Meet our
Faculty and Staff
A Community of Scholarly Friends
At White Horse, our faculty joins together around their shared love and pursuit of education, derived from the Latin word educare, meaning “to lead out or draw out.” Plato rightly taught: “Education is not the filling of a vessel, but the turning of the soul toward the light.” Aristotle also said, “The cultivation of virtue must be the goal of education, for it is by virtue that a person becomes good and fulfills his purpose.” As Christians, we understand these shadows and forms which the ancient Greeks pointed to were fully revealed in Christ. Saint Augustine stated, “The purpose of learning is to discover truth, and that truth is ultimately found in Christ, the Light of the World.”
Sarah Fletcher
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Sarah has an English degree from Hillsdale College, a Classical Christian college in Michigan. She spent six years teaching at a classical public charter school in Arizona. After moving to Central Illinois, she classically educated her four children and taught in a local co-op, before helping establish White Horse in 2024. She also teaches our Fourth & Fifth Grade class. Sarah and her husband Dean are members at Christ Church, PCA in Normal.
Lucy Simon
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Lucy has over ten years of experience working with children and spent four years teaching in Christian and Montessori preschool settings, including operating her own in-home Christian preschool. She is passionate about nurturing each child’s academic, spiritual, and character development while fostering a joyful love of learning. Lucy and her husband, Grant, attend Livingstone Communities church in Bloomington.
Leanne Hempen
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Leanne graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a major in Elementary Education, a minor in Math, and an emphasis in Language Arts. She taught in the government schools for twenty years, including graded classrooms, and GED. Then she homeschooled her children through Classical Conversations, where she also worked as a tutor and director. Simply, teaching is her passion. She and her husband, Steve, attend Eastview Christian Church. Steve and Leanne are in the midst of becoming empty nesters to their children.
Michaela Abbott
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Michaela studied English and History at Olivet Nazarene University, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in 2022. Her love for classic literature and the fine arts led to her interest in classical education, and she aims to encourage her students to delight in the wonderful inheritance preserved for them in the Christian classical tradition. Michaela lives in East Peoria and attends the Church of the Nazarene with her family.
Erik Bertsche
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Erik is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds two Master’s degrees in Biblical Exegesis and Historical Theology from Wheaton College. Along with a lifelong love of the Humanities, Erik also enjoys traveling (growing up as a missionary kid in Botswana will do that!) and finds the vocation of being a teacher equal parts deeply rewarding and continually challenging. Erik currently attends St. Michael’s (Anglican Church in North America) in Peoria.
Emily Duckworth
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Emily holds a degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University. She has worked with children in various capacities, including teaching in church settings and serving as a classroom aide. After relocating to Peoria, she taught second grade for six years at a classical school. While passionate about teaching, Emily also finds great fulfillment in administrative work and contributing to the development of a strong school community. She is currently a member of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria.
Interested in teaching at White Horse?
If you have a passion for the Gospel and an infectious love of learning, consider if the Lord is calling you to become a part-time classroom teacher at our half-day school. Teachers receive a 50% discount on their children’s tuition, so parents are encouraged to apply! Applications are open year round, please contact us below to begin the employment process.
OUR
Board of Directors
Drew Martin
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Drew Martin graduated from Illinois State University and works at Nussbaum Transportation. He and his wife, Danae, have five children, two of whom attend White Horse. The Martins are passionate about classical Christian education and supporting the next generation. Drew has served on the board since 2023. His family attends the Bloomington Apostolic Christian Church.
Dean Fletcher
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In order to recapture, rebuild, and create cultural institutions for the glory of God, Dean felt called to establish White Horse Academy. He is also a founding board member of the McLean County Young Republicans, and serves on the City of Bloomington’s Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. He and his wife Sarah, Head of School, have four children, all students at White Horse. The Fletchers are members at Christ Church, PCA in Normal. Dean holds a bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College.
Scott Herrmann
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Scott Herrmann, an Illinois State University graduate, works at Nussbaum Transportation and has served as a board member of White Horse Academy since 2023. He and his wife, Jenae, have four children, and two of them attend White Horse. They love how classical education teaches children to see all things as part of God’s creation and His story. Scott attends the Bloomington Apostolic Christian Church.
Caleb Hoerr
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Caleb is a graduate of Illinois State University and works at Watershed Foods in Gridley. He and his wife Sophie have three children, and are eager to enroll them at White Horse when they are old enough. Caleb and his family worship at the Bloomington Apostolic Christian Church.
Brent Stong
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Brent graduated with bachelor’s of science in finance degree from Bradley University, and currently works for Messing Roofing and Construction in commercial roofing sales. He and his wife, Morgan, have three children who attend White Horse. Additionally, Brent serves as a Deacon at Christ Church, PCA in Normal. The Stongs love helping to provide an affordable Classical Christian Education for the community.