LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mrs. Bell joined the LCA Board in July 2020. She is an active member of St. Christopher's Church in Chester and has served the community and its young people for decades. A Queen Anne's County resident since 1993, Mrs. Bell is a former Youth Director, Preschool Teacher, and Board member of QAC Partnership for Families and Children, and she is the current Director of Community Food Program (Feed-a-Family) and volunteers in the church outreach and backpack program, serving underprivileged youth in our community. Married to Dick, Mrs. Bell has three married children and eight grandchildren.
Mrs. Brinkerhoff joined LCA in 2023. She was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, where she attended the University of Louisiana studying Early Childhood Education. She and her husband relocated to Maryland in 2009 and spent time raising her children before spending 10 years as a teacher's assistant at a local preschool. Mrs. Brinkerhoff and her family attend Wye Bible Church. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and attending her children's sporting events.
Job Titles:
- Administrator, Fourth Grade
Continuing to provide a Christ-centered focus to her students, Ms. Bennett began her career as Lighthouse Christian Academy's fourth grade teacher in 2010. With more than 20 years of educational experience, Ms. Bennett also serves as the Administrator at Lighthouse Christian Academy. During her career, she has taught a variety of lower school subjects including Language Arts, Literature, History, Math, Science, and Bible. In her spare time, she enjoys the beach, exploring historical sites, exercise, and reading.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Born and raised in Southern Maryland, Mr. Symonds moved to the Baltimore area in 2000 and started a family. He relocated to the Eastern Shore with his family in 2012. Two of Mr. Symond's children have attended LCA since 2018. He has worked in almost every aspect of the automotive field since graduating high school in 1995. He owns two local businesses and has built his businesses from the ground up. A member of Kent Island United Methodist Church, Mr. Symonds' faith has led him to deep understanding and wisdom that he applies to his leadership on the LCA Board.
Job Titles:
- Upper School Lead Teacher, Latin Teacher, and Homeschool Coordinator
Magistra Eileen McFarren is an experienced Latin teacher with a Masters of Arts in teaching Latin from the University of Virginia. She is inspired by John 1:1-14, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Magistra McFarren believes that learning about words and language helps us seek and recognize that which is True, Good, and Beautiful. In addition to her love of teaching, Mrs. McFarren is an avid scuba diver and world traveler.
Job Titles:
- Junior Kindergarten Assistant
Mrs. Fielding has a tremendous background working with children and is excited to be on staff at Lighthouse Christian Academy. After 10 years as a paralegal and several years of staying home full time to raise her children, Mrs. Fielding worked as a teaching assistant for 8 years at a local preschool, 5 of which were with Pre-K-aged children. Mrs. Fielding is a member of Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church and is active in the Praise and Worship Team, Vacation Bible School, and Children's Church ministries. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, home interior projects, singing, and song writing. Mrs. Fielding shares her love of Christ freely and abundantly with her students and loves telling the stories of Jesus.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mr. Hubbard has been an LCA parent since 2018. A native Maryland resident, his time spent at the University of Maryland, which equipped him as an Electrical Engineer and led him into the business of electrical manufacturing until 1990, when he went into business for himself, designing and manufacturing electrical control systems for the power utility, food processing, and amusement park ride industries. After building the business over the next 25 years to more than 200 employees, he sold the business in 2006 and currently still contracts in the role of Director of Business Development. Having attended Lake Shore Baptist Church for many years, Mr. Hubbard and his family live on Kent Island and love LCA and how it supports and grows the students' faith in God. Mr. Hubbard has two older children and six grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mrs. Mong and her husband reside in Annapolis and attend the Naval Academy Chapel. Mrs. Mong received her BA in education from Grove City College. She spent 15 years teaching multiple grades in the public school system. Falling in love with and being trained in Christian Classical Education in 2002, she has taught and supported Christian Classical Education for the past 20 years. Upon her husband's assignment to Maryland in 2015, Mrs. Mong sought out a Christian Classical school where she could teach and has been active at LCA ever since that time, teaching second grade and music. She has supported and assisted non-profits, led Bible Study groups, taught piano, and been a part of church choirs and music programs. A follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, she desires to continue her support of Christian education and organizations and looks forward to supporting the vision and mission of LCA. Upon her husband's retirement from active duty service in the United States Navy Submarine Service in 2021, the Mongs now look forward to continuing to have a positive impact on the next generation. They enjoy traveling, their farm in Pennsylvania, and supporting all things Navy and God's beautiful creation.
