Support Staff

Ashley joined the Stonehaven family in 2023 as a part of the front desk team. Ashley and her husband Matt have been married since 2011 and together they have 3 boys who attend Stonehaven. Her family attends Sojourn Church in Marietta where she has the opportunity to serve with the Youth. Ashley's heart is to see her community shaped by the gospel and counts it a privilege to serve the Stonehaven students and family. When not at school, Ashley enjoys spending time with family, reading and traveling.

Jenny's love of learning has led her on diverse paths in the world of education. With the tools of 8 years of classroom teaching and a M.Ed. in Special Education, she started at Stonehaven in January of 2022 as Academic Support Specialist. Her days consist of being a resource for students, their parents and teachers to assist in finding keys to unlock learning. Jenny and her husband Nathan attend Sanctuary Church in Kennesaw. Jenny has 3 children, Selah, Levi and Tucker who keep her laughing and looking at the world through younger eyes.

A few years after graduating from the University of Minnesota Morris with a B.A. in Speech Communication, Jenny moved to Georgia. She met her husband, Rand, at a Young Life camp in North Georgia and married two years later. Together they have three daughters, all of whom have attended Stonehaven since January 2019. In the fall of 2019, Jenny worked as a Kindergarten Aide and more recently at the Front Desk. Their family attends The Church of the Apostles where her husband serves as the Director of Congregational Care. Leaving the homeschool they created for their family, they were looking for an environment where their girls would be encouraged in their pursuit of Jesus, challenged academically, and find a safe place to learn from their mistakes. The Lord led their family to Stonehaven and they knew during their initial tour that the Holy Spirit was evident and at work here. What they appreciate most about Stonehaven is the richness of community and the humility and servant leadership of the faculty and staff.

Jessica graduated from Covenant College in 2008 with a bachelor’s in Sociology/Counseling and a Spanish minor. That same year she married Andrew, her high school sweetheart, and they lived a year on Lookout Mountain before settling back in Marietta near their families and hometowns. They are members at Grace Community Church and their children began at Stonehaven in 2018, starting with their eldest daughter (Pamela) and then with their two sons (Eli and Isaac) joining the following year. Jessica began working at Stonehaven in Facilities during Stonehaven's transition to the Joyner Ave property and she is in awe and privileged to witness the growth of both of our campuses. Jessica is herself a product of a classical Christian education and she counts herself blessed that her children can receive such a rich education as well. She especially loves the holistic study of humanities by covering literature and history of the same time period. When not at school, you can find her family on the soccer field or cheering on Atlanta United.

Teressa Gowder got her B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Psychology from Berry College. She worked as a premium auditor in the insurance industry until 1996 when her daughter, Madison, was born. At that time she became a stay-at-home mom. Her son, Hogan, was born in 1999. She homeschooled both her children from kindergarten through high school. She has been married to Nate since 1992. They recently became empty-nesters and are enjoying time spent with their adult children and their spouses. Teressa started at Stonehaven in 2021 as a part-time Kindergarten teacher's aide. Nate and Teressa are active members at Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA). Teressa also works one day a week as Administrative Assistant in the Midway church office. In her spare time, Teressa enjoys reading a good book, listening to music, or watching a good movie!.

Stephanie is currently working on her bio and will be posted soon!

Christy Hwang earned a B.A. in Psychology from Emory University. Christy joined the Stonehaven community as a parent in 2014 and is thrilled to have the opportunity to support the school, teachers, and students as a part-time aide since 2017. Christy has taught a variety of ages of children for several years at ChristChurch Presbyterian, their church home. She and her husband, Gordon, enjoy living in Smyrna, and have two children, Joshua and Abigail. When not at Stonehaven, you'll find Christy, a New Mexico native, outdoors (hiking, biking, or running), traveling with her family, or enjoying coffee with friends.

Janel Jones grew up in Indiana and graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Psychology and Communication. After moving to North Carolina to earn her Master of Social Work she worked with children in foster care, working to find them their forever family. She and her husband, Drew, have four children. After moving many times, the Joneses settled in Atlanta and became part of the Stonehaven family in the summer of 2020. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, helping in the Lower School library, gardening, and being involved at Christ Church Presbyterian.

Rachel grew up in Southern California and got her B.A. in Communication Design from Chico State. She met her husband Craig in Georgia in 2000, and moved to Georgia in 2001. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2022. Rachel and Craig have two daughters, Hannah and Sofie, who joined Stonehaven in 2020. Rachel classically homeschooled both daughters, and Rachel was a tutor and trainer for Classical Conversations, Smyrna, for many years. In 2020, Rachel was hired part-time as a teacher aide at the Lower School. She loves serving so many of the children and teachers, meeting a variety of needs. They are members of The Church of the Apostles and have served in various ministries for years. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys being outside, hiking, camping, listening to music, or reading a good book.

Michelle Osborne and her family joined the Stonehaven community in 2023. In the fall of 2024, Michelle was welcomed as a Stonehaven staff member. She serves on the front desk operations team and as a first-grade teacher's aide. Michelle and her husband Ben have been married since 2009. They attend Cumberland Community Church with their daughter. Michelle is passionate about serving her community and is a board member of Support Smyrna. In her free time, Michelle enjoys traveling, reading, and playing tennis with her team.

