Faculty and Staff

Faculty and Staff

Katy Hathorn

Interim Head of School
Grammar School Principal
khathorn@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Katy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 2007. Upon moving to Shreveport in 2008, Katy dedicated herself to The New Teacher Project, a highly selective program that recruits and trains recent college graduates to teach special populations in high-need schools throughout the country. She began her Special Education teaching career at J.S. Clark Middle School. Katy continued her role as Special Education teacher at Northside Elementary before returning home to New Orleans to teach English to non-native speakers. She enjoyed her work as an ESL teacher at Bissonet Elementary from 2013-2017. Katy was thrilled to return to north Louisiana in 2017, and spent her first year back in Shreveport teaching first grade at ACS. Since then, she has taught fourth grade, fifth grade, and Grammar school Latin. She now has the honor of serving as both Ascension's Interim Head of School and Grammar School Principal. She is currently pursuing her Master's of Education in Educational Leadership for Independent Schools with Mississippi College. Additionally, she received her Certification in School Management and Leadership through Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School in August 2021. Katy is married to her husband, Caleb, and together they enjoy spending time with their children: Abel, John, and Stella. 

Sarah Moore

Facility Manager
smoore@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Sarah was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. After graduating from Southwood High School she moved to Longview, Texas where she attended Massage Therapy School. She worked as a massage therapist for seven years, earning a medical massage therapist certification in Costa Rica and also worked as subcontractor for the City of Shreveport. In 2022, she began substitute teaching at ACS when her daughter started kindergarten. The following year, she became the Executive Assistant to the Head of School. Sarah has two children, Elsie and Ethan who attend Ascension.

Jenna Adams

Office Manager
admin@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Jenna graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies. She was a member of the Child Life Council and worked as a Special Instructor in Shreveport after graduating. She eventually moved to Dallas and worked in medical and logistics sales until she met her husband and moved back to Shreveport. When she moved back, she worked at a local preschool until she had her first child. She was able to do what she loves most which was to stay at home with her children for that season of her life. During that time, she worked part time as a secretary for a financial advisor. In the 2017/2018 school year she worked as a substitute teacher and for the After-Care Program at Ascension Classical School. When her youngest child started Kindergarten the following year she worked at a local Montessori school as a teacher’s assistant. In 2019, the Lord opened a door for her to become the ACS secretary, and she was ecstatic. Jenna is so happy to be at such a wonderful Christ-centered school with her children, where she can watch them grow spiritually, as well as, academically. Jenna is married to Aaron and together they have two children, Carly and Levi.

Britney Smith

Development Coordinator, Grammar Nature Studies
bsmith@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Britney was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She attended college at Louisiana Tech where she earned a degree in Fine Art Photography. After graduating, Britney and her husband, Jordan, moved to Shreveport. She then embarked on a life long dream of photographing weddings across the United States. After a 15 year photography career, Britney felt the Lord calling her to invest in her children's school and was given the opportunity to teach Nature Studies to the Grammar School students. This year, she has also taken on the exciting role of Development Coordinator where she will assist with fundraising initiatives and development opportunities for Ascension. She is excited to see what the Lord has in store in this next season! Britney and Jordan are proud parents to Levi, Nora, Grace and William. When she is not at school, Britney loves camping with her family, gardening at home, and traveling to spend time with childhood friends.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Daphne Mijalis

Kindergarten
dmijalis@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Daphne Mijalis earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from LSU in Baton Rouge in 2008. Upon receiving her degree, she became a certified teacher of grades K-8. She is Highly Qualified in Pre-K and Kindergarten, Elementary Education, Middle School Science, and Middle School Social Studies. After starting her family and returning to Shreveport, she taught preschool for many years. She has been a part of the Ascension faculty since its 3rd year. Daphne and her husband are proud to say their oldest child is a member of the original founding kindergarten class of 2014. She has loved every moment of being in the classroom for the past 15+ years. Daphne is excited and proud to be a part of the accelerated curriculum at Ascension Classical School. She enjoys watching all of our students develop a love for learning that will stay with them as they grow. She is married to Alexander, and together, they have three children, Jonathan, Mark, and Evie.

