Miranda Mehrer is originally from the wide-open prairies of North Dakota. Her journey took her to sunny San Diego as a Marine wife, and eventually led her family to settle in Arizona—where they truly found their forever home. She and her husband became best friends after they met at their small town church in high school. They have three wonderful children, ages 12, 16, and 18. As a family, they love board games, playing music together, and staying active outdoors, and they cherish the chance to continue sharing their faith with their kids and everyone they meet.

Miranda holds a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in art and photography, though her career eventually led her down a different form of creating—finding a passion to organize, build, problem-solve, and a love for helping in any way she can. She currently serves in the front office at Great Hearts Christos, drawing on that background and a dedication to keeping things running smoothly for staff, students, and families. She also loves to volunteer wherever she can, and her biggest passion is teaching religious education. She is currently in her 9th year, and there’s nothing quite like watching a student’s face light up as they discover Christ in their own life.

Julie Stojanovic feels blessed to be a part of the Great Hearts Christos family. She grew up in Canada and received her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Windsor in Ontario. She and her husband were introduced by a mutual friend at an event at their church. They have two children, a son and a daughter. Their family came to Arizona in 1995, and she became an American citizen on June 23, 2021.

She has taught kindergarten and second grade and is passionate about helping children to grow and discover their gifts. She has a deep appreciation and respect for classical education and could not imagine teaching any other way. In her spare time she enjoys reading, baking, and swimming.

Hilary Stankiewicz has been in the teaching world her whole life and is happy to start this year at Great Hearts Christos, Gilbert. She adores the littles, and in fact has three daughters of her own. She and her family have lived and worked all along the West Coast of the USA, and lived and worked abroad in Dubai, UAE and the Vancouver area in British Columbia, Canada. Having lived in a variety of places, she brings a welcoming heart and mind to this new position. Much of her teaching experience has been in the Christian arena and she is so pleased that they will immerse themselves daily in the word and participate in worship to direct their hearts toward learning. God guides their steps, and she strives to guide the special scholars in her care through the wonders and journey ahead for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

Amelia Carlos was born in Michigan but moved to Arizona as a toddler. She started teaching preschool straight out of high school. She married a marine, had children and attended child development classes at community colleges. After earning a bachelor’s degree in education from ASU she taught Kindergarten students for 16 years and first grade for four years on the Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation. She has also taught as a substitute teacher in grades Kindergarten through 8th and as a third-grade teacher at a charter school. Ms. Carlos earned her master’s degree in education from Grand Canyon University and her National Board Certification. Mrs. Carlos was a foster mom. She has one son, Elijah, and three daughters, Mikah, TC, and Hannah, who are members of the Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Ms. Carlos’ youngest daughter attends Great Hearts Christian Academy in Gilbert. Outside of school, Ms. Carlos enjoys camping, swimming, board games and puzzles and playing with her new grandson. Ms. Carlos is grateful to teach at a Christian school where the children can sing and pray. She has been teaching at Great Hearts Christian Academies since they started in 2023.

Kelly McGregor studied linguistics at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Afterwards she studied literacy development through the Summer Institute of Linguistics at the University of North Dakota. She and her husband served in Papua New Guinea as missionaries for ten years. She homeschooled her three children. When they moved to Arizona in 2020, she began teaching first grade at Leman Academy of Excellence. She has taught second grade at Great Hearts Christos for the last two years and is currently completing the teacher certification through Scottsdale Community College. She loves teaching children and watching them grow. She enjoys mountain biking, hiking, reading, and being home with her family.

Kara Grace Talbot is excited to teach third grade this year. She is a Texas native who graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Shortly after graduation, she decided to pursue a career in education, and this will be her fifth year of teaching. She and her husband relocated to Arizona a year ago to support his pursuit of Dental School. She has a passion for helping shape the hearts and minds of the next generation and looks forward to partnering with parents this year. Third grade is such a sweet year as students learn and grow so much. She looks forward to all the beautiful learning that will take place as they ultimately seek to honor and glorify the Lord in all their shared efforts.

