life, but Gen loves to cook and bake as well (and eat!). During down time, Gen can often be found in the kitchen making a chocolate dessert with her daughter, playing with her kids and dog at the park, at the Library, or on an adventure to the Zoo.

Sharon has been teaching since 2008 at an Independent school in Richmond.  She completed her BA and BEd at UBC.  She lives in Burnaby with her husband, three children and their cat.

She has a passion for play, child-led learning and social-emotional education.  She loves to see students light up when they discover new things, express creativity and solve problems.  She is fascinated by human diversity and how individual capabilities are distinct and amazing.

In her spare time, she enjoys coffee, crochet, nurturing relationships, and being outdoors.

Andrea lives in Cloverdale with her husband and four children, Kate, Marie, Kyle and Ryan, and a budgie named Perri. Andrea grew up near Winnipeg, Manitoba. She attended Providence Bible College, where she enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball and where she decided to change her career from Youth ministry to Education.  After marrying her husband Russ, she attended UBC and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Bachelor of Education. She taught at a private Christian school in Vancouver until Russ was elected a Member of Parliament (2004-2015) and her first child was born.  For so many reasons, homeschooling became the best option for their family.  She continues to homeschool while being a Home Learning Support Teacher with TLA.  Along with Russ, she serves on the board of the Home School Legal Defense Association of Canada.

Having been classroom teacher and a homeschool parent in a busy household, Andrea knows the challenges parents face when wanting to lead their children into life long learning.  She believes that parents are the first and best educators of their children and is excited to help support them in that role.

Andrea’s ideal day involves books, coffee and a kid or more cuddled up and reading.  Her family can often be found having some hiking adventure somewhere in the Lower Mainland or enjoying a good book or movie together.

My name is Laura Alguire and I grew up on the Eastshore of Kootenay Lake. I currently spend most of my time between Cranbrook BC and my family’s home in Riondel.

I received my Bachelor of Education Degree through UVIC (via Cranbrook campus) in 2014 and since then most of my teaching experience has been in independent schools in Cranbrook and Nelson.

Most recently I taught music at the Nelson Waldorf school and before that, spent two years in a ministry school in Redding, Califonia where I traveled on missions trips to South Africa, Swaziland & Zimbabwe.

I enjoy exploring the great outdoors, hiking, biking, golfing,  paddle boarding, snowboarding, and gardening. Basically, anything that gets me outside.

I am excited about my new role as a Home Teacher because I hope to create deeper connections with families while providing the support and encouragement they need to be successful and thrive through their journey in education.

Joelene has worked as a distributed learning teacher for 4 years before joining TLA in 2020.  She feels extremely blessed to become part of such a dedicated and knowledgeable team at TLA.  She loves working with families to design educational plans that inspire a passion for learning.

She completed her Bachelor of Education at UVic and her Masters of Educational Practice at SFU.  She has a post graduate diploma in Fine Arts, and she loves to help families integrate Fine Arts to enrich their academic learning.  She loves to travel and explore the world and has lived in a variety of places.  She currently resides in Surrey, BC.

Nyssa is a Humanities and ELL (English Language Learners) teacher living in Kelowna, BC. She joined TLA in 2021, having recently returned to her hometown after spending several years teaching in Germany, South Korea, and China. In between her international teaching positions, she held post-secondary administrative roles in exam coordination and online education.

She attended UBC Okanagan, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English as well as a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Middle School and Secondary Humanities. She also holds a postgraduate certificate from Queen’s University in Teaching English Language Learners.

Nyssa’s favourite hobby is traveling and she loves exploring the world, meeting people from all walks of life, and seeking out new adventures. However, now that she is back in BC she is thoroughly appreciating and enjoying the beauty of her hometown!

Lauren is new to TLA this year and super excited to be working in the LSS Department. She comes to us from nine years of teaching at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School. She was born and raised in King City, Ontario. She moved to BC when she was in Grade 11, and stayed – no way was she going back to the snow. She loves all things outdoors, except mosquitoes; food, and trying new things.

