HCS Academy

Quality Courses, Biblical Worldview

Del Cerro Baptist Church

Please visit the Academies page for important class registration dates and eligibility requirements.

2025-2026 HCS Academy Catalog Cover
Click on the image above to view the online catalog.
Download as a pdf document here.

Location (2023-2024): Del Cerro Baptist Church 5512 Pennsylvania Lane, La Mesa CA 91942 (map)

Meets: Weekly on Mondays, 9:00am - 3:30pm

Lead: Tricia Brenner

Weekly Drop-off Classes for Middle and High school grades

Once a week a la carte Core Classes

Classes are taught by Independently contracted Passionate Teachers

Reasonable Pricing set by instructors and vary per Class

Multiple Classes in One Location

Academy Students in hallway

Meet the 2025-2026 HCS Academy Instructors

Julie Anderson

5th-6th Grade Writing
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I have a master’s degree in education and taught second grade as a credentialed teacher for four years before my husband and I started a family. I began teaching from home when our oldest entered first grade and graduated the last of our six children in 2020. During those 27 years, I enjoyed teaching a variety of classes to homeschoolers at HCS. I appreciate God’s gift of words and stories, and I see each child as special and worth pouring into.
Inspired by several of my own “struggling learners,” I strive to make classes that are memorable and fun utilizing games and visuals.

Mary Blunck

Intro to Literature, World Literature
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In addition to homeschooling my own children for fourteen years, I’ve brought my love of writing and literature to many students through high school literature classes (continually since 2014) and upper elementary writing classes (2010-2021).

I’m passionately enthusiastic about literature, and I love sharing that passion with my students. It’s wonderful to see my students’ minds open up as they discover a symbolic meaning or notice a new theme emerging in a high-quality literary work.

Throughout my own education, I immersed myself in a variety of writing classes, savoring creative writing and dabbling in journalism. My high school AP English teacher went on to create a popular writing and literature program that is still used widely throughout the world. I don’t use that program (it’s quite expensive) but I use many of her theories. In college, I ended up moving in a different direction, but my first (academic) love will always be the written word.
Beatriz Ceballos portrait

Beatriz Ceballos

Spanish 1, Spanish 2
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I was born and raised in Italy until the age of 19, when I moved to the United States. Growing up, I was exposed to Spanish through my mother of Mexican-American
descent and also by listening to Spanish Christian songs to the preaching of visiting missionaries. It wasn’t until I enrolled in Southwestern College that I took my first Spanish courses for native speakers. I hold a B.A. in Linguistics (SDSU), a Certificate of Applied
Linguistics and ESL from the SDSU American Language Institute, and an
M.A. in Spanish with emphasis on Linguistics (SDSU). While taking graduate courses, I taught four semesters of Spanish 101 and 102 at SDSU as a Teaching Associate – a total of eight classes. The year I graduated I also became a mother for the first time and I chose to stay home and take care of my family.

Since I began homeschooling in 2015, I have taught introductory
Spanish at Bonita Class Day and Spanish 1 – in 2020 to a small group of HCS high schoolers, and in 2021 at HCS Academy for the first time. Since I had to learn English and Spanish simultaneously, I understand the struggle my students face in acquiring a new language. After living in Southern California for over 27 years, taking many Spanish courses in college, and making many
language mistakes (and learning from them), I am now often told that I sound like a native speaker.

Learning Spanish can create opportunities to get to know your neighbors, understand their way of thinking, and share God’s love to them. I hope that students will take this class with a true desire to learn
Spanish and use it in life for the honor and glory of God.

Camille Coombes

Government, Economics
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With over 10 years of experience teaching K-12 and a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, I have dedicated my career to making learning engaging, interactive, and meaningful. I currently teach at a Christian school from Tuesday through Thursday and have had the
privilege of homeschooling my own children, recently graduating my senior son last year. My passion for
education goes beyond just teaching facts—I strive to create an environment where students can think critically, ask big questions, and connect what they learn to the world around them. Whether in the classroom or in a homeschool setting, I believe in using hands-on activities, discussions, and real-world applications to help students truly grasp complex concepts.

Government and economics have always been subjects that excite me because they shape so much of our
daily lives. My goal is to help students understand these essential topics in a way that is both practical and inspiring, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to engage with the world responsibly.

