Instructors
Mrs. Cesia Barahona
Cesia Barahona was homeschooled since 6th grade and went to a small institute called MedVance Institute where she studied pharmacology. She has taught Sunday school to young children at her church where they speak and read Spanish only. She has a love for children and really enjoys teaching them with patience and love. She especially enjoys teaching and helping children who learn differently and can relate to them naturally. Cesia, her husband and 2 daughters attend church at Iglesia Evangelica Apostles Y Profetas Libres in Houston.
Ms. Sabrina Bounds
Hello!
My primary certification is from Texas Health School. I graduated as a massage therapist almost 15 years ago and have been running my own business since 2015.
I started volunteering with Fellowship Bible church in 2021 via Divorce Care for kids. Since then I have volunteered there each year for their VBS and other events like our Easter Resurrection and Awana as needed.
We began attending Friendswood Methodist the summer of 2023 to embrace some of their kids ministries such as choir and upwards. I enjoy volunteering where I can with the Santa shoe box annual children's missionary project helping over 500 children last year.
I have two very active littles I've been home schooling since 2021 and will continue to do so as long as God continues to pave our road to do so. I enjoy woman's Bible studies, staying buisy, we have a small "farm" on our little 1/4 acre , love hands on learning, I'm usually down to get dirty, wet and messy with the kids. Exploring, learning and earning our afternoom rest is definitely always on my daily to-do list.
Hope you all have a fun filled and educational school year ahead!
Mrs. Tara Cabrera
Hello! My name is Tara Cabrera, and I’m a former nurse with five years of experience in interventional radiology. I’m also a proud mom to two wonderful children, Karson and Kassidi. This year, I embarked on an exciting new journey by homeschooling them, which has been a rewarding experience. I’m passionate about hands-on learning and enjoy incorporating creative, interactive methods into our lessons to make education engaging and memorable for my little ones. I also have a strong desire to teach children safety measures and empower them to be competent and confident in first aid, CPR, and AED use, as these are truly important skills that can save lives.
Mrs. Damaris Caceres
I was homeschooled since 9th grade. I did get married at a young age of 18. God has blessed my husband and I with 7 beautiful children. We are members of a Christian church Apostles and Prophets. We have been homeschooling since 2020 and are enjoying our time together. I appreciate the time I spend as a homemaker and homeschooler. Every child is special and unique with different talents. Each deserves to be appreciated always.
Mrs. Kathy Casteel
My name is Kathy Casteel and ART is my thing!! I hold a bachelor’s degree in elementary education PK to 8th grade with a specialization in Art and Early Childhood. I also hold a master’s degree in library science. This educational background has allowed many opportunities over the past 15 years as a public-school teacher, a private preschool teacher, a children’s librarian, and now a homeschool mom. This will be our tenth-year homeschooling and each year gets more exciting than the previous. I look forward to instilling the love of art as we explore it together.
The Casteel family attends Sagemont Church.
Mrs. Caitlyn Chasteen
Caitlyn Chasteen graduated with a degree in Early Child Development, with honors in 2016. She worked in childcare for 12 years, then had 2 children of her own. She started an in-home daycare from 2020-2022 until her kids were school aged. At that time, she began her homeschooling journey and turned her daycare into a classroom. Caitlyn and her husband, who is a firefighter, both struggled in public school growing up, so they like to take their kids traveling and learning about things in real life instead of just a textbook. Their goal is to visit all 50 states before their kids turn 18!
Ms. Aria Dalton
Arianna Dalton
My name is Ms. Dalton. I have been teaching robotics and other STEM related topics for the past 4 years. I have more than 12 years of experience in robotics between being on FIRST robotics teams, coaching FIRST teams, and teaching about robotics in the community. I grew up interested in STEM from a young age, beginning when I first joined a robotics team at 6 years old. I am excited to help other students learn more about STEM and robotics . I am currently pursuing my passion to help others as an adolescent counselor at Houston Christian University.
Mrs. Crystal Dalton
My name is Mrs. Dalton. I have a degree in Family and Child Counseling from North Carolina State University. I love helping students be curious and encouraging them to ask questions and think outside of the box. I have had the opportunity to do that for over 20 years in private schools and local homeschool co-ops. I taught students following the Reggio Emilia Approach and Project Based Learning for many years before beginning to homeschool my own children. I currently teach robotics to students at 4 local homeschool co-ops. I have been coaching FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics teams for over 14 years. FIRST is a world class program that is about way more than robots. They inspire youth to follow their passions and grow in personal and technical skills. My highschool FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) team TBD (ThunderBolts in Disguise) loves to learn and has made it to the State Championship every year. My FIRST Lego League Team Thunderbolts made it to the World Championship two years when they were in Middle School. I will be coaching and mentoring Arianna, Ryan, Ashley, Ben, River and Krysta and helping them with lesson plans. I look forward to helping more students learn about the exciting world of Robotics.