Diana Darwin

First Grade
ddarwin@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Diana graduated from Texas A&M-Texarkana with a degree in Elementary Education. She has an EC-4 certification in both Texas and Louisiana. She taught in Texas for 12 years, before moving to Shreveport in 2021. She has taught 1st grade and Kindergarten for over 15 years. Diana had the privilege of being raised by the most dedicated, amazing teacher...her mother. The example of kindness and love her mother showed her students helped to guide Diana to teach. She truly feels that working in education is not a job, but a calling. Diana feels blessed to be a part of the Ascension Classical School family. She looks forward to watching her first graders grow into lifelong learners. Diana enjoys spending time with her husband, Joe and daughters, Brooklynn and Brynn. During her free time, Diana can be found traveling, attending sporting events, playing tennis, or playing with her fur babies, Beaux, Zoey, and Louie.  

Christina Cawthon

Second Grade
ccawthon@ascensionclassicalschool.org

A native of Shreveport, Christina graduated from C.E. Byrd High School and received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Central Arkansas in 2021. Christina enjoyed teaching kindergarten for two years at Crestwood Elementary School in North Little Rock, Arkansas before deciding to return to her Shreveport roots.  Christina is getting married on June 22, so she will be lovingly known as Mrs. Cawthon by the time she meets her precious students!

Pat Lynn

Third Grade
plynn@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Pat Lynn earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary/Special Education from Louisiana Tech University. She worked in Caddo Parish Public Schools for 33 years as a special education teacher for seven years, and in second grade the remaining 26 years, before retiring in 2011. She loves being back in the classroom and feels extremely blessed to be a part of Ascension Classical School. Pat and her husband Bill, have two children, Catie Lynn Plaxco and Elizabeth Lynn Scherer. When she is not educating young minds, Pat enjoys cheering on her LSU Tigers and being "Grecky" to her four precious grandchildren: Max, Knox, Mackie, and Davy. 

Christine Weber

Fourth Grade
cweber@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Christine graduated from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio with an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education. Christine has experience working with kindergarten,1st, 3rd, and 5th grade as well as two years of working experience as a teaching assistant in an International Baccalaureate preschool in Kent, Ohio. After graduating, Christine married her husband, Wesley, in April of 2021. They then moved to Shreveport where her husband is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base. She was drawn to Ascension after learning more about classical, Christian education and seeing the beauty and truth that is instilled into children through this type of education. For a long time, Christine has also felt a call to Christian education and ministry where she can share her faith and love for the Lord to children everyday. When Christine is not teaching, she enjoys hiking, traveling, baking, and has a love for nature. 

Kathie Bailey

Fifth Grade
kbailey@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Kathie has always known that she wanted to teach. During her senior year, she was able to work in a first grade classroom for an hour a day. It was then that she knew God was leading her to teach.

Kathie graduated from Louisiana Tech with a B. A. in Elementary Education. In 1988, she was awarded her Masters in Education with a Reading Specialist Certification from Centenary. She has taught for 42 years, spending about half of her career in private/parochial schools and the other half in public schools of Caddo Parish. In addition to the classroom, she was a curriculum coordinator and Admissions Testing Coordinator for a local public school. 

In 1975, she married her college sweetheart, Sherwood. They have one child – a grown, married daughter, Meg. She and her husband, Bub, and their child Reuben, live in Maine. She looks forward to visiting them every summer! 

LOGIC & RHETORIC SCHOOL

Becky Logan

Logic & Rhetoric Principal, Math & Latin
blogan@ascensionclassicalschool.org

At a young age, Becky felt called by God to be a teacher. She graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a B.S. in Education, then taught in high school Special Education in Missouri. After her husband, David, brought her to his home state of Louisiana, she earned a Master of Science in Education degree from Louisiana State University Shreveport while working in Adult Literacy.

