Arielle has a BA from Boston University with a double major in U.S. History and Political Science, and an MEd from Texas State with a focus on teaching Gifted and Talented students. Before having kids, she worked in politics and as an Educational Specialist at Region XIII. For the past five years, Arielle has been writing and teaching creativity-based inclusive history curricula to students of all ages. She is the co-founder of Mint and Bloom Learning. As a history teacher, Arielle delights in sharing the weird, wild, and wondrous stories of humanity through the ages. She aims to get students excited to go down rabbit holes, helping them connect with individuals and cultures through history. Arielle is a homeschool mom of two and loves tinned fish, bad 90s movies, bouldering, and walking briskly.

Amy Rostvold has been teaching English and writing in some capacity for the last 20 years. She started as a high school English teacher in 2005 and taught 9th, 10th and 12th grade English in Atlanta and Austin before becoming an adjunct professor at Austin Community College in 2015. She has a BA in English from UT Austin (2000) and an MA in English from San Francisco State University (2003). She completed the TEEMS M.Ed program in English Education at Georgia State University in 2005 where she embraced the pedagogy of authentic learning. Her teaching practice places an emphasis on learning through real-world projects that tap into children's natural curiosity and creativity. In addition to being a teacher, Amy is a mother, a wife, a musician, and a dog-lover.

Shanan Ashlee Colvin is a homeschooling mama, musician, educator and small business owner. She holds a degree in Choral Music Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Shanan has worn many hats as a music educator including that of middle school choir director, early childhood music teacher and private voice and piano instructor. She also founded a subscription box company rooted in music education. Shanan strives to create learning experiences that are engaging, exciting and that encompass multiple disciplines. When she isn’t teaching, playing pretend with her daughter or running her boys to and from the hockey rink, Shanan enjoys reading, hiking and making music with her siblings, whom she tours with as a backup singer to her brother Gary Clark Jr.

David Duong is a classical guitarist and an emerging educator in the field of music. Currently based in Austin Tx, David brings a rich cultural background and a deep passion for guitar performance to his teaching. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Florida State University, where he studied under renowned guitarists Bruce Holzman and Celso Cano. Currently, he is pursuing his Master’s of Music in Guitar Performance at The University of Texas at Austin under the tutelage of Adam Holzman. David has a diverse performance history, having played at prestigious venues and competitions. In 2023, he recorded performances at Guitar Salon International and earned a 4th place prize at the Boston International Guitar Competition. With 12 years of experience in guitar, David specializes in classical music but also enjoys exploring various other styles, including jazz and electric guitar. As a part of the UT String Project Faculty, David is committed to fostering an environment of learning and excellence, helping students achieve their musical aspirations

Molly is a former high school English teacher. She double majored in English and Japanese at UT Austin and after graduation taught ESL in Japan. After returning to the states, she obtained her teaching certificate while enrolled in a graduate program. Since leaving public education to homeschool, Molly has taught high school, middle school and elementary literature to homeschoolers over the past 10 years. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and adventuring with her family.

Jeff is a published Physicist with degrees from MIT and Boston University. He has been teaching Middle and High School for over twenty years. He has homeschooled his five children for a decade in Austin. In his spare time he is the Head Sailing Coach at The University of Texas at Austin. While he loves Physics and Math, he secretly loves Shakespeare, reading fiction, and playing his piano way way more.

A graduate of Austin College, Aubrey began her career in public education at a school in the Austin area. With over 20 years of experience teaching secondary-level science, she is deeply committed to fostering a strong academic foundation for her students. Her goal is to ensure that students not only excel in science at the collegiate level but also find the subject engaging, relevant, and enjoyable. In addition to her passion for science, Aubrey has a deep appreciation for Germany—its language, culture, and people—and actively shares this love with the students in her German classes. For the past 15 years, she has successfully homeschooled her children, guiding two of them to transition from homeschooling to college. Outside of her professional pursuits, Aubrey is an avid reader and knitter, enjoys traveling, and plays the cello in an orchestra at The University of Texas.

Helen Allen is an Austin-based author, illustrator, artist, and co-founder of Mint and Bloom Learning. Helen studied acting and theatre at Santa Monica College, Texas State University (BFA Acting Program), and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK while performing in professional theatre productions and improv. Helen is proud to help found the Arts and Theatre programs at AAC; her teaching styles are TAB (teaching for artistic behavior), SEL (social-emotional learning), and MADOM (makin' a dang-ol' mess). Beyond educating and making art, Helen's favorite things include: homeschooling/ raising her two favorite humans, looking at pictures of chonky bears, listening to the huffy snorfles of hippo-shaped dogs, collecting trinkets, and eating delicious sandwiches.