Mr. Ryan Dalton
Ryan Dalton
My name is Ryan Dalton. I am the Robotic Class teacher here and have been coaching FIRST robotics teams for 4 years. I have also taught classes on CAD (Computer Aided Design), programming and fundraising. I have been on robotics teams for 14 years, starting in FIRST Lego League JR. Throughout my years in robotics I have learned a ton about public speaking, programming, mechanical design, and solving real world solutions. In the robotics class, I aim to teach all of these skills to help the kids learn more about how robots and mechanical assemblies work. As of right now I am in FIRST Tech Challenge which is a robotics program that uses metal and 3D printed parts to build a robot to complete challenges on a field. This program teaches me many skills that help me teach in more efficient ways. The robotics class should help the kids with their problem solving skills, having an engineer’s mindset, and learning skills with programming and making robots.
Mrs. Mandy Davis
Mandy Davis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, grades Pre-K to 8th grade, from the University of Clear Lake. She holds a lifetime teacher's certification to teach in the state of Texas in all subjects, Pre-K to 8th grade. She was a public school 1st grade teacher for 6 years before the Lord called her in 2008 to homeschool her two boys who are now 15 and 19. The Davis family attends Antioch Church.
Mrs. Ali Freeman
Ali Freeman:
I am a stay at mom of 3 children whom I have homeschooled for the last 3 years.
I have been one of the lead teachers in the Awanas Program at my church for 2 years. I have also assisted in VBS as needed at our church.
Our home church is Arcadia First Baptist in Santa Fe.
Mrs. Brittni Gibbs
I worked at a Christian daycare with 1-2 year olds for a few years before becoming a nanny to a family of 4. I have 2 kids, 11 and 13. I have been blessed to stay at home and homeschool them from pre-k and up. We are unschoolers and prefer to learn by exploring. We are so excited to meet everyone and be a part of this co-op!
Mrs. Hope Gibson
I'm a homeschool mom of four kids, including River who is one of the iNSPIRE robotics coaches and CAD teachers. I'm involved in church activities and I am a church camp counselor every summer. My hobbies include cooking, baking, and arts and crafts. Teaching kids is a blessing for me and I look forward to this school year. We attend League City Church of Christ.
Mr. River Gibson
River Gibson
My name is River Gibson. I am a Junior in high school, and I have been part of FIRST robotics for 2 years. I was introduced to TBD(thunderBolts in Disguise) as part of an intro to robotics summer class. I was initially interested because I wanted to develop my programming skills further, but then I was introduced to Computer Aided Design(CAD). As soon as I’d learned the basics, I proceeded to create and assemble an entire LEGO minifigure. After the class I joined TBD as the lead of the CAD team, where I helped to design the claw and battery case on our robot. During my time on the team, I have taught and mentored 2 CAD classes, and assisted in mentoring FLL teams. I am currently the lead of the Programming team and part of the Media, Portfolio, and Project Management groups.
Mrs. Jessie Goldman
I was homeschooled most of my life and this will be my 6th year homeschooling my daughter. I have a bachelors from Houston Baptist University in elementary education and have substitute taught for Fort Bend ISD, taught church youth classes, and homeschooled additional children. Kindergarten is a sweet age!
Mrs. DyAnna Guardado
I went to school at Peace River Mennonite School 1st-7th grade in Florida where we used the rigorous Rod and Staff curriculum.But life changes made me homeschool since 8th grade and help homeschool my younger siblings. The subjects that I love the most are music, art, history, literature and geography so naturally found it easy to teach those subjects. My father, being in the military in his country, taught us Physical Education as well -military style. And we loved it! So I have incorporated it in to our homeschooling. I have also taught primary and intermediate age children at our church Sunday school which I enjoyed immensely. At 17, I studied studied sewing/dressmaking, and earned my diploma at Stratford Career Institute. Aside from being a full time homeschooling mom, wife, and business owner, I enjoy reading, story writing ,sewing, and home design. My family and I go to church at Apostoles y Profetas Libres in Houston and live in the tiny town of Liverpool in Texas.
Mrs. Julie Hill
Julie Hill has homeschooled her children since 2011 starting in pre-school. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. While still in college she worked in as an elementary teacher assistant in math and computer lab. After graduating, she held positions as a research associate in the neuroscience department as well the Proteomics Core at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She is available by appointment to tutor high school math and chemistry.
