WEB Faculty

Click names for email addresses

Rowena Aldridge has been a member of the WEB faculty since January 2016.  Over the years, she has taught literature, Spanish, history, civics, and needle arts.  A heritage speaker of Spanish, Rowena has taught the language in the classroom and as a tutor for grades K-12, as well as coaching adults who are learning Spanish for work.  She is an experienced homeschool mom, having successfully homeschooled her daughter, Ella, from kindergarten through high school graduation.  Ella was a member of the first graduating class at WEB, and is now a social work major.  Rowena is in college now as well, with the goal of advancing to a master's in public history, focusing on material culture.  Rowena has the rare and delightful privilege of being in college with her own daughter!  When she isn’t working on a lesson plan or doing homework, Rowena can usually be found with a cup of tea, a knitting project, and a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Kendra Andrus is the product of a rich free-range homeschooling education followed by higher education in great books and the liberal arts, and thus is compelled to give her own homeschooled children (and now WEB students) the same valuable learning experience. Education should be full of curiosity, wonder, and virtue! She received her B.A. in both music and religion and attended seminary. She is a published author who finds endless inspiration for children’s books in her everyday life with her own six children — she writes to solve their problems, answer their questions, and tell the stories of their adventures together. She loves learning through books, reading aloud as a family, inspiring young writers, and having deep and meaningful conversations about life that are sparked by stories. Together, she and her husband Matthew manage the loud and feisty-fun chaos that is their daily life, devotedly supporting their children in all of their unique passions. If she is not catching up on 12 loads of laundry, you can find her cooking fancy meals, hiking to waterfalls, and at the symphony, opera, or theater basking in the transformative performance arts. 

Jill Altom has lived in Nashville since 2006 and worked in youth ministry for 17 years, primarily in Episcopal churches. She has also coached youth ministry graduate residents at CYMT (The Center for Youth Ministry Training) for the past 3 years. Jill graduated from Sewanee with a B.A. in Psychology in 2004 and completed her M.A. in Youth Ministry in 2012. Jill is married to Clayton and has three sons, Peter, Seth, and Timothy. Her favorite activities include hiking, game nights, singing, and baking. Jill is energized by community development and a learning environment which emphasizes the development of the whole child. She is excited to begin this new adventure at WEB to foster connection and learning among middle and high school students and their families.

Elizabeth is a native Nashvillian who attended The University School of Nashville from Nursery School through 12th grade. She attended college in La Jolla, CA, at UCSD, where she received her BA in Psychology. Elizabeth did her graduate work in Mathematics at MTSU. She started a “side-hustle” in high school, tutoring fellow students in French. After college, Elizabeth taught mathematics at the Middle School and High School levels at University School and Harpeth Hall, among others. She is passionate about teaching Mathematics, and particularly about helping students to integrate disparate knowledge into a more fundamental understanding of Mathematics in general. When she’s not teaching, Elizabeth loves riding her Ducati Monster motorcycle, both because it’s really fun, and also because no one expects a middle-aged woman to do something so cool. She also loves to read and to work with her Polish Tatra Sheepdogs, Tazia and Rue.

Anna Boneh was raised in East Nashville but has lived all over the world serving with missions and humanitarian organizations. Anna has four daughters and has homeschooled for 18 years. She was the director of YHB Tutorial of Memphis and Anna Maria’s School of Dance. Currently Anna works as a ghostwriter, graphic designer, and retreat director. Anna’s passion is to see creativity unleashed and uniquely expressed in every person as only they can do. In her down time she loves spending time with her girls kayaking, traveling, doing creative projects, being in the woods or by the sea. However, sitting alone with her journal and a cup of tea is pretty okay too.

A two-time graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Jenny Conatser holds a BS in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Secondary English Education. She has taught English, Reading, and Psychology in the public school system in Tennessee, in both Nashville and Knoxville. Transitioning to teaching in the homeschool environment has been an exciting and fulfilling challenge, both professionally and personally. Jenny looks forward to another wonderful year at WEB!