After graduating high school, she went to the University of Victoria earning a Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Education degree. After working at Notre Dame for two years, she went to UBC and completed a Master’s in Education with a specific focus in Creativity and Curriculum Design. She has a passion for education and learning. It’s why she’s a teacher.

In her spare time, Lauren loves to travel, read, and ride her motorcycle. In the summer months, she’s into paddleboarding, mountain biking, hiking and camping; and in the winter, she switches to snowboarding, snowshoeing, and watching Netflix. Lauren and her husband Geoff split their time between Rossland and Victoria with their incredibly active Aussie Shepherd, Kali.

Kerri has known from childhood that she wanted to be a teacher. While obtaining a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education, Kerri began teaching children with Special Needs. Kerri has a passion for teaching and strives to find an environment that students feel positive and confident to learn in.

In her spare time Kerri loves to read, crochet and keep active with a variety of outdoor activities.

Lisa lives in Comox BC with her husband Donnie and their two children Jaben and Emelia. After earning her education degree from Trinity Western University and SFU she taught on-call and in the classroom for 10 years. Since having her children she has spent her time ministering to the families of her church, overseeing the home learning of her children during their first 5 years of school, and then volunteering in their local elementary school. Now that her own children are in high school she looks forward to working with the families of TLA, encouraging and supporting them as they take on the challenges and joys of home learning.

Deanna came to TLA from the Burnaby School District in 2019. She has been teaching for the past 20 years both in the regular classroom (k-7) and LSS. Deanna has also worked privately as a BI and group program facilitator. She received her Bachelor of Education from SFU and her Diploma of Special Education from UBC.

She lives in Port Coquitlam with her two teenage sons, husband, and little dog, Cali. In her spare time, she is often reading, cooking, or at the dog park.

My passion is to help students with special needs to develop a love of learning and have a positive school experience. Everyone deserves to feel successful and supported!

Hilary joined TLA in November 2020.  She currently enjoys working as Office Manager and in the Student Records Department.

Hilary lives in Cloverdale with her crew of 5 boys.  In her free time she enjoys reading, gardening and a good cup of tea.

Living in Cloverdale, Jennifer and her husband, Travis, have five kids, whom they have homeschooled with the support of TLA, since 2010.  She is a great proponent of homeschooling and its countless benefits, having seen it firsthand.

Jennifer joined the TLA Library team in March 2022, she enjoys using her skills in organization and attention to detail to make resources available to the TLA community.  At home, she is well known to make lists and create spreadsheets to track everything!

Though many people assume she is English because of her accent, she grew up in Argentina, the 5th of 8 kids and is fluent in Spanish.

The greatest source of her joy and strength is knowing Jesus and making Him known – a passion shared with her husband in his work at Discipleship International.

When not in the library she is balancing homeschooling, driving kids to extracurricular activities, watching movies with the family, and raising awareness for Elhers Danlos Syndrome, a condition she deals with daily.

Allison lives on her family farm in the Fraser Valley. She competed in ultimate Frisbee up to the national level and loves being active. Her educational background includes teaching physical education, music, puppy classes, Kindergarten through to 8th grade and most recently, English Language Learning. She began her teaching career in 2014 in the classroom and joined TLA in 2022. Her educational philosophy is that every student deserves the very best chance to reach their full potential and appreciates the tailored style of education offered through distributed learning.

When Allison is not teaching, she loves to spend her time playing with her kids outside, whether it be sports, baking, hiking, gardening, camping or spending time with their pets, including an enthusiastic lab and a curious clydesdale. Allison and her husband both love farming, food, sports and travelling around the Pacific Northwest, from the prairies to the mountains to the beaches. When she’s not outside, she enjoys playing the piano and violin, photography, sewing and woodworking.

Julia is a passionate, creative and curious learner! Her love of education began as
a little girl, playing teacher to her little brother, babysitting, and volunteering as a
youth catechist. After graduating from Little Flower Academy (2000), she went on
pursue a Bachelor of Arts Degree (UVIC, 2004), Bachelor of Education Degree
(UBC, 2005) and Master of Arts in Religious Education (St. Marks, 2010).