Mrs. Nikki Ibarra
Nikki Ibarra taught in a high school student-led preschool program. She also was in a mentoring and tutoring program for 4th graders. She now homeschools her own 5-year-old daughter. The Ibarra family attends the Apostolics of Angelton church where she has founded their food pantry to help benefit the community.
Ms. Anna Lee
I have been participating in competitive gymnastics for three years and am currently preparing for the next competition season. I am excited to share my passion for gymnastics in these beginner tumbling classes. I am 15 years old and have been homeschooled my whole life with my seven siblings. I have been the babysitter for my three younger brothers for many years. For the past six months I have especially enjoyed watching my infant nephew while my sister attends nursing school. Pet sitting is another job I have picked up for neighbors from time to time. I attend Heritage Park Baptist Church with my family. When I am not babysitting or studying for school, I can be found in the gym.
Ms. Ashley Lee
Ashley Lee
My name is Ashley Lee. I have been a part of FIRST robotics for 7 years. When my older brother started FLL (FIRST Lego League) in 2015 I took interest but being only 7 years old I was too young to join. I waited until I was 9 when I eagerly joined the team. From the first meeting, I enjoyed myself more and more as I got to know people, learned new skills, and just had fun. After being a part of FLL for 4 years I moved up to FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge). At my first FTC meeting I realized that this new level of robotics required me to learn and explore things I had never heard of. As I continued learning I enjoyed designing pieces and messing around with metal parts to see how I could help complete the challenge set that year. Throughout my 7 years in FIRST I gained a whole new set of skills that I previously didn’t even know existed. I have been coaching FIRST Lego League for over 2 years and have taught several classes about programming and how to start a FIRST team.
Mrs. Kacie Lewis
Hi, I’m Kacie Lewis! My family and I attend House of Refuge Apostolic Church in Manvel.
I first began teaching in 2010 at an Early Learning Center while attending ACC for my arts degree. We began homeschooling in 2020 and I’ve been a Robotics class mom for the past two years.
My husband and I were the youth leaders at our church for 5 years and I’ve been a Sunday School teacher for the past 6 years. I love teaching and I’m so excited to be coaching Robotics this year!
Mr. Glenn Little
Glenn Little has been teaching science to the homeschool world for over 10 years and has a passion for hands-on learning like so many homeschooling families do. He has brought his personally designed science curriculums to the public schools as a presenter to their large groups for many years as well, and continues to do that. He poured many years into the Children's Mnistry at Sagemont church where he basically became famous amoung the kids, as well as the drama department where the same thing happened with the adults. Mr. Little struggled with Dyslexia as a child, and his daughter does as well, so he has a special place in his heart for kids with learning disabilities and seeks to protect the self esteem of all the students with lots of encouragement and postive reinforcement. The Little family attends Sagemont Church.
Mrs. Dawn Martin
Dawn Martin holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, Grades Pre-K to 8th Grade, Math specialization, from Angelo State University. She holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Birth to 4th Grade, Math and Language Development specialization, from the University of Houston Clear Lake. She holds a lifetime teacher's certification to teach in the state of Texas in all subjects, Pre-K to 8th grade. She was a former public school teacher for 7th-8th grade, teaching general mathematics and Pre-Algebra. Dawn's favorite subjects to teach are math, writing, reading, and Bible apologetics. Her children think its so strange how much their mother likes to do math homework and if she can ever squeeze in just one more math lesson, she's definitely going to do it! Math is the gate keeper that keeps so many kids out of college so she likes to help students to break that barrier and have limitless possibilities for their future. Dawn also like teaching early reading, and kids reading books by 4 years old has been the standard with her own kids. Reading lends to all the other subjects and creates independent learners at a young age who can investigate any subject they want, just by reading about it themselves. Writing is power. People that can write well can earn grants for large non-prophet organizations, appeal to a boss on behalf of a company of employees, or touch someone's soul in a powerful and moving way. Bible apologetics is becoming more and more important every day. Having come from a non-Christian home, Dawn was saved in 7th grade after attending church with her best friend for a year. This process included lots of questions, especially those related to apologetics and the proof of Jesus being the one and only Son of God, and a 7-day Creation week. From that time on, she has spent hundreds of hours reading apologetics books and watching videos from Ken Ham at Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research as a family. She has a passion to teach students how to prepare for the secular teaching they will encounter in college by arming themselves with apologetics and Biblical truths. She has served in the children's and junior high ministry for 15+ years and was a member of Sagemont Church for 20 years before moving to this area. The Martin family now attends Heights Baptist Church in Alvin.
