Tutor Bios

Ruth Butler

Mrs. Ruth Butler is a certified teacher who graduated with a B.S. degree in education with a minor in English from Duquesne University. Her special education degree from La Roche College was obtained in 2007. She has over 26 years of experience tutoring and teaching all ages reading, study skills, writing, creative writing, literature, and English. In 2007, she was named as an American Honor Roll teacher and was also honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2020 for having her students win their annual essay contest consistently since 2004. The Northern Connection magazine and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review featured her for her work with students. She was a speaker at the Association of Christian Schools International in 2006 and a panel speaker in 2023 for the Outschool Adventure conference. In addition, Mrs. Butler has served the homeschool community since 2007 as a teacher, tutor, and homeschool evaluator. Her passion is teaching students how to write well and analyze literature.

Beth Burlingham -

Beth graduated from Grove City College with a degree in Elementary Education and an Early Childhood Certification. She also went to Slippery Rock University for a Reading Specialist degree. She has been married to Dan for over 25 years and they have two grown sons-one at Grove City College and one serving as a medic with the Army National Guard overseas.

Beth loves teaching. She has taught in Sharon, PA at Head Start, and then went to Portersville Christian School and taught sixth grade. While raising her boys, she taught Kindermusik, a music and movement program for young children, and she welcomed foster children into her family. She took her boys with her when she went back to full time teaching at Penn Christian Academy, where she stayed for fourteen years. There she taught sixth grade, then worked as a Primary Reading Specialist for grades K-3, and then was the Honors Reading Teacher for grades 1-8.

Currently she works at BC3 in the Adult Literacy Program teaching English as a Second Language and GED classes, both at the campus and in the prison. Connecting with students and making learning fun are two of her favorite things.

Tami Caraway

Tami and her husband, Jimmy have been married for nearly 30 years and been involved in multiple ministries before coming to Pennsylvania in 2005. Jimmy is the pastor of Christ Bible Church in Cranberry Township. They are the parents of two children, Lara and John, whom they homeschooled from kindergarten through high school. Lara recently graduated from Penn State University (2016) and John is in the US Navy. Tami was a math major in college and has tutored, coached volleyball, and enjoyed a full-time career as wife and mother.

Liz Casey

Liz graduated with a BA in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University in 2014. She has spent years doing mission trips and translating in the Dominican Republic, and has been speaking Spanish for 16 years. Liz formerly taught Spanish 1 and 2 for HELP and is excited to continue instilling a passion for language and culture to her students here at Anchor! She and her husband Andrew live in Gibsonia with their children, Teddy and Laura. iBienvenidos a mi clase y Dios te bendiga!

Maria Foster

Maria Foster studied Pre-Medical Biological Sciences and Chemistry at both St. Vincent College and the University of Pittsburgh. During her undergraduate studies she conducted extensive research in pre-clinical, laboratory pediatric anesthesia trials as well as conducted genetic studies related to plant evolutionary ecology. Upon graduation, she continued her scientific career in Clinical Medical Research at the University of Pittsburgh Magee Women’s Hospital, The Veteran’s Administration Hospital Department of Surgical Services, and The Magee Women’s Research Institute and Foundation. After serving as the Director of Regulatory Affairs and FDA Liaison for an International Clinical Research Network under the NIH Department of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Branch, she “retired” in 2016 from the amazing world of Clinical Research to serve in her most important role as homeschool mom to her two wonderful children. Over the past 7 years of homeschooling, Maria has enjoyed teaching at her church and at various levels at local homeschool co-ops and is thrilled to bring her love of learning to Anchored Christian Academy. In her spare time, she enjoys all things domestic: cooking, baking, sewing, quilting and spending time on her micro farm and garden market stand. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her family and studying God’s Word. She and her husband, Adam, have been together since early college and have been married for 20 years. They are both huge supporters of the military, and Adam serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. Maria is passionate about homeschooling from a Christian worldview and imparting critical thinking skills into all of her teaching.

Kate Funk

Kate is a former special educator and mom to 5 children. She has homeschooled for 21years and has graduated 4 children. She was the creator of Ready-Made Preschool, an all-inclusive early childhood (preschool-3rd grade) curriculum program that included lesson plans and all the necessary materials to make school fun for kids and easy for parents. She feels it is important to instill a love of learning in children early on and that this is best done by implementing a hands-on approach to learning. Kate is passionate about teaching and has a passion for working with students with special needs and struggling learners.

Wendy V. Gallagher

Graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from Youngstown State University and received her J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Gallagher practiced law for twenty-three years in both public and private practice. She spent sixteen years with the Adoption Legal Unit of Children, Youth and Families in Allegheny County, and has practiced extensively in Common Pleas Court and the appellate courts in PA. Mrs. Gallagher and her husband have homeschooled their two daughters since kindergarten. She has also taught children's Sunday School, Women's Bible studies and has been a retreat speaker. Mrs. Gallagher attends Orchard Hill Church in Wexford.

