Meet our Birch Teachers

Stephanie Smith: Kindergarten

Stephanie lives in Schnecksville with her husband, Eric, and their two children Levi and Julia. She and her husband coordinate their church’s children’s ministry and have volunteered in numerous other ministries. Stephanie has a degree from Kutztown University in Elementary Education and Early Childhood.

Before starting her family, she was a Kindergarten teacher for several years in the Lehighton Area School District. Later she resigned to grow and raise her family. Wanting to participate in her children’s education she worked as a preschool teacher with her children in attendance. Later she moved to teaching online to be home with her children. Stephanie is excited to be a part of Providence Hybrid Academy!

Christina Young: First Grade

Christina is a wife and mother of three boys with a background in elementary education. She has taught in classroom settings and has homeschooled her boys for several years.

Their family moved to the Lehigh Valley in 2014 where they were able to build community through co-ops, community sports, and their home church. They continue to be an active part of their church and have had the opportunity to serve in various ways. 

It’s with a heart full of gratitude that she acknowledges the tremendous gift of the gospel, life-giving friendships, and the benefit of learning from experiences. She loves being part of PHA, learning and growing together!

Rebecca Kehley: Second Grade

Rebecca and her husband have been married for over 30 years, and relocated to the area from Florida in 2005. She grew up always knowing she wanted to be a teacher.  She spent her youth babysitting, college years working in daycare, and graduated from Flagler College with a degree in Elementary Education.  After years of teaching in the public school system, she and her husband decided that homeschooling would be the best choice for their family.   All three of their children were homeschooled from preschool to graduation.  She has been a MOPS director, a Sunday School teacher, and a homeschool co-op founder. She feels blessed that the Lord brought her to PHA, and allows her to use her experience to encourage the families in their educational journeys, helping them cultivate a lifetime of learning!

Katrina Angeleri: Fifth Grade

With an awe of God’s sovereignty and a love of teaching, it is with gratitude that Katrina Angeleri works with the students and families of Providence Hybrid Academy. Children have been the major theme of Katrina’s life as a teacher in public and private schools, a mother, a director of Sunday School, a homeschooler and a director of a homeschool co-op. Through the last 30 years of marriage to a devoted husband, God led her to homeschool 3 wonderful children for the last 16 years. She sees the journey as an ever-changing dynamic of abundant blessings and challenges with a constant need to look to Christ for His provision and plan. Katrina is confident that the Lord has brought her to PHA and prayerfully seeks for the Lord to bless all her students and families with the grace and knowledge of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Linnea Smith : Sixth Grade

Linnea Smith is thrilled to be part of the PHA family! She always loved teaching and considers it an honor to be back in the classroom. Before PHA, Linnea taught in a special education classroom in a public school and taught fourth and fifth grade in a Christian school. Her passion is truly to guide others to God and equip them to see who God created them to be. When not at school, She is a wife to Luke and mom to three little girls Sonya, Hannah, and Emma. Linnea is a coffee lover and a podcast junkie. You'll usually catch her listening to an audiobook or one of her favorite podcasts.

John Elias: Middle School Math, Science & Bible

John and his wife Karen will be married 51 years this October. They have four children and seven grandchildren. They live in Bethlehem having returned from eight years in London. As a grandfather and former Pastor, Missionary, College teacher, machinist, grave digger, and more, John brings a wealth of experiences to the seventh and eighth-grade math, science, and Bible classes he will teach this year. His favorite pastime is looking for new ways to solve problems and if he can encourage others to think creatively then he feels doubly happy. He also likes travel, fix things, and do the manual labor of his wife’s lovely gardens. Since 2020 John has survived two cancers. The blog telling of things God has taught him is found on his website www.bridgesoption.org.

Amy Wheeler: Middle School History and Geography

After marrying Jim, her high school sweetheart, Amy spent several years teaching in Philadelphia and Maryland. Later, she was blessed to be able to stay home with her three children and to homeschool them through graduation. Amy has always been passionate about education and early on in homeschooling discovered Charlotte Mason's philosophy. She feels that Mason's understanding of children shows a deep respect for the individual and the way God has made him or her, while also urging us as parents to help them form good habits and always require their best efforts. Amy tried to build her homeschooling plans around these ideas, while trusting God with the outcome.

