Liberty Oaks Academy - Elementary team

 Kathy Stanton is a graduate of Columbia International University and  earned dual degrees in Bible and Elementary Education. She taught 2nd grade in Pelion, SC for 4 years and 3rd grade in Clover, SC for 5 years.  After the birth of her first daughter, she stayed at home and  homeschooled for 17 years. During that time, she also directed a  homeschool co-op here in Anderson. 

 Kathy and her family moved to the Anderson area in 2006. She has been married to Danny for 25+ years and they have two daughters, Emily and Maddy, both at Anderson University. The family has 2 dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and a leopard gecko. She loves reading, crocheting, spending  time with family, and Diet Coke. 

Mrs. Stanton is super excited to be teaching K5 at Liberty Oaks this  year and is looking forward to meeting all her students!

Andrea is a graduate of Clemson University with Bachelor's degrees in History and Education.  

After college, she worked with Anderson District One in several capacities, from Kindergarten to Middle School.  She also has experience teaching at Trinity Methodist Preschool in the PreK program.  She has been with Learn Upstate since the fall of 2020 where she has taught K - 2nd grade.

Andrea is mom to Finley and Adalynn, and her furry, four-legged Golden, Max.  She is a huge Clemson fan, a lover of all things PINK, and cookie dough is her Jam!

She is looking forward to start the new year at Liberty Oaks!

This is Dana McElreath’s 2nd year at LOA and she says, “there is no other place I would rather be.”  

She has a degree in Elementary Education from Lander University, and she used her degree in several different settings.  She's taught in public school, homeschooled her own children, and taught Theater for Co-op classes. Further, she spent six years as the Office Manager at Electric City Playhouse, while also assisting with youth theater. Most importantly for this role, she has been involved in various aspects of theater, both on and offstage, for 20 years. 

She is excited to get to know, and work, with her students.  “We are going to have a fun year!”

Toni Gonzales, or Mrs. G., is a graduate of Longwood University in Virginia and earned a Bachelors in English, with a concentration in Secondary Education.  She has a diverse teaching background, having taught high school English, preschool for ages 3 and 4, served as a kindergarten assistant, and worked with intervention students in language arts and math in elementary schools in both Virginia and South Carolina.
 

Toni and her husband moved to South Carolina after he completed his military career.  She has one daughter, who lives out of state, along with two dogs and chickens. They moved south to be closer to their family and they love being here. She also loves coffee, reading, puzzles and their church. 
 

Mrs. G is very excited about teaching at Liberty Oaks Academy and the upcoming school year. 

Mrs. Henderson is a graduate of Ball State University with Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary and Special Education.  She brings with her 20 years of classroom experience, having taught in Illinois, Indiana and  South Carolina.  Most recently she taught an Upper Elementary  classroom for a Montessori school.  

Jeanie is married to her husband Bud and they have twins, Greyson and Thomas, who are currently in middle school.  She loves working in her garden, reading way past her bedtime, traveling, and spending time with her people.  

She is looking forward to an exciting year being back in the classroom at Liberty Oaks!

Mrs. Coker has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Erskine College and a Masters in Teaching from Clemson University.  She has been teaching for 40 years, with 36 of those years spent teaching in Anderson District Five. 

Mrs. Coker and her husband Buddy, lifelong residents of Anderson, have been married for 35+ years.  They have two grown children, Chas and Molly.  They have four amazing grandchildren: Jude, Clark, Kennedy and Mary Allen.  Mrs. Coker enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren in her spare time. 

Courtney is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Psychology and Child Development. She has 17 years experience in the education field serving in various teaching roles; most recently serving as a regional director overseeing preschools in the Upstate. 

 She and her husband Kenny reside in Clemson with their four children: Tripp, Connelly, Emerson, and Grady, all of whom attend Liberty Oaks. In her free time, Mrs. Jackson loves reading, the  outdoors, and cooking. 

 She is excited about the opportunity to teach Elementary Science and serve as Development Director.  "It's going to be a fantastic year!" 

Ansley Burke graduated from Anderson University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Minor in Music. She is a former public school teacher who taught 5th grade Math and Science in Spartanburg District Five and 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade English Language Arts and Math {Gifted and Talented} in Anderson District Five.  She is excited to be teaching 6th Grade Math, 7th Grade Pre-Algebra, and High School Consumer Math/Finance. 

Ansley and her husband Jason have been married for a little over fifteen years and have one son, Sullivan, who attends Liberty Oaks as well. 

Her husband is the current Head Baseball Coach at Lander University. He has also coached at Wofford College and Gardner-Webb University. Our son, Sullivan, plays travel baseball with the Palmetto Patriots, and also plays for the TL Hanna High School Baseball C-team.  "To say we are a baseball family is an understatement." 

Linda Clipperton teaches middle school Language Arts and high school Spanish for Liberty Oaks.  Mrs. Clipperton completed her Bachelor’s degree, graduating magna cum laude, in Education, with a minor in English from Bob Jones University in 1988.  In 1999, she earned a Spanish certification from Rio Grande Bible and Language Institute as she lived in Argentina for four years.

Mrs. Clipperton taught Spanish I and II, middle school and high school Language Arts, and Resource Math for 3 and a half years at Easley Christian School.  She spent another year tutoring various ages in English as a Second Language, Spanish, middle school Math, Literature, and Reading Comprehension for Core Languages.  

Linda homeschooled all four of her children and all have gone on to attend college.  She particularly enjoys the middle school students as she can watch them grow and mature. During her free time, Linda enjoys singing, playing the piano, learning new words, reading novels, and petting her cat Speckles. 

 Stephen Tilson graduated from Southern Wesleyan University with a B.S. in Business Administration. He also graduated from North Georgia Technical College with a two-year degree in Machine Tool Technology.

He worked for several years as a Senior CNC Machinist/Programmer, a Continuous Improvement Specialist, and a Supervisor in the Aerospace Industry. Moreover, Mr. Tilson has served in the ministry for 17 years, and in 2021 became Pastor if a church in Oconee County, SC. 

On top of that, he emphatically declares that teaching and instructing young people to be the most gratifying. He loves providing an engaging learning environment where young men and women are inspired to explore the world of mathematics. Mr. Tilson spends his summer break teaching at youth camps with the purpose of preparing young people to make a Godly difference in the world.

Mr. Tilson is married and has 3 children of his own. 

Mrs. Willoughby graduated from Lander University with a degree in Elementary Education and a Masters in Technology Education. She has over 34 years of teaching experience and has spent the last 15 years teaching science at Calhoun Academy of the Arts. 

Mrs. Willoughby is married to Rev. Scotty Willoughby. Together they pastor the Lowndesville Pentecostal Holiness Church where she is involved in youth ministry. They have two sons and live on Lake Secession. Mrs. Willoughby enjoys spending time with her family and friends. 

She is very excited about being your child’s science teacher. Her goal is to provide your child with unique learning experiences that will inspire them to inquire and seek out answers for themselves.

Mrs. Buczko teaches English to our middle school students and brings a  wealth of experience and passion to her role. Originally from Alabama,  she has lived in various states with her retired Army husband and their  three children, one of whom is in college,  while the other two are here at Liberty Oaks.

In addition to her teaching, Mrs. Buczko is an active board member at  Electric City Playhouse, where she frequently performs on stage. Her  involvement in theatre not only enriches her own life but also informs  her classroom approach, integrating dramatic  techniques to enhance students' engagement and understanding of  literature.

With a diverse background that spans both public and private  education, Mrs. Buczko has held various roles throughout her career. Her  journey includes homeschooling her own children, where she taught  English and Writing in cooperative settings. Prior to  joining LOA, she worked as a writer and editor for an SEO company from  home.

Committed to lifelong learning, Mrs. Buczko is currently pursuing  additional education to incorporate a Literature component into an  English degree. She is dedicated to fostering confidence in her  students' reading and writing abilities and values collaboration  with parents to support each child's academic growth.

Mrs. Atkins is a graduate from Anderson University. There she studied Art and Christian Studies. This will be her first year teaching, but she has worked with children through tutoring and nanny positions for many years! She found a love for history through her Art History classes and church history classes at AU. In these classes, history came to life through philosophy and paintings. 

In May, Mrs. Atkins married her wonderful husband Nathan. They met through a campus ministry at Anderson University, fell in love, and  settled in the city of Anderson. Mrs. Atkins loves reading, trying new  restaurants, and coaching volleyball with the Anderson Cavaliers!  

She is so excited to be teaching a love of all of her favorite things to students at Liberty Oaks!

Karen is a graduate of Erskine College, where she earned a degree in Mathematics. She also obtained a Master's in Mathematics Education from Clemson University. Furthermore, she received a second Master's in Leadership and Supervision from Anderson University, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from Clemson University.

She worked as a mathematics teacher for three years at Belton Honea Path High School and then stayed out for a year when she had her daughter. Karen then went back into the classroom and taught at Palmetto High School for 9 years. She completed the last 19 years of teaching at T. L. Hanna High School. Karen was the assistant principal of instruction her last three years before retiring from the state. 

She’s been spending her time with her two grandsons since retiring. Karen and her husband Paul have lived in the Anderson area since they married 35 years ago. They have two children and two grandsons. Karen loves spending time with her grandsons and reading. 

Karen is excited to be teaching Algebra 1 and Geometry this year!

Mrs. Sizemore is a Graduate of Presbyterian College, earning her Bachelor of Arts in English and Minor in Political Science.  She then attended Converse College and pursued a Master of Education. 

Mrs. Sizemore worked in Sales, Marketing, and as a Recruiter. 

Mrs. Sizemore is married to Dr. Kent Sizemore. She has 7 children and homeschooled 5 of them. She loves reading, gardening, and crafting. 

She is passionate about teaching literature, writing, speech and government. 

Dr. Sizemore teaches Anatomy and Physiology at Liberty Oaks. He is a pediatrician and also teaches as an adjunct professor at Anderson University. 

Dr. Sizemore is married to Stacie Sizemore and they have 7 children. His three youngest children attend Liberty Oaks in the Middle and High School. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking and soccer. He "hopes the wonders of the intelligent design of our bodies will amaze the students as much as it continually amazes him!" 

Chrissy Cox attended Toccoa Falls College to study Missions. She has worked with children for over 20 years in different capacities including teaching preschool, Co-Director for after school care, and Elementary Aide for the last 8 years. 

Chrissy is originally from Florida and has lived in Anderson for 20+ years. She is married to Mike and they have 4 children & a son-in-law; Sophia & her husband, Grayson, Kellett, Mary Eva, and Whit. They also have several pets, including a cocker spaniel, 2 cats, and a horse. 

Chrissy homeschooled her oldest 2 children for several years when they were younger, and she is excited to be back in the homeschooling community with her younger two children. 

In her spare time, she loves to read, go to the beach, watch old movies, and shop for antiques. 

Mrs. Anspach graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, obtaining her degree in Middle Grades Education with a minor in History.  She has 9 years of diverse classroom experience, having taught in the Public, Magnet, and Charter school settings. Her specialty is Project Based Learning and STEM curriculum. 

Mrs. Anspach is a military spouse with two children, and her husband Andrew is a Captain in the United States Air Force. The military life has afforded Mrs. Anspach and her family the opportunity to live in several regions of the United States. As a result, she’s taught in North Carolina, South Carolina and Nevada.  Furthermore, she loves to travel and loves all things Disney. 

Mrs. Anspach is very excited for the upcoming school year and looks forward to working with the Liberty Oaks' families!

 Born and raised in California, Mrs. Morris is a graduate of Evergreen Valley College and furthered her studies in Early Childhood Education at San Jose State University. She has been educating children  for nearly 20 years in public, private, and homeschool settings. 

Mrs. Morris and her husband, Ben, have been married 15+ years and have 1 daughter-Kylie and 4 sons-Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zachariah, and Josiah.  Three of them attend Liberty Oaks. 

In her spare time, she has learned the art of making sourdough bread and her family enjoys eating it. She also designs shirts, earrings  and loves to do all kinds of fun crafts. She and her family are  actively involved at NewSpring Church. 

 Renee is a retired Special Education teacher with 29 years of classroom experience. 

She graduated from the University of Georgia with a  bachelor's degree in Special Education. She later earned her master's degree in Divergent Learning from Columbia College.

Renee  is married to Brad, and they have one son, Eli. They also have a crazy Boston terrier, Blueberry, and a sweet cat, Kitty. Renee loves to read, to the point that Brad and Eli get a little nervous when they see that  she's nearing the end of her current book. She also loves spending time outdoors, enjoying God's awesome creation. She especially enjoys her  backyard birds.

Renee feels blessed to be part of the Liberty Oaks team, and looks forward to seeing how many ways she can help! 

Mrs. Vereb is a graduate of Jefferson State Community College of Alabama where she earned an Associate’s of Arts in Office Administration. Dawn began her career in the medical field and spent several years working as a patient access representative before her husband’s job relocated their family to Alabama in 2016. It is there where she attended college and worked at Urology Centers of Alabama. 

An opportunity presented itself and she began homeschooling their two daughters. This is what inspired her to pursue a career in education. In 2021, her family returned to SC and she began working at Liberty Oaks as a teachers aide. 

She resides in Anderson with her husband, 2 daughters (Natalie and Jillian), and their 2 dogs. 

She enjoys being able to be a part of your students academic journey and watching them grow!

Lucy is a Nursing student at Anderson University.

She is originally from Northern Ireland, where she lived for 9 years before moving to the UK. Lucy and her family moved to the United States 5 years ago and now live in Simpsonville, SC. 

Lucy Graduated from JL Mann High School in May 2023.