DIRECTOR
staylor@freedomacademync.cc

Sam hails from East Tennessee but moved to North Carolina for college, where he attended UNC-Chapel Hill. After graduation, Sam moved to Charlotte, where he began his corporate career as a consultant. He spent over 20 years in Corporate America, living and working on three continents as a program manager for global HR projects. Sam joined Freedom House in 2015, but in 2018 he discovered his passion and calling – kids ministry. The desire to impact kids by showing them the love of Christ coupled with the radical agenda being pushed in so many schools today led Sam to become part of starting Freedom Academy. He and his wife Jenny have been married sixteen years and have two daughters – Kaitlyn and Cora. When not at work or church, you’ll find him running, kayaking, or grilling.

BURSAR +
LIFE SKILLS INSTRUCTOR
jtaylor@freedomacademync.cc

Jenny grew up in Bradenton, Florida before attending the University of Central Florida and graduating with a degree in finance. After a brief stint in St. Petersburg, she moved to Charlotte, where she spent 10 years working in corporate finance before leaving the workforce to raise her two daughters. Jenny is passionate about helping mothers with young children continue to find ways to both grow in their faith while at the same time helping their children increase in spiritual maturity. To that end, Jenny serves in the Freedom House Lake Norman Campus Kids Ministry and also co-chairs a church Lifegroup focused on moms with young kids. When not at work or church, you’ll find her working out or walking in the beautiful outdoors.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR +
LIFE SKILLS INSTRUCTOR
dmorrison@freedomacademync.cc

Doug was born and raised in a small town in Michigan’s upper peninsula. He has lived in North Carolina for the past six years. He is married to Stacey and they have two daughters together. Doug also has two sons that live in Michigan. Doug’s hobbies include hiking, traveling, and reading. He also is a big supporter of the Freedom House Strong Men movement. Doug is excited to fulfill a lifelong dream of leading in a Christian school. Doug has almost 25 years of teaching experience in public and private education. He has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT SUPERVISOR +
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
jwilliams@freedomacademync.cc

Jennifer (Jenn) Williams was born and raised in Florida where she also met her husband, Stuart. They have three children – boy girl twins, Bryce & McKenna, who are 21 heading into their senior year of college. Their youngest Addison is 17 and a Senior in high school. Jenn and Stuart have lived in Ooltewah, TN (5yrs), Stephens City, VA (10yrs) and presently reside in Harrisburg, NC (3yrs). Jenn was a stay-at-home mom until they moved to Virginia where she became a substitute teacher, that’s when she fell in love with teaching. She has always had a caring and giving heart for education. She has taught grades K-12 and even has had a long-term teaching job for SPED. In 2019, God changed her family’s life by brining them to North Carolina for her husband’s job. They heard about Freedom House from a friend and have been attending since Nov of 2020. They are both Leaders within the church. When her family was called to be brought to Freedom House, Jenn heard God calling her to teach at Freedom Academy to guide the younger generation.

1ST + 2ND GRADE INSTRUCTOR
jpruitt@freedomacademync.cc

Janelle has captured children’s hearts as an educator for 22 years. She spent the first half of her career teaching kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade; she then changed courses to become a Special Education teacher reaching those students who have unique learning needs. Janelle is a mother to her son Preston and dog Rex. Her motto is: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Janelle is beyond excited to lead at Freedom Academy and guide little ones through the heart of Jesus.

3RD + 4TH GRADE INSTRUCTOR
lwesterholt@freedomacademync.cc

Lori is a native Jersey girl but has lived in North Carolina for the last 29 years. She and her husband, Jeff, have been married for 30 years and are the parents to twins: Pierce, who is studying to be a commercial pilot, and Madison, who is an attorney in South Carolina; and McKenzie who is finishing up school and is married to Jacob, a Concord City police officer. In her free time, she likes to read, travel, cook and scrapbook. Lori retired from public school teaching with 31 years experience in 2023. With a Bachelor's Degree from East Stroudsburg University and a Master's Degree from UNCC, Lori is thrilled to be teaching at the Academy and looks forward to what God has in store!

CURRICULUM SUPERVISOR +
5TH-7TH GRADE INSTRUCTOR
smorrison@freedomacademync.cc

Stacey is a native of Michigan (a Yooper to be more specific) and relocated to North Carolina in 2017 to be closer to family. She was elated when her grown children decided to follow and live near her in Mooresville. Stacey and her husband, Doug, have two daughters: Maggie, a nurse, and Shayna, a stylist and photographer. Shayna and her husband, Stephen, have one son, Shepherd, who is about to celebrate his first birthday. This newest grandbaby is Stacey’s biggest joy these days! Stacey also has two stepsons, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren still living in Michigan, who thankfully come to visit often.