While continuing to teach middle school history and geography, Amy is excited to also take on the role of administrator for the brand new Aspen program. Since we cannot know what might excite our children and awaken their minds to new ideas, we will offer a wide variety of the very best books and activities, time in nature, and free play outdoors. As PHA continues to expand to meet the needs of the growing homeschool community, Amy hopes to encourage parents and lead a new team of teachers in "spreading the feast".

Bob Rentler: High School Math & Bible

Bob Rentler is coming to PHA for the launching of his third career, teaching. Bob has been married to his wife Lisa for 45 years. They have raised two daughters and have seven grandchildren. (Six of them currently attend PHA.)

Bob completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree at Lehigh University in Chemical Engineering and finished his 25-year career in Engineering to become a Pastor. He then completed his MDiv and has been pastoring for over 20 years. The Rentlers live in Bethlehem.

Bob’s distractions include riding bike, running, playing various musical instruments (which accompany his love for bluegrass, Celtic and worship music.) Bob will be sharing his love for mathematics, theology and music in the high school math and Bible courses and ukulele elective.

Laura Mercon: High School Science, History, and Geography

It is with great delight and a sincere sense of privilege that Laura Mercon embarked on teaching high school at Providence Hybrid Academy. Laura will be teaching biology, physical/earth science, history, geography and Citizenship and the Arts. Laura is married to a high school teacher and varsity baseball coach. They have three children - two boys and a girl. Laura home educated her children from the start using the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education. She has graduated her two oldest and currently has a fifth grader.

Laura is embarking on her 19th year of home education! Prior to that, she was a fourth grade teacher for the Boyertown Area School District for eight years, and before that was a registered nurse. She enjoy studying the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education, reading, singing, DIY projects, thrifting, being outdoors, vacationing, and spending time with her husband. Laura is excited about the coming year of learning together and am trusting in God's faithfulness and relying on the Holy Spirit.

Jessica Evans: Third

Jessica grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as a child who loved learning and always dreamed of being a teacher. Playing school was her favorite game with her four siblings, while also enjoying exploring the outdoors and collecting bugs and creatures along the way, playing sports, reading, handicrafts, baking, and art.

After graduation from DeSales University with a degree in Elementary Education, Jessica continued to teach as a Pre-K teacher, substitute teacher for grades K-6, and later as a Therapeutic Support Staff for children with special needs through a non-profit organization.

She and her husband have been married since 2009 and after her first son was born in 2011, they decided she would stay home to raise their children. They now live in the Lehigh Valley where they have three active, fun-loving, curiosity-driven boys that have been homeschooling with her since 2020.

During their first year of homeschooling, she and her friends created a neighborhood pod with local families and discovered the joy of homeschooling and co-ops. Since then, they have joined a co-op where she teaches ages 5-8 through hands-on, project-based learning. Some of their favorite parts of homeschooling are nature study, hiking, reading and learning together through living books, playing sports, handicrafts, and serving others through their church, and in their community with donation drives and community service. Jessica and her family are very excited to be part of the PHA community to learn and grow together!

Vonna DeArmond:Third Grade

Vonna DeArmond is a mother of 3 boys and has homeschooled for 13 years. She has a degree in Chemistry and left the biopharma industry to pursue Christian homeschooling and teaching. Realizing that she has always loved teaching and had always been teaching in some capacity, she obtained her level one PA teaching certification. While homeschooling, she discovered a passion for teaching children of all ages and gained experience teaching homeschooled children ages 4 through 16. She also has classroom experience with special needs and a heart for kids who learn differently. Her other interests include pickleball, fitness, nature, gardening, and healthy holistic living. She is also Certified Fitness and Integrative Nutrition Coach and teaches adults, kids, and special needs/abilities of all levels privately and at local fitness and wellness centers. Vonna feels blessed to be teaching at Providence Hybrid Academy using the Charlotte Mason philosophy where she can share her love of Jesus and of learning with your children.

Wendi LeBourgeois: Fourth grade

Wendi grew up in Bucks County as the only child of two teachers. She often played teacher by giving full lessons to her stuffed animals. After graduating from Kutztown University with her Elementary Education degree, she taught both third and fifth grade for Southern Lehigh School District. She married David, a friend from church youth group, in 1995. David is an elementary school teacher for Southern Lehigh. Wendi resigned from teaching to be a stay at home mom to her two children, who are now young adults. Both of her kids are graduating in 2025. Heather will graduate from Lock Haven University with a K-4 teaching degree and Caleb will be graduating from Quakertown High School.