Becky’s passion for the Christian classical model of education began in 2007 when she was trained as a leader in a homeschool program equipping parents in the classical model. While homeschooling her four children, she helped equip families across Louisiana to educate by using the classical model. Her desire is to continue to use this model to help students grow academically and spiritually in knowledge and understanding, which lead to wisdom.

Besides her love of teaching in the classroom, Becky also enjoys teaching Bible studies at her church. She finds one of her greatest joys is spending time with her family.

Kelly Chartier

Bible
kchartier@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Kelly Chartier earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Health Education from Texas A&M University. She has always had a heart for teaching in some capacity and is thrilled to have the honor to be a part of this staff at Ascension Classical. Her first love is Jesus and then she is married to her husband Blaine, who is the mission’s pastor at their church. She is also a mom to four wild and wonderful kiddos, Noah, Hudson, Eli and Selah. Kelly has classically homeschooled her children for the last 13 years. Truth, goodness and beauty are all around and she does not want anyone to miss seeing it. She loves to learn alongside students and is always open to the ways they teach her as well. When Kelly has a few minutes of free time, she loves reading, walking, hanging out with friends and family and trying out new restaurants.

Lillian Deutsch

Science
ldeutsch@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Lillian Deutsch earned her bachelor’s of science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. After graduation, she was nominated by the ADHA to serve as the representative of Dental Hygiene for the state of Louisiana. She left the dental field to homeschool her only son, Luke, which developed in her a deep love for teaching and ministering to students. Throughout her son’s education, Lillian has been very active in roles of educational leadership, serving as sponsor for an international communication and leadership organization, known as the Institute for Cultural Communicators. She also held a key role in Classical Conversations: leading classes in the Foundations and Essentials program as well as being a director of the Challenge program for most of her son’s highschool years. She is married to the love of her life, Michael Deutsch, who served in the United States Air Force for 35 years. They both play an active role in their church by ministering to the children in their Sunday school class. Lillian also takes part in leading a homeschool co-op through her church, where she is the Co-Director as well as leading the Science class. She is very excited for the opportunity to pour into the young minds and hearts at Ascension Classical School, and looks forward to the growth and triumphs of the students in the coming school year. 

Stacey Hall

English/Literature, History, Math & Latin
shall@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Stacey Hall has actively worked in the field of education for over twenty years. She attended Shasta Bible College in northern California where she pursued her degree in Elementary Education. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Stacey invested the next nine years teaching in classical Christian schools as well as public schools in both California and Nevada. While homeschooling her four children, Stacey founded and directed a classical Christian co-op, providing support and academic consulting for homeschooling families, educating them in the classical model. In addition, she received four years of training with the Association of Classical and Christian Schools and completed training with the Association of Christian Schools International in southern California. Stacey has also taught classical piano over the last two decades. 

Stacey is married to her best friend, Steve, and together they have four children and one adorable grandson. They are members of Trinity Baptist Church where they serve and are served by their incredible church family. When free time is possible, Stacey is most often found writing, reading, playing piano, or enjoying God’s beautiful creation behind the lens of a camera. It is her prayer that the children she teaches will grow to love learning, and that in so doing they might see the beauty, order, and great design of God’s handiwork in all subjects, learning to think Biblically and bravely in a challenging world. 

Jeff Manning

Church History
jmanning@ascensionclassicalschool.org

A native of Mississippi, Jeff began his academic journey at the University of Alabama completing the Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies in 2009. After a call to ministry, he moved to Fort Worth, TX, to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he completed the Master of Divinity in 2013 and Master of Theology in 2016. He is pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Formation through Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and a Certification in Biblical Counseling through the Association of Biblical Counselors.

Jeff has served both in churches and schools. From 2017–2019, he was a Logic and Rhetoric Instructor at Christian Heritage Classical School in Longview, TX. During this time, he also served as an Adjunct Instructor of Theology at Cedarville University and Letourneau University. He serves as the Minister of Discipleship at Norris Ferry Community Church where he oversees adult education.

Jeff is married to Kate and they have the gift of four children. He loves spending time with his family, reading lots of books, and enjoying the current sports season.

