Our Board

Karen Bonham is a wife and mother of five.  Karen began homeschooling twelve years ago when her oldest child was in kindergarten.  After homeschooling solely at home and then with the support of a homeschool tutorial, Karen enrolled her children at STAT in 2021 and has been delighted with the warm and welcoming community and the quality, faith-filled academics.  Karen also works part time as a speech-language pathologist and volunteers as a catechist in a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium.

John Freymann is an active-duty Navy officer, currently serving at the U.S.
Naval Academy as a military professor in history. He has a B.S. in Optics from the University of
Rochester, a Ph.D. in the History of Christianity from the University of Chicago, and (only) four
bicycles. John and his wife, Melissa, are active parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Church.
They are raising and home-schooling four children, ranging in age from six to thirteen.

Tara Pessia has a Master of Social Work from Widener University, and previously served as the Clinical Director for a youth residential treatment and foster care facility in the Baltimore area. Tara became a stay-at-home mom for her three sons and daughter beginning in 2005. She was introduced to STAT in 2016 when she began homeschooling her oldest son. Tara’s faith and dedication to family drive her to devote her time to volunteering with her parish (Our Lady of the Fields) and community organizations, including the Boy Scouts. She and her husband, John, have been married since 2001 and have lived in Crofton since 2008.

Jessica Peterson has been part of the STAT community since 2017 and is honored to now serve as Director.  She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, College Park and a M.A. in Special Education from Towson University. Jessica previously taught elementary school for 8 years and has tutored science and Latin at STAT. She is an active parishioner of St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park, where she has previously served as a coordinator of Vacation Bible School and Walking With Purpose.  She and her husband, Matt, are passionate about classical education and homeschooling.

Marie Richardson is a homeschool veteran of 20 years. She and her husband David have been married 28 years and have three young adult daughters. A native of California, she accompanied David in his duties in the U.S. Navy around the country and overseas before settling 17 years ago in Maryland. She is currently living in Arnold and an active member of St John the Evangelist church. Marie has been with STAT as a board member and/or tutor since 2017 and since 2012 as a parent.

Nicki Wagner has been a part of the homeschool/STAT community since 2017 and has grown in love and appreciation of the Catholic Classical education that her children have been blessed to receive.  In addition to homeschooling, Nicki has been a CPA with a local tax and business advisory firm for the past ten years.  She is excited to serve on the STAT Board.