Cheryl Smith: Nature Study

Cheryl comes to PHA with over twelve years of caring for and teaching children in an in-home child care.  She has a BS degree in Horticulture from Penn State University.  She has had the privilege of working in greenhouses and of being a florist for over 20 years. She loves teaching children, using puppets and exploring the outdoors.

A very special man came into her life and they were married in 1979.  He went to seminary after they had 4 children.  He has now been a Pastor for 25 years.  They have raised 4 children and now they have 5 grandchildren. Cheryl has been involved with some wonderful Women’s groups and Christian Ed in the church.  At the age of 12, she became a Christian when a Substitute Sunday School teacher taught her class about Salvation.

Cheryl is both excited and humbled to be a part of this very unique and Christ-centered school.

Megan Ruch: NAture Study

Megan grew up in Bucks County Pennsylvania with her four hilarious siblings and faithful parents. Her faith in Jesus started at the age of five through a Sunday School gospel presentation, and that faith is still growing and deepening to this day! She loved being raised in her family’s greenhouse business filled with the beauty of flowers and escapades with her many cousins. 

      She graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Elementary Education. After college, the Lord called Megan to a year of overseas campus ministry in Central Asia and then four years of stateside campus ministry in Central Pennsylvania. She always stayed involved with children through serving at her local church’s children’s ministries and spending time with her eight nieces and nephews, but is excited to be more directly involved as an educator in a holistic learning environment! 

    Megan delights in time with dear friends, singing, local cafes, reading, trips to Maine, and time with her family. 

Grace Gulbis: Middle School and High School Literature, Composition & Creative Writing

Grace Gulbis and her newlywed husband, Dāvis, live in a tiny farmhouse outside of Hosensack, PA. Influenced by educators throughout her life (including her mother, grandparents, siblings, friends, mentor professors, and her husband!), Grace is honored to start her own teaching career, and is blessed to be doing so at Providence Hybrid Academy.

Grace thrived as an unconventional homeschooler from K-12, seizing the opportunity her Junior year to herself homeschool a family of four siblings in Cambridge, England. Throughout high school, she also worked and volunteered at the John Paul II Center for Special Learning where she was first inspired to help each student she encounters reach his or her own God-given potential.

At DeSales University, she continued her love of learning as an enthusiastic English major, with minors in Creative Writing and Theology. Her passion for writing led her to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Publishing (MFA) at her alma mater in December, 2022.

While a graduate student, Grace worked as an Assistant College Campus Minister for a year; then as a Middle and High School Learning Support Aide and Pole Vault Coach in the Twin Valley school district. She is currently completing her PA 7-12 English Teaching Certification, and pursuing publication of her MFA thesis manuscript (a collection of linked historical fiction short stories).

Grace can be caught hiking at French Creek State Park, playing her vintage accordion, and teaching Italian to her nieces and nephew. She also runs a literary society and magazine, swing dances, and always keeps her passport in date should an unexpected invitation to travel arise.

Grace is ecstatic to start her second year of teaching at PHA, and is continually delighted as she learns more about the Charlotte Mason method. Grace is looking forward to all her classes this year, and to sharing her belief that "Learning is its Own Reward."

Eva Wong: Art

Eva always had a passion for the arts. It started as a child with a box of 64 crayons, then mixed media and finally to designing. She studied at Tyler School of Art and has a BFA in Graphic Design. Eva worked as a graphic designer for 12 years and later taught Parent/Toddler & Preschool Art Studio classes, Mixed Arts, Advanced Elements of Art classes and Canvas Painting workshops for children & adults.

Eva lives in Quakertown with her husband, Alston and children, Helena & Nathan. Outside of art she enjoys watching movies, shopping, solving puzzles & spending time on the beach with her family.

God has blessed her with this wonderful opportunity with two of her favorites: Art and teaching children. Eva enjoys working with children and encouraging their individual creativity. She believes everyone is an artist and has their own unique style. She is looking forward to another year at PHA exploring different mediums, taking a peek into art history and finding creative ways to mimic the masters!