Hannah Hicks is the director at Learn Together Lowcountry where she leads the coordination of efforts for this vibrant community. Hannah has business ownership and management experience to equip her in this task but proclaims that homeschooling and home management have been the most fulfilling, if not most challenging management tasks she’s encountered. She and her husband have four children - two in college and two who enjoy LTL and other homeschool activities. In addition to LTL, Hannah organizes local field trips with Lowcountry Field Trips for the homeschool community and offers various IT and event management services to local homeschool and church groups. She believes that there is no greater privilege or mission than to share the truth of Jesus’ love for us in that he died for our sins so that we may have life. This is the purpose of our work here.

hannah@learntogetherlowcountry.org

Hi, my name is Kristen Walters. I moved from Michigan to Hilton Head in 2007 and started my family here! We have 3 amazing kids, (Fiona, Jonathon, and Violet) and we have been homeschooling since 2020. Homeschooling has been one of the biggest blessings of my life, and I praise God everyday that we are able to stay this course. Fridays at LTL are my kids’ favorite day of the week! I enjoy working behind the scenes at LTL and am thankful that God has used my gifts in the most rewarding way!

I enjoyed working in Accounting, Hospitality, and Special Events. In my free time I work as a seamstress, making custom home decor.. I’m always eager to learn new things and I love to continually add to my bucket of skills!

I was raised in Atlanta and graduated from the public school system, so homeschooling was something I knew very little about growing up. After becoming a mother to three children, my perspective changed. My oldest is autistic, and that played a big role in our decision to homeschool so I could have a more active role in his education and create an environment that supports his needs while giving our family more time together.

Our faith in Christ is the center of our home, and it has guided many of the decisions we’ve made as a family. And it has shaped the way I approach motherhood, homeschooling, and community. Finding LTL Co-op came at the perfect time for our family. I was beginning to feel isolated and frustrated, but this community has provided friendship, encouragement, and support—not just for my children, but for me as well.

Outside of homeschooling, I work as a fitness instructor and personal trainer. I have a passion for helping others grow stronger physically and supporting people in living healthier, more intentional lives. Being able to encourage and walk alongside others in their growth is something I truly love, and I’m grateful for opportunities to do the same within the homeschooling community.

Greetings! I'm Elizabeth – home school mama to twin boys. You will find me each week checking in on classes and helping in the background with our volunteer schedule, staffed by our gifted and generous parents whose work each Friday keeps our program running smoothly.

Before our home schooling journey began, my husband and I managed a youth and family camp for several years in California. I continued my work with children as an AP English and Honors teacher in both Florida and South Carolina before being led to home school our boys. We have just completed our seventh year. This call to home school is a mighty undertaking. It can be soul trying and deeply humbling, and yet, it is also a grace-filled path paved with eternal value. What a privilege it is to point our children in the direction of the King!

Shannon began homeschooling 13 years ago when her eldest daughter started kindergarten. Today, that daughter is continuing her education at Georgia Southern University.

Originally from Fayetteville, GA, just south of Atlanta, Shannon and her husband, Jonny, have been married 27 of the 32 years they’ve been together. For 17 of those years, they lived the military life—stationed in Germany, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Florida—before settling in the Savannah area when Jonny retired in 2019. While they love the community (despite the summer heat), they remain ready to go wherever the Lord leads.

Shannon devotes much of her time to volunteering at North Salem Baptist in Port Wentworth, GA. She enjoys baking, especially sourdough bread, which she’s proud to say she has finally mastered. She’s also an adventurer at heart—having completed the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, NM, a grueling 26.2-mile course that reminds her she can do hard things.

Her favorite destination is Ireland, but she also loves treasure hunting at yard sales, browsing antique stores, and visiting Disney whenever she can.

Before her husband’s Army career, Shannon worked in office administration, handling deposits, data entry, and other clerical tasks. Today, she continues to assist with church responsibilities while taking on odd jobs to help others.

Although she has taken college courses, Shannon felt called to pause her own studies to focus on teaching and guiding her daughters through theirs. Known for her willingness to help, she is always ready to lend a hand and make someone’s day a little easier.

