Our Educators
At Excelsior Academy, we are committed to a Christian and rigorous education that grounds students in unchanging principles, guided by a faculty devoted to academic excellence and spiritual maturity.
Pastor Kevin Skogen
Theology
Pastor Kevin Skogen has served as pastor of Sandhills Presbyterian Church since 2010. He received his theological training at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. Pastor Skogen is committed to faithful, Christ-centered preaching, shepherding the local church, and grounding the life of the congregation in Scripture and Reformed theology.
Will Thomas
Finance
Will Thomas is a deacon of Sandhills Presbyterian Church, a husband, and a father of 4, and they are expecting their 5th. He is a Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor, and Senior Portfolio Manager with The Thomas Group at Merrill. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation and earned his degree in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he played Division I college golf.
Charlie Proulx
Automotive
Charlie Proulx is an elder of Sandhills Presbyterian Church. He attended Sandhills Community College and worked as a master Ford and ASE technician for 34 years at Bill Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury. Mr. Proulx is now in his 11th year teaching at Sandhills Community College where he teaches all aspects of light duty vehicles.
Dana Skogen
Reading
Dana Skogen is the wife of Pastor Kevin Skogen of Sandhills Presbyterian Church. They have been married for 39 years and are the parents of six grown children and thirty grandchildren. Mrs. Skogen homeschooled all of her children, including the two youngest through high school. In 2005, she founded Classical Beginnings, a Classical Christian grammar school on Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Under her leadership, the school grew from kindergarten through sixth grade before the family moved to the Sandhills in 2009. Mrs. Skogen later served four years on the board of Sandhills Classical Christian School before returning to teaching when Covenant Prep opened. She is the school’s longest-serving faculty member.
Reuben Jansen
HIstory, Literature, Music, Latin, Math
Reuben Jansen is a deacon of Sandhills Presbyterian Church and serves as the church’s choir and orchestra director. He received his Bachelor of Arts from New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. He is the author of the Picta Dicta Latin Primer and Latin Grammar series, which are used in over 100 classical Christian schools. Reuben began his classical music education at age nine and studied cello performance for nearly a decade. He and his wife, Annie, are the parents of six children and are expecting their seventh.
Dr. Glen S. Fisher
Pyschology
Dr. Glen S. Fisher is an elder of Sandhills Presbyterian church. He is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel with over 18 years of experience consulting for Department of Defense Special Mission Units. He specializes in the assessment and selection of military and civilian personnel for high-risk missions.
Guest Speakers (Entrepreneurs’ Class)
Nathan Spearing
Guest Speaker – Entrepreneurs’ Class
Nathan Spearing is a former U.S. Army special operations leader with 14 years of service, including assignments with the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions and 12 combat deployments. After leaving the military in 2016, he founded a bespoke construction company and built a financially independent real-estate portfolio. Nathan is the host of the Life on Target podcast, where he teaches personal agency, leadership, and disciplined ownership in work, family, and life.
Leigh Bortins
Guest Speaker – Entrepreneurs’ Class
Leigh Bortins is the founder of Classical Conversations, an international Christian education organization serving families worldwide. She holds both a B.S. and an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. In 1997, she founded Classical Conversations to equip parents to direct their children’s education using a classical, Christ-centered model rooted in the trivium. Leigh is the author of The Core and The Question and frequently speaks on classical education and homeschooling.
Robert Bortins
Guest Speaker – Entrepreneurs’ Class
Robert Bortins is the Chief Executive Officer of Classical Conversations, the world’s largest classical homeschooling organization. Home educated by his mother, founder Leigh Bortins, Robert was among the first students in what became the Challenge program. He earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University in 2006 and worked in industry before returning to Classical Conversations in 2011. Appointed CEO in 2012, he has led the organization through more than 300% growth and multiple Best Christian Workplace certifications.