2021-2022 Faculty 

Administration

Thomas Achord (Headmaster)
Thomas grew up in St. Amant, Louisiana. He served in the United States Air Force for six adventurous years working with fighter aircraft. Mr. Achord holds a bachelor's degree in History and Philosophy from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mr. Achord enjoys woodworking, fishing, and hunting. ​
Julie Dreher (Grammar School Head and 4th Grade Teacher) 
Julie is the mother of two current Sequitur students and one Sequitur graduate now attending LSU’s Honors College. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her students quickly come to understand how much she enjoys teaching grammar and writing in particular. Julie started research into classical education almost 20 years ago and is keenly aware that she will only scratch the surface in this lifetime. She has enjoyed homeschooling her own children for more than a decade, teaching in co-op and hybrid school settings, and continuing the journey in Sequitur’s classrooms. The Drehers are members of St. Matthew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Baton Rouge, where she sings in the choir and serves on the mission council.
Lee Stephenson (Logic/Rhetoric Head)
Lee Stephenson is from Atlanta, Georgia, and attended the University of Virginia where she received a B.A. in History and Leadership, and an M.S. of Commerce in Marketing and Management -- degree choices which can only be explained retrospectively. She is currently a teaching apprentice with the Circe Institute, and spends her time after school re-reading classical texts she teaches, because they will always be orders of magnitude greater than her tiny mind can comprehend. She attends Grace Mid City Church in eponymous Mid City Baton Rouge.

Grammar School Instructors 

Carla Edwards (Kindergarten)

Carla grew up in Slidell, LA and attended Southeastern Louisiana University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a minor in Hispanic Ethnic Studies.  She is a first generation Argentine-American who loves Asado (Argentina BBQ), empanadas, and speaking spanish (their secret code) with her husband, Matt. During the last 5 years Carla has worked as a teacher in the MDO program at Jefferson Baptist Church.  Carla and Matt are parents to two Sequitur students, Samuel and Lucia and have been married for 12 years. The Edwards attend Christ Covenant Church. Carla enjoys spending time with her family and dear friends, enjoying a quiet weekend, and serving alongside her brothers and sisters at Christ Covenant Church. She is so excited to be the inaugural teacher for Sequitur's first kindergarten class and be together with her children!
Serah Mitchell (1st grade)

This is Serah’s fifth year teaching first grade at Sequitur. She received a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts from Middle Tennessee State University. During childhood Serah spent every afternoon playing school, recruiting her younger siblings, neighbors, dolls and stuffed animals to be her students. She cannot believe that God has seen fit to allow her to have her dream job teaching at this academy. Serah is the mother of three Sequitur students (her oldest is now a senior!) and has homeschooled for 11 years.  She and her husband Steve have been married 25 years and have lived in Baton Rouge for the last 17 years. The Mitchells are members of the Grace Baptist Mid-City church family.
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Tara Taylor (2nd grade) 

Tara grew up in Houma, Louisiana and attended Nicholls State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in General Studies. Before teaching at Sequitur, Tara homeschooled her children in the classical model. This will be her 3rd year teaching in the grammar school. She and her family gather for worship at St. Alban's Chapel. Tara has been married to Nick for 20 years and they have four children, who also attend Sequitur. She enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, and being outside enjoying God's creation.​
Chantelle Whitehead (3rd grade)

Chantelle is a Baton Rouge native and attended LSU earning a B.S. degree in Business Administration. She homeschooled her 4 children using the classical model before they began attending Sequitur in 2017. She has loved being a part of the Sequitur community as a parent and joined Sequitur as the 3rd Grade Grammar School teacher in the 2020-2021 school year. Chantelle and her husband Jason, who is a mechanical engineer, have been married for 22 years. They attend FBC Gonzales and currently reside in Prairieville. Chantelle enjoys watching LSU football, spending time with family on False River, trips to the beach, and a good movie.
Emily Ingalls (4th grade math and science)

​Emily is a native of Baton Rouge and teaches fourth grade math. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans, LA. She worked as a registered nurse in multiple fields including oncology, orthopedics, cardiology, gastroenterology and legal nurse consulting for 13 years. The past four years she has spent homeschooling and raising her four daughters, three of which are part of the Sequitur community. Emily and her family worship at Istrouma Baptist Church (Ascension campus).
Abbi Varnado (5th Grade and Admissions Director)