I have called the Lowcountry home for the past twenty (20) years & cannot imagine my heart being happier anywhere else. I have a daughter, Eva, who will be a junior this coming year. (Momma’s & Daddy’s don’t blink, because it truly does go by so quickly!!) Before homeschooling my daughter, & joining LTL almost eight (8) years ago, I was a former public school teacher, working with the deaf in Ohio for fifteen (15) years. I taught here in SC for 2 years before having Eva, and then decided to go on the homeschooling journey! 

Because of LTL, as many have heard me say over the years, Friday is my favorite day of the week!! Chances are, if you’ve walked into the church on a Friday and smelled something yummy, it was probably coming from my Passport Class!! Each week, we journey to a different country and can see, as well as smell and taste, some of God’s blessings worldwide. Along with Passport, I have taught ASL, Government, Economics, and Psychology classes over the years. 

I’m excited to see my “old” friends and meet new ones this next year. It will be another amazing adventure!

My name is Halee Hindelang, I’m originally from Pampa, Tx, a very small town not many have heard of. I moved to Georgia at a young age and met my husband at the age of 16. We were engaged five months later. God has blessed us with three beautiful children together and after 14 long years as a military spouse, my husband finally got out of the army and we moved to SC to be closer to his parents. Through the years we have been foster parents, we have also been wildlife rehabilitation for deer, squirrels, and raccoons. In my spare time I knit frogs for my Etsy shop and enjoy knitting any time I can. Baking is my second favorite, bread making being my favorite. Homeschooling just became our natural option after our children struggled with deployments, it just fit so much better for us. Since the move here, we weren’t sure we would find a good co op, and now we are so blessed to have found LTL! This year I get the opportunity to teach and I am beyond overjoyed that I will get to play an even bigger part in this amazing ministry. God truly has answered so many prayers for us through LTL!

Hi! My name is Erin Ward. My family moved to Beaufort 3 years ago with the Navy but my husband and I are originally from Michigan. Out of all those places the Navy has taken us, Beaufort is the first place we’ve really felt like home and found the community we hear others talk about having. We have two sons, ages 10 and 5, and only started homeschooling this past year. I wouldn’t change a thing and truly believe it is the best decision for our neurodiverse family.

Kristi is originally from Danville Kentucky and graduated with a BA in Sociology from the University of Kentucky. She relocated to Bluffton in 2017 when her husband John retired from the Marine Corps. She has been homeschooling her 3 daughters for 10 years. She feels God has blessed their family tremendously with the Learn Together Community and is eager to give back through her roles as Director of Fine Arts and Teen Event Coordinator. Kristi has a passion for the arts and studied voice and vocal production for 7 years. From an early age she has been involved in musical theatre productions, and has performed in choral groups for over 40 years. Kristi was honored to be a soloist in several USO stage productions along the East Coast while her husband was deployed in Iraq. She loves being a part of Learn Together Lowcountry’s Fine Arts Department where it is our mission to help our students use their God given gifts for His Glory.

Hi! My name is Jessica Starleigh. My husband has served in the Marine Corps now for 20 years, so even though we are originally from Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, we have lived all over America. Even though it has been challenging at times, we have been so blessed to serve our country and to have made friends from all over!
We have homeschooled our son Cameron who just turned 14, for 3 years now and will be starting our 4th year in the fall. I was a dental assistant for 10 years, but decided I wanted to have a career change and go into business. I graduated from the Technical College of the Lowcountry with my Business Management degree in 2014. Then I received my Marketing Management degree from Western Governors University in 2019. I worked as a Social Media Marketing Manager for Marine Corps Community Services in Hawaii until we moved back to the Lowcountry in 2023. The same year we started LTL and we fell in love! We have loved the classes, the teachers, the community and the events. Everything is so well organized and you can tell everyone really cares about the students. The first year I just volunteered in classes and last year I worked as the Social Media Team Lead and it has been such an honor to share to the public all the amazing things that LTL does and stands for! This year I am so excited to continue my roll, but to also help with our new program the Media Ministry. You will also see me helping in the new Lights, Camera, Action class! We are so excited about our 3rd year at LTL, it’s going to be the best one yet!!