Valorie Maniscalco

6 & 7 Math, Geometry
vmaniscalco@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Jeff Miles

Keyboarding, Logic, World Geography
jmiles@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Jeff is from Haughton and received a degree in computer science from LSUS. That’s where he met his wife, who is first-generation Vietnamese American, although she immigrated when she was three. Jeff’s first career field was IT, during which time he and his wife lived in Asia for two and a half years. After their first daughter was born they returned to Asia to live another sixteen years. As they raised their daughters in Asia they homeschooled them there. Jeff enjoyed and valued many aspects of homeschooling his daughters, but two that stand out were learning alongside them and getting to read such great novels to them.

Jeff was first introduced to classical education by another homeschooling family in Asia. One element of classical education in the curriculum Jeff and his wife taught was an integration of literature and history as the backbone of the program. Jeff taught the history side, and his wife taught the literature side.  

Jeff and his wife are members of Grace Presbyterian Church. Jeff was drawn to Ascension through his friendship and interaction with Ascension families in the church. Jeff believes God has been preparing him as a classical educator for many years. His prior classroom teaching experience include 9 years of English courses at a Chinese university and one year of Algebra 1 at another private school in Shreveport.

Jeff’s wife is a nurse in the newborn nursery at St. Mary’s Hospital. His older daughter is almost finished with a social work degree at LSU, and his younger daughter is working on a civil engineering degree at Louisiana Tech. Jeff enjoys spending time with his family and friends and walking in the area of South Highlands, where he lives.

Laura Raines

English/Literature & History
lraines@ascensionclassicalschool.org

A native of Shreveport, Laura graduated from C.E. Byrd High School and began her collegiate education at Centenary College. She later received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education graduating Cum Laude from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. After graduation, she taught music and drama in Caddo Parish for twenty years at Shreve Island Elementary and South Highlands Elementary Magnet. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2009 and 2019. She retired after directing 105 plays and conducting many children's choruses. Fascinated by church aesthetics when attending school as an exchange student in Germany her junior year of high school, she began reading on the topic of Church History, particularly, the English Reformation during the Tudor Era. This culminated in her completing a Master's degree focusing on British and Church History. In her free time, Laura enjoys being with her family, reading history book and biographies, and traveling to historical place. Laura has absolutely loved teaching 6th grade history and literature at ACS. 

Jennifer Strange

English/Literature & History
jstrange@ascensionclassicalschool.org

A native of Shreveport, Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Centenary College of Louisiana and her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Florida. She taught at Centenary College of Louisiana and another private school in Shreveport, and she has worked as a professional writer and editor. Her poems and essays have appeared in The Oxford American, Christianity and Literature, Rock and Sling, The Southern Poetry Anthology (Volume IV: Louisiana), and the Art House America blog. She and her husband, Micah, have four sons who all study music in the Centenary Suzuki School, and they are members of Springs of Grace Baptist Church. In her spare time, Jennifer likes to play violin, bake, read, and craft long Ikea shopping lists. 

Charles Williams

Chemistry and Geometry
cwilliams@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Dr. Williams’ schooling includes Centenary College, Rice University, Texas A&M, and Louisiana Tech. He was the first person to receive two doctorate degrees from Louisiana Tech, earning one degree in Business with Economics and Quantitative Analysis emphasis and one in Engineering in the area of Chemical Engineering and Mathematical Modeling. He is a visiting professor in Japan and Israel and an adjunct professor of economics at Liberty University. After teaching high school in Ruston, he was a dean and professor at several universities. Dr. Williams brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom, but also knows how to connect with and engage the students in their learning. 

ENRICHMENT

Jennifer Anderson

Logic and Rhetoric Art
janderson@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Jennifer Anderson grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana where she began drawing and painting at a very young age. Her talents were further encouraged in high school and at Baylor University where she received her BFA in graphic design and painting.

