Teacher Biographies

Teaches: Math Appreciation for High School , Physics with Lab,  Faith and Science (not offered in 2024-2025) 

Laura Burke has been teaching for NCHS since its inception in 2014.  She earned her doctorate in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at University of California, Berkeley, and was Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at Lehigh University. She retired from academia to homeschool her children, and has enjoyed teaching Physics, Physical Science, Math Appreciation, and Faith and Science to middle and high school students as a community homeschool instructor since 2010. In 2021, the youngest of her three children graduated from homeschooling. Laura is a parishioner at St. Catherine of Siena Church.

Teaches: Mixed Media Art, Communicating through Art

Anna Sophia Cline has a BA in Biology with a concentration in Illustration from George Mason University Honors College and is currently pursuing her Masters degree at Mason. She has been involved in art since she could hold a pencil and is experienced in many genres of art.  Her project mediums include charcoal, scherenschnitte, pencil drawing, pen and ink, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, and oil. Having spent her high school years at NCHS, she is excited to be returning as an instructor.

Teaches: Algebra I

Shelly is a former homeschool student from southern Louisiana where she went on to study music education with a double major in zoology and a minor in math at Southeastern Louisiana University. She earned her Master Tutor certification from the College Reading and Learning Association, and she has an associates in studio art from Baton Rouge Community College that she earned while working with the TANF program as the Education Coordinator for the TANF Learning Lab. Shelly trained to be a classical singer; however, through working as a math tutor in college, found a love of teaching math. Before leaving the workforce to homeschool her boys, Shelly taught math in public school and community colleges in Louisiana, and private schools in Virginia, as well as tutored math in various private and college learning centers. Shelly and her husband, John, are the homeschool parents of two teenage boys, and also have 2.5 cats. Shelly is an active ASM and merit badge counselor for her boys’ BSA troop, and she is a robotics mentor for her boys’ competition robotics team.

Teaches: Chemistry with Lab (with Honors option) (not offered in 2024-2025)

Cheri Faley graduated Summa Cum Laude from George Mason University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. She also holds an AAS in Nursing and a Masters of Education. Before teaching high school for 31 years, Mrs. Faley worked in Washington D.C as a registered nurse in the ICU and ER and as a shock trauma helicopter nurse. Certified in AYA Science as a National Board Teacher, she has had the privilege of teaching an online pre-engineering college course for the past seven years through the Virginia Space Grant and NASA, along with being a Master Teacher at the elite Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars Summer Academy at Langley Air Force Base. She tutors at the high school and college level in the sciences, mathematics, and SAT prep.

Teaches:  U.S. Government and Politics, History Through Literature, U.S. History (not offered in 2024-2025)

Diane Harvey is a former Assistant Professor of Government at George Mason University.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science in 1993 and earned her doctorate in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland in 1998, specializing in American Government and Political Behavior.  While completing her doctorate, she taught numerous undergraduate classes for the university and was a recipient of their Excellence in Teaching Award. Upon completion of her doctorate, she served as assistant professor and internship director in the political science department at George Mason University.  She took an "early retirement" from academia to homeschool her four children, but she has returned to the classroom in recent years to teach courses in government, history, and literature to local high school students. 

Teaches: Introduction to Computer Science,  Advanced Computer Science

(not offered in 2024-2025)

Jeremy Hurley earned his B.S. in both Finance and Accounting from Virginia Tech University and his M.S.  in Information Systems from George Mason University. He works as a Senior Business Analysis & Intelligence Manager at Fannie Mae.  He has coached multiple sports teams over the last several years . He looks forward to bringing his knowledge and passion of business and information systems to the classroom and having fun with the students developing the skills needed to start their journey in computer programming.   Jeremy and his wife Ann are raising their seven children in Potomac Falls and attend Our Lady of Hope.

Teaches:  Spanish 1

Señora Juárez is a bilingual English & Spanish speaker with a BS in Industrial Engineering from Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) in Mexico and a Foreign Language Teaching certificate from the University of Virginia. She taught Spanish at St. Joseph School (1st-8th grade) in Herndon for ten years and at Bishop O’Connell (Spanish 1- AP Spanish Language and Culture) for six years before retiring. Currently she runs a private tutoring company at her home. She moderated several students’ clubs as The Hispanic Heritage Club and the Interact Club at DJO. She volunteered at LINK and Tin Cup Fun and Dibujando Sonrisas, an NPO in Monterrey, Mexico. Despite being afraid of heights, she ziplined next to the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica.

Teaches:  Personal Finance (not offered in 2024-2025)

Bridget Manley graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting. Upon passing the CPA exam, she worked for KPMG LLP as a CPA performing financial statement audits for large public clients as well as mid-size private companies.  She continued her career after public accounting as the Assistant Chief Accountant for Getty Images, Inc. managing the consolidation of all international subsidiaries and the SEC financial reporting requirements for the company.  Bridget left her career in accounting to focus on raising her four children, two of whom she homeschooled through 6th grade. Over the years, she has enjoyed teaching a variety of classes to homeschoolers and being a catechist at her parish. She is a member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. 

