Course Tutors
Check out the bios below for our great team of tutors for the Socratic Dialogue Online Program!
Our online program tutors are selected based on:
- experience and skills pertaining to tutoring using a Socratic approach
- post-secondary experience (completed Bachelor's degree preferred)
- their commitment to reflect WISDOM’s philosophy in their relationship with students and parents
- ability to work with and serve home schooling families and to fulfill the requirements of the program
It is desirable that tutors have home schooling in their background, as well as experience in the Classic tradition in their post-secondary education.
Anna has a PhD in social and ecological sustainability from the University of Waterloo and a master of arts in the interdisciplinary humanities from Trinity Western University. She has taught a wide variety of courses across a range of disciplines including philosophy, literature, and the sciences, and is excited about joining WISDOM in the fall!
In her spare time, Anna enjoys homebrewing, soccer, playing music, kayaking, and having philosophical chats.
Michael Foster earned a Master of Music from Georgia Southern University in 2016, where he graduated magna cum laude. He has spent the last eight years studying and teaching the liberal arts. His interest in these fields was sparked as a music student where he was exposed to the science of harmonics in classical Greece, which in turn led to a rigorous study of classical mathematics and ancient languages. Michael resides in the state of Tennessee with his wife and four young children. In his non-existent spare time, he enjoys singing in choir, cooking, reading, and spending time with family.
One of Emily's greatest joys in life is sharing a good story with her children, and she is thrilled to do the same with WISDOM students. Although not homeschooled herself, Emily learned to appreciate and admire homeschooling when she co-founded and taught in a homeschooling co-op filled with excited, motivated learners who loved a good debate.
Emily studied political philosophy and art history at the University of Dallas and theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. She enjoys exploring new places, diagramming complicated sentences, and listening to her children recite poetry.
Meaghen Gonzalez graduated from Ave Maria University, after which she worked in publishing at Ignatius Press in San Francisco and Catholic Insight Magazine in Toronto before moving to Los Angeles to begin screenwriting studies. She is an alum of the Act One Writing Program, has taken improv classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade and writing classes at Second City, and has two produced scripts (one on Baptism, which she co-wrote for Family Theater Productions, and one comedy-horror she co-wrote and filmed in her own apartment!). Even more exciting, four years after moving to Los Angeles she married David Gonzalez in 2018. She has been a tutor for WISDOM since the fall of 2011 and loves working with students to develop their knowledge of literature and improve their writing skills.
Emily grew up under the wide open sky of Alberta. She rejoices in the fact that she was homeschooled with WISDOM Homeschooling from start to finish. As the second oldest of ten, Emily’s school years were filled with a healthy amount of flexibility and home economics. In high school, Emily began to take courses with WISDOM’s Socratic Dialogue Online Program and immediately became captivated. After high school, Emily attended Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. Here Emily’s love for the Liberal Arts and the pursuit of Truth went from bud to bloom. She graduated from SWC in Spring 2021 with a Bachelor of Catholic Studies Concentrating in Classical and Early Christian Studies and then from Tyndale University in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Literature. Emily is very excited to be fulfilling her double-dream of being a WISDOM Tutor and a Latin Teacher.
Some of Emily’s loves include challenging her friends to a game of Latin Bananagrams, inventing new recipes, everything that involves working or playing in the great outdoors, and reading almost anything. But, more than anything, Emily loves spending time with her new husband Paul.
Mark was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the eldest of 10 children and was homeschooled with WISDOM from Grade 1-12. After graduating high school, he attended Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College (SWC) in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Catholic Studies, concentrating in Philosophy and Theology. Mark has studied Latin over the course of seven years, including taking all three of WISDOM’s online Latin courses during high school. He most recently completed a Latin readings course in his final year at SWC where he worked on translating selections from various classical Latin authors, including Caesar, Pliny, and Suetonius, as well as passages from the Vulgate
Mark’s interests and passions include studying and promoting good Liturgy, singing Sacred Music, and discussing The Lord of the Rings. He loves astronomy and meteorology - there isn’t a storm he doesn’t track! In the winter, Mark enjoys playing hockey on the large outdoor rink his dad builds, and is an avid Oilers fan. He also likes hiking and participating in other sports, soccer especially. Mark currently resides in Parkland County, Alberta, with his wife, Domenica.