Christy has a background in music and elementary education. She grew up in the Lowcountry, and after completing her education as a music major with primary emphasis in piano and secondary in voice, she taught music in the public school systems in Tennessee and North Carolina before moving back to Bluffton. She is married with six children. Christy has had tons of experience in music in the community including Music Directorship with Bluffton Youth Theatre, Pianist with Grace Coastal Church, and private piano teacher locally. She has continued her love of teaching through the Classical Conversations program as a Foundations tutor for a decade and will be starting her 4th year as the Challenge 3 (11th grade) Director for CC of Bluffton, which includes a course in music theory. She has served in leadership with LTL since it began and has been teaching music classes and piano lessons for the past two years.

My name is Heather Kruszka and I’m the Nursery Director at Learn Together Lowcountry. I’m a homeschool mom of three ages 14, 11, and 4. We have been homeschooling for 6 years now. I’ve worked with children my entire life! I’m the oldest sibling of seven sisters. I’ve taken childcare classes beginning in high school.

I’ve volunteered in my church nursery for the past six years. I am currently the Children’s Ministry Director for my church. I’m a tutor for Classical Conversations in Bluffton and I’m raising three kids! I look forward to spending time with your littles and doing all the things babies and toddlers love to do!

Hi! My name is Kristin Schlabs. I’m the proud momma of three amazing kiddos—Wren (14), Jameson (12), and Eden (9). This is our fifth year of homeschooling, and we are loving it! We really enjoy the freedom it gives us and the ability to explore our interests as a family.

I was born on Long Island, but my family moved to Hilton Head when I was young, so I’ve pretty much grown up here in the Lowcountry. I met my husband in Atlanta while we were working for the same software company—he was a programmer, and I was a training specialist for a major billing system. I spent years traveling around the country teaching training classes, creating user guides, and trying to make learning billing software fun (not as easy as it sounds!).

Once we started our family, our journey brought us back home to the Lowcountry—and we’re so happy to be here for good!

I’ve taught several classes at LTL and 3rd grade youth ministry at our church. I’m super excited to be teaching the Celebrate It and IMPROV classes this year. I also love organizing our smaller events—my top favorites are the Disguise a Turkey Art Contest in November and the LTL Reading Challenge in March.

Hey! My name is Kali! I’m a Christ follower and SC native, raised in Greenville, where I grew up in the country on family land enjoying the beauty of a close-knit family tree. My sisters and I spent our childhood wandering through the woods and creek and horse pastures, tending our hobby farm, gardening with my grandfather, enjoying endless four-wheeling and softball and pool days, and thriving in the freedom of homeschooling. I went on to study education with a minor in voice at North Greenville University, out of a love for music and a passion for all things students. This has led me to experiences as a math tutor and homeschool teacher for grades K-8th, 3 years as a children’s ministry director, 15 years as a student ministry leader, 5 years as camp ministry staff, and countless years as a childcare provider. Amidst adventuring with my own 4 kids and husband, I can also be found raising cavapoo and husky puppies, coaching soccer and softball, whipping up yummy goodness nonstop, taking in the beauty of the night sky, and chasing salt water moments. I’m grateful for all the avenues of worship I have encountered thus far and cannot wait to bring glory to His name through teaching students at LTL this semester!

My name is Katie Compher and we have lived in Hilton Head for a little over 9 years now. Homeschooling is a newer experience for our family as we just started this journey last December. We found LTL in the spring and it has been such a blessing and was life changing.

I completed my BSN in December of 2007 from Shepherd University. My primary experience is in NBN, Nicu, postpartum and Labor & delivery. Before and during nursing school I was a CNA/IV tech on a pediatrics floor. Working with children and being able to be part of the childbirth process was an amazing experience. I have put a pause on working in the hospital to help with the family business and enjoy time with our girls. I am excited to teach Nursing 101 this year and inspire the next generation of nurses.

Kati White Tatter is a professional artist and designer, currently creating art through her Lowcountry studio, Sara Kate Couture. She is also an exhibiting artist at the Beaufort Art Association. Kati attended the so-called “public Ivy” College of William and Mary and completed her BFA in Illustration at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she also studied Creative Writing at Brown University. Kati holds a Master of Letters (MLitt) from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, earning her degree via famed auction house, Christies, in London and receiving accolades for extensive Biblical knowledge.

Kati was an Operations Executive for a luxury stationery company in Manhattan, as well as the Producer of its online style magazine, CeciStyle. After assisting floral legend Holly Heider Chapple’s studio as an in-house designer in the DC Metro area, she spent ten years in the luxury wedding industry as a designer and chief consultant for global luxury organization, The Inner Circle Experience.

