Instructors
Mrs. Amanda Arneman
I am a Homeschooling mom with many years of experience teaching my own children and in various cooperative settings. I will be teaching elementary gym classes at firm foundation this year. I aim to bring a passion for physical fitness with a nurturing approach. I have created an engaging, fun, and supportive plan that encourages our kids to be active, develop teamwork skills, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. My desire is that my love of outdoor adventures, physical activity and love for teaching will make me a trusted and positive influence in the gym classroom.
Heidi Bristow
Heidi Bristow is a homeschool mom coming from a background in occupational therapy. After graduating college with a BA in English Literature, with a Biology emphasis, she worked in administrative capacity for 6 years. After grad school for an MA in Occupational Therapy a variety of settings, and was recently in a faculty position at Winston-Salem State University as program manager of a pro-bono community outreach. Over the years, she has worked in food service, retail, the medical field, teaching small children, administrative positions, teaching students at the university level, and program management. Her program management position required hiring and mentoring individuals, in addition to interacting with individuals from a variety of professions and walks of life. She will bring these experiences and knowledge to assist students in preparing for their next stage of life.
Mrs. Naomie Dixon
Hi, I’m Naomie Dixon, a passionate homeschool mom. I've been homeschooling since my son was in the first grade. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. My teaching philosophy centers on fostering curiosity and critical thinking through hands-on projects in a fun learning environment. Outside of the classroom, I love hiking, sewing, wood working, and any activity that includes my son and our two dogs! My goal is to inspire my students to become lifelong learners who feel empowered and free to explore the world around them.
Natasha Frye
Natasha Frye is a homeschooling mom of four girls. Natasha has a B.S. degree in mathematics and an M.Ed. from UNCG. She obtained her NC teaching license and became a tenured high school math teacher for NC public schools before becoming a stay at home mom. Natasha has taught Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus.
Shannon Gilleo
I’m a homeschooling mom of two who loves incorporating arts and crafts into our daily learning. With a passion for creativity, I strive to make education fun and engaging by blending hands-on projects with our lessons. My goal is to inspire curiosity and foster a love of learning through creative expression and exploration.
Michelle Gonzalez
My name is Michelle Gonzalez, and I LOVE science and math—they’re like puzzles, it requires us to think with an open mind and expand our knowledge, and while at it, it help us understand the world! I graduated from High Point University in 2020 with a degree in Biology (with a focus on Health Sciences) and a minor in Mathematics (reaching although way to College Calculus 4. Hint: YES I LOVE AND FIND MATH BEAUTIFULLY CHALLENGING and I love a good challenge).
But I didn’t stop there! I went back to school and earned my Master’s in Nanoscience from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2023.
Nanoscience is super cool because it mixes math, chemistry, biology, physics, ethics, and even more... to solve real-world problems! My research was all about using tiny molecular tools, like CRISPR systems, to potentially create a coding system to store digital information inside DNA—kind of like turning DNA into a super tiny hard drive!
I’m passionate about learning, teaching, and showing how the things we study in school connect to the real world. I believe math is not just numbers—it’s a beautiful, universal language and superpower that helps us explore science, solve problems, and even create new technology!
I have big dreams for the future! I hope to either go to medical school or pursue a PhD so I can keep learning, discovering, and making a difference in the world of science and healthcare.
I love cooking, baking, running, hiking, traveling, and watching movies. Whether it's trying new foods, exploring new places, or enjoying a great film, I love discovering new things—just like in science!
Fun Facts About Me!
My favorite colors are blue and green
I love the ocean!
My favorite fruits are strawberries and mangoes—sweet and delicious!
Keri Griffin
class will be taught by Keri Griffin who earned her AAS degree from Lake Michigan College and then went on to graduate from Michigan State University as an LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technician). Keri has been tutoring high school and college level students from homeschool and public-schools for over 15 years. She has taught a variety of subjects, through Classical Conversations, S.T.E.M., Friendly Educators, Wyzant Tutoring, Kneaded Energy School of Massage and Aristotle Tutoring. She is the Owner and Director of Aristotle Tutoring (www.Aristotletutoring.wix.com/Aristotle-tutoring) and is available for private tutoring.
Lacey Grim
Mom of 4 homeschoolers (one graduate), and co-owner and operator of Schoolhouse Farm & The Schoolhouse Life--Lacey Grim has been a natural health educator for over a decade. On top of her passion for holistic wellness, she minored in the fine arts & literature and has continued to incorporate her passion for herbalism & naturalism, writing, creativity in addition to teaching at the forefront of her business and life. She loves inspiring learners of all ages to be curious, tap into their own innate creativity, look for wonder in nature and to, most of all, keep trying new things.