Teaches:  Economics (not offered in 2024-2025)

Christine McCurdy earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics on a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship to Bryn Mawr College. She served as a captain in the US Air Force before leaving the service to marry her husband, Craig. After earning her PhD in economics with a minor in statistics from North Carolina State University, Christine taught economics at Eastern New Mexico State University and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and then accepted a senior research position in Washington DC. When she and Craig were finally blessed with children, she devoted herself to full time motherhood and eventually homeschooling. She has experience teaching algebra, geometry, AP microeconomics, AP macroeconomics, AP literature and composition, and several history classes in a classroom setting in a small high school co-op. Christine and Craig have five children: four boys and a daughter, who Christine continues to homeschool. She has two sons in high school and two sons currently enrolled at Cornell University.  

Teaches: Environmental Science with Lab/Field Study, Biology (not offered in 2024-2025)

Tracy Niess graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duquesne University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management and a minor in Marketing.  After a number of great years in the corporate world serving in a number of Sales/Marketing roles including her favorite as Director of Corporate Events and Communications for more than 10 years, through the Lord’s prompting and provision, Tracy chose to become a teacher.  Starting as a preschool teacher at her church, the love of teaching was ignited and she became certified preparing her for the full-time homeschool journey that finished in May 2023 as her youngest started college.  The homeschool journey included teaching everything from unit studies, writing, drama, and history at various co-ops to even creating her own science co-op.  Mrs. Niess found she loves teaching kids of all ages most any material, but through her love of God’s creation in the outdoors and her son’s career interests in the sciences, she has found science and the outdoor field studies as some of her favorites.   More recently, Tracy taught high school Biology, Principles of Zoology and Ecology and led a high school team in the nation’s largest natural resource competition, Envirothon.  Other environmental involvement includes becoming a certified Stream Monitor through Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and serving along with her son in their amphibian, herpetology, and salt watch programs.  Tracy and her husband have always participated/coached in all sports their children participated in and she currently provides coaching assistance to her son’s homeschool track/cross country team.  Mrs. Niess is an active member and Elder at Ashburn Presbyterian Church where she participates on the Worship Team and Choir, leads VBS and children’s choir, provides direction for and assists with Youth Group and other church wide events and serves as the Wedding Coordinator.  When she has extra time, you will find Mrs. Niess in her vegetable or flower gardens, loving and caring for her sheep and chickens on their farm, creating/designing anything from nature for display or gifts, playing board games with her family, reading a book or exercising/running on the trail behind their home.  She lives in Leesburg with her witty, hardworking husband, Bill, and her athletic, outdoor son, Cooper, and their sweet but lazy rescued dog, Louie.

Teaches:  Introduction to Theatre Arts (not offered in 2024-2025)

Ms. Pollini has taught theatre across the world for almost twenty years  She earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Pittsburgh and her teaching certification and Master's of Education from Point Park University.  Experiences include work as a theatre teaching artist and arts administrator for The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Saltworks Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, Metropolitan School of the Arts, Mount Vernon Children's Theatre, ACLE Associazione Culturale Linguistica Educational, and more. Ms. Pollini has worked with hundreds of students, communities, and professionals in dozens of environments on 50+ theatre productions. She's developed and implemented theatre arts curriculums focused on contemporary works, classical theatre and student-devised performances. Certified to teach theatre and English in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Virginia, Ms. Pollini moved to the NOVA area to teach in both Prince William and Faifax County Public Schools before becoming a full-time mother. A member of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, she happily volunteers with the Little Messengers Story Hour at the parish school and substitute lectors at the 9am Mass. When she isn’t helping theatre students develop their skills, Ms. Pollini is raising her creative children (who are quite the little characters!).

Teaches: Personal Finance (not offered in 2024-2025)

Mrs. Sutton has developed a love for teaching in the last 20 years through homeschooling, leading scouts, and tutoring. Before and during her original 15-year career in mapping and intelligence with the Department of Defense, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. After 15 years in government service, Mrs. Sutton decided to stay home and educate her children. During her daughters’ younger years, Mrs. Sutton organized and ran playgroups and a field trip group, then moved on to homeschooling. Both Sutton girls attended the NCHS co-op throughout high school, where their mother occasionally served as a substitute teacher. Mrs. Sutton served with enthusiasm for four years as unit leader for the Pioneer and Patriot levels of American Heritage Girls troop VA1975. Since 2020, Mrs. Sutton has privately tutored more than a dozen students in language arts and math, at levels from kindergarten through high school. She has extensive experience in public speaking in many forums and is eager to help students improve their skills through the Public Speaking course. Mrs. Sutton has been an avid follower of Dave Ramsey’s financial advice for 3 ½ years and is very excited to share these principles with the next generation through the Personal Finance course. Mrs. Sutton attends McLean Presbyterian Church. She lives in Vienna, VA, with her husband Harold, their energetic Dalmatian Zesta, and a beat-boxing parakeet named Lucky.