Here in the Lowcountry, Kati home educates her two wonderful sons and enjoys the slower pace of living. For fun, Kati bakes custom cookies via her home bakery, Sara Kate Couture Cookie Co., enjoys playing her baby grand and performs in local theatrical productions (Kati used to act professionally — but that’s a different story!).

Hello! My name is Janine Cole. To tell you a little bit about me. I am originally from New Jersey, we moved to Bluffton in 2009. I have worked with children at some compacity since I was 12 years old. My journey with children began with babysitting, which I continued to do through college, in addition to acting as a teacher’s assistant in Preschools. I earned a B.A. in Home Economics with a minor in Human Services from Montclair State University. I earned my teaching degree from Kean University and I taught Kindergarten for 13 years. After our first daughter was born in 2007, I decided to be a stay at home Mom. During this time, I provided childcare in my home. In 2009 we moved to Bluffton and we had our second daughter in 2011. Shortly after, I began teaching Art at May River Montessori, classes in my home and at Lowcountry Montessori School. Last year I went back to school and earned my Esthetics License.

Teaching Art has been a true blessing to me. I love to create a welcoming space for others to have the opportunity to explore and express their creativity through mixed media.

I am beyond excited and blessed to share my passions with your children.

My name is Jen Faith, and my husband, Jeff, and I have been married for 23 years. We have two children: a son who will be a sophomore at University of Georgia and a 13-year-old daughter. Education has always been an important part of our family life. I hold a degree in Early Childhood Education, and my husband serves as the Coordinator of the alternative school in Effingham County.

Over the years, I have gained experience through teaching in schools for five years, homeschooling for the past fifteen years, leading classes with Classical Conversations, teaching at a local co-op, and providing private tutoring. One of the greatest joys of teaching for me is helping students not only learn but also develop a genuine love for learning and the confidence to discover new things independently.

Our faith in Christ is the foundation of our family and guides my approach to teaching. I strive to help students recognize God’s truth and goodness in the world around them as they grow academically and personally. I feel truly blessed that God led our family to LTL, and I am excited to take on additional teaching roles this year with LTL+ as well as Friday classes

My name is Carol Hanna and I’m a 31 year resident of the Low country, retiring from teaching after 28 years in Niagara area Ontario Canada. After submitting a request for green card, covering my letter with Mickey Mouse stickers I was selected. My husband, loves to golf, so we chose Hilton Head. Our daughter, Jo-Ann lives in Beaufort, son Jon and family still in Canada. Retirement is great but my mind is too creative to just golf, so I've done marketing for Island Events, managed several T-Mobile retail stores and tutored since 2017.

My specialty is Math (Grades K-12) and Computer programming. Curriculum is my guide but presentation is the fun part. I love to keep students engaged and excited about Math. I have worked with all grade levels and have had a lot of experience with autistic students. Homeschoolers have also been tutored in Math while I was at Huntington Learning Center in Bluffton. I enjoy Art: sketching, watercolors, collages. I am a Notary Public for SC, certified National Tutor, certification of Safe Harbor in Charleston Diosese. Recently, we adopted another rescue dog named Bogey, who keeps us older folks active. Hoping to share all my passion, spirit and experience with more students at LTL.

Hey! My name is Vonnah and I have been homeschooling for 11 years. I have 5 kids, Aurora (15), Skyla (13), Dimitri (11), Malachi (9), Juliana (7). I am originally from Massachusetts but have called Bluffton home for 7 years. We now live on a small homestead with a huge garden and chickens.
I went to College at Florida Atlantic University and have two Bachelor Degrees in Chemistry and Psychobiology - Behavioral Neuroscience. So, of course, my favorite subject to teach is Science. I am so excited to be teaching on Thursdays at LTL+. I am passionate about hands-on science and can’t wait to bring experiments, discovery, and excitement to our Science classes! I am also teaching a few fun classes on Fridays, sharing my love for outdoor crafts and a more natural lifestyle.

Hi! My name is Amanda Bruns, and I am originally from Norfolk, VA. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Liberty University. Our family moved to Bluffton, SC, 2017 for my husband’s work. Soon after, I began working part-time as a children’s ministry assistant and director for a local church while homeschooling and caregiving for my mom.

