Middle & High School Mentors

Mr. Raffa was drawn to John Adams Academy’s Vision and Mission of Restoring America’s Heritage by developing servant-leaders. Mr. DeFaria loves being part of the John Adams Academy online team preparing this new generation, under these values, for the future.

The joy of life is the joy of learning, and Stephanie Sorensen brings that infectious enthusiasm into the classroom. Her natural curiosity and sense of wonder infuse every aspect of her teaching, inspiring scholars to authentically question and explore the world around them...

I am very excited to be at John Adams Academy this year. I take my role as a teacher seriously, and I am committed to assisting you and the school community in supporting your scholar's academic success. Math is all around us: in nature, when shopping at the store, while listening to our favorite music, playing video games, participating in sports, and much more. We just need to take the time to discover it...

Jennifer Hobbs has loved science since she was little. Mrs. Hobbs earned a Clear Single Subject Science Teaching Credential with an emphasis in Earth Science while teaching science to middle school students in California. Additionally, she earned a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from California State University, Sacramento...

Mrs. Brace has a love and passion for High School Chemistry and Physics and looks forward to guiding scholars through the wonder and beauty of both and helping scholars enjoy and appreciate the truth we can understand through them...

Mr. Simon is a huge advocate for the online program because it allows parents to exercise their natural right to educate their child, while also providing helpful resources for parents to use. 

Mr. Morgan deeply loves history, especially American history, and is an avid reader. His favorite classic novel is Animal Farm, as he loves the beauty of the metaphor and the clarity of its message.

As a poet and an educator, Mrs. Umlas knows the power that is inherent in studying the classics and will guide scholars in a learning adventure that will encourage their development into servant leaders.

Mr. Haymond holds a master’s degree in Education and Instructional Technology and is thrilled to be a part of the JAA family of schools that focuses on changing hearts and minds, inspiring a love of liberty, developing a self-governing citizenship—all through the greatest and most relevant books of all times. 

Mr. Jensen has extensive experience with the classics and has a great love for reading deeply from those classics.

Dr. Meeks believes that every scholar can be successful, fall in love with learning, and has the capacity to do amazing things in their life. Speaking greatly can change the world even today as it has so many other times in history. You will feel Dr. Meeks' enthusiasm as you go on the journey of speech and current evens in this class...

Mrs. Sanders loves that John Adams Academy focuses on developing servant leaders.  To lead is to serve.

Mrs. Mary D’Amour teaches biology to secondary scholars at JAA-Online. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Science from California State University, Sacramento, and her master’s degree in Teaching Science from Western Governors University in Utah...

Ms. Milius is an experienced artist who is excited to teach your scholars drawing and observation techniques. “Every artist has thousands of bad drawings in them and the only way to get rid of them is to draw them out.” ~ Chuck Jones

Dr. Andrew D. Carico serves as a Mentor Teacher at John Adams Academy and as an instructor with the John Adams Academy Online program. From 2021 to 2024, he served as the Headmaster of the John Adams Academy-El Dorado Hills campus. Dr. Carico has a profound love for classical education and its transformative role in shaping individual lives and safeguarding American liberty...