I’m excited for the opportunity to share my passion for learning and to help students build a strong foundation in government, economics, and the skills they need to think independently and lead with confidence.
academy teacher portrait

Kelly Cooper

High School Physics, General Science, Physical Science
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Our family has been partnering with Heritage Christian school for the last 10 years of our 11-year homeschool journey and I grew up HATING science! My first memories of public school were actually during science class…I sat in front of a 2nd grade science textbook looking at a picture of a tadpole and an arrow pointing to a picture of a frog. I remember thinking “The first picture turning into the second picture makes no sense” and I tuned out anything science-related until High School, when I had the opportunity to take Chemistry and Physics classes from a Christian teacher who made science come to life through experiments and hands-on activities.

During those 2 years, the Holy Spirit showed me that the Creator of tadpoles, frogs, and anything else science-related was intentional and fully by His design. I went on to attend Central Missouri State University and double major in Physics (with an astrophysics emphasis) and Aviation Technology (earning my multi-engine, instrument, and commercial licenses) and I continue falling in love with our Creator and His creation every day. I’m excited to bring my love for Him, my love for His scientific design, and hands-on activities & experiments into the Academy science classes this school year and discover science from the Creator’s perspective with your student!

David Gamble

World History, US History
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I have had the privilege of teaching at Christian schools for 12 years. I taught at Kuyper Christian Preparatory for 10 years, where I was the history teacher for both middle school and high school. While  at Kuyper I also had the opportunity to teach Bible, Philosophy, and Speech Class. Last year I taught at Trinity Christian School, where I was the Language Arts teacher for middle school. I am currently working at The TerraNova School as a Humanities teacher and Academic Dean. 

Outside of the classroom, I also ran a Christian martial arts program for nearly 20 years. For 6 years I served as the Regional Director of black belts testing in the Chuck Norris System, overseeing all black belt tests in California. I have also had the honor of serving as an associate pastor at Providence Church of San Diego since 2019.

My wife and I are both home school graduates, with  a deep love and appreciation for the home school
community. I’m thankful for the opportunity to help the families of HCS prepare their high school age children to succeed in college and beyond.
academy teacher portrait

Christy Henry

World Literature
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I have been homeschooling my six children for 17 years, and have graduated two kids with four more to go. During my years with Heritage I have taught British Lit, World Lit, World History, Personal Finance, and Drama Games at Class Day. I love the rich discussions and sense of discovery that come with teaching literature in group classes. I also love helping high school students find joy in their learning, and incorporating games and group activities into my classes.

Prior to having children and homeschooling, I earned a BA in Psychology/Linguistics at USC and an MA in Education with an emphasis in ESL at CSUF. I taught ESL in Cambodia and Japan and at Hope International University in Fullerton. I also taught College Composition and Reading at Grossmont College.

Kimberly McNutt

World History,
Middle School Acncient World History
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I grew up the oldest of 8 in a homeschooling family, and have been in and around homeschooling communities throughout my life. I currently have three teenagers, and have been homeschooling them for the past few years. As a teenager I was bitten by the travel bug and started going on short term mission trips all over the world, which started a love for cultures and experiences outside our small hometown. Now, as a Military spouse, our little family has had many experiences that have only fueled our love for the whole world! 

I have a Diploma (2 year degree) in Ministry from Hillsong International Leadership College and a Bachelors in Applied Science in Nursing. I have led a Homeschool Physical Education Co- p in Virginia Beach, and have tutored and helped teach many homeschool families over the years.

This year, I am extremely excited to share with your students a love for world history! I am passionate about being hands on in crafts, social interaction, reading comprehension, as well as quizzes and testing to bring a full understanding of the subject. HCS has been an incredible resource, and I am honored to be a part of it! 
Teri Myers

Teri Myers

Middle School Writing (Fiction),
HS Composition (College Prep)
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Having graduated from the University of Oregon, I am thankful to follow my passion as an educator within the home education community, allowing me to apply principles I believe in. My husband, Dub, and I spent twenty years homeschooling our four children from kindergarten through to their high school graduations. Along the way, I have had the privilege of teaching groups of high school and junior high students in the areas of composition (middle and high school), introduction to literature, American literature, British literature, and world literature. I have taught classes through Heritage Christian School and online. In addition, I have tutored students from all over San Diego County, including students attending Maranatha Christian School, to bolster writing skills and to coach students when writing their college application essays. I love exploring literature, and I especially delight in helping students improve their  written communication skills. I realize that students in my classes range in their writing abilities, so my goal is to encourage improvement step-by- tep. 