Julia was a classroom teacher in the Catholic Independent Schools of the
Vancouver Archdiocese (CISVA) for seven years before starting a family. Julia was
first introduced to the TLA community as a homeschooling parent. All six of Julia
and Jesse Kuester’s living children (ages 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10) have had the benefit
of a present, consistent educator and nurturer for the last ten years.
Homeschooling has helped the Kuester family instill a love of God, family and
learning to their children.

When not educating, cuddling kids, and cleaning, Julia can be found listening to
Praise and Worship music, minimizing and editing YouTube videos for her
personal channel.

Sandi has homeschooled her 2 curious, tenacious children for 11 years. She received her teaching certificate at SFU and her undergrad at TWU. She has a passion for encouraging parents in their incredible journey helping their children become lifelong learners.

She desires to encourage parents when things are hard and rejoice with them in their successes, they know their children best. Some of her own “mantras” are: this is a marathon not a sprint; learning is not 12 years but a lifetime; “failures” are learning opportunities.

Sandi loves hiking, reading, kayaking, camping, coffee and sleep.

Renata joined the TLA family as a homeschooling parent in 2018 and appreciates the
faith-based, family-centred, and flexible support TLA offers. Building connections with
individuals is foundational in supporting learners and Renata looks forward to working
alongside students and their families in their homeschool journey.

Renata’s background in urban ecology led to teaching highschool math and science in the
independent and public school systems, and later a new passion grew as an elementary and
learning assistance teacher. She takes great joy in guiding learning through child-led
curiosity, especially if opportunities occur outdoors.

In her spare time, Renata enjoys spending time with her family, reading, gardening, and
dreaming of a future hobby farm with goats and bee hives!

Jennifer holds a Bachelor degree in Education received from Vancouver Island University in 2012. She relocated to Fort St. John, B.C. with her husband, where she worked as a Kindergarten and K-12 Teacher in the district.

Residing in Nanaimo, B.C., Jennifer enjoys painting, paddle boarding, and camping adventures on Vancouver Island with her husband and three energetic girls. She is excited to begin her journey as a LSS Teacher with TLA, where she can continue to connect with and support students and families in life and learning.

Allison has been working in the field of developmental disabilities for the past 15 years. During this time, Allison has lived in a variety of communities allowing her the opportunity to work with a diverse population.

Allison has studied at SFU and UBC receiving her Certification in Elementary School Teaching and has attended UCLA where she became a Certified PEERS® Consultant under the training of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson.

Allison’s passion for working with children and youth is shown within her work, training and continued advocacy for inclusion within the education system. When she isn’t working with children and youth, you can find her enjoying time with her children, exploring local beaches and taking in the expansive culture of Nanaimo.

Lisa lives in Prince George with her partner John and daughter Evelie. Her career in education spans 18 years. Her specialty areas include secondary humanities, career education, ESL and student leadership. Lisa currently homeschools her daughter and feels honoured to work with Traditional Learning Academy to support students in the Prince George area.

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys sewing, gardening on her acreage, camping and exploring the great outdoors.

A TLA parent since 2009, Sheena joined the TLA Team in the fall of 2022. She has always cherished children’s books and illustrations and is now pleased to aid in placing wonderful resources into the hands of TLA’s families! She is blessed to have seen three of her four home-educated children through to graduation and on to university. She has a BA in General Studies from TWU and delights in seeing students develop a passion for learning and for good books. She welcomes the opportunity to encourage other families in their home learning journey.

Sheena lives in North Delta with her husband Kaley, two sons, two daughters, and three cats. With guidance and strength from her Saviour Jesus, she tries to balance managing a busy household, homeschooling, church and extra-curricular activities, and puttering in her home and yard.

Darcy joined TLA in 2021 as an Education Assistant. She is passionate about forming connections with students and creating lessons that suit each individual’s needs.

Darcy is excited to come alongside families in supporting their children through the Blended 2-day Program. Her hope is for her students to see learning as a life-long process and to enjoy that process.

In her spare time, Darcy can be found volunteering within her Church, spending time with family, walking in nature, reading, and building puzzles.

