Who are the people behind The Studio?

Alecia’s passion for learning was sparked early on by her innate curiosity and relentless desire to understand the world.  

Alecia began her career as an electrical engineer, working for companies such as:  IBM, Texas Instruments, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.  After becoming a mother, she began to sense that she was being called to walk a different path.  She left her engineering career in order to raise her children full-time.  It was in this season of life that she began to explore her vocation as an educator.

She began investing in her four children, which later resulted in three graduates from their homeschooling academy.   She has now accumulated over two decades of experience spanning public schools, homeschool programs, and private tutoring. Each stop of her journey has provided her with valuable insight that has shaped her understanding of education.  

Alecia believes in the importance of cultivating a supportive learning environment for a diverse student body. Having navigated her own children’s educational experiences as they experienced environments which didn’t consider their cultural perspectives or unique challenges, she is committed to integrating diverse cultural experiences into the learning process.  She believes that such exposure not only honors the richness of each culture but also prepares students to navigate a world that requires strong cross-cultural competency.

Alecia seeks to be a conduit of the extravagant love of God.  Her prayer is that every person she encounters recognizes their belovedness because they have experienced the generous overflowing love of God being poured out through her.  She also believes every person was born with special God-given gifts that were meant to be shared with the world, bringing the goodness of Heaven to earth. 

Formal Education:

• Master of Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Electrical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science, Grambling State University, Electronics Engineering Technology

Tiffany Cortright is not only the glue that holds our administrative pieces together, but she’s also a true servant leader. You’d never know she worked long hours at The Studio while homeschooling her children because she’s the first one to bring a meal, make a comforting call, or attend your child’s event.

Tiffany is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and has worked for corporations such as Ernst & Young and Dell Computer Corporation. She left corporate life to homeschool her three daughters and two sons, but her strong leadership skills helped her become a Director with Classical Conversations while homeschooling.

She left CC to join The Studio and has shaped the program from its foundations. She’s worn every hat imaginable while having the unique ability to nurture relationships to build a tight Studio Prep community.

Formal Education:

• Bachelor of Science, The University of Texas, Communications

Born in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Jesica moved to Chicago when she was 12. While in high school she met David, the funniest person in the world, who would become her best friend and then husband, ten years later. She attended The University of Illinois at Chicago where she obtained a degree in Marketing and another in Management and would have kept going if not for tuition. She also studied in Madrid, Spain at the Complutense where she fell in love with learning while traveling. She worked at the Institute for the International Education of Students with the goal of helping facilitate study abroad for all students. In 2005, Dave and Jes moved to San Antonio to be closer to her family and start planning their own. Jes worked at The University of Texas San Antonio in the Financial Aid Office helping underrepresented students realize their educational dreams. In 2010 they moved to Austin, where they had a life-altering encounter with Jesus. By 2017 she was homeschooling her two children, tutoring in her co-op, and even directed their Classical Conversations group. Which brings us to The Studio Prep, her children recognized right away this was a special place and they would very much like to attend, she also came to the same realization, so when they needed a Spanish teacher, she didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Jesica has a deep passion for teaching and is involved in several ministries where she gets to use that passion. She is an avid reader and considers herself a lifelong learner. In her free time, she loves to garden, crochet, read, and dance, but most of all she loves to spend time with her children and husband traveling, playing games, building puzzles, and cooking and sharing a meal.

Allison was inspired by her grandmother, who taught math and history for more than 30 years, to be a teacher. She always had an interest in history and thought that the best way to enjoy history would be to teach it to students. Allison’s passion for history and social studies has continued to grow as she has been a teacher, specifically in American Government and Economics. Her love of the past, culture, and politics has fueled her flame to learn more and dig deeper into these areas to better teach her students.

Allison is originally from Georgia where she taught American Government and Economics for 6 years at her local public high school. During her time at Carrollton High School, she had the opportunity to grow professionally and personally as a teacher. Her husband, Avery, was pursuing a Master of Divinity following his call to be a pastor. This eventually led to the relocation of her family to Austin where her husband is now an assistant pastor at a local church.

During this transition, Allison decided that she would like to shift her focus a little in teaching and was granted that opportunity through The Studio, where she works part time, allowing her to care for her children while also supporting her husband in full time ministry.

Allison has a deep desire to see students know and understand the importance of history and how it can impact their lives. She also has a passion to see the love of Christ abound in and through her to her students, so that they may also love and know him. 