Mrs. Kuhl will be teaching fourth grade at Christos this year!

This will be her sixth year with Great Hearts. She truly loves classical education, and teaching in a school where they can study the Bible and participate in daily chapel makes teaching here especially meaningful to her. She began teaching in Gilbert when her youngest of their three boys started Kindergarten, and she holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University.

She and her husband are originally from Lake Oswego, Oregon, but they have lived in Gilbert since 1997. This summer they celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary. Their three boys are now 29, 26, and 23 years old, and their youngest was married this past April. Their family attends and serves at the Mesa campus of Christ Church.

In her free time, she loves to study scripture, read historical fiction, bake, and hike throughout Northern Arizona.

Mrs. Lew has lived in the valley for about 24 years and loves being a part of the Great Hearts family. She graduated with a BA in Public Relations and an MA in Elementary Education. She spent 4 years teaching 3rd grade and 2 years teaching 4th grade at Great Hearts Archway Lincoln. She feels blessed to be entering her fourth year at Christos and can’t wait to continue this great adventure as the 5th grade teacher this year. Prior to joining the Great Hearts team, she taught at a Christian school, teaching grades 3 and 4 in a multilevel classroom and art for grades 3-8. She holds state certification in Elementary Education with an endorsement for SEI (Structured English Immersion/ESL), in addition to being a Spalding Certified Teacher Instructor. She is the proud mother of two young men who both graduated from Great Hearts Lincoln Prep, and she loves spending her free time at the beach, reading, and doing arts and crafts.

Emily Harry is a graduate of Grand Canyon University’s College of Education with her Master’s Degree in Secondary Education with an Emphasis in Humanities. Her favorite class to teach is American History, specifically during the Cold War and post-World War II America. This is her second year with Great Hearts Christos.

Anna Kupitz is the Middle School Math teacher at Christos Academy.

She was born and raised in Mesa in a family home with 6 siblings. Growing up, they prayed and laughed often!

She has taught middle school math and medieval history. She loved the opportunity to teach both, but what she loves about math is marveling at the beauty of God in the numerical truths of the universe. Mathematics can be fun and beautiful, and it has been a joy sharing this wonderful truth with young minds. She was also a volleyball coach and program coordinator for high school mentorship at her previous school, and she continues to mentor students in her free time.

Her faith is primary in her life, followed secondly by her family. She loves being an aunt to 13 wonderfully-made nieces and nephews. She likes to bake, sing, play games, play volleyball, and spend time with God. She finds it a true privilege to work with and watch these young scholars grow.

Mr. Christopher Samuels is the new Science and Bible Teacher for 6th through 8th grade this year. He has been married for 17 years, has four wonderful young children with his wife, and serves as an Elder in his local church.

His love for science began in a classical education setting, where he was captivated by the beauty, order, and purpose revealed through scientific study—especially in astronomy. As a classically trained artist, he came to the knowledge of Christ through his studies of design in the world all around him. Now, as a teacher, it is his aim to equip students with the tools they need to seek and discover the depth of God’s revelation of Himself in His creation and to see how this is encompassed in His most glorious revelation, His Son, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:3 says, “”In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”” He prays that all his students would begin to see the wonder, beauty and goodness of our extraordinary God, through their study of the seemingly ordinary world around them.

He feels honored to partner with Christos, Christian Academies in the Great Hearts tradition, in teaching this year’s middle school Science and Bible. We’re grateful for the chance to introduce him, and we look forward to him getting to know all of you as well.

Yesenia Castro has been married for 10 years and is a proud mom of two beautiful daughters. She loves serving in her church community, especially in Kidz Ministry, where she gets to help children grow in their faith and experience God’s love. One of her favorite things is spending time with her church family and building lasting relationships. This is her second year at Great Hearts Christos, and she’s excited to be part of this community and all that God has in store for her here. 

Charlene Westerman is a dedicated Teacher Apprentice committed to cultivating a love for truth, goodness, and beauty in the classroom. In her role, she collaborates closely with lead educators to deliver a rich classical Christian education, helping scholars build a strong foundational worldview through rigorous instruction and character formation.