Su joined the TLA community in the spring of 2023, and after being at home with kids and daycare for many years, it’s an exciting new adventure!

She lives in Langley with her husband Tom and 5 kids, and enjoys being involved in the school and church community.

A fun fact about Su: she was born in Indonesia!

Morven is a dedicated educator who has spent over 18 years shaping the academic journey of students. Holding a B.Ed from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Educational Psychology from Simon Fraser University, she brings a blend of pedagogical expertise and strong understanding of learning to her teaching approach.

Morven has worn many hats in the education field from classroom teacher to principal and is thrilled to work with the TLA community. She is excited to engage with students and families virtually, leveraging technology to ensure quality education reaches all corners. Her passion for education and dedication to empowering learners to achieve their best is at the heart of her teaching philosophy.

Recently, Morven relocated to the Okanagan with her young family. Beyond working in the education field, she finds enjoyment in spending time with her husband and children, being on the lake, or baking at home.

Daniel Perrett is a LSS teacher living in Vancouver, BC. He studied Geography and Arabic at McGill University and then completed his bachelor of education at SFU.

Daniel is on a journey to understand his role in the ongoing process of decolonization in the classroom and in his community. He humbly recognizes that he lives and works on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Ssḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tseil-Waututh) Nations.

When he isn’t chasing his two boys around the park, Daniel enjoys playing the drums, learning languages and spending time in the mountains.

Christina is a graduate of Trinity Western University.  She’s come to TLA after spending many years teaching French Immersion in the Surrey School District.  She’s also been a piano teacher, and has had chances to teach core music and children’s choirs at different times in her teaching career.

In her free time, some of the things Christina loves is reading, drinking coffee, and enjoying her moderately thriving garden.

Caroline Tuhten is a dedicated educator with over ten years experience homeschooling her own
children. She holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a BA in Psychology.
Caroline loves science and enjoys sharing her passion for learning with her students.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, four children, two cats and dog!
She loves tennis, kayaking and hiking in beautiful British Columbia with her family.

This is Caroline’s second year teaching with TLA.

Allison grew up in New Brunswick and has her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Crandall University in Moncton, NB, and her Bachelor of Education from Tyndale University in Toronto. She moved out to Northern BC 12 years ago for a teaching position and has taught in both independent and public schools. Teaching music is her passion.

Allison lives in Tomslake, BC, with her wonderful husband, Steve, and their three beautiful children: Gracie (7), Lily (4), and Benjamin (1). She is homeschooling her two girls and enjoying being able to support other homeschooling families through being a Home Teacher with TLA.

When Allison is not teaching, she loves leading music at the Alliance Church, playing and coaching soccer, baking, playing board games, and spending time with her family.

Amanda was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland where she graduated in
2007 from Memorial University with her Bachelors of Education in
primary/elementary. She then moved to Burns Lake, BC for her first teaching
position. She currently resides in Fort St. James with her husband and three
children Emma, Eli and Ezra.

Amanda has spent most of her life working with children in various occupations.
Having her ECE and B.Ed she has worked in childcare settings, has run an Early
Years Centre, worked as a Child Development Consultant, taught Special
Education, homeschooled her daughter for a few years and has been a substitute
in School District #91 for many years.

She has a passion to help families navigate their homeschooling needs and
desires, knowing that every family and child is unique. Enabling them to keep true
to their families’ lifestyle and beliefs is important as well as keeping them
connected with other families close by.

In her “free time,” Amanda can be found crafting, organizing, running a non-profit
thrift store, reading, watching movies, coaching soccer and keeping up with her
children’s busy lives.

Pamela has spent over 18 years in the world of education supporting students in their academic pursuits. As a classroom teacher, guidance counsellor, and now in the role of a Home Teacher with TLA, Pamela draws from her diverse experience when serving students and their families. With a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Calgary, a B.Ed from the University of Alberta, and a Masters in Psychotherapy and Spirituality from St. Stephen’s College, her approach to guiding students is grounded in theories of learning, human development, and of well-being.