Stephanie was born and raised in the countryside of Alberta and has a deep love for blue skies and golden fields. She is the third oldest of ten children and, growing up, enjoyed helping to care for and teach her younger siblings. Homeschooled with WISDOM from Grades 1 to 12, Stephanie developed a love for learning which was fueled the more by WISDOM’s Socratic Dialogue Online Program through which she took many courses. Following in the footsteps of her older siblings, she attended Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry’s Bay, Ontario and graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Classical and Early Christian Studies. Her appreciation of and love for the Liberal Arts has made her excited to join the ranks of WISDOM tutors and share the rich education she has received.
Some of Stephanie’s hobbies include outdoor adventures, gardening, baking, and playing hockey with her siblings on her family’s outdoor rink. She loves spending quality time with her friends, having tea with English scones, writing little Latin stories, and reading good books aloud with her fiancé. She is looking forward to her upcoming marriage in August and beginning a new life with her future husband, Rowan.
Miriam Novotny is a Socratic dialogue veteran with a passion for literature, theology, and the Liberal Arts. Since her graduation from WISDOM in 2019, she has furthered her education through both independent study and institutes such as ClassicalU and Junius Johnson Academics. She believes that a true education should not only impart knowledge and encourage critical thinking; it should inform the worldview and develop the personhood of the student. She has led the WISDOM Philosophy Club since 2022.
Maria Pfeiffer comes from midwest United States. She is the middle child and was homeschooled along with her siblings throughout most of her school years. It was during these years of homeschooling that Maria began to love the different disciplines within classical learning. History and literature were always her favorites. Maria went to Thomas Aquinas College and received her Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts in 2019. Since then, she has been teaching at different classical middle and high schools throughout the States, and now is so excited to be a tutor for students for WISDOM Home Schooling. In her spare time, Maria enjoys baking, cooking, reading, listening to audiobooks, and playing the cello.
Dr. Charles Robertson earned his MA in history at the University of Saskatchewan and his MA and PhD in Philosophy at the University of St. Thomas (Houston, TX). He has taught Theology, Philosophy, and History at the University of Saskatchewan, Newman Theological College (Edmonton, AB), Thomas Aquinas College (CA), and The St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission (Bruno, SK). His published work has appeared in academic journals such as The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Nova et Vetera, The Thomist, and The Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly. He currently resides in St. Denis, SK, with his wife and eight children.
Brian studied history in the University of British Columbia and graduated with a master's in humanities from Trinity Western University. The history of Christianity in the Western world—and especially the changes it underwent during early modernity—is his morsel, the meat and bread of all his studies. By learning about how Western cultures have influenced how we think, the way we feel, and what we desire, Brian has come to see that a solid, Christian education should involve the study of the great works.
As a writing tutor and teaching assistant, he has coached students from a variety of different disciplines for two years. His expertise lies in writing well in an academic context, such as brainstorming good research ideas, designing thoughtful essay structures, and crafting persuasive arguments with original insights. In his free time, Brian enjoys playing music with his band, expounding on the pressing problems of modernity, and basking in the rich imaginations of the Inklings.
brian.thomson@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Ben van den Bosch is both a graduate of WISDOM and a lover of wisdom. He found he was enthralled with the pursuit of beauty, truth, and goodness early on in life, nourished as he was by the fruits of the liberal arts and the Christian faith, and by being given the freedom to explore these and the greater world around him in a spirit of curiosity and wonder. His passion for philosophical discourse was particularly nurtured by family teatime conversations, as well as by taking every possible WISDOM online course available to him through high school.
Ben attended the faith formation program at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, for three years, while also completing his BA in philosophy at Concordia University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He loves to travel the world and share great ideas. He also loves camping, hiking, kayaking, and generally being outdoors. He is delighted to be returning for his second stint of tutoring online classes.