​Abbi is an LSU graduate with a BS in Psychology and a BA in French. When she first heard about Sequitur, she fell in love with its vision to educate children in everything through the lens of the Gospel; she feels honored to be playing a part in a movement that is determined to change culture and exalt Jesus Christ. She and her husband, Jordan, are members of Antioch Community Church, where they have learned much about serving the global Church and doing all things for the glory of God. In her free time, she loves to go on adventures with her husband, take care of their plant babies, and try out new recipes on anyone that will take up her offer to come over for dinner.
Thaddeaus Swart (6th grade)

Thaddeaus grew up in Northern California, where he graduated from high school and went on to attend the Joshua Wilderness Institute at Hume Lake Christian Camps. While attending JWI, he met his wife, Elaine, and followed her back to her hometown, Baton Rouge, LA. He finished his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Language at Southeastern Louisiana University, and has worked in Christian Classical education since 2008. Thaddeaus and his wife have two children—Asher and Primrose.
Front Desk
Michele Crowe

Michele was born in Alabama and raised in a military family that lived all around the world. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology from the University of South Carolina and a M.S. in Dietetics from Auburn University. She worked as a consulting dietitian before becoming a stay at home mom. She and her husband, Josh, have been married almost 23 years and have lived in Baton Rouge for 13 years. They have two children that have attended Sequitur the past 6 years and are members of Istrouma Baptist Church. This will be Michele’s second year of having the privilege to serve at the front desk of Sequitur.

Logic and Rhetoric School Instructors

Kevin Lindholm (Art)
Kevin is the lead art instructor for Sequitur Classical Academy and former adjunct professor of life drawing and color & design at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Lafayette, LA) and Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond, LA). He hails from sunny California with an interest in reformed theology, cultural theory and criticism, and art theory and criticism. Along with experience teaching kindergarten through graduate level art, Kevin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (emphasis in printmaking) from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and a Master of Fine Arts degree (emphasis in printmaking) from The Ohio State University. Kevin’s art work is currently being considered for various publications.  
Paula Haley (Math)

​Paula is a Rhetoric School math instructor for Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus. Paula deeply loves rightly connecting concepts in math to its source, an orderly, masterful Creator God. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University and a Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. As a home school mom, Paula has taught for over fifteen years and is active in her church and the local home school fellowship and athletic board.
Dallas Shipp (Humanities)

​Dallas Shipp teaches 7th and 9th grade Humanities at Sequitur. He received a Bachelor's in History from Liberty University and studied American History at LSU. He collects books and loves to discuss them over good meals. He and his wife, Heather, are members of St. Matthew's Orthodox Church. He most enjoys visiting the library with his two daughters, who each have five names
Daniel Loper (Physics)

​Mr. Loper teaches Geometry, Physics, and Calculus at Sequitur. He is currently in his senior year at LSU to receive his Bachelor's degree in Economics. He and his wife Madison are members of St. Matthew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Baton Rouge. Mr. Loper loves being in nature and playing sports with his wife and friends. Since the start of college, he has tutored the ACT test, and now works as Test Prep Administrator for the Classical College. He is excited to learn all about Classical education alongside his students. 
Sharon King (Earth Science and Biology)

Mrs. King is the 7th grade Earth Science and 9th grade Biology instructor. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Biology from University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Sharon has shared her enthusiasm for science with numerous homeschool and 4-H groups over the last 9 years, and has been a science instructor at Sequitur since 2018. Her son graduated from Sequitur in Spring 2021, and her daughter will complete her Senior year at Sequitur in 2022.  She is thankful for discovering classical Christian education, Church of the Highlands, and the vibrant community of home educators in Baton Rouge. In addition to teaching, she loves animals of all kinds, gardening and riding her bike.​
Tom Brewer (Humanities)

​Tom grew up traveling as a dependent in an Army family. He later joined the Army and served four years in the infantry with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, HI. He reenlisted for three more years in the Military Police at Ft. Polk, LA. After leaving the Army, Tom attended NSU in Natchitoches for two years and then transferred to LSU and received a General Studies degree. He returned to LSU to receive a degree in Secondary Education – English. After teaching for a couple years at Baton Rouge Commercial College, he taught high school at the Silliman Institute in Clinton. Tom returned to LSU in 1988, this time to be employed as a Computer Analyst doing desktop support for LSU Libraries until retiring in 2017. In 1997 Tom also helped found Baton Rouge Christian Classical School, where he served on the board and the curriculum committee. When BRCCS closed, Tom and his wife Sharon returned to home schooling their five children. Tom also helped produce the 1989, not-so “cult classic” film Dark Heritage. Tom and Sharon attend Grace Bible Fellowship in Baton Rouge where Tom also serves as an open-air evangelist.
Fr. Joshua Trant (Humanities)