John holds advanced degrees in both religion and politics, so he’s not allowed to talk at cocktail parties or family gatherings. His undergrad was from Miami University where he studied philosophy, economics, astronomy, and physics. He then earned an MA in Theology from Xavier University as well as an MA in International Affairs from Marquette University. Before moving to Nashville John served as the Philosophy and Religion Chair of Chatfield College and was part of the philosophy faculty for Wilmington College as well. John also teaches ballroom dancing and personal self-defense. Outside of the academic world, he is an entrepreneur and has worked in wind energy and the renewable resources sector for the past 10 years. John loves skiing and the outdoors and considers his greatest education to have come from his love of travel and people. He has roamed the world through more than 40 different countries on five continents. His wife’s career moved them to Nashville 2 years ago and they love their new home here in East Nashville! Their husky mutt Lexi, however, thinks the summers are just a little too warm for her liking.

Jansen Gibson has been an educator for the past 7 years. After attending Vanderbilt University with a focus in geology and environmental sciences, he found a passion for relating science and math to students. Since then, he has worked in all major middle and high school math and science subjects, as a teacher and a tutor. In particular, Jansen finds enjoyment in working with students who face executive functioning or behavioral disabilities, and working with these learners to build confidence and passion for the science of the world around them. Outside class, Jansen spends time with his family, cooking, drawing, reading, and trying to tame his silly bulldog, Ferguson.

Becky was raised in Nashville and attended public schools.  She is wife to Stefan and mom to Maddie and Lucas.  Becky is a Belmont graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Masters of Accounting and has work experience in public accounting and large corporate tax departments. After her son was diagnosed with autism, Becky left the corporate world and worked for a time as a special education assistant, substitute teacher and later a tutor. A former homeschool parent, Becky found her passion for helping students learn math and is excited to teach Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 this year at WEB.

Charles “LowKey” Key aka Jamersonsgc, a native of Los Angeles, California grew fond of art in middle school and was greatly inspired by his father the late Charles Sr. who was also an artist. He holds a B.A. in Engineering. His creative background started with comic books then grew into portraits and now graffiti and murals just to name a few. You can find Jamersonsgc’s large scale murals in many places such as Nashville, Venice Beach Los Angeles, New York City and Asheville, NC. Outside of his multiple local news appearances, Charles is mostly known for his murals of Chadwick Boseman and George Floyd. Charles’s inspiration stems from motivation to encourage and empower. He looks forward to inspiring and creating with WEB students.

Caiden Leavitt graduated from Cornell University in 2012 with a BA in English Literature. After graduation, she worked as a teacher at the Windward School, which specializes in students with dyslexia and other language based learning disabilities. Since moving to Nashville in 2015, she has worked with students of all ages as a tutor and instructor, helping her students meet their highest potential. In her free time, she is an avid reader and a writer, and she loves to spend time outdoors with her dog Buster! 

A graduate of Covenant College and the University of Arkansas, Leslie holds degrees in Middle Grades Education and Educational Leadership. She has been a mathematics and general education teacher in grades 5 through 8 in Missouri and Arkansas. In addition to her classroom experience, she has written curriculum, coached teachers and held leadership positions. Leslie is the mom to four young children and is pleased to be back in the classroom after several years at home.

Fleming McWilliams has lived in Nashville for almost four decades. She attended Belmont University where she studied Vocal Performance. She and her husband spent the nineties making music as the duo Fleming and John. Fleming just ended her seven year stint as a homeschooling parent/teacher to her two children. She was part of the inaugural group of WEB families. Since 2011, Fleming has been the founder and director of Voice Up Loud, a singing program for middle and high school kids, offering camps, workshops, and private vocal coaching. She believes music is a powerful force in the lives of young people and that everybody should sing! Fleming is so excited to teach at WEB because it’s her jam! 

Originally-ish from Oklahoma, Jacob Milstein is an artist who creates and performs original music. When he moved to Nashville in 2016, he involved himself with improv comedy at Third Coast Comedy Club, and learned from a bunch of bright and experienced improvisers from across the country. He finds connecting with people to be one of the most rewarding experiences in life, being present on stage to be one of the best ways to do that, and being present with oneself the best way to do that. He’s worked as a tutor and a long time ago he received a B. A. in English from Wesleyan University.

Heather received her associates degree in ASL interpreting from Cincinnati State Technical & Community College and her bachelor's degree in education from Lipscomb University. She is nationally certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). She has been interpreting in Nashville for the past 15 years and specializes in medical, educational, and mental health interpreting. She combined her passion and love for sign language and teaching and started the Nashville Sign Language Club in 2017. She has lived in East Nashville for the past 12 years with her husband Erick and three children, Izzy, Asher, and Piper. When she isn’t interpreting or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, gardening, hiking, scrapbooking, and fostering kittens through the Nashville Cat Rescue.