Formal education:

• Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of West Georgia
• Concentration in secondary education (grades 6-12)

Catherine Forrest is a native Austinite, cellist and mother to two highly enthusiastic and precocious children whom she loves dearly and help her crash into bed ready to sleep each night! She is a longhorn with serial academic interests, including ethnomusicology, sociolinguistics, behavioral neuroscience, eschatology, and why the time space continuum matters to practical theology. She loves reading Middlemarch over and over again, eating raw oysters, stocking her purse with hot sauce, and supporting educational organizations that cultivate creativity, compassion and a commitment to stewardship!

Formal Education

• Theology and the Arts, Fuller Theological Seminary (no degree)
• B.A. with special honors in Humanities, University of Texas at Austin
• B.A. in Music, University of Texas at Austin

Kylie Hall was born and raised in a big town in the middle of nowhere Nebraska. She has long been fascinated with numbers and tinkering with how things work. She was always told she’d be an engineer after her dad. She attended the University of Notre Dame and found her way to a Computer Science degree.  The introductory programming work was always her favorite and what she would complete first. She worked in the Linux Technology Center at IBM for five years before dedicating herself to raising and homeschooling her own family for many years.  Conveniently, her hobby became cooking when a friend introduced her to America’s Test Kitchen (which turns cooking into a science experiment after the best ingredients and method).

Formal Education:

• Bachelors of Science in Computer Science, University of Notre Dame

Alicia Ayodele was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Orlando, FL when she was 8. A daughter of immigrant parents from Jamaica, she has always been interested in learning about different cultural expressions, particularly language and dance. Due to her aptitude in math and science, she studied Mathematics with an emphasis on computational biology at Florida State University. While serving in dance outreach at her college campus ministry, she met her husband, Tolu. Alicia moved to Minnesota with her husband, where she worked as a math tutor and teaching assistant in ESL programs. Her experiences in these situations led her to obtain her doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota in Educational Psychology with an emphasis on measurement and statistics, particularly analyzing data for educational programs serving diverse students. The most challenging and rewarding part of her program was giving birth to her 3 children while completing her dissertation. After completing her studies, she took a break to dance professionally for two years. Since then, she has worked as an adjunct instructor and research consultant before moving with her family to Austin, Texas, in 2023. In her free time, she enjoys learning different languages, working out, and reading. Alicia is glad to be a part of the team at Studio Prep to continue learning and offering innovative educational methods to students, including her own children.

Jeanette grew up in Carrollton, TX, attended Tarleton State University (2014), studying chemistry, and most recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with an MS in nutritional sciences (2018). She taught in various capacities throughout undergrad and grad school and is delighted to join Studio Prep as the HS biology guide.

She also works as the administrative assistant at her church and is active in ministry. In her free time she enjoys working out, reading, crocheting, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.

Sharon Ellerby is a native Austinite, dedicated wife, mother of three and grandmother of eight. Sharon’s faith and personal relationship with Christ is her core and has resulted in a lifetime commitment to her ongoing spiritual growth as well as the lives others she has touched along her journey. She has a deep passion for family history and drive for helping others that was cultivated from her experience as a caregiver for her beloved Grandmother.

Sharon’s gift of connecting with people especially young people has allowed her to empower many along her path. From a young age as a big sister she began developing creative ways of inspiring and awaking others to embrace their education while tapping into their own creativity. Sharon’s natural leadership abilities at a young age led to being a successful cheerleader coach of young girls and now as her Husband calls her a cheerleader for God thru Christ.

As a teenage parent Sharon developed very creative teaching techniques to spark her Son’s passion for learning. She is a vibrant leader and volunteer for the Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas, “A Better Me” program supporting participants making a healthier lifestyle change. Sharon’s dedicated work contribution as a Practitioner with the Austin Health Commons includes the facilitation of multiple Truth Racial Healing Transformation Circles designed to lead participates to develop a deeper understanding of our shared humanity through telling their stories.

• Masters of Arts, CUNY  @ Hunter College, English Literature
• Bachelor of Arts, California Polytechnic University @ Pomona, English Education

Megan Johntz thought she could change the world by becoming a TV newscaster, but soon realized her hero’s journey was to be in psychology.  After returning to school for her Master’s Degree, Megan is now a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and a Licensed Professional Counselor. Before transitioning into full-time public speaking, Megan ran a successful private practice in Dallas.