Father Joshua teaches 8th grade Humanities and Latin at Sequitur. He received a Bachelor of Arts of Intercultural Studies and Linguistics from Houghton College in western New York where he met his wife, Heather. His collegiate preparation led him to language survey half way around the world on staff with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  Father Joshua completed his seminary training with a Masters of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York. In 2016, he was assigned to St. Matthew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Baton Rouge where he serves as parish priest.  As a native Texan, he believes in the existence of the perfectly wood-smoked brisket and is committed to its pursuit in his spare time. He lives with his wife and daughter, Tabitha, in Baton Rouge and enjoys family game night, beach trips, and Maine oysters.






Shane Folks (Chemistry and Math)

Mr. Folks is originally from Oklahoma but has called South Louisiana home for almost ten years. He has worked in both pastoral ministry and the public sector and currently serves as Music Leader at CrossPoint Baptist Church in addition to teaching math and science courses at Sequitur. He holds degrees in Chemistry and Religious Studies and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation examining the classical Muslim view of the Apostle Paul. Mr. Folks has been married to Hannah (Louisiana girl!) for five years and they have four dogs.
Monica Overton (Anatomy)

Monica grew up in Mississippi, where she graduated salutatorian from high school and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mississippi University for Women.  She earned her National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adulthood Science in 2006.  She taught for 20 years in both public and private classrooms in Mississippi and Louisiana  and has spent the last five years homeschooling the youngest three of her five children.  She is excited to join those children on the Sequitur campus this year.  Monica is a member of Istrouma Baptist Church and is looking forward to studying the greatness of God's design with her eleventh grade Anatomy class this year.
Erika Price (Math)

Erika grew up in Baton Rouge and received a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Education from LSU.  She taught for 6 years in Louisiana and Texas covering Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Calculus. Since returning to Baton Rouge in 2006 she has enjoyed homeschooling her four children Hannah, David, Leah and Ruth. All four children are enrolled at Sequitur and look forward to all being on campus together.  Erika's goal in the classroom is to help students love God, while growing to enjoy and excel in mathematics. She can be found celebrating Pi day every 3/14. Erika and Blake have been married for 22 years and love being members of Christ Covenant Church. 
Caroline Velasquez (Latin)

Caroline teaches 7th and 8th grade Latin. She hails from the quiet of the country but grew up in Baton Rouge. From a young age, she admired the beauty of classical education, enjoying brief periods of such instruction throughout being homeschooled. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University before rediscovering a passion for education and language. Caroline is a member of St. Matthew the Apostle Orthodox Church. She particularly enjoys dancing, rock climbing, and chicken-watching with her younger brother.
Nancy Hendrick (Music)

Nancy grew up in Baton Rouge and attended Manhattan School of Music in New York City where she received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. She remained in New York City for 12 years teaching voice and piano and performing.  She met her husband while they were singing in an opera together in New York. Michael and Nancy have been married 22 years. Their son George just finished his sophomore year at LSU studying computer science. Nancy has been teaching voice privately in Baton Rouge for the past 15 years. She is also a certified Kindermusik instructor and has taught preschool/kindergarten music classes at Grace Episcopal in St. Francisville and Wedgewood Elementary. She taught voice at The  Music Tree in Zachary from 2014 until the current closure this year because of Covid-19. Nancy has been the cantor at St. Agnes church for the past 10 years and had directed the children’s choir for the past 3 years. She is so excited to be a part of Sequitur this year!
Manie Chemin (Art)

Mr. Chemin teaches Art and Art History at Sequitur. He is currently in his senior year at LSU to receive a degree in Business, History and Philosophy. He and his wife Lee are members of Saint Matthew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Baton Rouge. Mr. Chemin loves drawing, playing piano and reading Christian history. He also loves Christian art and aspires to apprentice as an iconographer in coming years.