Pamela is thrilled to be joining the incredible TLA community! She is eager to work with families to support their vision of learning from home, as well as gather students in the community through a variety of collaborative learning experiences in the Shuswap area.

In addition to supporting TLA families, Pamela enjoys encouraging her own three children as they learn from home. Her love of learning extends far beyond book and and curriculum. Pamela enjoys an abundant homesteading life in the Shuswap with her husband and children. Farm-life currently entails homemaking, zookeeping (chickens, pigs, dogs, cats…and we’re considering adding goats? cows? perhaps a donkey?), gardening, preserving, and the never ending joy of property maintenance. Savouring sunshine, hopping on a paddleboard, sitting around a campfire, and chatting with good friends are just a few of Pamela’s preferred ways to pass the day.

Tara and her family have recently moved to BC. She has been homeschooling her three lovely daughters, Maelynn, Charlie, Pheiffer for three years. Previously, she was a high school English teacher in Alberta.

She received her Bachelor of Arts through Athabasca University with a major in English, and she received her Bachelor of Education through University of Calgary.

Tara loves all the opportunities homeschooling provides for authentic life-long learning. She is very excited to be welcomed to the TLA team.

Kelly lives in Prince George, BC, with her husband, Cam, their two children, Abigail and Jonah, and their dog, Bo. She joined the TLA team in September 2023 and appreciates the flexibility it offers, allowing her to work while homeschooling her kids. With a lifelong passion for the arts, Kelly has previously led arts ministries at her church and participated in arts missions through Youth With a Mission. She also teaches in person at our Prince George 1-day blended program.

In her spare time, you can find Kelly at the hockey rink, cheering on her daughter, enjoying quality time with her family, tending to her garden, or tackling her latest DIY project.

Natasha lives in Abbotsford with her husband and two young children. Although she began her teaching career as a UBC graduate working in public schools, she was always drawn to home education. After becoming a mother in 2021, Natasha knew she would eventually homeschool her own children—especially when she found herself reading books about homeschooling throughout her pregnancy instead of the typical baby prep books!

Now a teacher at TLA since 2024, Natasha enthusiastically channels her passion for home learning into supporting families on their own homeschooling journeys, all while looking forward to stepping into that role herself as a homeschooling mother.

In her free time, Natasha enjoys baking, reading, crafting, and finding creative ways to live both seasonally and liturgically. Her faith as an Orthodox Christian is central to every part of her life. Though life can often feel fast-paced, she is committed to the pursuit of slow living and hopes to help families discover a homeschooling rhythm that feels peaceful, intentional, and fulfilling.

Colleen lives in the Fraser Valley with her husband, four children, Jaime, Troy, Justine, and Angeline and their dogs Lenny and Ted.

Colleen earned her BA from UFV in 2004 with a double major in English Literature and Psychology. In 2005 She completed her B.ed at UBC, and completed her M.Ed at SFU in 2014. She was a classroom teacher for the Surrey School district for 19 years before joining TLA in 2024. The connections she makes and relationships she builds with students and their families continue to be the best part of her career thus far.

Colleen enjoys reading, hiking with her family, and sharing in her children’s passion for visual arts and ballet.

Heidi resides in Qualicum Beach, B.C. with her husband Robert and her three children Kristian, Ellie and Zoe. She joined the TLA team in 2024 and appreciates the flexibility her career offers to homeschool her own children. She enjoys working with DL families, helping to meet the unique needs of each child.

After completing an exchange year through UVic, Heidi met Robert and started her teaching career in Australia, working in both Special Schools and self-contained Special Education classrooms. After a brief stint living in Germany, the lure of the West Coast brought Heidi and her family to beautiful Vancouver Island where she had grown up.

In her spare time she enjoys pottering around in the garden, adventuring in the local outdoors with her family and reading a good book.

Helen originates from the U.K. where she received her Degree in Business Studies with International Business, and her teaching certification. She has a Diploma in Special Education from UBC.

Over the last 10 years she has worked in a number of teaching roles including as an LSS Teacher and a Blended Teacher at TLA, and an LSS Teacher and a Learning Support Alternate Teacher in Mission, BC. I love to help students find their path back to learning and rekindle a desire to learn and grow.

