Faculty and Staff
Nina Betts – PSAT Coordinator
Nina Betts serves as a Board Member for Towle Institute. Her family has been apart of the Towle family since 2024. She is a licensed Paraprofessional and her love for supporting students began in the public school sector in 2004. She has been married for 15 years to her husband, Jason. They have been blessed with two daughters, Emma who is in 8th grade and Josephine who is in 4th grade. Both girls attend Towle Institute and are making wonderful memories. Nina loves penguins, the color green and has not met a slice of cake she doesn’t love!
Lori Bostrom – Mathematics
MA Biola University (Bible Exposition)
BS University of Illinois, Urbana (Chemistry)
Sara Chick – History, Bookkeeper
BA Houghton College (Political Science)
Darren Chick – Worldview
Darren Chick is a technology executive with over 30 years of experience leading large-scale transformations in finance, healthcare, and telecom. His work experience supports exceptional teaching by drawing on real-world applications, as mentoring teams at Bank of America and Deutsche Bank honed his ability to explain complex concepts, such as agile methodologies and risk governance. As Xerox’s IT Director, he transformed low-morale groups into agile units, teaching operational excellence and security. Certifications in Scrum and auditing equip him to deliver structured, case-study-based classes. His business and communication degrees, alongside several mentoring awards, ensure engaging, consensus-driven instruction for a diverse range of students.
Lauren Cook – Elementary Study Hall Monitor/ Aide
Lauren’s heart is centered on Jesus and the mission He has for His children. She is a dedicated wife and mother to three lovely little girls. Her passions include dancing as if no one is watching, crafting, and being playful and goofy with her children. Lauren joins Towle’s staff as an Elementary Study Hall Monitor and Classroom Aide.
Susan Foy – English
BA University of Delaware (English)
Susan Foy is an experienced English teacher who has dedicated 20 years to Towle and also served as an ESL tutor at the University of Delaware for 30 years. She and her husband have been married for 32 years, and are the proud parents of four and grandparents to two. Susan is also a talented author who has written and published five novels on Amazon.
Lori Hickman – Science Olympiad
BS Ithaca College (Physical Therapy)
Krista Keathley – English
Krista serves as chair of the English department and teaches middle and high school English/Language Arts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Master’s University and
secondary teacher certification from California State University, Stanislaus. She leverages over twenty years’ experience teaching literature and writing in public, private, and alternative model schools. In addition, she privately copy edits and coaches students and professionals seeking college or graduate studies admission, awards and recognition, scholarship funding, or job opportunities. Krista lives with her husband, Craig, and children, Devon (15), Carrie (14) and Melina (14) in Elkton, Maryland, where they grow apples, pears, stone fruit, and berries in their home orchard.
Elisabeth Lester – Elementary/Math/Science
Elisabeth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology. She began her career at W.L. Gore & Associates in New Product Development before stepping away in 2013 to be a full-time mom. In 2021, she returned to the workforce with an executive-level consulting firm and also served as a substitute teacher in the public school system. Elisabeth joined the Towle staff in 2024 and currently serves as the Elementary Department Head.
Her teaching reflects her love of learning across many subjects. She teaches the 2/3 STEM & Writing Class, Biology, Geometry, and Math Foundations. She enjoys the unique opportunity of working with students from some of our youngest learners all the way through high school, as well as connecting with many Towle families to help foster the strong sense of community our school is known for.
Elisabeth’s connection to Towle runs deep: she attended as a middle school student, her mother also taught here, and now all three of her daughters are Towle students. Following in her mother’s footsteps brings her great joy and speaks to the legacy of family, community, and education that Towle continues to uphold.
Outside of school, Elisabeth enjoys hiking, rock climbing, baking, and playing board games with her family.
Avice Liebl – Science
Before becoming a homeschooling parent, Avice worked as a recruiter for organizations in New York, Knoxville, and Seattle. Her hobbies include gardening, cooking and baking with nutrient-dense ingredients, exercising, reading, and volunteering. She enjoys spending time outdoors, bird-watching, and relaxing with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Bethany McHugh – Science/Elementary/Basketball
Bethany is a proud mom of five kids, three girls and two boys, and a Dalmatian. She and her husband, Tim, have been married for over twenty years. She received a BS in Biology from the University of Maryland and a BSN from the University of Maryland’s School of Nursing in Baltimore. She has been a nurse for over twenty years and has worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital in International Radiology for over fourteen years. Bethany and her husband have homeschooled their kids since the COVID pandemic. She is excited to utilize her educational background, combined with her experience in educating patients and her own children, to serve as the Science department chair and teach at Towle. Bethany and Tim are also the lead coaches for the Towle guys and girls basketball teams.
Amanda McMahan – Elementary
Mandy is from North East, MD and she has three children that attend Towle. She graduated from Towson University with a degree in Mass Communications after transferring from Southern Connecticut where she was part of their competitive gymnastics team. Since her early teenage years, she has coached children 2-18 in gymnastics and continues to help athletes realize their full potential in the sport while teaching important life lessons such as encouragement, hard work, perseverance, and team-work. During her early years, Mandy participated in many church theater programs. This eventually grew into learning how to work behind the scenes on movie sets during her time at DBM Communications. This was the start to a wonderful relationship with the producer who has gone on to produce many family-friendly and Christ-based films you can find on Netflix and Amazon. Check them out! As her children grew, she stepped into the role of educator and things have blossomed from there. She enjoys working with young children, and is thrilled to be able to help them grow through their elementary years.