Rachel has guided adults and children in their yoga and dance practices since 2014. Receiving her 200-hr RYT certification from Sanctuary for Yoga, she is passionate about creating community and teaching the positive effects of mindfulness and movement. Having taught with Habitat Yoga, Climb Nashville, Vanderbilt Summer Academy, BellePAC, DancEast, and TMProductions, she enjoys working with students of all ages. In her performing life, she has danced with Princess Cruise Line Productions, Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Opera, and various theater, film, and TV projects. Rachel earned her Bachelor's in Creative Writing from the University of Tennessee. She also received her SEL teaching certification from Northwestern. A lover of sunshine and nature, you can find her playing in the flowers, taking long walks and short runs, and loving on her fur baby, Dottie.

Megan Roggendorff believes that access to the performing arts is vital, and every child should
have the opportunity to experience theater. She holds a BA in Theater from Auburn University,
and has performed on stages here in Nashville, as well as nationally, including at the Kennedy Center. Two of her original plays have been staged in Nashville. Megan was in the marketing department at Washington DC’s Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre, and she served two terms as the Marketing Committee Chair on the Board of Directors for Nashville’s Street Theatre Company. In addition to serving as a theater camp counselor, she has taught performance and technical theater and has experience as a stage director and performance competition adjudicator in various schools. Currently, she is a script writer and supervisor, as well as an on-site film acting coach for adults and children. When she’s not practicing Drama Desk Award speeches in the mirror, Megan is probably cooking or reading. She lives in East Nashville with her husband, two kiddos, dog, and cat.

Dawn Ruiz, PT, Cert MDT has lived in the Nashville area with her husband Carlos for nearly 20 years.  They have two awesome kids—Elena and Danny.  Dawn got her degree in physical therapy from the University of New Mexico and has been a physical therapist for 20 years.  She also holds a certification in the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy.  Dawn has a life-long love of learning and teaching and thinks everyone should have a little “mad scientist” in them.  She has taught adult continuing education off and on for many years and is very excited to be a part of the WEB family.  

Evelyn Thoen is new to Nashville, having grown up in southern California. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Westmont College in Art with a minor in Art History, and is particularly passionate about printmaking, sculpture, and contemporary art. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows and can be seen on her website www.evelynthoen.com. Evelyn is excited to help students express themselves creatively by exploring various media and techniques. She currently also works as a seamstress and has a love for theatre design. Beyond that, she likes to explore Nashville’s greenways, read fiction novels, and listen to music.

Bea Troxel graduated from Sewanee with a BA in Environmental Humanities. She loves observing and analyzing the different connections that exist between seemingly separate topics and subjects. When she is not writing songs and teaching, you can find her reading in the backyard, gardening, searching for fig trees in Nashville, or practicing her pedal steel. Bea has worked as a high school librarian, food stamps outreach associate, and musician. In classes, reading, songs, and the mundane, Bea wants to always find that which is sacred and creative. 

Mary received her nursing degree in 2009 from Belmont University. She has worked in hospitals, community health, telemedicine, as a clinical instructor. and as a camp nurse (her favorite job so far!) She is a Colorado transplant who made Nashville her home when her husband took a job at Vanderbilt Medical Center doing medical research. Mary has three children, Sam, Emma, and Davy, and two very spoiled cats! Sam has been homeschooled in the past, which has helped Mary to understand that all kids learn differently-there’s not a “one size fits all” way to teach. Her teaching motto is “there’s no such thing as a dumb question” and she loves learning along with her students. Mary is excited to be teaching science for her third year at WEB! 

Originally from Austin, Texas, Brenda Wolff graduated from the University of Texas with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. She taught a variety of science college courses during her time as an Assistant Professor at Hendrix College in Arkansas before moving to Tennessee. Brenda and her husband, along with their two children, Andrew and Cailyn, settled here in the summer of 2019. Andrew is currently homeschooled and attends WEB. She thoroughly enjoys coordinating science outreach events for elementary and middle students to help students better understand the scientific process. Brenda is excited to work with the students at WEB!