Stacey retired after 27 years serving in Michigan’s public school system, where most of her tenure was spent teaching 5th grade. After moving to NC, Stacey worked for five years at a private school in Davidson, teaching 5th and 6th grade math, before heeding God’s call to join Freedom Academy. With 34 years of teaching experience and a master’s degree in education, Stacey is excited for the upcoming school year and being able to use her talents in curriculum development and working with upper elementary and middle school students. In her spare time, you’ll find Stacey hanging out with family or LifeGroup, playing with her dog Boone, doing DIY projects, reading, hiking, and traveling.

K3 LEAD INSTRUCTOR
cwood@freedomacademync.cc

Cheryle grew up in Salisbury, NC, where she met her now husband Ryan (15 years and counting). She has a passion for serving children and helping them grow to be the people God has called them to be, as evidenced by 10 years of volunteering in Kids ministry at church and also working as part of the Academy. When she’s not in the classroom, you’ll find Cheryle traveling, working out, chugging a gallon of water a day, hanging with friends, or being an Uber driver for her 2 kids.

SPANISH INSTRUCTOR

¡Hola! Me llamo Gabie. I was born in California but was raised in Guatemala City, where I lived 20+ years of my life. I am a native Spanish speaker who learned English as a second language and, through it, developed a love for other languages and cultures. I taught English as a Second Language in Guatemala for five years for students from kindergarten through high school, and adults. I absolutely love seeing children learn a new language and discover a different culture! I am married to my husband Jonathan and together we are parents to our two beautiful daughters: Alie and Izie. Fun fact: Because I love languages so much, I know how to say "hello" in over ten different languages!

HEALTH + WELLNESS INSTRUCTOR +
ON-SITE CHIROPRACTOR

Dr. Kristine Schmierer is the owner of Inspire Family Chiropractic, a holistic healing center located in Charlotte, NC. With over 13 years of experience in the holistic healing space, her education includes a bachelor of Nutrition and Doctor of Chiropractic. While earning her bachelor’s degree she worked for the largest Integrative Medicine Center in the southern United States where she worked with practice members on diet change and functional medicine recommendations. After graduating, she worked in Naples, Florida, receiving advanced chiropractic training and pediatric training from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. She holds certifications in spinal correction, nutrition, exercise, and detoxification. Her mission is for humanity to experience health freedom and for families to leave a health legacy. When she's not educating the community on healthy living you can find her hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains or collecting stamps in her passport.

MUSIC INSTRUCTOR

Jacquelyn Clayton, also known as Ms. Jackie, is originally from the Central Valley of Northern CA, but her husband’s time in the Army brought them to the east coast! They have lived in the Charlotte area since 2013!

She holds a BA in Music Education, specializing in voice from Bethany University, which was a private Assemblies of God Christian university in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA. She has experience teaching in private school settings, but has spent most of the last decade as a stay at home mom raising her family.

She has been married to Chris for 14 years and they have 3 little boys - Rocky (9) Jack (7) and Cruz (3.) They have attended Freedom House Church since December 2015.

In her free time, she loves spending time with family and co-leading Authentic Women’s LifeGroup! She has a passion for music and worship, and you can often find her leading worship on the weekends at Freedom House Church! She is especially excited to use her degree to make music with Freedom Academy students!

PHYSICAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR +
FACILITIES COORDINATOR

Alex Tallman was born in Williamsburg, VA and lived there for four years before moving to Concord, NC and found Freedom House, where he’s been a member for over 17 years. He grew up playing basketball, soccer, and football before graduating from Cox Mill High School in 2021. Alex serves on our Strong Men’s team and teaches on Sunday mornings in Arrows and JV classrooms, while also leading a middle school LifeGroup. In his free time, he coaches varsity basketkall at Concord Academy and Carolina Hoopfest.

ART INSTRUCTOR

My husband Austin and I have four children ages 9, 8, 5, and 2. We have been attending Freedom House church since January 2021. I’ve lived in North Carolina for almost 20 years, attending high school and college locally. I am a graduate of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences with an associates degree in Occupational Therapy. I’ve worked in both early intervention and the school systems throughout the past 10 years but my passion is in arts and crafts. I have always enjoyed the quality time and memories made while crafting with my children and I am excited to share my love of arts and crafts with Freedom Academy. One of my favorite quotes to express the importance of art is, “We serve the Creator. So I think it’s only fitting that everything we produce would have creativity.”

CREATIVE COORDINATOR

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR

PRESIDENT, Parental Advisory Committee

COMMITTEE MEMBER, Parental Advisory Committee

COMMITTEE MEMBER, Parental Advisory Committee