Tutors

Rev. Charles A. Brown holds degrees from Slippery Rock University and Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Ordained to the gospel ministry in 2002, he currently serves as pastor of Rose Point Reformed Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Miriam, are homeschooling parents of six children, and they are Blackburn parents since 2018. Rev. Brown teaches Logic and Algebra 2 at Blackburn. 

Mrs. Leanne Ciarrocchi has a BA in Elementary Education from Westminster College and an MS in Elementary Reading and Literacy.  She has taught in OH, NC, and PA in a mixture of public schools, Christian schools, and the homeschool community.  She and her husband have four daughters, three of whom are currently attending Blackburn.  She enjoys reading, teaching, and serving at her church.  Leanne is excited to teach grammar level literature classes at Blackburn.

Mrs. Evelyn Etheridge has a B.A. in secondary English education and English as a second language from Cedarville University in Ohio.  There she met and eventually married her husband, Rutledge.  She served as an eighth grade English teacher for six years in Indiana before returning to her home state of Pennsylvania.  She continued to teach high school English for another two years while her husband finished seminary.  She has been homeschooling her five children for the past several years while also continuing to teach English classes to local homeschool groups.  She is excited to be at Blackburn where four of her five children attend.

Mrs. Angela Fackler has a B.S. in French from Hillsdale College where she also studied Latin. She taught high school Latin for 3 years in Chicago, Illinois, before moving to Pittsburgh with her husband. She regularly attends a monthly French conversation group and enjoys being active with her church playing clarinet, volunteering as a youth group leader and leading a women’s small group. Mrs. Fackler teaches Latin at the Center.

Mrs. Stacey Feick has a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Grove City College. She taught Chemistry I, Chemistry II, General Science, Earth Science, Calculus and 7th Grade Math in the public schools for seven years. She and her husband, Joe, have three children. Stacey enjoys teaching Science and Mathematics at Blackburn.

Mr. Avin Fernando has a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.S. in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University.  He and his wife Emily have been homeschooling their seven children, and he works as a software engineer.  He is passionate about discerning, ordering, and applying God's truth: in the Bible, the church, the world, and in binary.  He loves singing, biking, and playing board games.  Mr. Fernando teaches Astronomy at Blackburn.

Mrs. Rebecca Koether holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Geneva College.  She spent 5 years teaching in the public school part time as well as directing community after-school programs for her church.  She currently homeschools her 4 children, 2 of whom currently attend Blackburn Study Center.  She enjoys history and literature and is very excited to tutor at Blackburn.

Mrs. Michelle LaMay received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Geneva College.  She taught and coached at Eden Christian Academy for many years.  After her first child was born, she stepped away from the classroom but continued coaching girls basketball and volleyball.  In 2005, she and her husband began their home school journey with their boys. All have attended or are attending Blackburn Study Center. Two have since graduated high school.  She serves on her church’s Youth Ministry Team and leads Vacation Bible School.  She enjoys teaching math and science at Blackburn as well as instructing volleyball and exercising at the YMCA.

Dr. Megan Morton holds a Ph.D in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition from Purdue University. She taught college composition and literature courses for seven years as she completed her degrees at Purdue. She taught full time at Geneva College prior to the birth of her children; she continues to teach there part time as well as homeschooling her three children. She and her family live in Beaver Falls. She believes that our ability to use language to persuade is a reflection of the good God who spoke the universe into being, and she looks forward to teaching writing at Blackburn. 

Mrs. Patti Sewald has a B.S. Ed. in Secondary Mathematics from Indiana University of PA, and a Certificate in Software Development from the Community College of Allegheny County. She started her teaching career in the Shaler Area School District and has taught in many private and public schools in the area. She and her husband Ken have four daughters. The thing she likes best about math is all the patterns that exist. It’s God’s way of showing us the beauty of math! Mrs. Sewald enjoys teaching Math at Blackburn.

Mrs. Meg Spear holds a BS in Secondary Mathematics Education from Geneva College. She is a homeschool mother of nine, all of whom have attended or are attending Blackburn! She loves to see the inherent order and beauty of God’s creation and strives to ignite the same in her students. A teacher at heart, she also serves as a Sunday School teacher and women’s Bible study leader at North Hills Reformed Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Spear teaches Geometry at Blackburn.

Mrs. Amber Stites has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Grove City College.  She worked for four years teaching fifth and sixth graders at a private school in Rockville, MD, just outside of Washington D.C.  She and her husband moved to Pittsburgh in 2004 and are involved in many activities at North Park Church.  A typical day is spent at home playing with and schooling their four children, but on Wednesdays she gets to enjoy being in the classroom again – teaching Science at Blackburn.

Mr. Dan Valentine planted Redeemer Community Church in the East End of Pittsburgh in 2008 and has served as a pastor there since then.  Mr. Valentine obtained a B.A. in Theology and History from Northland International University and then pursued his MDiv studies at Virginia Beach Theological Seminary.  He and his wife, Anna, live in the Morningside neighborhood and are the parents of four young children.  Mr. Valentine teaches theology and apologetics at BSC.

Mrs. Robin Welsh has a Bachelor’s of Science in Special Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  She has taught in early intervention settings and social skills programs for children with autism.  In addition to homeschooling her own two children, she has taught a number different subjects and levels at a homeschool co-op.  For over 20 years, she has volunteered at a local ministry working with at-risk children and youth, and she serves at her church in a variety of areas.  Mrs. Welsh greatly enjoys children and is thrilled to be tutoring history and math at Blackburn!

Mrs. Cassandra Wright holds a BA in English Literature and a minor in History from Geneva College. She has a deep love for the humanities and has taught Literature, Writing and History. Inspired by the pursuit of character, discernment and sophisticated reasoning, she believes it is possible to approach these goals in harmony with academic rigor and a commitment to Christ. Cassandra loves gardening, music, food and the pursuit of God’s glory and ‘The Good Life’ in its many and varied forms.