Job Titles:
- Office Manager
- LCA in 2021 As the Office Manager
Mrs. Tryon joined LCA in 2021 as the Office Manager, supporting the Administrative Team and being the touchpoint for families, staff, and the community at large. She brings with her 8+ years of experience in Accounting and Bookkeeping, has a background in Communications, served as a Core Team Member of a local church plant and attends Bay Area Community Church in Annapolis. Mrs. Tryon resides on the Eastern Shore with her husband, Travis, and their two children, Olivia and Mia. She loves digging deep into God's Word and enjoys going to the beach in the summer with her family.
Job Titles:
- Head of School
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mrs. Guerra earned her Bachelor's of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a major in English and a certificate in Secondary Education. After teaching in both public and private schools and working for a medical publishing company, she joined Lighthouse Christian Academy in 2013 as Marketing Director. Having experienced educational public and private teaching philosophies first hand, she found Classical Christian education to be the most compelling means of educating children and has been committed to supporting it ever since. She has three children who have attended Lighthouse since Kindergarten. In her spare time, Mrs. Guerra enjoys traveling, reading, running, and scrapbooking.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Head of School at Veritas School
Mr. Nix is the Head of School at Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia, where he has served since 2010. He also serves on the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test (CLT) and the President's Advisory Council for the Society for Classical Learning (SCL). Mr. Nix consults with and coaches classical Christian school boards and leaders and co-directs and teaches in the Gordon Graduate Leadership Program, developing classical school leaders.
Mr. Nix has formerly served as Chairman of the Board of SCL, Vice Chairman of the Board of Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS), and President of the Board of Academic Advisors for the CLT. Prior to moving to Veritas in 2010, Mr. Nix was a board member and then later Head of School at The Westminster School in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a founding Arête Fellow facilitating the Arête Fellowship for many years. Prior to working in classical Christian schools, Mr. Nix was President of Nixgroup, a boutique consulting firm working with start-up and early stage organizations. Mr. Nix enjoys tennis, golf, travel, and books. He is married to Kim, an accomplished artist; the Nixes have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Mentor Teacher and Curriculum Development
Job Titles:
- Office Assistant
- Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mrs. Garcia and her family have been members of the LCA community since 2020, and all three of her children are students at Lighthouse. A former Navy family, they moved to Kent Island in 2017 from Virginia Beach. Mrs. Garcia was formally trained as a Special Education teacher and worked in Baltimore County and Virginia Beach public schools for five years. After teaching, she transitioned to a real estate career and owned and operated a real estate redevelopment business in Virginia Beach, focusing on new construction and remodeling. For the past four years, she has been working for a multi-million-dollar construction company that she helped to establish in 2019. Their family has been active in the church plant team for Axis Church in Annapolis, Maryland, and they host a biweekly Bible study at their home.
Job Titles:
- Junior Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Mrs. McBee has been a part of the LCA community for several years. She began at LCA as one of our main substitutes in 2018 helping out in all of our classrooms as needed. In December 2021, Mrs. McBee stepped in as our long-term substitute in our Pre-K class and graciously became our Pre-K Lead Teacher in the fall of 2022. Mrs. McBee was born in Maryland, but grew up in Escondido, CA, where she graduated from California State University with a teaching degree in Social Sciences, and subsequently attended Lincoln Law School. Mrs. McBee returned to the Kent Island area in 2003. That same year, she met her husband, Hal, and they were married in 2007. Their son, Royan, was born in 2010. Shortly after Royan was born, they began attending Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church and have attended there ever since. Mrs. McBee enjoys serving at her church and has been Safe Harbor's Nursery Coordinator since 2018. She loves creating fun things with the smallest members of the congregation.