Jessicca Hayes
Hello! My name is Jessicca Hayes. I am a freelance educational interpreter (K-12 and collegiate) of American Sign Language and full time student of the Word of God. I enjoy spending time outside in nature, hiking, exploring and reading books. I play multiple instruments and write original pieces. I also enjoy driving to new and exciting places. I have been a lifelong learner and it's become a joy of mine to teach others what I have learned!
Mrs. Marion James-Holiday
I graduated from UNCPembroke with a double major in Psychology and Communications with a minor in Public Relations. I am a former Miss Lumbee Ambassador, who traveled the country sharing my culture/history, faith in Christ, and my love for unity. Most of my work experience is with youth, breast cancer awareness, mentoring substance abuse clients, and many other things in the fitness world. Since my marriage to Randy Holiday, I have mainly focused on homeschooling and raising my three children. Raine S. Holiday is my eldest daughter, who attends UNC Chapel Hill as a STEM major. My son Jacob M. Holiday is a rising Junior, who keeps me busy with soccer and will be attending GTCC for dual enrolment. My youngest Aerin N. Holiday will be a fourth grader in the fall. I started homeschooling 15 years ago in Rock Hill, S.C. We have lived here in Greesboro for about 9 years. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, board games, and my most favorite is family time.
Mrs. Briana Jessup
Hello, I am Briana Jessup! I am a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and I have also attended Union Bible College for a bachelor's degree in Intercultural Studies. I am currently a stay at home Mom. Before staying at home with my babies, I worked in Orthopedics, Spine, and Dermatology. My husband and I currently work together doing the children's ministry at our church.
I love the Lord with all of my heart and have been a Christian most of my life. Though I grew up in church, I have found Jesus to be real and faithful in my own life! I am so excited to be a tutor at Firm Foundations! I look forward to meeting all of my students and their parents!
Lisa Kidd
Lisa Kidd is the Founder and Executive Director of the international ministry of Arts Evangelica. She and her family are known for glorifying God through performing arts, a legacy spanning over three decades. Lisa is married to Grady, a talented performer, skilled artisan, and Technical Director of Arts Evangelica. The couple combine their gifts of dance, drama, vocal performance and art with their love for Jesus to create performance experiences that are radiant with worship.
Passion for Jesus, Wonder and Adventure are the heart of Arts Evangelica, and Lisa has an innovative approach to teaching. She and her staff train students to excel in dance, drama and music, and to become leaders - “Ambassadors” of Christ - to the poor, homeless, elderly, orphaned, and those with special needs. Using the arts as a bridge to other cultures, Lisa and her team serve and perform to bring help and hope in creative and practical ways that transform lives. Lisa encourages her students to do great exploits in the Kingdom, and these exploits have taken Arts Evangelica throughout the United States and abroad to Israel, Nicaragua, Europe, South Africa, the Philippines and other parts of the world.
Lisa is a Summa Cum Laude with BFA and AA Degrees in Dance, Drama and Music (Vocal Performance). Lisa's work has been recognized by Dance Teacher Now and Today’s Christian Woman magazines. She loves to work with all ages and specializes in using movement to help children and adults move past impossible conditions and circumstances, particularly the effects of trauma. Lisa's calling is to demonstrate God's love to all people and to reclaim the Arts for the Glory of Jesus Christ.
Liston Kidd
Liston Kidd is the Director of Music for Arts Evangelica. His passion is helping others to find their voice, and he challenges young people to “leap" out of their comfort zone and gain confidence through the performing arts.
Liston holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He composes original scores for Arts Evangelica performances and accompanies the dancers with his voice and music. Because Arts Evangelica is an international ministry, Liston uses his experience as an Opera singer in a unique way. His training in the classical arts required him to learn many languages, and this unique skillset has enabled him to translate and perform his original music in whatever language is needed for the mission at hand. Liston has been on many missions with Arts Evangelica, and together with his family, dance and music have opened doors to share God’s love worldwide.
Liston is also an Eagle Scout and uses his outdoor skills and training to help prepare Arts Evangelica students for the Mission field, equipping them to travel with Arts Evangelica and to experience the wonder and adventure of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Shannon Layne
My name is Shannon Layne and I am so excited to join the Firm Foundations Community as a tutor! I hold an Associates degree and have always had a passion for learning and teaching! I especially enjoy reading, crafting and exploring while teaching about the Bible with my daughter. This will be my first year teaching and I look forward to sharing my love of learning with students while growing alongside them!