My middle school and college bound students report that they feel well equipped for the writing rigor demanded of them in high school or at the colleges and universities they attend. A previous student graciously shared, “I submitted my first paper in a college-level class with some trepidation, . . . I received the only A+ out of the 90 papers that he graded . . . but I truly owe it all to you as I implemented all of your instructions as I wrote this paper.” I am sure I cannot take full credit for her success, but I am grateful to have played a part.
LaChrisha Randle portrait

La Chrisha Randle

MS American History/English,
MS World History/English
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I am the owner of Classical Integrated Courses and have been a homeschool teacher for the last 24 years. I began by homeschooling my own children, 3 boys who are now 26, 28, and 30, from kindergarten through high school graduation. During their homeschooling years, I would hold classes to provide a classroom environment for my children while controlling curriculum choice. Once they all graduated, I continued teaching individual classes for other homeschool families as well as providing full-day instruction for children in all subjects in place of their working parents.

Within these 24 years, I have taught writing, government-econ, grammar, history, and literature at several charter school class days and run large co-ops for other families. I now work as a teaching vendor providing classes at organized class day sites around San Diego. I teach the writing process using IEW, Lost Tools of Writing, Elegant Essay, and Teaching the Classics curriculums. I am a registered writing instructor with the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). I also teach integrated history, literature, and writing classes to middle and high school students, British Literature, and a government/economics class. Instead of returning to give myself homeschool advice on the days when quitting seemed to be the best option, which of course is not possible, I enjoy helping those in the trenches today.
Vicki Stormoen portrait

Vicki Stormoen

British Literature
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I have been homeschooling our nine children for 31 years now with another another year to go. In 2015, I opened Stormoen Classes and began teaching literature and writing classes out of my home. I was also a tutor for Classical Conversations. My goal in teaching is to share my passion and love for literature with the next generation and challenge them to think about what they are reading through the lens of scripture. I also want to ensure students leave my classes with a solid understanding of the process of writing to set them up for success in whatever post-high school path they choose.
academy teacher portrait

Cora Sykes

Fundamentals of Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry
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I have been in Christian Education since fall 1988. I graduated from Geneva College, a private Christian
university in Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. I earned my Masters in
Education: Curriculum Instruction & Technology in 2005 from Grand Canyon University.

In my 18 years of classroom experience, I have taught every grade level (pre-K-12th), ran summer camps and a computer lab, and served in administration. I have 18 years of homeschool experience. Both of our children graduated from HCS (2018 & 2025). Our homeschool adventure began due to the special educational needs of my children.

I have taught co-op classes for  Heritage Christian School, Christian Family Schools Mira Mesa Clairemont, and San Diego Christian Homeschools. My focus these last few years have been teaching middle  school math/consumer math, French 1 & 2, Essay and Research Paper writing, Psychology, middle school literature, and basic/advanced sewing. 

Being part of the Heritage family has been such a blessing. I am looking forward to being a part of your child’s education.
Glen Sykes portrait

Glen Sykes

American Literature,
Intro to Literature
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My wife and I have been homeschooling since 2009. Our son will be in the 12th grade for the 24-25 HCS school year. I have been teaching since 1986. have taught science (biology, life science, earth science, physical science, and marine biology) in a classroom setting for 10 years and in the homeschool setting since 2010. All my sciences classes have been lab oriented classes with many being offered as college prep or honors classes. In addition to teaching science, I have taught math through Algebra 2 and various Literature classes (Fundamentals, American, British, World, and Introduction). I have been the pastor the San Diego Grace Brethren Church in Kearny Mesa since 2005 and also teach classes for CFSMM Class Days in addition to my Academy classes.
academy teacher porait

Renee Wiggins

US History, World History
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I am a mother of nine children and am a veteran homeschooler of 24 years. I have a Bachelor’s degree and professional experience in elementary education, and for the past two years, I have had the privilege to teach 3rd and 4th grade at the HCS Junior Academy. Although much of my experience has been with younger students, I have some experience with older students (both professionally and as a homeschooler). I have a passion for history and am excited to share this passion with the Academy this year. My approach as a teacher is to make history interactive, engaging, and interesting. My goal in teaching history is threefold. First, I want to get my students to experience history as if they were living it. Second, it is to become aware of the countless events that have lasting influences. Finally and most importantly, it is to see God and His work throughout the ages. I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm for history with your young people this year.
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