Alison (Ali) Pennington grew up in South Georgia and left home for South Carolina to Furman University, where she earned a B.A. in Religious Studies. Discerning a call to serve the Lord in full-time ministry, she then earned her Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she also met and married her husband, Jeff. It has been Ali’s great privilege to serve in ministry alongside Jeff for over 22 years, with his role as pastor and her roles taking many forms: teaching, writing Bible studies, developing curriculum for children’s classes, serving in various roles, and for the past nine years, developing an intentional disciple-making women’s ministry at our current church, First Baptist Smyrna. Ali’s most treasured ministry through the years has been in her home, where she and Jeff have the privilege of raising four wonderful girls: Amelia, Sadie, Paige, and Hannah. After homeschooling for eight years and enjoying the richness and beauty of the classical Christian path, Ali has enjoyed seeing her two youngest girls thrive at Stonehaven this past year. She is thrilled to join the Stonehaven staff to serve teachers and to help encourage and equip students in the coming year. When free time happens, Ali enjoys reading, exercising amidst God’s creation, having coffee and deep discussion with women of all ages, and enjoying quality time with her favorite people- Jeff and her girls.

Michael Perkerson joined the Stonehaven facilities team in 2022 to help maintain and improve our facilities. He's happiest when working hard with his hands and spends most of his time enhancing the learning environment—both indoors and outdoors—for our community. A lifelong learner with an eagerness to serve, Michael completed certifications in both Air Conditioning Technology and Diesel Equipment Technology and enjoyed careers in both fields before making the move to Stonehaven, where, in addition to using his technical and practical knowledge, he gets to see his daughter Callie's smiling face numerous times each day. Michael also leads the Stonehaven middle school boy's basketball team as head coach, where he's passionate about pushing his players to grow as young men of integrity both on and off the court. Go Knights! He and his wife, Katie, grew up together on the Southside of Metro Atlanta, and both come from families with deep Atlanta roots, which is why they faithfully cheer for the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves. Michael and Katie call Sojourn Church home.

Christie Poyo and her husband Chris are the proud parents of two Stonehaven lower school boys. Christie served for several years with Mission to the World in Mexico, where she worked with children living on the streets or in an orphanage. Christie enjoys various forms of art and is especially passionate about fiber arts. She enjoys spinning wool (and other materials) into yarn and then weaving it into something beautiful. In her free time you might find Christie at her spinning wheel, taking her boys to the library, or outside enjoying the sunshine. Christie and her family are active members at Smyrna Presbyterian Church.

Mary Beth received her Bachelors in Early and Elementary Education from Grove City College and her Masters in Creativity from Buffalo State College. She sensed God's calling to the foreign mission field and spent three years serving in schools in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where she met and married her husband. She has worked in a variety of educational settings from public to private and from pre-k to high school. By far, she believes the Christian classical model of education provides the richest environment for students and the most rewarding spiritual community for families. She finds great joy working in an administrative role because her ministry-focused heart can encourage and support students, parents, teachers, and staff. Mary Beth joined the admissions team at Stonehaven in 2021 and loves to give hugs to her three children - Theo, Isa, and Matti - whenever they pass in the hallway. When not serving at the school, you can find her looking for books at the library, making things with her hands, spending time with her family, and caring for all the people God has placed in her life.

Jules joined our Stonehaven family in 2021 as our Afterschool Program Director and has since added substitute teaching, front desk help, and classroom aide to her duties. Jules and her husband, Jim, have lived in Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont raising their five children who are now adults and have given them seven amazing grandchildren thus far. Jules's experience comes from her time serving in the US Navy and the Army National Guard along with being a military wife and mom. She later received her Bachelor of Science in English Secondary Ed from East Stroudsburg University and her Associates in Arts Education at Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania. Some of her specialties include tutoring, special education, and Wilson Reading Program. She loves to cross stitch, bike, swim, and is a bit of a math/collect graphic novel geek. Both her and Jim are current members of Liberty Church in Marietta and they have served in various roles from teaching Sunday school, VBS, and hospitality.

Nicole Shea graduated from Bridgewater College, VA with a degree in Elementary Education and then moved to Tampa, FL to earn her Master’s in Reading Instruction from University of South Florida. She taught for nine years in Tampa, then moved to Athens, GA when her husband got a job opportunity, and taught another two years in Oconee County. Nicole had her two children in Athens, GA, Brady and Aubrey, then God called her family to move to Marietta when her children were one and two. She stayed home with them for five years and tutored on the side and is excited to be back at school teaching again.

Heather Wilkinson earned her B.B.A. in Finance at the University of Mississippi. After graduation, she worked in many facets of the banking industry while also supporting her husband's career as an Air Force officer. She later worked in the admissions office at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. She has moved over 20 times in her life and has been happy to call Marietta home since 2005. She is married to Andy, and they have two children enrolled at Stonehaven, Nate and Yabsera. The Wilkinsons worship at The Square Church. Heather is also active in Bible Study Fellowship. She has a big heart for adoption, so feel free to start a conversation with her. Her family loves to go camping and cheer on the Rebels and Blue Devils. Heather is excited to support and love the children, faculty, and staff of Stonehaven.