My husband and I have three teenage daughters (17, 14, and 12) whom I have homeschooled since kindergarten. Homeschooling has been such a blessing and a right fit for our family over the years. Our family is now going on our second year at LTL. We are so thankful to have found LTL and the community here!

Victor Jacob has lived in South Carolina since moving from Louisiana in 2006. He is a father of three boys, whose love for the outdoors comes from his childhood involvement in Scouting, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He’s been giving back to that organization since 2017, first as Cubmaster of Pack 213 and now as Scoutmaster of Troop 222 now that all three of his sons are in scouting. Under his leadership,  Pack 213 cleared the area LTL uses for their outdoor classes, so teaching Survival Skills and Bushcraft in “Camp Akela” has been a special treat. 

A Licensed Massage therapist for 24 years, his First professional Teaching job was with Cross Schools, teaching the Makerspace class for the 2022-23 school year. This will be his third year teaching the Survival Skills Class for LTL and the second year teaching his Bushcraft Basics class. New this year, he will teach “Challenge Accepted” and “Lego Engineering.”

He truly believes that learning how to plan for adventures in the outdoors is a great way to build confidence in young people, and he is looking forward to many years of passing on what he knows to the Learn Together Lowcountry kids. 

Mallorie Dowd is a wife and homeschool mother of four, new to Pooler, Georgia. 

After graduating from Ogeechee Tech, Mallorie obtained both a cosmetology license and a substitute teaching certification. She eventually left her career in hair to focus on her family and began her homeschooling journey. 

Always passionate about photography, she began pursuing training in not only photo and graphic editing but also film and video. 

While the Dowd family was in the process of moving to take care of an ailing family member, she was invited to Learn Together Lowcountry. What should have been a more difficult time, she was blessed with love, fellowship, and community for not only her children, but also a place for herself.

It is her Goal to share the word of God (and the culture and heart of LTL) through various forms of media, shine his light in every moment, and encourage and inspire our youth to do the same. 

Elyse Stromer is a local violinist from Ridgeland, South Carolina. She has been a part of the Beaufort Youth Orchestra for the past eight years and the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra for four years, and she studies with Ms. Ami Rabinowitz and Mrs. Asako Kremer. Currently Elyse is in high school and enjoys being a homeschooler at Classical Conversations. 

She loves playing her violin in her church’s worship team, playing chamber music with her friends, and working on classical and fiddle tunes. Teaching other students has been an amazing experience for her, and she loves getting to share her passion for music with others. 

Starting the violin at two years old, music has always been a major part of Elyse’s life, and she is very excited to help others reach their musical goals, and hopes that her love for music will inspire others to give glory to the amazing Creator who has gifted it to us!

My name is Rebekka Drago, and I’m the mom of three precious girls. This will be our seventh year homeschooling, and it has been such a blessing. We love the freedom that homeschooling brings—freedom to discover individual passions and freedom to spend quality time together as a family.

I graduated from a Christian high school in South Carolina and then received a BA in English from Francis Marion University. (Go, Swamp Foxes!)

Around our homeschool community, I’m known as the “gameschooling mom.” I’m a firm believer that games provide a judgment-free, stress-free environment for introducing and reinforcing educational concepts.

Matt was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL where tackling cattle for his family's farm, exploring the woods with friends, and jumping into alligator infested waters with cousins was just a normal part of life. He earned a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Flagler University while also serving in the youth ministry at his home church and leading missions teams overseas with International Impact Ministry for several years. Matt moved to the Lowcountry in 2011, got married in 2013, and ventured into his own family run epoxy floor company in 2018. Although Matt runs his business full time, he wanted to serve the Lord in a youth ministry and was so grateful that an opportunity opened up through LTL. Matt also is a football coach for the Bluffton Bulldogs youth traveling football program for 6-8yo boys. Life is busy being a dad of two boys, coach, teacher, and business owner, but he absolutely loves where the Lord has him for this season.

As a mathematician, inventor and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike takes an abstract, original, analytical approach to studying the Bible. That, combined with his down-to-earth writing style, has made his columns at ailbe.org popular with a wide range of Christians.