Renee Mosiman is grateful to serve as an Exceptional Student Services Teacher. She earned her undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering and later a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. As a therapist, she spent several years working with children facing behavioral and emotional challenges.

She left her career to raise and home-educate her own children using a classical Christian approach. During that time, she also taught at a homeschool co-op, leading classes in subjects such as speech, leadership, and psychology.

Now with one son at Arizona State University and the other preparing to enter law school, she is excited to share her experience, gifts, and love of learning with other children. She also serves as the Board Chair of Social Ministry at her church and enjoys traveling, watching sports, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Leslie Davis and her husband moved to Arizona during the summer of 2020 to be close to his aging parents. They have two adult daughters, who are a great joy to them. She holds certification with the Academy of Orton Gillingham as a certified reading specialist. Her previous teaching experience includes four years of homeschooling, five years of reading intervention at a private school for dyslexic students, and two years of middle school/high school English. This is her fifth year of teaching Latin. In her free time, she loves reading, sewing, crafts, and spending time with her family. She and her husband have taken several short mission trips traveling to various countries including Brazil, Hong Kong, and Kenya. As a family, they can attest to Psalm 126:3, “God hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” She is thrilled to be at Great Hearts Christos. She wants her students to enjoy learning about language and to use what they have learned to serve the Lord.

Mrs. Lee moved to the United States from South Korea at age nine, which is also when she began attending church. She lived in Beaverton, Oregon, for over 20 years before recently relocating to Arizona for her husband’s new job. Married for four years, she and her husband do not have kids or pets yet, and she is thrilled to pour that extra time and heart into loving and serving the students and community!

Her passion for ministry began during her freshman year of college, when God led her on short-term mission trips across several countries in Africa and Asia. After graduating from the University of Washington with a BA in Linguistics and a minor in Education, she lived in France as a student missionary for a year and a half. It was during this time that she discovered her true calling to teach. Upon returning to the States, she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching (Elementary Education) from George Fox University.

Mrs. Lee brings seven years of teaching experience to the community, split between four years in the 4th-grade classroom and three years teaching elementary music across both public and private schools. Growing up, she studied piano, voice, violin, and flute, with the flute being her primary instrument.

Having attended a private Catholic primary school in South Korea and private Christian schools in the U.S., Mrs. Lee deeply values classical education. Her goal is to instill the joy of music in her students and equip the next generation to be true worshipers in Christ. She is thrilled to join Great Hearts Christos and looks forward to sharing the love of Christ with the students, families, and community.

Israel Perez is the Physical Education Teacher at Great Hearts Christos, serving both the Maryvale and Gilbert campuses. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, he earned an Associate of Arts degree from Phoenix College and a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Northern Arizona University.

Israel began his career at Great Hearts as a TA at Maryvale Prep before moving into a full-time teaching assistant position for 6th grade. During his time there, he also had the opportunity to help teach a 6th-grade PE section, which sparked his interest in gaining more experience in physical education.

He decided to join Great Hearts Christos because of its faith-based environment and smaller class sizes. His decision to teach PE at both campuses was driven by his desire to ensure that students at both locations receive a quality physical education program. He enjoys helping students develop the skills they need to discover sports they love while also teaching them the importance of exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Outside of school, Israel enjoys playing soccer, going to the gym, attending concerts, and watching movies.

Ami is an Arizona native, and grew up loving anything to do with art. She attended the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in graphic design and illustration, and during college, she accepted Jesus after hearing the truth of God’s word through a college ministry. Some years later, Ami and her husband, Corey, helped start Hope Church Movement, a church focused on reaching college students with the gospel. They have two adult daughters, one attending Arizona State and the other, Grand Canyon University.

A love for beautiful art led Ami to get more involved with classical methods of teaching and continue to be a lifelong learner of what is true, good, and beautiful. Now in her 10th year of instructing art, Ami is truly excited to be a part of Great Hearts Christian Academy and getting to share her art skills with children of all ages.