Instructors

Grace has loved history since childhood, thanks to her father's influence. Discussions about history were the norm and continue today with her children (one of whom is a history major in college.) Grace received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Geneva College in Pennsylvania, where she served as a teaching assistant in the Humanities Department. After graduation, she taught in Classical Christian schools in St Simons Island, Orlando, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. She took time from classroom teaching to raise her three children and homeschool them with her husband. Grace earned her Master’s in History from Liberty University and is currently a doctoral candidate writing her dissertation for her Doctor of Philosophy in History. Her particular area of interest is in WWI. Grace favors a more cultural approach to history, identifying themes, culture, society, and politics. Grace is also an Adjunct Professor of History at Luther Rice College and Seminary.

When she isn’t studying or writing, you can find her with her family, sheepadoodle Count Basie, sewing, or enjoying a good cup of coffee with friends. Grace, her husband, and their children are active members at Westminster Presbyterian (PCA) in Atlanta. 

Keicha Barnum is originally from Randallstown, MD, a suburb of Baltimore and moved to Snellville, GA in 2006.  She is a graduate of Lincoln University, PA.  Her post collegiate experience includes several certifications in technology and the Graphic Arts.  She has been married to her husband DeVaughn for 20 years and together they have three children, Kamayah (age 12), Darius (age 18) and Dionte (age 29).  For the past 10 years she homeschooled her youngest son and daughter.  During those years she searched diligently to find creative, relevant curriculum but was often disappointed.  In response, she began to develop her own lessons that incorporated her background in technology and Graphic Arts.  The result was an innovative, relevant educational experience for her children. 

Keicha's experiences in her own homeschool journey sparked a desire to share her innovative curriculum with other students and educators.  She is currently a Graphic Arts and Technology Instructor at two large homeschool Co-ops where her project-based classes are in high demand. She is owner and creator of Barnum Creative Resources, LLC and BCR TechED, a lead instructor for Whiz Learning Kids - a STEM-based after-school program in Gwinnett County, and freelance graphic designer.  All of her pursuits have led to the establishment of a uniquely geeky community of computer technology professionals.  

Anderson Carman is a graduate of SCAD Atlanta with a BFA in Sequential Art. He has two children’s books published with a third coming out this year. Over the last two years, he has produced several self-published mini-comics across various genres. He worked on the flat colors for Invader Zim with Oni Press in 2015. He spent a summer working as a character performer at Walt Disney World in Orlando. He is currently working on a creator-owned project and various freelance illustration projects.

Anderson likes long late-night walks, hot cups of tea, and waxing poetic.

Please visit Anderson’s online portfolio for examples of his professional work.

Karen B. Holston earned a Business Degree in Human Resources Mgmt and minored in Spanish at Long Beach State in Southern California where she grew up. She also earned a Master's in Business (MBA) at Kennesaw State in May 2024. She has conducted leadership, communication, and management seminars in the corporate sector through her own Human Resources consulting business. She is eager to impart these vital life skills to high school students in her Career Prep course. She also enjoys teaching middle and high school Spanish in a highly interactive class room setting. Karen's strong belief in the Lord and the power of prayer compel her to intentionally pray for her students. The Holstons have been very active members at Church of the Apostles in Atlanta since 1992. An advocate of home schooling, Karen home schooled her miracle Micah (Eagle Scout, graduated MAS in 2017, now at KSU in Physics) all the way through and was the director of a home school group south of Atlanta w/50+ families for five years. Finally, Karen competed in the sport of volleyball at collegiate, international, and European professional levels. These combined factors spur on her motivational teaching style as she is a firm believer in inspiring her students to reach their fullest potential. Since 2013 Karen has gratefully served her family in Christ at Metro Academic Studies and is excited to keep doing so!

Tim brings extensive business, corporate and entrepreneurial experience to our staff.  He has a strong background in leading training, sales, marketing and operations organizations, as well as founding his own training and consulting firm.  Tim graduated with High Honors from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Business Administration.  Tim’s love for teaching began when he taught navigation systems while serving in the US Air Force.  Later he managed AT&T’s Sales Leadership Training Center where he oversaw the development and delivery of training courses to their Business Sales Division across the Country.  After leaving AT&T Tim founded his own company which provided Corporate Training Programs and business consulting.  He later taught in a small Christian school and at a Gwinnett County public school. Tim’s unique background as a veteran, corporate executive, business consultant, and entrepreneur enable him to leverage his vast array of experiences to provide depth, context, relevance and real-life application to the learning environment.

Tim and his wife Laura worship at Decatur City Church.  They have two children, Andrew and Elaine, both of whom were homeschooled before going on to graduate from the University of Georgia and UCLA. Go Dawgs!