Jenni Tadlock is a wife, mom of two boys, and daughter of the King. She moved to Hilton Head from PA with her family (go Eagles!) and has lived here in the lowcountry since 1991 minus the years spent in Columbia, SC for undergrad and grad school. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Chemistry cognate from the University of South Carolina (go Gamecocks!) and a Biblical Ministry Certificate from the master’s program at Columbia International University.

Although she thought international missions was going to be her full-time future, she is beyond grateful for the Lord's redirection. Being a homeschool momma and serving in the women's and children's ministry at her church has been a tremendous blessing and incredible challenge that forces her to lean into Him daily. She is also looking forward to her fourth year of teaching at LTL and sharing about the love of our Creator with her kiddoes in the classroom. Jenni is always ready to go shark tooth hunting, spend time outside with her boys, or fellowship with others with some coffee in hand, and she loves all things nature (except bugs).

Megan Wooldridge is an adaptable homeschool mom with a lifelong passion for learning and exploring the beauty found in nature. I have had the privilege of serving in various teaching capacities that have affirmed my love for guiding young minds in their journey of learning, growth and discovery and look forward to sharing my passion for teaching and my commitment to a Christ-centered education.While my formal education may be limited, my love for God and dedication to nurturing the hearts and minds of children are boundless. I am eager to create a welcoming and supportive learning environment where students can grow academically, spiritually, and emotionally incorporating hands-on activities and read-aloud sessions into our learning activities. I believe in creating a space where children can ask questions, explore their interests, and develop critical thinking skills.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this community of homeschooling families who share a common faith and commitment to providing a Christ-centered education. I am excited to meet and partner with each of you as we nurture and educate our children.

I’m Kaley Creech, I live in Pooler Ga. I am a Homeschool graduate with FEFC. I am excited to start my next homeschooling chapter with my daughter. We found LTL in 2023 and fell in love with all it had to offer. In May’24 I left my job of 14yrs to homeschool full time. You can now find me baking, creating jewelry for my jewelry business and enjoying the outside world with my family.

I look forward to helping teachers and other staff have the best year. The best is yet to come.

Hi, my name is Nora Bond. I’ve been homeschooled my whole life and I’ve been attending LTL for 3.5 years.  My favorite thing about LTL is volunteering in the nursery and helping with the little ones.  I love the variety of classes I’ve taken here at LTL, including nursing, babysitting, passports, ASL, art, campus crew and more.

This year, I’m especially excited to add teaching a class to my LTL Fridays.  Helping young kids learn in multi-sensory ways that are both safe and fun are a priority to me. I prefer to learn more hands-on and am happy to teach other eager learners through playful ways. I want to help younger kids learn about this wonderful world God has made.  I also like to help out at the LTL Christmas and summer camps as well as VBS at my church.  You might also find me in the summer alongside my dad as he teaches summer school or with my mom serving at Mercy Mission.

I grew up living in Pennsylvania, the United Arab Emirates, Vermont and now here and I’ve loved to explore so many different places and cultures.  My favorite things are swimming with friends, learning languages, reading and my small group at church.  I live with my mom, dad, older sister and two cats.  I love being able to learn about God and other subjects at the same time with homeschooling.

Reagan Wyatt was an early high school graduate with honors. She received the National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude award three years in a row. She trained in ballet for twelve years and was president of Okatie Youth Ballet’s National Honors Society of Dance Arts chapter. Reagan has studied classical piano for fourteen years and was a finalist for the ISCA Rising Stars competition for five years. She currently is employed as a ballet and preschool teacher at Okatie Youth Ballet and is a flight school student pursuing a career as a professional pilot. She attended Learn Together Lowcountry throughout middle school and high school and is very excited to give back to such a wonderful community.

I was born and have been raised in Bluffton, SC my whole life. After going to private school for many years, my family discovered homeschooling and immediately fell in love with it! I have met so many great people and have created lifelong friendships in the homeschooling community. My plan, currently, going into my senior year is to attend Liberty University after highschool and graduate with a business degree.

When I was 8 years old, I fell in love with the all star cheer world. The crazy looking stunts and the impossible looking tumbling, I knew that this was going to be my sport and a sport that I could grow in. Fast forward now, I have been to 3 different cheer gyms, cheer captain the past 2 years on my level 4 teams, and am an incredible backspot.