Paul Holdren

Has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Speech Communications from Concord University, and a master’s degree in Health Administration from Wilkes University. His post graduate work in Business Administration was done at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In high school and college, he participated on varsity debate teams including competing in state and national debate tournaments, participating in over 30 debate competitions during his scholastic debate career. During his professional career, he held various C-suite executive management positions with Anthem, Inc., Health America, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Deloitte consulting. He also served as an adjunct professor at Marywood University and instructed at Penn State University and Wilkes University. Mr. Holdren is currently the President of Adeptys (a-Dep’-tis) Consulting, a healthcare management consulting company.Paul has been married to his wife, Debbie, for forty-eight years, residing in the Wexford and Cranberry Township areas for the last twenty years. They have one son, Zachary. He considers his faith and his family his greatest gifts. Paul serves as an elder of North Hills Church of Christ.

Winkie Ilic

Winkie (a.k.a. "Miss Winkie") has been teaching for 33 years and specifically in the homeschool community for the past 13 years. Originally from Chicago, she earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) (German, Russian and a minor in music) and her M.A. in Modern Foreign Languages (German and Russian) at the University of Tennessee. Her teaching background includes teaching a variety of courses at UT and extensive academic and professional advising for undergraduate students. While most of her professional experience prior to becoming a homeschool mom was international, she also enjoys teaching analytical and executive skills through history subjects, such as the U.S. History the Presidents course which she has taught in one form or another, on and off for the past 8 years. Besides homeschool students, Winkie teaches the pre-K through Kindergarten Sunday school class at her church and gives piano lessons out of her home studio in Seven Fields. One could summarize her teaching goals down to these three points: Trust in God, don't squander freedom and apply yourself.

Jenny Lafferty

Jenny received a bachelor's degree in Plant and Soil Science in 1995. She has pursued a Bible degree and masters work. She worked over 10 years in agricultural research while working toward her master’s degree in agricultural education. After her educational studies and career, Jenny married a minister. Shortly after that, their family began to grow. They home educate their six children. One of Jenny’s top educational goals is to encourage children's natural love of learning, which can lead them their whole life. “Children are our future, teach them well.”

Terry Lafferty

Began working with teenagers in 1984. He has been a minister, preacher and teacher for over 30 years. He was very involved in speech, debate and drama throughout high school and college, performing and competing at events throughout eastern United States. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Christian University. He is married and the father of 6 children. His passion is his family and teaching and helping others discover who they are in Christ.

Connie Lee

Dr. Lee earned her Ph.D in Material Science from Indiana University Bloomington in 2010. She
then was trained at a Post-Doc cancer research position in University of Chicago Hospital Brain
Surgery department for a year. She started teaching college level Chemistry classes and Labs
in graduate school. She has been teaching high school Chemistry and Physics classes and also
high school/middle school math classes in the home-school community for years. Many of her
former students who are now in college, are striving in their pursuit majors and doing really well
in their college science classes.
Dr. Lee also has received strong education and training experience in computer science in her
college and graduate school years. She starts to teach a high school computer science class
this year.
Dr. Lee and her husband Michael have been homeschooling all their three kids. Their family
enjoy all kinds of outdoor sports; family movie nights and traveling the world to learn and
appreciate God’s creation. They also love to explore cross-culture opportunities to meet with
people from different backgrounds and share God’s love and His Salvation with them.

Laura Murrell

Laura Murrell is a wife, mother, and a graduate of Geneva College with Elementary and Special Education Degrees. She has homeschooled her two daughters and two sons from Kindergarten to high school. Other teaching and ministry opportunities include teaching a second and third grade class in a small private school in Virginia, teaching Sunday School for ages ranging from Preschool to second grade, and helping at their church’s summer camp program. Laura loves children and desires they know Christ’s love and wisdom, and the beautiful world around them.

Lise Sentell

Lise Sentell is a pastor’s wife of 30 years, mother of two beautiful girls (homeschool), and has been heavily involved in many aspects of ministry and music at home and abroad since her teenage years. With a Bachelor’s degree in music education, a Master’s degree in organizational leadership, and CHA instruction certification, she loves to help people discover their identity in Christ, and come to know and love the Lord through Bible study, music, art, hospitality and even horses! Her teaching and speaking experience ranges from elementary to high school in public, private, homeschool co-op and tutoring settings, to adult retreats, and conference clinics. Lise also has a love for Bible study and has been a leader and coach for Precept Ministries for 20 years. Often found creating, teaching, studying, rehearsing, cooking, mentoring or spending time at the barn, Lise is passionate about using creative vehicles to bring all aspects of life under the redemption and lordship of Jesus Christ.