2026-27 Faculty

Mrs. Niblack received her Bachelor’s degree in Education from UCF in 1985 and continues to hold a valid Florida Teaching Certificate. She has experience teaching in both public and private schools as well as private teaching, tutoring, and counseling families through annual homeschool evaluations. She homeschooled her own children from Kindergarten through 12th grade and understands both the blessings and challenges that come with homeschooling. Mrs. Niblack has tutored secondary math since 1995 and has been teaching Pre-Algebra and Algebra I at TRA since 2010. She enjoys the challenge of making difficult concepts easier to understand for her students and seeing them master concepts they thought were beyond them.

Rebekah Phillips is a homeschooling mom with a gift for math and has tutored high school students in the homeschool community since 2000. She is passionate about helping students build a strong foundation and the confidence to tackle challenging concepts. With a background in administration, she also enjoys helping families navigate the homeschool journey with clarity and encouragement. Rebekah is happily married to Jesse Phillips and is the mom of Samuel, Isaac, Josiah, and Liberty.

Mrs. Mauter has been teaching science classes with TRA since 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Middle Grade Science. In addition to this undergraduate degree, she also holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio, as well as a Specialist of Education in Math and Science Education from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. Currently, she holds a Georgia State Teacher’s Certificate and has nine years of public school teaching experience. She and her husband are the proud parents of two grown children.

Leila is a homeschooling mom of five. She attended Oral Roberts University as a studio arts major and has passionately upheld a love of the arts in teaching her children. She is a committed lifelong learner and can usually be found reading a book in the sun, exploring with her crew, crocheting, or baking a loaf of sourdough. She has taught various classes during her more than ten years in Classical Conversations communities, from Foundations through the Challenge level, and has graduated two grown children. She enjoys writing because she believes communication through the written word is invaluable, and she enjoys helping students learn to express themselves.

Mrs. Crawford holds an A.S. degree from Sussex County Community College. She has taught the Essentials curriculum and IEW in local Classical Conversations communities. She also has experience fostering student motivation through various teaching strategies and guiding students through grammar and writing lessons.

Mrs. Hamilton has been a home educator and teacher since 2012. During that time, she has taught or tutored many students, both privately and through participation in local cooperative schools. Among the subjects she has taught are geography, writing and grammar, and Florida history, a subject she has spent several years studying. A lifelong resident of Central Florida, Mrs. Hamilton has a love of history and a particular passion for Florida’s unique history. She enjoys sharing interesting and obscure facts about Florida that are not widely known, even by lifelong and long-term residents of the state. She is a graduate of Valencia College and also holds a Certified Copy Editor certificate earned at the University of Central Florida. Among her hobbies are reading, cooking, and exploring and hiking Florida’s state parks with her husband and children.

Early on, Alicia discovered a passion for nurturing the growth and development of young children and chose to attend Florida State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She has now devoted the last 22 years to early childhood education in both public and private settings, while also homeschooling her own four children over the last 11 years. During this time, Alicia has seized every opportunity to expand her knowledge of the developing child through a variety of instructional approaches as well as sensory-rich, play-based learning. She is passionate about the early stages of development and is eager to support our students and families in creating rich and meaningful learning experiences for their elementary-aged children. Her goal is to create a welcoming environment for varying needs, learning styles, and abilities.

Jaime brings nine years of homeschooling experience educating her own children, along with extensive experience teaching and tutoring students across multiple subjects and grade levels. She has served in leadership roles within homeschool co-ops, including directing programs and teaching high-school-level courses, and has also mentored new homeschool families through academic guidance and instructional support. In addition to classroom instruction, she established and led a middle school ministry for four years, providing structured teaching, mentorship, and student discipleship. Her academic interests are centered on language arts and history, with particular emphasis on English grammar, discussion-based learning, critical analysis, and intentional writing instruction for high school students.

Briana Brault received her Associate in Arts degree from Valencia College. She then transferred to the University of Central Florida, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, specializing in Marine and Aquatic Biology, and a minor in Psychology. She enjoys reading, country swing and line dancing, going to the beach, and traveling.

Dr. Melanie McEnany is a native of the Orlando area and is proud to serve the community she knows and loves. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Central Florida, she followed her passion by pursuing her graduate degree at Palmer College of Chiropractic. Dr. McEnany graduated in 2019 with her Doctor of Chiropractic degree and has been delivering patient-centered chiropractic care since then. She is a dedicated wife and mother to her husband, Sean, and their two sons, Sean Jr. and Declan. In her free time, Dr. McEnany enjoys rollerblading, spending time at the beach, and making memories with friends and family. She is excited to begin teaching science classes with TRA in August 2026.

Kristen Allen graduated from the University of West Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Pre-K/Primary Education. Early in her career, she taught kindergarten, served in children’s ministry, and later became a homeschooling mom when she welcomed her two children. She homeschooled her children for several years before they transitioned to full-time private school, where Kristen now serves as a substitute teacher. Kristen has experience working with students from kindergarten through 12th grade and brings a deep love for learning and nurturing children at every stage.

Bobby Jones is a Florida native, father of six, and Founder and CEO of Purple, Rock, Scissors, a creative agency based in Orlando. For more than 20 years, he has led teams of designers, strategists, and technologists to deliver award-winning work for brands such as Google, Meta, Delta, Disney, and LEGO.

But titles and clients are not what define him most.

At home and in the community, Bobby is deeply committed to raising and developing strong, grounded young men and women. As the founder of Iron & Fire, he spends time mentoring fathers, sons, and leaders around identity, discipline, and purpose. His approach is simple: who a child is becoming matters more than what the child can do.

In his P.E. classes, Bobby brings that same philosophy to life. Students can expect high energy, structured challenges, and a focus on both physical fitness and character development. Strength, endurance, teamwork, and resilience are all part of the experience, along with learning to encourage others, push through discomfort, and carry themselves with confidence.

Samuel is currently completing his degree in biology at Seminole State College and has a passion for all things science. Growing up, his fascination with dinosaurs sparked a lifelong interest in biology and scientific discovery. He is especially passionate about helping others see how science points back to the Creator. Recognizing the strong connection between science and apologetics, Samuel plans to continue pursuing scientific research in the future.

In his free time, Samuel enjoys listening to Christian rock music, evangelizing, and serving his family and local church. Even after all these years, he still loves studying dinosaurs.