Instructor, Tutor, & Staff Profiles

Alchemy Ballet Academy is a Compass Community Partner located two blocks away in the Monroe Business Park in Herndon. Alchemy Ballet is a nonprofit arts…

Kathryn Beirne earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Education, Counseling and Development from George Mason University. She is certified in…

JR Bontrager is a 3D printing and scanning specialist. He has worked with 3D Herndon since 2017 supporting inventors, entrepreneurs, designers, hobbyists, and students to…

Iman Castaneda is the coach for Compass’s Homeschool PE and Jiu-Jitsu Fit classes. She is the owner and head coach of Capital CrossFit and Functional…

Diane Wright Cobb is a professional artist and long time art educator. Diane operates a small art studio in Herndon where she has led private…

Shona D’Cruz has been a hobby artist her entire life working in sculpture, mosaics, stained glass, floral, paper quilling, and jewelry with a passion towards…

Kofi Dennis is a drummer, performer, and educator. He earned a degree in Early Childhood Education at the Komenda Teaching College, University of Cape Coast…

“Kerry Diedrich was awesome and my daughter always came from class smiling and proud of her projects, which were fun and age-appropriate. Altogether we were…

Catie Donnelly is licensed to practice law in the State of Virginia and was admitted to the United States District Court for the eastern district…

Jessica Eastridge is an experienced instrumental music teacher, band director, and musician. She brings band experience from a variety of school settings including Riverbend Middle…

Fencing Sports Academy is the premier epee and foil fencing club in the Washington, DC area. Located in old town Fairfax, the academy offers competitive…

Dr. Michele Forsythe is a veteran STEM educator. She was formerly an adjunct professor of Biology at Montgomery County Community College. Currently, she develops curriculum…

Jennifer Hallworth earned both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Mathematics from State University of New York (SUNY), in Potsdam, NY, where she…

Ethan Hay works for Black Rocket, which has dozens of locations across the country. Founded in 2001, this program has taught technology and coding enrichment…

Marybeth Henry has been a National Registry-certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Virginia-certified EMT with the Office of Emergency Management Services (EMS) since 2010. She…

“My daughter really enjoyed her writing class with Ms. Hickman. I felt she was challenged and grew in her writing.” -P.A. (Reston, VA)

Ryan Hughes is an Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology at both George Mason Universityand Northern Virginia Community College. He is also the Head Athletic Trainer for…

Mike Hummer is a professional magician in the DC area. He performed full time at Al’s Magic Shop for 17 years. Mike is in demand…

Manal Hussein earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a Virginia-certified middle and high school…

Ruth Jeantet earned a Bachelor of Arts in French and Spanish from Dickinson College. She studies English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. In college, Ruth…

Sevim Kalyoncu is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist and a naturalist instructor with a passion for helping children connect with nature. In addition to leading…

“Taliesin Knol is FANTASTIC!! My son has taken every class offered by Taliesin on Wednesdays for a couple years now. He learns a ton and…

Dr. John Kornacki is a recently retired college professor and administrator with more than 20 years of university-level teaching experience. Dr. Kornacki served as the…

Austin Martin is the instructor for Compass high school robotics. Austin is also employed as a an embedded software engineer where he designs the hardware…

Nick Masi has been teaching Krav Maga, Shuai Chiou and Tai- chi to children and adults in the D.C area for over two decades. He…

Shannon McClain earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University and a Master of Arts in the teaching of writing and literature from George…

Shea C. Megale joins Compass as the advisor of the Compass Collaborative student newspaper and facilitator of the teen Filmmaking Club. Shea is a published…

Danielle Mercadal is an experienced teacher/tutor of early elementary reading. She is available to work with students one-on-one or in small, private groups, cohorts, or…

Marina has almost a decade of experience in the areas of political science, legal services, and mock trial. She is a Project Manager at Alliance…

“My student has studied with Tia Murchie-Beyma for the past few years. I consider Tia to be an exceptional teacher…” -D.H. (Herndon, VA)

“All 3 of my children have enjoyed Mr. Nick’s classes over the years. His knowledge and his easy way with kids is amazing.” -K.S. (Fairfax,…

Karl Peterson has been playing chess for fifty years and teaching chess for fifteen years. He is a member of the US Chess Federation (USCF)…

Sandra “Sandy” Preaux is a scientist specializing in geophysics, remote sensing, data analysis, atmospheric chemistry, and astronomy. She also has experience teaching atmospheric science as…

“Over the years, my youngest son and my daughter have taken several classes with Kathy. In all my years in education, Kathy stands out as…

Lina Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from the University of Maryland. She worked at both AstraZeneca and MacroGenics, Inc where she oversaw…

Tayler Shreve is the instructor for Law and Order, Compass’s Criminal Justice courses. She is a PhD candidate (expected August 2023) and adjunct professor in…

Tom Shumaker is a recently retired executive from the commercial construction industry. He worked for more than 30 years for Holder Construction Company, a large…

Rebecca Sticha is the Compass instructor for LEGO engineering, robotics, science enrichment, and math classes. Rebecca earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering…

Dr. Anne Taranto has taught literature and composition for more than 20 years including freshman English courses at Yale University, Georgetown University, Marymount University, and…

Albert R. Thompson Jr. is a historian and social scientist. He is earned a PhD with distinction in United States History from Howard University. His…

Juan Urista is an FAA-certified Advanced Ground Instructor and aviation educator. He is a veteran of the US Marine Corps where he worked for seven…

Pete Van Riper is a professional artist and art instructor. He has served as an Instructor of Art in drawing and design at Northern Virginia…

Jeff Virchow has taught ballroom dance since 1999 and has worked in theater since 2005. Mr. Virchow founded and runs the business, Dance at Home,…

Mercedes “Mercy” Wolverton is a Cybersecurity Engineering major at George MasonUniversity. She attended the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering inHuntsville, AL, and completed…