Mrs. Victoria Lemp
“If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good.”
-Dr. Suess
Just like the quote above, instilling a love of learning is FUN!
After graduating from Marantha Baptist University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, I taught grades first through third and privately tutored reading and math.
Turning from teacher to homeschool mom was easy for me. Seeing those “light bulb” moments throughout our day was amazing. I have treasured teaching our six children at home and in cooperative settings. This eighteen-year journey has given me the privilege of graduating three of our six children thus far.
I’m looking forward to sharing my love of learning with you.
Sarah Lott
Hi! I am a lifer in the homeschool community. I have three children, ages 12, 14, and 17. I have homeschooled all of my children from kindergarten up and am proud to have my oldest attending college full time at UNCG this year. One down, two to go! I love the homeschool community that we have here in the triad area and am excited to see Firm Foundations grow into a blessing for our community. I am also a Registered Nurse and love my role as an RN and all of the people that I get to meet as I function in that capacity. If I can be helpful to you in any way, please always feel free to give me a call, shoot me text, or send me an e-mail. Homeschooling can be a joy but also a struggle. If I can help you to make your journy more joyful, I would absolutly love to lend a hand.
Mrs. Katherine Newcomb
I am a Jesus-loving massage therapist (by trade) homeschool mom of my eleven year old son, Eli, and five year old daughter, Hope. My husband Billy and I have been on this homeschooling journey since Eli was in kindergarten, and we wouldn't trade the family time together it has afforded us for anything. My homeschool style is interest-led and hands-on, and I am SO excited for the opportunity to take that into the classroom to work your doodle bugs this year!
Hannah Pao
Madame Pao received a BA in French from UNCG as well as her NC K-12 teaching licensure for foreign language. While teaching high school French in Guilford County, she decided to pursue her Master's in French at UCSB during summer break. The advanced degree proved valuable, but the real treasure of the master's program was meeting her husband James. She taught French for a total of five years in Guilford County Schools before their first baby was born. Now she homeschools their five children, ages 5-15. She is excited to be returning to the classroom to teach a subject she loves.
Mr. James Pao
I am the Manager of the Testing and Proctoring Center at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). In addition to my regular duties, I am in the midst of teaching my 6th semester of the First Year Experience course, a class that all freshmen are required to take at WSSU. While I have worked at WSSU for the last 13 years, prior to that, I was the Executive Director of the Sylvan Learning Center of Greensboro and the Marketing Manager for the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Before those experiences, I lived in California for much of my early adulthood, spending time in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. I have specific expertise in test preparation as a GMAT instructor for Kaplan Inc., the SAT instructor and SAT tutor-trainer at Sylvan Learning Center, the lead instructor for GRE at WSSU, and the course developer (and instructor) for the PRAXIS test prep summer course at WSSU. I am also a top 1% test-taker of the GMAT test and a top 10% test-taker in all sections of the GRE. My educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Business from UC Berkeley, an MBA from UCLA, and a Master's degree in French Studies from UC Santa Barbara. The teaching style I use is a combination of excellent content delivery combined with a sprinkle of silliness. I have an improvisational theater background, so I do my best to incorporate creativity and humor in the classroom. I look forward to working with you this year!
Dr. Jason Pierce
Happy husband to Nancy as well as father of Miranda (7) and Sam (6). I work as a professor of management at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the Bryan School of Business. Teaching, that is, guiding people to find truths that will set them free and empower them to make the world better for themselves and others, is my life’s passion.
Dr. Nancy Pierce
I'm Nancy, and I'm thrilled to be a part of Firm Foundations of Greensboro! I bring a unique blend of experiences to the table – from my background as a management professor and researcher, to my passion for health that led me to become a Certified Nutrition Coach and group fitness instructor. This year, I'm excited to share my knowledge with high schoolers in Health & Nutrition and guide middle schoolers on a 'Wellness Adventure' in my Empower U class. As a homeschooling mom of two wonderful children, ages 6 and 7, I truly understand the joys and challenges of this journey. We've been homeschooling for four years, and I'm eager to connect with other families and create a supportive learning environment. My goal is to make these classes fun, engaging, and packed with practical skills that students can use to build lifelong healthy habits. Let's make this a fantastic and empowering year together!