Faith Miller – Art, Newsletter, Community Activities
Margaret Prothero – Study Hall
Jenifer Pugliese – Science/Math/Electives
Jenifer holds a BA in Biological Sciences and both a Master’s and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Delaware and Temple University, respectively. With 30 years of experience as a physical therapist, she has worked in various settings, including hospitals and outpatient clinics. Since 2014, she has been a faculty member at the University of Delaware, teaching courses in surface anatomy, cadaver anatomy, and geriatrics. In addition to her teaching role, Jenifer serves as a clinical research manager with Delaware Spine Studies, where she focuses on guiding participants through studies.
Outside of work, Jenifer enjoys spending time with her husband, Alex, and their son, Anthony. They share their home with two cats and live next door to her mother, Claire, affectionately known as Nonny.
Jenifer loves the color orange and has a passion for crabs, Diet Coke, and Café Mochas. As an avid reader, her favorite books include *Little House in the Big Woods*, *The Hunger Games*, and the *Bridgerton* series. She enjoys TV shows like Psych and Everybody Loves Raymond, as well as true crime documentaries. With a love for puns, dad jokes, and board games, Jenifer also finds joy in organizing and completing crossword puzzles.
Sarah Schlabach – Math
Sarah is excited to begin her first year as a teacher at Towle. She will be teaching Pre-Algebra and Middle School Math. For the past 10 years, she has been homeschooling her four children. She earned her degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Middle School Math from the University of Delaware. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys hiking and geocaching, listening to Hanson, spontaneous kitchen dance parties, and sharing family read-aloud sessions with her kids.
Dale Schultz – Science
Mr. Schultz is a chemical engineer with a BS from Caltech and a PhD from MIT. He began his career with the DuPont Company, transitioned into teaching, and retired from Cecil College in 2023. In addition to science and engineering, his interests include gardening, grilling, and baking sourdough bread.
Cheryl Shields – Drama
Cheryl Shields is a dedicated theater professional with over 26 years on staff at Towle Institute. She has directed 28 Towle productions and contributed her expertise to many others, becoming the heart and soul of Towle Drama through her unwavering dedication and passion. Cheryl currently serves as a member of the leadership of God’s Power and Light Drama Troupe, as President and owner of True Light Productions, and as a member of the board of directors at Everett Theater.
Meredith Slaten—School Principal, History, Electives
Meredith Slaten graduated from Lancaster Bible College in 1999 with a dual degree in Bible and Biblical Counseling. She is currently in her eleventh year at Towle and is serving her second year as principal. Meredith teaches a variety of courses, including Ancient History, Western Civilization, World History, Computers, Psychology, Health, and Yearbook. She enjoys French fries and the book “Anne of Green Gables.” Married for 25 years, she and her husband have five children, all of whom have attended Towle.
Michele Strickler – Spanish
Michele began her teaching career as a Spanish teacher in Delaware after graduating from the University of Delaware. Later, she had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom for several years, during which she homeschooled her children while living in New Castle. After moving to Cecil County in 1995, she took a job as an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher for grades K-12. In 2007, she earned her master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Michele retired from Cecil County Public Schools in June 2023, after 25 years of service. Michele is excited to teach Spanish at Towle for her second year and is dedicated to making the learning experience fun and enjoyable for all her students.
Ashley Thompson – English
Leah VanDyke – Study Hall/ Elementary
*Towle Alumna
Cecil College (Early Childhood Education Certification)
Currently attending Liberty University Online for Psychology in Christian Counseling
Elementary Choir and Drama Director with Pleasant View Baptist Church
Jill Watts – Curriculum Inventory/ Administrative Aide/ Math
Jill grew up in Newark, DE graduating from Wilmington Christian in 1995. She majored in meteorology and minored in math at North Carolina State University and then got her master’s degree in Climatology from the University of Delaware. She and her husband, Seth, married in 2002 and have four children – Julia, Abby, Noah, and Micah. She has homeschooled each of them from the beginning, and they began at Towle in fall 2018. The girls have both graduated from Towle and the boys are currently in 10th and 12th grade at the school. Her family attends Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, where their family is involved in numerous ministries. One of Jill’s favorite activities is connecting and taking walks with friends.
Carolyn Peck – Elementary/Drama
Carolyn is a lifelong lover of fairytales, the arts, and the magic of make-believe. Her theatrical journey began as a young girl enchanted by stories like Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Swan Lake. A classically trained dancer, cellist, and vocalist, Carolyn spent her early years training in ballet and the performing arts, later expanding her talents to theatre, singing, and costume design.
Her professional performance credits include roles at Walt Disney World Resorts and dance companies such as Fort Wayne Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Central PA, and Eclipse Dance Company. She has also graced the stage in numerous theatrical productions in the tri-state area, with favorite roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker), Cinderella (Cinderella), Snow White (Snow White), Etcetera (Cats) and Grace Farrel (Annie).
Carolyn has over 15 years of experience working with children as a dance and musical theatre teacher, and has choreographed over a dozen productions for the Delaware Children’s Theatre. Inspired by her mother’s teachings in sewing, she launched Sew Classy Designs, an Etsy shop offering handmade couture costumes, retro-inspired swimwear, and custom wigs.
Combining her love for performance, costume design, and working with children, Carolyn founded Sew Classy Royal Events. A homeschooling mom of three and self-taught entrepreneur, Carolyn runs her business from home with the support of her family and talented cast. She is passionate about inspiring others—especially young people—to pursue their dreams. Carolyn has shared her story with hospitality students at the University of Delaware and hopes to inspire many children at Towle to build confidence and develop their unique talents.
Ruth Kendall – Home Economics