As a previous student and graduate of WISDOM, Elise fell in love with both the classics and Latin, which led her to the small classical college, New Saint Andrews, in Moscow, ID. There she received a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Culture with a focus primarily on linguistics and history. Her love of Latin was increased as she learned to read and translate Virgil, as well as dialogue in that ancient tongue with her classmates and professors. At this Oxford inspired school where they wore robes during exams, competed in rugby and rowing, and where student halls vied for the end of year cup, Elise was able to extensively study literature, theology, philosophy, and beauty. After a number of trips to Israel throughout her undergrad, Elise’s fascination with Jewish history and literature grew, and her senior thesis focused on the democratizing power of Christianity on ancient burial by comparing it against Jewish and Roman burial practices and beliefs. Elise’s interest in Jewish studies has continued as she heads to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem this October for a M.A. in Jewish Studies.
When not spending her time bent over tomes in—preferably—old libraries or bookshops, you can find Elise scaling summits, carving fresh powder, quenching her wanderlust, or jamming to Israeli pop music.
Bren Walsh is a recent graduate of Wyoming Catholic College where she earned her B.A.in the Liberal Arts. Bren was raised on a homestead in the Midwestern United States along with her eight siblings and first encountered the Great Books through her experience as a homeschooled student. She is dedicated to pursuing and sharing the fruits of classical education and has worked with online homeschool programs in various capacities since 2020. Bren is married to John Walsh, with whom she shares the endeavor to nurture and inspire students in their pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty. Bren and John currently live in Dallas, Texas.
Scott and his wife, Kelli, are the proud parents of 8 children. In 2020, Scott completed his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Toronto, specializing in intentional action and free choice. Scott believes strongly in the value of the study of primary-source material and has facilitated primary-source reading groups on such topics as Aristotle’s Ethics, the philosophy of religion, the Early Church Fathers, and the Catechism of Trent. Recently, the Walshes relocated from Oshawa, Ontario to rural Saskatchewan, where they have been raising pigs, chickens, and turkeys while battling grasshoppers.
John was homeschooled throughout his childhood before attending Wyoming Catholic College, a small Liberal Arts school in Wyoming. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D in Literature at the University of Dallas. His educational background has given him a deep appreciation for the homeschooling journey, and his experience as a former WISDOM student has called him back to help others along that journey. John loves reading and writing, especially when he can share such activities with others. He loves discussing challenging questions using the Socratic Method in the classroom, and looks forward to a life of teaching and continued learning. John also loves spending time in nature and exploring the outdoors. He grew up on a ranch with livestock and a garden, and is thankful that such an upbringing has grounded him in faith and family for the rest of his life.
Serena Warnky grew up in the mountains of Northern California. Being homeschooled through 8th grade gave her lots of time to play outside, read everything in the small, local library, and make art and science projects. She finished high school at a small classical school where she was first introduced to the Great Books. After a bachelor's in English at Hillsdale College where she also helped edit the creative writing publication, she worked on a small organic farm in Virginia before doing something completely different and moving to Dallas, TX to teach. While teaching, she earned a masters degree in literature from the University of Dallas. She married her husband in 2020, and they live in a snug RV with their daughter, Beatrice, while they work on starting a working ranch in North Texas.
Elizabeth is a graduate of Ave Maria University, summa cum laude, where she studied Classics and Early Christian Literature and voice. She attained her M.A., summa cum laude, in Latin and Greek at the University of Arizona in 2015. She has taught and tutored all levels of Latin from grammar school through college. She first became attracted to the Latin language because of her love of grammar and the beautiful, ordered structure of Latin sentences. Through her Latin studies, she met her husband, Henry. She resides in Wyoming with her 5 children ranging in age from 8 to 1. She enjoys cooking, horseback riding, hiking, and performing classical and Irish music.
Henry became interested in the great works of science and mathematics while attending Thomas Aquinas College. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in the history of science at the University of Oklahoma. There he became especially interested in medieval mathematics and astronomy. He spent a number of years reading and studying medieval manuscripts containing commentaries on Ptolemy's Almagest in Germany, and he is currently an associate professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He and his wife homeschool their children. Henry enjoys hiking, fishing, and baking.