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.

Sally received her doctorate in English Literature at the University of Waterloo in the fall of 2023. She began her studies with a 3-week baby in tow in 2017. Two more babies and a few years later, she and her entire family are looking forward to the defence in the Fall! You can find her work on detective fiction published in some journals and critical anthologies. She tutored with WISDOM in the past, from 2015-2017, a year of which was spent in France, learning its culture and language. She is excited about joining WISDOM once again, as she loves to teach, and discuss all things writing and literature.

She enjoys long walks with her family, presenting at conferences and going to new places, theatre, and live music. In her spare time she reads continually; her ‘best friend’ books are Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, the entirety of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series, and Dorothy L. Sayers’s Harriet Vane novels.

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.

After receiving his BA in classical Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in 2010, Charlie then spent seven years as a seminarian at St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California. Charlie continued his studies in philosophy and theology during this time, earning a second BA in Fundamental Theology from St. Phillip’s Seminary in Toronto. After leaving St. Michael’s in 2017, Charlie taught for a year at St. Monica Academy in Montrose, California, while rekindling a relationship with his now-wife, Colleen. She convinced Charlie of the charms of country life and they moved to Angels Camp, California, where he served as the Primary Dean of Libertas Academy for three years. They continue to reside there with their two young daughters.

Colleen Goodwin received her Bachelor of Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California. After graduating, she accepted a position teaching at St. Monica Academy in Pasadena, California. She taught the Classical curriculum there for five years before moving to Northern California where she taught charter school elementary students in the classical style in a one-room schoolhouse while also teaching second grade at Christian Family Learning Center. She served as her parish’s Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator for four years. Recently she spent several years teaching for Kolbe Academy online.
 
Colleen resides in the Gold Country of Northern California where she gardens and takes care of many animals along with her husband Charlie and their daughters.

Rachel grew up in the midwest United States with her parents, brother, and a succession of pet rabbits. She attended Hillsdale College and began teaching immediately afterward, her first job as a teacher's assistant for English classes in France. Following her time abroad, she worked in traditional public schools and at an educational professional development company before returning to classical education at a K-12 classical charter school.  In her role there, she taught a variety of ages and classes, ranging from 4th grade to 6th grade French to high school composition. She also served as a curriculum specialist, faculty coach, and department head. She worked for two years as a Master Teacher for the Barney Charter School Initiative and has presented regularly at their summer conference.

Her greatest accomplishment to date is teaching pregnant until two days before giving birth to her first son without going into labor during class. Today, she lives in northern Indiana with her husband and two sons, with whom she enjoys cooking, hiking, and reading.

Emily grew up under the wide open sky of Alberta. She rejoices in the fact that she was homeschooled with WISDOM Home Schooling 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 finally fulfilling her double-dream of being a WISDOM Tutor and a Latin Teacher.

When she is not frantically trying to catch up on all her readings and assignments, you can find Emily playing soccer or hockey or challenging her friends to a game of Latin Bananagrams. Emily also loves everything that involves working or playing in the great outdoors. But, more than anything, Emily loves spending time with her siblings (all nine of them).

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.

Theresa (O’Reilly) Nelson has been long-time tutor for WISDOM for various terms from 2009 onward.  Theresa grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and has experienced both homeschool and public school education, giving her a deep appreciation for parent and student led learning.  After finishing high school she studied the Great Books in California at Thomas Aquinas College, and graduated in 2008 with a BA in liberal arts.  Over the next several years, she went on to teach reading programs for the Institute of Reading Development, taught for WISDOM, was a retail store manager, and finally obtained her Masters in Occupational Therapy in 2019. She is passionate about helping people reach their full potential in any educational setting. 

She resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, Johnny, and their 4 young children.  In her spare time, she loves to read, try new cuisines, teach Irish dancing, and paint with watercolor.