Following college, Jennifer moved to Dallas, Texas. She worked as a graphic designer and art director at an advertising agency for three years while painting in her spare time. In 1998, she decided to pursue painting full time and moved to Manhattan where she spent eight years studying at the Art Students League of New York under the instruction of Frank Mason, a contemporary master of Dutch portrait and plein air painting. She studied figure and portrait painting in New York and traveled to Stowe, Vermont each summer to study plein air painting with Mr. Mason. During that time, she also spent several months in Washington, D.C. under the instruction of Robert Liberace at the Art League School.

Jennifer resides in Shreveport with her husband and their three children. She treasures her responsibility as a wife and mother and appreciates the opportunity to see life through the eyes and imaginations of her children. She is passionate about classical art and about teaching children the beauty that can be discovered when artists use their gifts to glorify God.

Ann Burford

Grammar Art
aburford@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Ann Burford was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Art Therapy and Psychology from Mercyhurst University in 1995. From Erie, she moved to Norfolk, Virginia where she attended Eastern Virginia Medical School and graduated in 1998 with a Masters in Art Therapy. It was in Norfolk that she met and married her husband Chris who was stationed at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. During their first year of marriage, she worked at Peninsula Behavioral Center until the military moved them to Silverdale, Washington. In Washington, Ann was hired as part of a national grant to prevent school violence. For four years she worked as a school counselor in 3 different elementary schools in the Silverdale area. From there, the Navy moved them to San Diego California, where Ann worked for the San Diego School District Resources for Students with Autism department. After her husband retired from the Navy in 2005, they moved to Shreveport to help her brother-in-law plant Calvary Chapel Shreveport where she still attends church. Since moving to Shreveport, she has been heavily involved in women’s ministry and served as church bookkeeper. 

Ann and her husband Chris have been part of Ascension from the beginning and have Max who is in the lead class. She is very passionate about Ascension and cannot wait to share her love for both the Word of God and art with the students.  

Sarah Desonier

Athletic Director, Grammar P.E.
sdesonier@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Sarah loves being able to pour into the students in such a fun and practical way. She strives for PE to be fun and enjoyable for everyone and to instill a lifelong desire and appreciation for physical activity. Ascension’s focus on educating the whole man, physically, spiritually, and academically was a key factor in not only teaching but sending her children as students as well.  

Sarah has a BS in Human Movement Science, Kinesiology from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge and has been with Ascension since the first Kindergarten class.  

Sarah and her husband James have three children: Clara, Dean, and Caroline. She enjoys a good game of dodgeball or volleyball, reading, sewing, and playing cattle rancher at her family’s small Texas ranch.

Mike Guess

Logic & Rhetoric P.E.
mguess@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Mike is a native Texan born in Austin. He married a Haughton girl and graduated from LSUS in 1985. He spent 36 years coaching high school basketball in Texas and Louisiana and retired in 2022. 

He is blessed with a close family with his wife Melissa and two daughters, Jennifer and Tara and 3 grandsons and 1 grand daughter.

Katie Mook

Music
kmook@ascensionclassicalschool.org

Katie Mook was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. She obtained her Bachelors degree in music education with a concentration in voice from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY. After graduation in 2005 Katie received a scholarship from VH1 Save the Music Foundation to start a choral program in a public middle school in Brooklyn, NY. After two years in Brooklyn, she traveled to Baton Rouge where she earned her masters degree in music education from LSU. Following graduation in 2009, Mrs. Mook taught PK-4th grade music and 4th and 5th grade choir at Sacred Heart Academy in Baton Rouge. She married her best friend in 2010 and moved to his hometown of Shreveport later that year. During her first two years of teaching in Shreveport she was an itinerant choir director for Captain Shreve High School and Caddo Magnet High School. In the fall of 2013 she became full time choir director at Caddo Magnet High School. While she was there she led her choirs to district and state choral festivals and had many students chosen to sing in the All State Choir. Outside of teaching music, Mrs. Mook is a teaching leader in Bible Study Fellowship and enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, Maggie. Mrs. Mook considers her position at ACS as a calling from The Lord. It a privilege to teach all of the students in the school and she looks forward to guiding each of them as they learn to make music from their hearts to The Lord and enjoy the beautiful gift of music!
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