Meet our Instructors

American and World History

Economics and Government

U.S. and World Politics

Clay Broussard

Clay Broussard has a BA in Economics from the University of Texas and a MA in Religious Studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC. He has spent over 30 years in the professional world as a sales and operations leader in the IT Services Industry. He is currently in the position of Supply Chain Executive at DXC Technology, a $16B USD global services company and has traveled extensively with his job. He is passionate about Freedom, Education, Christianity, History, Economics and Politics and has taken an active role in teaching his own children as well as others.

Mr. Broussard has eight (ages 12-28) children and 7 grandchildren and counting with his beloved wife of 29 plus years, Stacy. He has served as a pastor, elder and men’s ministry leader in various churches as well as taught numerous small group Bible studies and lay-seminary classes in a large church setting. He is currently attending Providence City Church in Charlotte. While living in North Carolina for 23 years (14 in Raleigh), and falling in love with the state he now calls home, he is and forever will be, a Texan!

Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

Shari Kaiser

A lifelong interest in learning led my husband and I to homeschooling. It has been a pleasure to

be personally involved in molding the individual strengths and personalities each of our children were

given to prepare them to serve God’s purpose. We have four successful homeschool graduates.

I became actively involved in the homeschool community in 1995. I served as Director of a

support group (GRACE) for 13 years and Director of an area association (CHEA) for 8 years. These

opportunities allowed me to interact with many fellow homeschoolers, both those seasoned in the

journey as well as those just starting out. We all enjoyed learning from and supporting each other. I

continue to enjoy serving as a mentor when the opportunity arises.

I have also been able to share my strong interest in science with the community since 2007,

beginning with Chemistry classes. I’ve taught science classes in a variety of enrichment facilities in the

greater Charlotte area annually since then.

I look forward each year to helping my students see that science is fascinating, fun and

understandable.

Composition and Literature

Jennifer Lowke

Jennifer Lowke has a BA in Psychology with a minor in English Literature from the University of New Hampshire as well as a Masters in Education from Rivier University. Born and raised in NH, Jennifer and her husband of 28 years moved to the Charlotte area in 2006 where they were then called to homeschool their two sons. One will be graduating with a dual BS in chemistry and math from Wingate University in May 2026, and her youngest is currently enrolled at South Piedmont Community College with a desire to become an electrician. It’s by the grace of God that her two boys are here since one is 2E and the other is dyslexic. Through the blessing of her 2 sons, she understands the beauty and challenges of homeschooling, and is excited to be able to help other families in this endeavor by teaching at Pathway.

Jennifer has an extended teaching career that has spanned from preschool ages through high school. Her career began as a teaching assistant to 5th graders while she earned her M.Ed. Her career continued into teaching 8th grade Language Arts for 5 years before becoming a Reading Remediation Specialist for grades 6-8. In the summers, she taught high school English to students who needed the review. During her homeschooling years, she tutored students in middle and high school in writing. She also taught middle and high school English as well as a Countries and Cultures class to homeschoolers at a former co-op. Always excited to learn new things, she brings this passion into every classroom and to every student she meets.

An avid reader since childhood, Jennifer desires for all students to find the joy of reading and she prides herself on helping some of the most reluctant readers find books that they will love. Jennifer also loves Jesus fervently, and she is excited to be able to help students grow in their faith through excellent literature while showing how our biblical worldview intertwines with literary characters as we read.

As members of Provision Church in Monroe, NC, Jennifer and her husband currently serve in the college ministry at Wingate University where they both disciple/mentor several students as well as host fellowship gatherings in their home. Prior to serving in this capacity, she has served in the nursery and kids’ ministry, on the church’s welcome team, led numerous bible studies, and has even organized all of the food needs for VBS. Jennifer’s heart is for the whole person, and she desires to help students recognize how God designed them, where God is leading them, and how walking in a close relationship with Jesus is essential for becoming who God created them to be. Missionary and teacher Jill Briscoe said, “Your mission field is where you are standing” and this is something Jen believes whole-heartedly. She views every opportunity as a privilege to work for God’s kingdom and to bring Him glory.

Anatomy & Physiology:

Foundations for Future Healthcare Professionals

Dr. Lauren Gass

Dr. Lauren Gass, DPT, PT, LAT, ATC, CSCS, Cert. DN, is a licensed sports physical therapist, certified athletic trainer, and strength and conditioning specialist. She is the founder and owner of Return 2 Play, a sports performance and rehabilitation clinic in Davidson, where she works with athletes of all ages—from youth competitors to adults—helping them recover from injury and optimize performance.

Dr. Lauren was homeschooled from first grade through high school and attended Pathway during her middle and high school years. She has a deep appreciation for this stage of life and is passionate about helping students explore whether a career in healthcare is the right fit for them. Her goal is to make anatomy come alive by connecting textbook concepts to real patients, real movement, and real-world application.

Why I’m Teaching This Course:

As a practicing sports physical therapist and athletic trainer, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the complexity, resilience, and intentional design of the human body every day. My faith in God deeply shapes how I view both science and service; I believe the human body reflects His intentional design, and studying it is both an intellectual pursuit and an act of stewardship. As an athlete myself, I was always fascinated by the intricate details of how the body moves, adapts, and heals—wanting to understand not just what was happening, but why.

I remember being in high school and discerning whether healthcare was the right path for me, and I’m passionate about helping students thoughtfully explore that same question.

