T H E   T E A M

Our Architects

Jessica Koerner

- Education Liason
 (Head Architect)

Jessica Koerner

Classes

Jessica Koerner loves all living things, is a master gardener, master naturalist, and has a heart that jumps out of her chest to love those God has put in her path. Jessica feels her students' struggles intimately and doesn't hesitate to get right in there with them to help. 
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She studied at Anderson University and IPFW, graduating from the later in 2003 with a bachelor’s in Elementary Education and an accreditation in Middle school Science. In 2006 she studied Emergent Literacy through IU, Bloomington, working towards her Master’s. In summer of 2019, she fulfilled a dream, graduating the Indiana Master Naturalist Program through Purdue County Extention, working with Fox Island and Little River Wetlands to preserve natural habitats and wild life in Fort Wayne. She is also the vice president for Home Roots, a homemaker’s club through IEHA, and Purdue County Extention office
Jessica’s teaching resume includes:

• teaching in public elementary school classrooms
• teaching struggling readers through small group intensives
• teaching autism specialized preschool
• private tutoring
• running a homeschool co-op in her home for 5 years
• teaching through Northside Homeschool Co-op
• Teaching ICAN life skills through Purdue County Ext for 4 years
• homeschooling her 3 children ages 13-5

Jessica’s strongest skill in teaching is her ability to adapt to the children’s needs. Having taught a very wide range of abilities and disabilities gives Jessica the experience to differentiate her instruction; reaching children where they are. Jessica has always known that teaching would be her life’s work, and is so grateful that it has lead her to homeschooling and teaching other homeschoolers.
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Jessica’s greatest joys in life are serving her children and husband of 15 years. She has multiple hobbies, among her favorites are gardening and painting.

Lisa Phillips

- Kids Club Enrichment Group Facilitator​
(Building Designer)

Lisa Phillips

Classes

Lisa loves children and whether they come across the sea, still live there (as the children from her many mission trips), or the children in Northern Indiana, Lisa's sweet demeanor is likely to to make them feel at ease and loved.
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​Lisa Phillips is a stay at home mom. She has six kids, three who are adopted from China, one son in law, and one grandchild. She is currently homeschooling her three youngest kids. Lisa has enjoyed homeschooling for the past seven years.

Lisa enjoys bringing school to life and uses a hands-on learning style. She incorporates games and activities into class allowing kids to have fun while learning. Lisa adapts her teaching style to fit the needs of each individual student, allowing their confidence to grow and helping them reach their fullest potential.

Lisa enjoys cooking and serving others with her family.

Jenn MacDonald

- Support Group Organizer
​(Draftsman)

Jenn MacDonald

Classes

​Almost no matter what a child or mom struggles with, Jenn MacDonald has been there and done that and Jesus is who got her through. Helping families experience the freedom to be who they were created to be is a mission she tries to live out in her own life and help others with.

​Jenn graduated from South Side High School and has been homeschooling since 2002. She is involved in her 18th year of homeschool and has graduated 3 of her 5 children who range in age from 24 to 12 and abilities from highly academic to overcoming struggles with Dyslexia and ADHD.

Her homeschool runs on the classical model with a 4 year cycle for history, literature, religion and science. She and like-minded moms offer those classical classes to NHC in history, literature & science. [2018 America (Yr 4) / 2019 Ancients (Yr 1) / 2020 Middle Ages (Yr 2) / 2021 Modern World (Yr 3) / 2022 America (Yr 4) ] She also tutors in all the subjects she teaches.

Jenn is the owner of Highland Dove Homeschool Helper, where she consults to better help homeschoolers over the humps and bumps of their job.

Jenn’s children are her greatest accomplishment. Her oldest daughter, Kate MacDonald, graduated from 12 years of homeschooling and currently tutors students with Dyslexia. Her second daughter created works of music during highschool and she and her husband had their first child. Jenn’s 3 boys are in various stages of rough and rowdy, preparing for manhood.

Jenn's favorite quote:     "Never tire of loving" ~ Saint Mother Teresa

Leena Edgar

Kate MacDonald

Leena Edgar

Classes

Kate MacDonald

Classes

Leena has four amazing daughters and a marvelous little granddaughter. Homeschooling has been a wonderful journey that only faintly resembles the grand imaginings she’d had in college.

Having moved to Fort Wayne 4 years ago from Connecticut, she’s still learning her way around.

She has always loved math and logic and has tutored and taught for over 20 years. Obtaining a Bachelor of Science in English Literature gave her the opportunity to spend years analyzing great works of fiction while performing and directing on stage.

Seeing students “get it” and gain tools to succeed is one of her greatest joys. She’s super excited to help create community and encourage math at Life Adventures!

Kate is a homeschool graduate of 2014. She offers private one-on-one instruction with local struggling readers specializing in homeschool students out of her home office.  Kate presently uses the Wilson Reading System with a mixture of right-brained and Orton-Gillingham tactics for her one-on-one tutoring. 

Her business is Dyslexia Tutor Fort Wayne and she can be reached at 260-233-0311. In addition to one-on-one tutoring, she offers her Life Adventures classes at her business location, which is just 3 minutes from Maplewood Mennonite.

Please feel free to contact her with any questions: kathryn@highlanddove.org or  260-233-0311.

As a student Kate loved reading, and she is eager to assist you in opening up the world of reading and the world to your student!

Gabrielle Brock

​Mary Beth Frank

Gabrielle Brock

Classes

Mary Beth Frank

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 Gabrielle was homeschooled for the majority of her life and now is the mom of a spunky little three year old and beautiful newborn.  Homeschooling gave her the opportunity to find her love for dance. She hopes to give her kids and yours the opportunity to find things they love and see what brings them joy in life.

Mary Beth Frank was born and raised in Indianapolis where she did community and professional theater, dance, musical theatre and classical vocal training, and acting training. She spent many days on the stages of Indianapolis Civic Theater, Edvyean Repertory Theatre, Footlight Musicals, Beef and Boards Dinner Theater, and did a Broadway Tour of Annie at Starlight Musicals. Her favorite role was Laura in the Glass Menagerie at Purdue University. Mary Beth has a communications degree with a theater minor from Purdue. She hopes to spend many years watching and nurturing kids to love the stage.

Grace Johnston

Grace Johnston

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A veteran homeschooling mom of 16 years, Grace has a lifelong love of learning, particularly in the areas of literature and history, which she looks forward to sharing with students at Life Adventures. She especially finds joy in seeing stories come alive for children. A graduate of the University of St. Francis with a degree in elementary education, Grace taught in a parochial school for five years before leaving to raise her own children, and was a tutor at Sylvan Learning Center for 19 years. Grace and her husband have raised five children, graduating their twin sons this year.

In her spare time, Grace can be found in her sewing room working on the latest quilt while listening to her favorite Tolkien podcast, reading, caring for the plants in her garden, or watching a movie with her kids and stitching on her latest embroidery project. 

Jennifer Hess

Jennifer Hess

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Jennifer Hess is a mama to five delightful souls and a homeschooling surviver/thriver of 19 years. Her children range in age from 25 to 10 and range in interests from sports to blacksmithing and all manner of adventuring in between. She is a lifelong learner, a lover of words, and an admirer of art and whimsy. She holds a degree in English, has and continues to tutor children with learning disabilities, and has years of experience in leadership and teaching roles within co-op and in-house classrooms. Her favorite teaching scenarios are those in which wonder dictates discovery. ​