She now resides on Vancouver Island with her husband, two young and energetic daughters, their dog, barn cat and chickens. She loves reading and listening to audiobooks, dance parties in the kitchen, being outdoors, and spending time with family.

Marlena has spent her professional years in a variety of educational roles, including her work at TLA as a Blended Education Assistant and Community Class Facilitator. She has been part of the TLA community since 2019, starting as a homeschooling parent and now serving as part of the wonderful team of educators as a Blended K/1 teacher. 

Inspired by the words of The Call of the Wild and Free: “When we honor children’s natural curiosity and give them space to explore, learning becomes a joyful adventure,” She is passionate about creating nurturing, inclusive learning spaces where all children feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow.

When she’s not teaching, you’ll find her reading non-fiction, enjoying a good cup of coffee, or off on an adventure with her husband and four wonderful children. She looks forward to walking alongside families and serving the youngest learners in the Blended K/1 classroom.

Elaine Unger was born, raised, and currently lives in Metro Vancouver. She has a BSc in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University and a diploma in graphic design from Emily Carr University. Elaine has been actively involved in youth sports in the community for many years, including ice hockey, cross-country running, and ultimate frisbee. In her spare time she enjoys reading, playing mini golf, running, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits.

Amanda Catto lives in Terrace, BC with her husband and their nine-month-old daughter. She enjoys all things sports-related, whether playing, watching, or cheering from the sidelines. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Trinity Western University, and later completed a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from the University of British Columbia.

Amanda taught Grades 2 and 5 at a private school for 12 years, where she loved creating a lively, engaging classroom environment and watching her students grow. In 2025, she is excited to join the TLA team for the first time and looks forward to building strong connections with students and families.

Cara Funk was born and raised in New Brunswick. She moved to western Canada for teaching opportunities after getting her Education and English degrees from Crandall University. She resides with her family in Tomslake, B.C. and has spent the last 19 years teaching in private, public, and homeschool settings.

Cara is passionate about homeschooling and has been thrilled to see her own community burgeoning with new homeschool families. In addition to teaching her own boys, with a strong emphasis on outdoor education, she enjoys facilitating homeschool field trips, coops, and directing Broadway productions for the local homeschoolers.

When she is not teaching, she loves to host, run, paddleboard, play the piano, and enjoy a book with a cup of tea.

David is excited to serve the TLA community in a dual capacity. He is a teacher for the new homeschool cooperative in Fraser Lake and also works as an Inclusive Education Support Teacher, collaborating with instructors and families at Gateway Behaviour Services in Prince George.

He brings over two decades of diverse educational experience to his roles. After graduating from the University of Alberta with a combined BPE/BEd degree, he has spent 10 years in BC’s independent school system, a year teaching internationally at a Christian school in Cambodia, and 10 years with School District 91 in Fraser Lake.

His educational philosophy is centred on creating an environment where every student can thrive. This passion was solidified during his eight years specializing in Inclusive Education, which informs his approach to both classroom teaching and individualized support. He is a strong advocate for Structured Literacy and the Science of Reading. At the heart of his work is a desire to see students discover their unique and incredible identity in Jesus.

Outside of his professional life, David is deeply rooted in the Fraser Lake community. He is an active coach for local hockey and soccer teams and enjoys life on his family’s farm with his wife, Laurel, and their four children, where they raise a variety of animals and grow a large garden.

Alana brings over a decade of experience in education, having spent eight years as a classroom teacher in the public school system. She taught Grades 1–3 in a Montessori program, where she developed a deep appreciation for individualized learning. For the past four years, Alana has worked as a Student Support Teacher, supporting diverse learners and helping them thrive academically and socially.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from the University of British Columbia, followed by a Bachelor of Education. Alana continued to expand her expertise in inclusive education through specialized studies in Special Education at Queen’s University.

This is Alana’s first year at TLA, where she’s excited to work alongside her students and their families. Outside of work, Alana enjoys spending quality time with her family, relaxing at the lake—whether paddle boarding or swimming—and indulging in delicious food.