Jesus has always been apart of my life and always will be. Even in cheerleading, we would always say a prayer after practice and a prayer before taking the competition mat. As a teenager, I know that there is always room to grow, especially in my faith. I strive everyday to live a life for Christ; a life where He can tell me "Well done, good and faithful servant."~Matthew 25:21

Susan is a new member of the Lowcountry Learn Together team. She grew up in the Chicagoland area and recently relocated to Bluffton post her retirement from the corporate world. Susan spent her career helping employees to adopt and advance their skills due to new implemented technologies and business processes. She enthusiastically leverages these skills to expand the minds and knowledge of our local rising homeschooled kids.

Susan has always been active in her church and continues to do so here in Bluffton.

She is thrilled to share her faith and be of service to the students at LTL. These kids teach and strengthen her relationship with our Lord.

Susan has a Bachelors in Engineering and Computer Science from Oklahoma State University and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago.

During her career she had the opportunity to live and work in Germany as an expatriate. She is a dog lover, enjoys golfing and running, and looks forward to learning to play pickleball.

I like to say that I’m from all over.  I was born in Athens, GA, and grew up moving every couple of years based on my dad’s duty stations in the Navy.  At the impressionable age of 14, I spent a month of the summer living in France with a family I had never met.  I did the same at age 17 with a different family in Switzerland.  By the time I was in my mid-twenties and finishing my service in the Navy, I had lived in eight states, a handful of European countries, and even Japan.  I have travelled extensively and learned to value the universality of the human experience.  God is everywhere we look!

Although I studied finance at the University of Notre Dame, my true education has come from being married for 12 years and the father of two amazing kids.  I also learned a lot from my teacher credentialing program and teaching in California, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.  My more recent advanced degree was a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, which was inspired by working in a hospital's behavioral health unit and volunteering as a phone interventionist for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.  I have my associate’s license in Marriage and Family Therapy and see clients in both GA and SC.  

I see myself as a wild soul of the woods and the waves.  I have my Wilderness EMT license, which is helpful as I spend my time surfing, rock climbing, foraging, and communing with nature.  Since the Lowcountry doesn’t offer much rock climbing, I direct much of my energy to teaching and training Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Hilton Head.  I also value my time leading dolphin tours on small boats out of Hilton Head with Lowcountry Watersports.  God’s creation is my playground!

I’m excited to continue to bring love, kindness, patience, creativity, and enthusiasm to all I do with the LTL community.

Kris Lien, Director of Programs at Palmetto Chaplains and Coaching, is on-site at Learn Together Low Country every Thursday and Friday.

Kris Lien holds an MA in Spiritual Formation from Kairos University (2025) and is pursuing chaplaincy ordination, and has completed training in grief counseling and life coaching. He has a diverse faith background and is a member of Compassion Christian Church of Bluffton.

Chaplains provide emotional and spiritual support to individuals of any denomination, focusing on listening and care. Doctrinal discussions or evangelism occur only with parental presence.

Kris engages with individuals only when appropriate and always respects their wishes. Conversations with female students occur in the presence of another female adult and in public spaces. All chaplains undergo background checks and adhere to a strict code of conduct.

Confidentiality and Services:

Kris is available to students, staff, and parents, and maintains confidentiality except in cases of potential harm. Services include listening, prayer (upon request), life coaching, and referrals to vetted counseling or pastoral care providers. Financial barriers do not prevent access to support.

Please feel free to learn more about Palmetto Chaplains and Coaching at our website: palmettochaplainsandcoaching.org

My name is Gretchen La Pour. I grew up in Minneapolis, MN. I graduated from Luther College in Decorah, IA with a degree in Social Work and Anthropology. I worked as a nursing home social worker for several years, then moved into healthcare marketing. After my husband David accepted a job teaching golf in Bluffton, I became a stay-at-home mom to our two children, Anna and Zachary.

We love living here and feel blessed to do so. Homeschooling our children has been the most demanding yet rewarding thing I have ever done. That said, there is something about that moment when they finally understand something that makes all the tough days melt away. I love that I get to be there for those moments! Homeschooling also provides me with the ability to present every subject in light of God’s Word, which is a precious privilege that I pray I will never take for granted.

I currently teach all subjects to the sixth graders at Highlands Latin School and am excited to tutor this year at LTL. I am available to tutor all ages and most subjects. I’ll consider just about anything, so please don’t hesitate to ask.