With the birth of her two sons, she cut back on public speaking but still enjoys bringing solid psych tools to a conference room of a thousand people since many of them will never seek counseling.  Her past clients include Fina Oil, Delta Airlines, Mensa, McKinsey and Company Consulting, and the FBI

With young children and no local family, God called Megan to start a ministry, Moms Mentoring Moms, which is still thriving in the Tampa Bay area today.

Megan has been homeschooling for 16 years, was a Classical Conversations Tutor, a Bible Study Fellowship Discussion Leader and Children’s Leader, and started a homeschooling mom’s support group. In 2015, God led Megan and her husband to start the first Christian, homeschool-hybrid Acton.

Believing travel is one of the best teachers, Megan and her husband enjoy showing their two sons as much of the world as they can.

Kind words from Public Speaking Clients:

• “You did an excellent job.” -University of Texas
• “Thoroughly impressive. The [PsychTools] you gave us are actually useable – no sleepy theory here! Thanks. – Fina Oil Executive
• “It was such a pleasure having you with us again. The employees had a great time.” – AT&T Wireless

How students describe Mrs. Johntz:

• You’re amazing! You are so servant-hearted- Joyful, kind, loving and wise.
• A great example of what a Christian woman should be.
• Challenges us to think things we don’t usually think.
• And you’re sweet and fun, but wise and smart.

Formal Education:

• Master of Science, Counselor Education, University of North Texas
• Bachelor of Arts, Communications, Trinity University
• Associate of Arts, Musical Theater, High School for the Performing Arts (New World School for the Arts, Miami, FL)

Professionally, Heath was an entrepreneurial executive with experience founding start-ups, creating and expanding new businesses, and leading a Fortune 500 enterprise.

He was a partner at the Pilot Wall Group which invests in healthcare and other sectors. Previously, he led the Integrated Care Group for Fresenius Medical Care, the largest dialysis equipment manufacturer and treatment provider in the US and globally. As President, he oversaw the creation of a division to manage the full cost of caring for dialysis patients, divisions providing national lab and pharmacy services to dialysis patients, and MedSpring Urgent Care centers. Heath joined Fresenius in 2014 when it acquired MedSpring, the Austin-based company he co-founded in 2011.

Previously, Heath served as CEO at Tampa-based WellCare (NYSE:WCG) in 2008 and 2009, where the team stabilized the $6.8 billion, Fortune 500 health insurer while it resolved a federal investigation concurrent with the 2008 credit-market crisis and 2009 turmoil of health reform. He returned to the company after retiring and spending a year in Spain with his family. Before that time, he led a team in the successful launch of a $950 mm prescription drug division and oversaw marketing and sales during the LBO, IPO, and rapid expansion of the company.

Prior experience includes five years at McKinsey & Co., co-founder of an online pharmacy in the first Internet frenzy, a six-month life lesson at Enron as it imploded in 2001, and a start in the glamorous world of agricultural mowing equipment.

The best deal he ever managed to close was his wife, Megan Johntz, with whom he has had two boys and many wonderful adventures.

Formal Education:

• Master of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, Business
• Bachelor of Arts, Trinity University, San Antonio, Business major / English minor

Since 2008, Kelly has worked as a freelance writer and editor for corporations, small businesses, bloggers, and other writers. She began her career by teaching English Language Arts for public and private high school and middle school students. 

Kelly most closely identifies as a reader — she loves books and libraries and book shops. She loves to talk about books and write about books and recommend books to others. She has homeschooled her three children from the get-go, so coming to Studio Prep has been a blessing to her entire family.

Formal Education:

• Masters of Education, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas, 2003
  • Emphasis: English Literature and Writing Instruction

• Bachelors of English, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas 2001
  • Emphasis: Education

Gwyneth Lenfest is an engineer who loves to teach. Her professional experience as an engineer includes designing HVAC systems, construction management, and RF and cell network testing. Her experience as a teacher runs the gamut from remedial geometry and long-term substituting AP physics, to homeschooling her four children through early elementary. She has tutored calculus, taught American Heritage Girls skills ranging from how to recycle jeans into quilts to basic aerodynamics, and she established the pre-engineering program at Walton High school in Marietta, GA. 

In her spare time, she is a crocheter who loves listening to various history podcasts. She loves to camp and hike with her family, enjoying the amazing world the Lord has created. 

Certification

• Teaching certification through the University of Texas at Dallas

Formal Education 

• Bachelor of Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering