Tutor Bios

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” - Socrates

Level Up Tutorials is dedicated to providing knowledgeable & passionate tutors who enjoy teaching & encouraging their students. Our tutors are committed to sharing their enthusiasm, experience & knowledge.

Lynn Pierre Jones, Jr., P.T.: Level Up President Health & Nutrition, Human Anatomy

Lynn Pierre is a veteran homeschooler of 16 years and a father of 5. His educational background includes a Bachelors Degree in the Science of Physical Therapy, experience as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and a Personal Trainer. As a therapist, he was awarded “Best in Physical Therapy” in Union County for 2 years straight. Lynn is a 5-time published author of books related to fitness, marriage, and rehabilitation. He serves as a very enthusiastic presenter/teacher for the medical staff and community. Mr. Jones has also served as a on-the-job Clinical Instructor for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Wingate University for a number of years. He believes you will either pay the price it takes to live healthy and fit or you will pay the price of fatigue, illness, and living a life without being all you can be!

Heidi Medlin: Tutorials Co-Principal, Parent Liaison

Heidi is born and raised in Charlotte NC. She moved to Monroe 16 years ago when she married her husband Bridger. Together they run and operate their family farm which is home to their carriage company Southern Breezes Carriages. They have two children Madison and Miles who both have been homeschooled. Heidi enjoys volunteering and after 10 years of being a 4H club leader now sits on the Union County 4H foundation board where she continues to passionately help create, develop and fund programs for 4H youth. Since her family is actively in the horse community she is a board member of the Union County Saddle Club where she helps put on horse shows and clinics for our equestrian community. She loves to read and create a home where all feel welcome. Heidi is excited for this new chapter with our Level Up Tutorials board and hopes to help all families have a wonderful experience. Click here to contact

Marilynn Bonner: Tutorials Co-Principal, General Science & Geography

Marilynn is originally from Buffalo, NY, has always loved science and loves to see students learn. She is always looking for fun and innovative ways to bring a topic so students can understand it while preparing them for the next level/grade. She taught crafts and experiments in the Co-Op for 4 years. She has taught in various after school programs. She also teaches children at AWANA (13 years) and is an Assistant Scoutmaster in her Scout troop, where her son earned his Eagle award, and her daughter is working toward it. She loves the outdoors, backpacking, and hiking. She is a black belt in Universal Karate and is a level 1 certified Climbing instructor…Marilynn lives in Charlotte with her husband and two children. She has grown up in ministry, is a “preacher’s kid” and currently serves in children’s church at Joy Christian Fellowship in Matthews. She has homeschooled her two children for 16 years. Her son has graduated, and her daughter is a student in the tenth grade.

Paula Bostrom: Spanish 1, 2 & 3, Geometry

Paula has a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in Spanish from Calvin College. She has an M.S. in mathematics from Purdue University and an M.A. in linguistics from the University of Texas, Arlington. She and her husband, Mark, served with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Colombia, S.A., for about seven years. Paula homeschooled their daughter, Andrea, who graduated in May, 2014. Paula has done private tutoring as well as tutoring several years with Classical Conversations in Foundations, math, and Latin I. She has been the debate club facilitator since 2011.

Jack Gale: Honors Grammar & Composition, American Literature

Jack grew up in Charlotte, N.C., and attended public schools there, graduating from Myers Park High School in 1962. He enrolled at Clemson College and then transferred to UNC-Charlotte in his sophomore year, majored in English, and went on to The University of Tennessee for graduate school. Mr. Gale “fell into” teaching in the fall of 1968 at Parkwood High School in Union County. He apparently enjoyed the experience enough that he continued at Parkwood, teaching English, including all levels of English courses, until his retirement in 1998. In the fall of 1998, he joined Tutorials and began working with homeschoolers and has been doing so ever since.

(2022-23) Melissa Garcia: Literature & Composition, Grammar & Composition

Melissa Garcia is a Christ-following, bible-loving, Latin inner-city gal who loves sharing Jesus with others! She has been married to her high school sweetheart for over twenty years, and the joy she experiences in teaching is evident through her three homeschooled children, Maddox, Alyssa, and Gabriel. She has over two decades of teaching experience in both traditional and non-traditional classroom settings. In 2006, she obtained her Bachelor of Education degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish, followed by a Masters degree in Educational Leadership. She holds a North Carolina teaching/administrators license and has taught and tutored locally since moving to NC with her family over the last five years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, playing board games, and reading all sorts of different things. You will almost always find her with a cup of coffee and a big smile to go along with it.

(2023-24) Michelle Myers: IEW Narnia, Literature and Composition

Michelle Myers is an experienced writing instructor, veteran homeschool mom, and self-professed bibliophile. She believes great writers read great books! Her classes focus on literary analysis, grammar, and formal writing concepts through living books. Michelle’s passion is to teach young writers how to find their written voice and to know the joy of reading deeply. Most of all, Michelle aims for her students to know they can write confidently and that their words can change the world! Michelle has lived around the country, but her family has called Matthews, NC home for ten years. You can find her in the garden or on the front porch with her husband and a cup of coffee when she isn’t reading or teaching. Michelle started her career with a Master of Forensic Accounting degree, working in litigation and fraud examination. However, the Lord called her to homeschool over a decade ago, and she never looked back! Over the years, Michelle has taught at various homeschool co-ops in the Charlotte area and specialized as an online English grammar and writing instructor for over 1,500 students around the world! She is also a teacher-author who designs literature and language arts curricula for middle and high school students.

Shawn Hill: Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, Advanced Math, Personal Finance/Consumer Math, Bible Study/Theology

Shawn M. Hill has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Bryan College. He has 19 years of classroom experience. He has his license to teach math in North Carolina. Currently, he works as a private/group tutor and homeschool tester. He has taught Algebra 1 and Algebra II for 14 years. He also has taught Advanced Math for 7 years. Shawn, and his wife Shannon, have three children.

Shari Kaiser: Earth Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics

A lifelong interest in learning led my husband and I to homeschooling. It has been a pleasure to be personally involved in molding the individual strengths and personalities each of our children were given to prepare them to serve God’s purpose. We have four successful homeschool graduates. I became actively involved in the homeschool community in 1995. I served as Director of a support group (GRACE) for 13 years and Director of an area association (CHEA) for 8 years. These opportunities allowed me to interact with many fellow homeschoolers, both those seasoned in the journey as well as those just starting out. We all enjoyed learning from and supporting each other. I continue to enjoy serving as a mentor when the opportunity arises. I have also been able to share my strong interest in science with the community since 2007, beginning with Chemistry classes. I’ve taught science classes in a variety of enrichment facilities in the greater Charlotte area annually since then. I look forward each year to helping my students see that science is fascinating, fun and understandable.

Jen Litowski: American & World History

Jen Litowski is a veteran homeschool mom who has had the joy of graduating her 5 kids and seeing them go on to college. Writing, Literature, Science and History are some of the subjects she has taught while belonging to various co-ops through the years. Jen has honed her teaching skills by teaching diverse age groups of students for eight years at the Co-op. Growing up as a missionary kid in the south Pacific, Jen caught the travel bug and continues to love to travel with her family for pleasure and short-term mission trips. She is an avid reader, particularly enjoying history, good literature and books on Christian living. Married in 1992, Jen & her husband, Greg, are actively involved in their church and ministry in the community.

(2023-24) Tammy Hoffman: Hands-On World History

Growing up in Mint, Hill, NC, Tammy has had the opportunity to live in a variety of places, but NC has always been home. She earned her BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Before the blessing of marriage and children, she taught elementary classes in public and private schools, and both adult and high school English language classes. The Hoffman Family homeschool adventure began in 2013 while living in a small town in Louisiana with few homeschool enrichment opportunities available. In turn, they connected with some other homeschool families and started their own tiny little Co-Op where she taught hands-on math for littles, music and movement, and PE. Tammy also enjoyed teaching enrichment Spanish classes at a local Montessori School. Over the years, she has discovered a love for history and reading about how God has always been at work in our world and creation. When not homeschooling her two teenaged sons, she enjoys reading, knitting or quilting and enjoying the great outdoors. The homeschooling journey has been a joy for Tammy and is excited about this new venture with Level-Up Tutorials.

(2023-24) Clay Broussard: American & World History

Clay has a BA in Economics from the University of Texas and a MA in Religious Studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC. He has spent over 30 years in the professional world as a sales and operations leader in the IT Services Industry. Currently, he is the Supply Chain Executive at DXC Technology. He is passionate about Freedom, Education, Christianity, History, Economics and Politics and has taken an active role in teaching his own children as well as others. Mr. Broussard has eight (ages 11-27) children and 6 grandchildren and counting with his beloved wife of 28-plus years, Stacy. He has served as a pastor, elder, and men’s ministry leader in various churches as well as taught numerous small group Bible studies and lay-seminary classes in a large church setting. He is currently attending Providence City Church in Charlotte. While living in North Carolina for 21 years (14 in Raleigh) and falling in love with the state he now calls home, he is and forever will be, a Texan!

Ellen Lingo: Art 1 & 2

Matthew Bonner: Government/Economics

Bio coming soon!