Amy Meyer has had a passion for public speaking and the theatrical arts since she first attended a performance of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (starring the then little-known Gary Burghoff!) at the age of six. She spent the next two years performing the role of Snoopy on the dining room table (no dog houses were available.) She was active in both the musical theater and drama departments in high school and in community theater. She was also a member of her high school competitive speech team where she received awards for dramatic oral interpretation.

Amy graduated from Florida Southern College with a BS in Political Science and minor degrees in Theater and Business. Before attending Law School at Florida State University, Amy was accepted into the FSU Masters of Theater program where she completed a BRITT acting apprenticeship and earned her Actor’s Equity card (the actor’s union.) She worked as an actor and director in both professional, semi-professional and academic settings.

Upon completion of law school, Amy became a trial attorney and litigated in the civil and criminal arenas. She wrote numerous briefs and successfully argued appeals before Florida appellate courts. Her most interesting job as an attorney was working as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami with the Janet Reno administration. After 14 years of trial work, Amy set aside her briefcase to raise and homeschool her two children, Madeleine and Sam.

Homeschooling has given her a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with her love of the theater. She completely enjoys working as the drama coach and director at Metro. She has coached children and adults in preparation for public speaking engagements and auditions for many years. Her goal is to help students find and refine their gifts as Godly participants in the world of drama, and to assist in raising up young artists and art supporters who approach their craft with a dedication to the promotion of a Christian worldview. She is working towards creating a non-profit organization dedicated to truth and integrity in the arts.

She has two children with her beloved late husband, Larry Meyer. Sam is a student at Metro and Madeleine is a Metro graduate who is currently pursuing her masters degree. Amy is active in her church, often teaching Sunday school and looking for other ways to serve Christ in our culture.

Derek Owens  taught physics, honors physics, AP Physics, and AP computer science at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA from 1988-2000 and AP Calculus at Providence Christian Academy. He graduated from Duke University in 1988 with a degree in mechanical engineering and physics, and worked at the TIP program at Duke for two years, teaching physics and heading the Satellite Science Program. He received a National Science Foundation scholarship and studied history and philosophy of science at L'Abri Fellowship in England. He worked as a software developer for five years before returning to teaching.

Derek has taught homeschoolers in the Atlanta area since the year 2000. He and his wife Amor and their two children Claire and David attend Dunwoody Community Church, a non-denominational church near their home in Norcross. Read about all Mr. Owen's qualifications and other classes at his website here.

Karren Richardson taught Algebra I, Algebra II, Algebra III/Trig, Geometry and Precalculus during her eleven years of teaching at Whitefield Academy. She spent five years teaching math to home school students and fifteen years providing math tutoring at the middle and high school level. Karren graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in math. She is married and has two adult sons. Karren and her husband have lived in Atlanta for 29 years and have lived in Smyrna for the past 11 years. They are members of Church of the Apostles. She is looking forward to tutoring math at the middle and high school level at Metro Academic Studies.

Lisa completed her BS degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering emphasis from Michigan State University and her MBA from Santa Clara University. She worked in the computer industry in Project Management before retiring to take care of and homeschool her three daughters. 

Using her strong Math, English and Teaching skills she began teaching test preparation classes for Chyten Educational Services where she broadened into tutoring all levels of Math, Chemistry, AP courses and Writing skills. After 2 years she established her own test preparation and tutoring business, Champion Management Consulting, in 2014.

She has tutored 100s of students in the last 7 years and has found it very rewarding to see students master the SAT/ACT tests with a little direction and encouragement. Lisa has been an active member of The Church of the Apostles for the last 14 years and enjoys mentoring young women in God’s Word. 

Duran Smith studied theatre at the University of West Georgia, film production at Biola University in Los Angeles, and graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor's degree in film production and a minor in theatre performance. He is now a graduate student at Southern Evangelical Seminary earning a master's in philosophy.

Duran has been an actor, writer, and director on-stage and on-screen for 15 years. He leads an apologetics group called Ratio Christi at the Church of the Apostles every other Sunday evening at 5:00pm.

Duran is a lifelong lover of film, philosophy, theology, and mountains.

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God Bless! 

Martha Vahanian majored in history and english at Wake Forest University. She earned her Masters in Divinity and Education at Emory University. Martha has worked for 33 years as a Director of Education for kindergarten through 12th grade. She homeschooled her three sons who all graduated at 16 and have full Zell Miller scholarships to universities in Georgia. 

Martha started her own tutoring business, Solid Foundations Tutoring and Educational Support, in 2021. She absolutely loves teaching students how to learn so they can be independent and proactive in their own education. Martha is nationally certified as a tutor with certificates in both reading and math by the National Tutoring Association.