Our Directors
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Erin Rathier
Erin Rathier graduated from ASU with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She had plans to become a High School English teacher when God called her into full-time Youth Ministry. Erin has spent the last 27 years working with 4th-12th graders, helping them learn who they are as Kingdom builders.
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Andrea Winn
Andrea Winn graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Andrea planned to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing students, but shortly after graduating, God called Andrea into Children’s Ministry. She accepted a position at a church in Colorado building a fun ministry with an amazing team.
Our Tutors
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Megan Bloom
Megan graduated with Bachelor's degrees in both Communication and Psychology from The University of Colorado. One of Megan’s greatest privileges and blessings was to homeschool her own children and help other homeschool families. The Bloom family has grown by leaps and bounds in the past ten years!
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Heather Brown
Heather Brown graduated from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Human Resources. In 2009 after prompting from her husband and a big nudge from the Lord, she started homeschooling her 3 kids and loved it.
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Favian Chagolla
Favian Chagolla is a passionate media professional, entrepreneur, and instructor dedicated to helping others unlock their full potential. As the founder of Refined Media LLC, he has spent the past five years producing high-quality content for small businesses, influencers, churches, and couples—creating everything from wedding films and photography to business marketing content and social media videos that have reached thousands, even millions, of viewers.
Read more…
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Neesie Cieslak
Neesie is committed to producing educational content and professional development resources, emphasizing the integration of Christian values into education. With 26 years of homeschooling experience, she possesses extensive practical knowledge in teaching and curriculum development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Family Studies from Arizona Christian University and is a Certified Family Life Educator.
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Jamin Dunn
Jamin Dunn has been working in music for the last 20 years. He spent 10 years writing, recording, and working the the music publishing industry in Nashville Tennessee, and has served as a worship pastor since 2011. He currently serves as the Ministries Director and Worship leader at Christ’s Community Church. He and his wife Christie have been married for 21 years. They live in Surprise together with their 5 daughters.
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Erica Hang
Erica Hang has been a homeschooling mom for 15 years. She directed a homeschool program in Chicago for 7 years while running a photography business on the side. She has taught various music classes as well as private music lessons. Since moving to Arizona, she discovered a passion for baking and now has a side bakery business.
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Micah Hudak
Micah Hudak earned a degree in Political Science from Arizona Christian University where she developed an even deeper love of history and government. As a homeschool graduate herself, she is passionate about homeschooling and the unique educational environment it provides.
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Melanie Kilcup
Melanie Kilcup earned a Bachelors of Science in Elementary and Special Education through Northern Arizona University and a Masters in Special Education from Grand Canyon University. Melanie was homeschooled herself and loves the homeschool community.
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Patty Larson
Mrs. Patty Larson originally hails from Chicago where she received a full-ride scholarship to the Art Institute. While there, she founded the Plainfield Art League of Illinois. She and her family moved to Arizona in 2007. Shortly after moving to Arizona, the Larson family began attending a large church in Surprise.
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Steve Macek
Steve has been involved in the homeschool community since he was a teenager. Having moved to the big city of Phoenix between 7th & 8th grade, he subsequently started homeschool and co-op programs. Originally receiving training in nutrition and alternative health, Steve ultimately saw God taking him in a very different direction.
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Liston Marsh
Liston Marsh grew up on a farm in Kansas. Liston and her family moved to Glendale 4 years ago and they love the weather. She has a love of nature, the outdoors and seeking the best sunsets. Liston is married to Calvin and they have 3 children- Dominic, Liberty and Deklin. The family has experienced public school, private school and home school, they all agree the homeschool experience has been the best.
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Anna McAffee
Anna is a homeschool graduate who is passionate about everything DANCE! She began ballet at three years old and her love for dance grew as she continued dancing until she graduated high school. Along with years of dance performances, she has also danced in church. With pastors for parents Anna has always been involved with ministry…
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Jeff McAffee
Jeff McAffee has been teaching Bible and theology for over twenty years. He is a college professor, author, and pastor. He has served overseas as a missionary and as the executive director of a training center for full-time ministers. Jeff has a doctorate of ministry degree and is credentialed at the highest level in his denomination.
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Kendra McAffee
Kendra has been an educator for 28 years. She began her teaching career in the public school system in 1996, and still currently holds a K-8 teaching certificate in the state of Arizona. She has homeschooled her children for the last 18 years, graduating two of them with one more to go.