Kristin has a BA in Communications with a minor in Psychology. She was a substitute and a preschool teacher for several years and has been a homeschooling mom of 3 since 2018. A love of learning and exploring the outdoors with friends led Kristin and her good friend Lauren to collaborate and form a nature based homeschool group a few years ago. This collaboration was so rewarding, that Kristin and Lauren decided to create different kinds of curriculums to share with the homeschooling community. The love of cooking up a delicious meal to share with family and a love for all things science (Let’s go AAH Science Team!!!), led Kristin and Lauren to create a Kitchen Science class for the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025 at AAC. Now, Kristin will have one kid in each high school, middle school, and elementary. So she cannot wait to dive into working on teaching another approach to falling in love with cooking, exploring the beneficial world of baking, and working with older kids to share the importance of life skills to help them through this time of rapid physical, mental, and emotional growth.

With a Bachelor's degree in Education and a background in social work, I have always been passionate about supporting and guiding others in their learning journeys. After working in social services, I dedicated my time to homeschooling my own children, fostering a love for learning in a personalized and engaging way. Kristin and I worked together to create a nature based homeschool group which helped children connect with each other and the natural world around them. Beyond education, I enjoy cooking, baking, and getting lost in a good book. When I’m not in the kitchen or immersed in a story, you’ll find me camping with my family, embracing the great outdoors and creating lifelong memories. I look forward to bringing my experience and enthusiasm to the classroom, inspiring students to grow, explore, and reach their full potential.

Emily Lawson, MSN, CNM, RN is thrilled to be joining the teaching group at AAC. After earning a BA in Early Childhood Education at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA, Emily taught 5th and 6th grade math at a KIPP charter school and then participated in multigrade English teaching and curriculum development program with the two-year Teacher Collaboration program with the Peace Corps in Thailand. After returning from the Peace Corps, Emily changed paths, earning both a nursing certificate and MS in Nursing with a Midwifery specialty at Yale University school of Nursing. Emily worked as a nurse midwife in the UT Health clinic system in Houston as well as with an out of hospital birth center in Portland, Oregon. With the birth of her first son in 2013, Emily moved to part time GYN clinical work and then out of medical practice into full time homeschooling. During the pandemic, Emily opened a homeschool enrichment program from her home, which served 11 students for 3 years. Emily is excited to be offering both math and elementary classes through AAC and to be serving as the community service volunteer chair for this incredible group of families.

Donna has a BS from Stephen F. Austin State University in Child & Family Development and an MEd from UT Austin, specializing in Early Childhood Special Education. She spent most of her career as a child life specialist in the NICU, where she provided family support and developmental care. She has also taught outdoor education for the Houston Independent School District and was a physical education teacher at a private Montessori school. She began homeschooling her son in 2021 when he started fourth grade. In her free time, Donna is an avid pickleball player and loves to dabble in writing. She has a fondness for period dramas and is an enthusiastic current events geek.

I’m Deanna Fahey, an educator with over 20 years of experience in both formal and informal learning environments with learners of all ages. I believe that education is most powerful when it is experiential and collaborative, allowing learners to engage deeply with their surroundings and work together to solve real-world challenges. My passion lies in helping people connect with nature through education and while not teaching, I’m building a business that allows me to do just that. I have three children, two adult sons and one teenage daughter. My daughter and I recently moved back to Austin with our dog, Daisy, to live with my youngest son. We moved from Maine where we enjoyed ourselves but were hankering for something different.

Dolores has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from St. Edward’s University and 20+ years of teaching experience. She spent most of her career as an Elementary Bilingual Teacher in AISD across all grade levels.  In addition to teaching, she developed curriculum, provided teacher development, and mentored teachers.  She discovered the joy of homeschooling during Covid and never looked back. She nurtured her love of teaching by starting a homeschool co-op with three others, developing and teaching classes for middle and high school students. This experience cemented her belief that learners, no matter the age, need to move, play, draw, sing, discuss, and create to learn effectively. She hopes to pass on her love of the Spanish language through engaging, interactive lessons that go beyond simple memorization.