Mrs. Stepheny Seabolt
Hi, I'm Stepheny! I'm the wife of one amazing husband, and homeschooling mama to three crazy kiddos. We graduated our oldest in May 2024, and our two boys are in high school. With 12 years (I think) of homeschooling under my belt, and working on 10 years experience in different co-ops, you could say that I'm in it for the long haul!
Teaching is my passion, along with reading good books, drinking strong coffee, singing, and crocheting. You'll see me around campus most of the time without shoes (true story: I only own flip flops and winter sneakers). When I'm not at co-op or out at track practice with my boys, you'll usually find me helping out with the youth ministry at Lawndale Baptist. I can't wait to see all of y'all in classes soon!
Jessica Smith
Jessica is a Wake Forest University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, former public school teacher, former private school reading specialist, and private piano teacher. Jessica has been tutoring or teaching in some capacity since she was a junior in high school. As a life-long lover of learning and knowledge, homeschooling has provided her with the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for learning with her own children, as well as those in the larger Greensboro homeschooling community. Jessica has taught history, science, and music at a large homeschool co-op in Greensboro since 2021. She is passionate about books, travel, the arts, and natural healthcare. Jessica has been homeschooling her six children for 11 years and graduated her oldest daughter, now a junior in college pursuing a degree in vocal performance, in spring 2022. She will graduate her oldest son this spring, and he will be attending UNCG as a piano performance major in the fall.
Mr. David Stacy
David Stacy is a native of the Appalachian mountain region, growing up in Grundy, VA. He attended Radford University from 1995-1999 and received a B.S. in Social Science. He returned to Radford University from 1999-2001 and received a M.S. in Educational media. For 10 years David worked as an elementary school teacher in Burlington, NC and Greensboro, NC. In 2009 he opened Octagon MMA and Krav Maga with his wife Kimberly Jenkins. David has a wide array of martial arts experience. He is an Expert 2 instructor in Krav Maga self-defense, a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a purple pra jiad in Muay Thai Kickboxing, a level 2 armed self-defense instructor with Integrated Defense Strategies, attendee of the first civilian cohort of Tim Kennedy's Sheepdog Response self-defense program, and has trained with Apollo Ladra in Kali. He has conducted various self-defense seminars throughout the country, and also trained a Special Forces unit at Ft. Bragg in unarmed self-defense. He trains regularly with Jeff Jimmo, trainer of 12 current UFC and PFL fighters, and he also seeks out training with the best organizations in the world.
Lauri Westmoreland
Hi there! I’m a homeschooling mom of two, a homesteader, and a firm believer that goats are just toddlers in fur coats. By day, I wrangle chickens, cows, and curious minds, and by night, I research natural wellness methods like it’s my full-time job (because, honestly, it kind of is).
As an Engineer by training, math and science are my jam—so whether I’m calculating feed ratios or experimenting with homemade elderberry syrup, you can bet there’s some serious research behind it. I love teaching others how to embrace a more natural, hands-on way of living, whether it’s making sourdough, crafting herbal remedies, or figuring out how to keep the chickens alive despite their best efforts. I love teaching others how to embrace a more natural, hands-on way of living—whether it’s making sourdough, crafting herbal remedies, or figuring out how to keep the chickens alive despite their best efforts—but more than anything, my faith guides it all, as I strive to steward the land, raise my family with purpose, and share the gifts God has given me through teaching, homesteading, and, of course, a mean batch of sourdough.
If you love a good DIY project, enjoy geeking out over natural health, or just want to swap stories about farm life chaos, you’re in the right place!
Ms. Cydney Williams
Cydney Williams is an American musician who started playing the viola when she was eleven years old. Throughout the years, Cydney performed in many settings around the community such as school orchestras, chamber ensembles, competitions, school district orchestras, regional orchestras, music workshops, summer music camps, clinics, recitals, festivals, churches, and has recently volunteered and has volunteered in performing inside community youth orchestras as an undergraduate. She also volunteered to be an assistant teacher inside of the Cumberland County School District. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music in the spring semester of 2019, Cydney Williams performed in the Fayetteville Chamber Orchestra. In winter of 2020, Cydney was accepted into the graduate program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. She received her Master’s Degree in Viola Performance in the Spring of 2022.
Cydney is a part of SetApart Music Academy offering instruction in Violin/Viola privately and in the Orchestra Introductory Class setting and is excited to be a part of Firm Foundations offering instruction in Violin/Viola Introductory Class setting and an assistant instruction for Mr. Scott Johnson’s General Music Class for grades K-5.