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Mike Mitchell
Mike has been married to his wife Pam (who is also teaching at Ignite!) for 30 years and they have two children they homeschooled through high school. He has taught guitar to homeschooled students for 8 years. He also played guitar with various worship teams for 13 years, in addition to playing rhythm guitar for 3 years to assist the youth band.
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Tisha Pena
Tisha has been a dedicated paraprofessional and homeschooling mom who, along with her husband, has successfully homeschooled her daughter through high school, celebrating her graduation last year from Ignite! Tisha, aka Mrs. Peña, is a returning tutor who teaches with a heart full of love for Jesus and her family.
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Steve Pettis
Steve is originally from the L.A. area in Southern California but grew up moving frequently. His dad was in the army, then a pastor, and then his parents were missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene in Bermuda, Portugal, and the Azores.
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Brenda Prefling
Brenda has been married to her husband, Tom, for fifty wonderful years, and she is a mother to four and grandmother to ten rowdy grandchildren, ranging from five to twenty-two. She even raised one of Ignite’s Directors (Erin) and positively spoiled one of our tutors (Maddy) as she grew up! Brenda has been involved in homeschooling for many years.
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Erin Rathier
Erin Rathier graduated from ASU with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She had plans to become a High School English teacher when God called her into full-time Youth Ministry. Erin has spent the last 27 years working with 4th-12th graders, helping them learn who they are as Kingdom builders.
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Maddy Rathier
Maddy is a homeschool graduate turned Bible college student! She grew up learning and working alongside her mom (one of our directors, Erin) in all of her ministry endeavors in children’s, youth, and small group ministries. She spent her junior high and high school years serving in ministry in just about every way you can think of, and at fifteen years old God called her into ministry herself.
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Mike Rathier
Mike Rathier discovered drafting in high school. After learning hand drafting his freshman year, Mike was introduced to AutoCAD, computer drafting. Little did he know that drafting class would turn into his lifelong career. Mike has been using drafting for the last 23 years in Civil Engineering and the telecom fields.
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Victoria Rivera
Victoria is wife to Phillip, mother of seven children, and grandmother to eight grandchildren ranging in ages 2-11. Above all else, Victoria deeply loves Jesus. Victoria has been involved in the homeschooling community since 2016, when God called her to begin the journey of homeschooling her 3 younger children.
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Veronica Scaff
Veronica Scaff has been in the field of education for over 20 years. Starting her career in Behavioral Health, and serving children with high risk needs here in the valley since 1991. She earned her bachelor's degree in Special Education and General Education from Grand Canyon University’s dual degree program in 2003.
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Julie Smith
Julie Smith graduated with a BA in Bible with emphasis in Cross-Cultural Ministries from L.I.F.E. Bible College in Los Angeles. She married after college, and entered children’s and youth ministry while serving as pastoral assistant. She earned her AS in Nursing and worked as an RN alongside ministry. In 1999, when their first child was still young, friends introduced the Smiths to homeschooling and their new adventure began.
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Amy Spry
Amy graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences. She met her husband of 28 years while studying at Michigan State. Post-graduation, she worked in healthcare, specifically phlebotomy, medical laboratory testing, and training at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.
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Tyler Stringer
Tyler Stringer graduated from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor's degree in finance and now works full-time as a Financial Advisor. Originally intending to pursue full-time vocational ministry, Tyler's path shifted during college when he felt God pushing him to work as a financial advisor.
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Benita Toma
Benita Toma, a native of Glendale, is both an accomplished educator and a dedicated community leader. Although she already has a BA in Biology and certificates in European and Russian Studies from Arizona State University, she is currently pursuing an AAS in Occupational Therapy Assistant Studies. Her teaching experience spans diverse realms...
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Debi Vandenboom
Mrs. Vandenboom has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education. She is a native of Phoenix and has been homeschooling her 4 daughters since 2001. In addition to homeschooling, she was a public elementary school teacher, a gifted education teacher, a community college teacher and has been a longtime math tutor.
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Paige West
Paige West is a Chicago native who has found her home in the Arizona desert. While living in Prescott, Paige received her Associates Degree from Yavapai College, and is currently majoring in Biblical and Theological studies at Arizona Christian University. Paige is on fire for the Lord after having been radically born again through the grace of God.
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Andrea Winn
Andrea Winn graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Andrea planned to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing students, but shortly after graduating, God called Andrea into Children’s Ministry. She accepted a position at a church in Colorado building a fun ministry with an amazing team.
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Brandon Arnold
Bio coming soon!