Ms. Mackenzie Martin
Mackenzie Martin has been dancing at Chara Christian Dance for 8 years. She has been part of their highly competitive dance team for the last 4 years and this will be her 2nd year in their top team "Senior Company." She competes as a group and also as a soloist at 8+ competitions every year. She has also been a member of the Friendswood Contemporary Ballet for 3 years, a pre-professional company where she is a Demi-Soloist. In the Spring 2022, Mackenzie's Chara dance team won 1st overall at one of their competitions, as well as several other awards. She said the song "I Feel Better When I'm Dancing" explains her well. Our family has been amazed that she never seems to tire of dance because even after hours and hours of dance instruction, she will come home and dance some more. She's also had several years of gymnastics training, including two years on a competitive team. She's incorporated this into her dancing and has become one of the "trick" girls on her dance team, being asked by the choreographers to come to the front in the middle of their dance performances and add in a gymnastics trick to impress the judges. She loves to dance at nursing homes and watch the residents light up when the little girls come out in their cute dance outfits. Mackenzie loves teaching dance and hopes to get a dance degree at UH and then open her own Christian dance studio. Mackenzie attends Heights Baptist Church in Alvin.
Mrs. Gloria Russell
Hello. My name is Mrs. Gloria Russell. I am the wife of Dr. Jamie Russell, Sr., the founding and lead teaching Pastor of Nehemiah Community Church in Houston, TX. I am the mother of five adult sons, one beautiful elementary-aged daughter, and three adorable grandsons. I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Dillard University in New Orleans. I also hold a Texas Childcare Director’s License. I taught in the public and parochial school sectors for nearly twenty years in various grades. I was a Middle school Math teacher for 8 years and served as the Math Department Chair. I developed and managed a summer enrichment program for my church during that time. Within the past 30 years, I have served as a Camp Counselor, Sunday school teacher, VBS Director, Praise & Worship Leader, Church Ministry Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, and as the Children’s Ministry and Youth Director at the three churches I have been a member of at various times. I’ve been our daughter's primary homeschool instructor since kindergarten, and it has been stupendous! From August 2021 to December 2023, I had the fantastic opportunity to participate in a small Christian Co-Op with three other families, where I taught STEM and served as the Administrator. I enjoy assisting others in learning about Christ, and I love working with children to help them grow spiritually and academically.
Mr. Benjamin Tarver
Benjamin Tarver
My name is Benjamin Tarver. I am a Junior in High School and have been homeschooled my whole life. I have been mechanically minded and have loved using tools and working with my hands from a young age. During my Elementary School days, my family held a small co-op with a few other families, one of which was on and coached a First Tech Challenge (FTC) team. I was too young to join the team at the time. At the beginning of my Sophomore year of High School, I received the chance to join TBD (Thunderbolts in Disguise), an FTC team in Friendswood TX. During that season, I was able to learn a few CAD programs, and gain knowledge and skill in building robots out of metal and 3D printing to compete against other robots to complete tasks. I have been fascinated with the technology behind FTC and FLL (First Lego League) ever since I first learned about FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). During the season I also taught a Mechanical Design class at INSPIRE Academy and mentored an FLL team at FAITH Co-op which helped me learn how to work with kids in a way that they would be able to gain a vast amount of knowledge in a relatively short amount of time.
Mrs. Kristy Wesley
Hello Inspire family! My name is Kristy Wesley. First and foremost, I love teaching because it allows us to glorify God in everything we learn. I was a preschool teacher and coach for 7 years at a private school. I am a happily married to my high school sweetheart and a mother of 3. I have had the privilege to experience public, private, homeschool, as well as a Co-op style of learning. We began our homeschool journey in 2020 with my youngest who is now in Highschool. We fell in love with the homeschool Co-op community. I love the foundation and freedom we get to indulge in without conforming or teaching to tests. My passion has always been for the littles! Seeing the world through their fresh and loving eyes is such a blessing to me. Living Stones Church in Alvin is our home away from home. You can catch any of my family members volunteering on any given Sunday or event.
Mrs. Krystal Winn
Hello!
My name is Krystal Winn and I’m so excited to bring the joy of learning to this group! I am a follower of Christ, wife, and mother to five amazing children! I taught professionally for 6 years and our family has been homeschooling for 10 years. I have experience teaching professionally within the public school system, faith-based contexts within local churches and now within a variety of homeschool networks.
I absolutely love serving/teaching in my local church and bringing encouragement to the homeschooling families that I am blessed to connect with. My favorite subjects to teach include all things art and design and world languages.
My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13 - “ Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
I am looking forward to learning and growing together!