My goal is to build a strong scientific foundation while encouraging students to think critically, serve compassionately, and appreciate the remarkable design of the human body.

Questions about the course - feel free to email me at drlaurengass@gmail.com

Spanish 1 and 2

Maria L. Rivera

Maria L. Rivera earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Spanish.

She retired as a Spanish teacher from the North Carolina Public Education System, with twenty seven years of experience. She has dedicated her time teaching Spanish I, II IV and AP.

One of her favorite hobbies is traveling and learning the culture of other countries. During her time working as a Spanish teacher she had the opportunity to take her students to Costa Rica, Spain and Morocco.

Also, she had the opportunity to serve the Lord for fifteen years as Sunday school director and teach in a Hispanic church. Currently Maria and her family are attending Grace Covenant Church. Maria enjoys serving in church as a Spanish translator and working in different ministries serving the community.

This will be her second year teaching Spanish I and Spanish II to our high school students. She looks forward to continuing to be part of the Pathway Christian Co-op team and sharing her knowledge of the Spanish language and culture with our students.

Apologetics - Biblical Worldview

Kurt Lawrence

Kurt Lawrence has a BS in Agronomy from Colorado State University and a Master of Forestry from North Carolina State University. For 15 years he served the Southern Baptist Convention as Agricultural Missionary to Thailand. Returning to the US, he began his career as an educator earning teaching certification while teaching through North Carolina’s lateral entry program. He improved his skills by earning National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. He taught exploring courses in Biotechnology, Agriculture, and Career Decisions at Northwest Cabarrus STEM Middle School for 23 years. He retired at the end of the school year in 2020.

Kurt’s experiences living in a culture very different from the US and his time working in a Public School setting have made him aware of worldview as a significant part of student development from the parents’ home to living in the world. Apologetics provides tools to analyze different worldviews from a logical perspective. Kurt hopes that our study of Apologetics and Worldview will strengthen his students' Christian foundation as they prepare for life in a job or in college.

Kurt has been married to Judy since 1977. They have two daughters and two granddaughters. Kurt and Judy are members at Hickory Grove Baptist Church.

Gavel Club - Toastmasters International

Leslie Goggin

I am a wife, mom, and home educator. My husband and I have been married for 29 years. We have two amazing children (teenagers) that I have taught for the past 11 years.

I have a BA in Early Childhood Education and taught in the public schools for 10 years. Then I took a step away from the classroom to travel and work with my husband at Joe Gibbs Racing for 4 years. After that I was blessed to become a stay at home mom. Throughout the years of being at home I had the opportunity to be the Family Ministry Coordinator at Journey church where I served the families on a weekly basis, trained and scheduled our volunteers and organized several baby dedication events. I also work seasonally as the Hiring Manager for a wonderful children’s consignment sale, SailAgain.

Our family has been a part of Journey church for over 20 years. Throughout that time I have served as a volunteer for the KidStreet ministry, been on staff, went on several mission trips in the US and Peru
and currently on the leadership team for our Women’s Ministry.

I personally loved taking speech class in both high school and college. The Gavel Club format provides such a unique experience for the students to develop public speaking skills! My desire is to encourage your child to grow in confidence and skill while presenting in front of a group of their peers.

Foundations of Art: Principles, Theory, and Creation

Cindy Tognarina

I grew up in New Hampshire and moved to North Carolina in 2006 to escape the cold and raise our family. My husband Jason and I have been married for 24 years and have been blessed to always have homeschooled our 3 amazing children, all of whom have attended Pathway over the last 10 years. Charlie graduated in 2023, Sophie is currently a senior and will be graduating this spring, and Gus is in Pathway middle school, where I also teach Literature. I have both served and taught in youth ministry and in a cooperative environment for almost 20 years. My family and I are members of Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Cornelius.

Art has always been prominent in my life. As a child you would always find me drawing, painting, or crafting imaginary creatures and landscapes. I built my portfolio through honors and independent studio art classes with aspirations to illustrate children's books and teach. After my acceptance to Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts and not being able to attend due to financial reasons, my goal was to always find a way back to art. I was fortunate to have been commissioned for several projects over the years and most recently, through our small woodworking business, I have been able to continue to develop my skills as an artist both through painting and working with different mediums.

As a certified Doula through DONA International and serving on the high school leadership team here at Pathway for the last 7 years, I believe that God has molded my heart to serve, guide, and meet families where they are in this challenging and beautiful world. In my former life and well before homeschooling, I worked at Fidelity Investments in Client Management and attended the University of New Hampshire and Southern New Hampshire University for a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, but I have always had a heart for the fine arts and a drive to incorporate that love into my journey.

I am grateful that my calling has come full circle. My goal is to steward the talents that God has given me by fostering creativity and reshaping how students experience art. When explored through a Christian lens, art has the power to inspire, uplift, and serve as a reflection of God’s beauty and truth.

My goal is to guide students through the essential building blocks of art, celebrate their unique abilities, and cultivate the confidence that allows creativity to take root and flourish.

Art is everywhere and this course will not only help them to see it, but will allow them to create it.

Meet our Instructors

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Why I’m Teaching This Course:

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I remember being in high school and discerning whether healthcare was the right path for me, and I’m passionate about helping students thoughtfully explore that same question.

My goal is to build a strong scientific foundation while encouraging students to think critically, serve compassionately, and appreciate the remarkable design of the human body.

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