lyndon academy

Meet Our Faculty & Staff

Linda Murdock

Head of School

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Lycoming College, State University of New York

  • Years of Experience: 51

Dr. Dwight Pullen

Assistant Head of School

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s, Specialist, Doctorate

  • Auburn University, University of Georgia, Central Michigan University

  • Years of Experience: 42

Peter Murdock

COO & CFO

Dawn Schooley

Director of Admissions

Dr. Shelly Boardman

Director of Student Affairs

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate

  • James Madison University, University of Georgia

  • Years of Experience: 36

“People often say, “I’ll be happy when…” Being happy does not mean to always get what you want. Happiness comes when you love what you have and you are grateful for it.”

“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”

– Mark Twain

“Live life by laughing a lot, dreaming big … when you fall, get up and run faster. Life is not about me, it’s about the people that surround me.”

“Our job is not to prepare students for something. Our job is to help students prepare themselves for anything.”

– A.J Julianin

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Linda Murdock

Head of School

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Lycoming College, State University of New York

  • Years of Experience: 51

“People often say, “I’ll be happy when…” Being happy does not mean to always get what you want. Happiness comes when you love what you have and you are grateful for it.”

Dr. Dwight Pullen

Assistant Head of School

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s, Specialist, Doctorate

  • Auburn University, University of Georgia, Central Michigan University

  • Years of Experience: 42

“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”

– Mark Twain

Peter Murdock

COO & CFO

“Live life by laughing a lot, dreaming big … when you fall, get up and run faster. Life is not about me, it’s about the people that surround me.”

Dawn Schooley

Director of Admissions

“Our job is not to prepare students for something. Our job is to help students prepare themselves for anything.”

– A.J Julianin

Dr. Shelly Boardman

Director of Student Affairs

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate

  • James Madison University, University of Georgia

  • Years of Experience: 36

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Laura Dollar

Director of Student Activities

Myah Dickerson

Director of Performing Arts

  • Bachelor’s in music education

  • Reinhardt University

  • Years of Experience: 1

Kevin Rein

Athletic Director & Math Teacher

Eric Burin

History Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • The Bowling Green State University, Kennesaw State University

  • Years of Experience: 18

Cameron Chiostergi

Math & PE Teacher

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach them to learn by creating curiosity, they will continue the learning process as long as they live.”

– Clay P. Bedford

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

– Confucius

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out a way to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

-Michael Jordan

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”

– Tim Duncan

“Choosing to be an educator is choosing to be a perennial optimist. You’re buying into the future. You’re playing a part in the foundation of the lives of your students”

Laura Dollar

Director of Student Activities

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out a way to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

-Michael Jordan

Myah Dickerson

Director of Performing Arts

  • Bachelor’s in music education

  • Reinhardt University

  • Years of Experience: 1

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach them to learn by creating curiosity, they will continue the learning process as long as they live.”

– Clay P. Bedford

Kevin Rein

Athletic Director & Math Teacher

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”

– Tim Duncan

Eric Burin

History Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • The Bowling Green State University, Kennesaw State University

  • Years of Experience: 18

“Choosing to be an educator is choosing to be a perennial optimist. You’re buying into the future. You’re playing a part in the foundation of the lives of your students”

Cameron Chiostergi

Math & PE Teacher

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

– Confucius

Sue Coll

Junior Kindergarten Teacher

  • Working towards Bachelor’s

  • Liceo de Artes en Puerto Rico

  • Years of Experience: 20

Janet Gillam

Language Arts Teacher

Tracey Gunter-Rosen

Technology Teacher

Christine Hill

Math Teacher

Diana Dowd

Mandarin Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Kennesaw State University

  • Years of Experience: 16

“No one should have to choose one language and culture over the other because having both is undeniably better than having just one.”

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”

– John Locke

“Live as if you were going to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”

– Mahatma Gandhi

“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.”

– Bob Talbert

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to person excellence.”

– Confucius

Sue Coll

Junior Kindergarten Teacher

  • Working towards Bachelor’s

  • Liceo de Artes en Puerto Rico

  • Years of Experience: 20

“No one should have to choose one language and culture over the other because having both is undeniably better than having just one.”

Janet Gillam

Language Arts Teacher

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”

– John Locke

Tracey Gunter-Rosen

Technology Teacher

“Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.”

– Steve Jobs

Christine Hill

Math Teacher

“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.”

– Bob Talbert

Diana Dowd

Mandarin Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Kennesaw State University

  • Years of Experience: 16

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to person excellence.”

– Confucius

Cindy LaSalle

Business Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Montana Tech, University of Montana

  • Years of Experience: 18

Nancy Lee

Mandarin Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Thomas Jefferson University, University of Pennsylvania

  • Years of Experience: 23

Amanda Lough

Math Teacher

Janice Placanica

Science Teacher

Goldie Robinson

Art Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Yeshiva University, Columbia University

  • Years of Experience: 11

“No child left behind.”

– Montana’s Office of Public Instruction’s policy

“People at birth are naturally good. Their natures are similar; their habits become different.  If, negligently, not taught, their nature deteriorates. The right way to teach, is with absolute concentration … Jade that has not been polished cannot be used. Person that has not studied cannot know righteousness.”

– Three-Character Classic poem by Wang Yinglin

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

– Benjamin Franklin

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

– Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

“Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.”

– Sydney Gurewitz Clemens

Cindy LaSalle

Business Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Montana Tech, University of Montana

  • Years of Experience: 18

“No child left behind.”

– Montana’s Office of Public Instruction’s policy

Nancy Lee

Mandarin Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Thomas Jefferson University, University of Pennsylvania

  • Years of Experience: 23

“People at birth are naturally good. Their natures are similar; their habits become different.  If, negligently, not taught, their nature deteriorates. The right way to teach, is with absolute concentration … Jade that has not been polished cannot be used. Person that has not studied cannot know righteousness.”

– Three-Character Classic poem by Wang Yinglin

Amanda Lough

Math Teacher

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

– Benjamin Franklin

Janice Placanica

Science Teacher

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

– Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Goldie Robinson

Art Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Yeshiva University, Columbia University

  • Years of Experience: 11

“Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.”

– Sydney Gurewitz Clemens

Bobbie Spamer

Social Studies Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Piedmont University, Georgia Southern University

  • Years of Experience: 3

Denise Stanford

Science Teacher

Kelly Webb

Language Arts Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Mercer University, Walden University

  • Years of Experience: 22

Nicole Zerr

Kindergarten Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • University of North Georgia, University of Georgia

  • Years of Experience: 12

Karen Bird

Paraprofessional

“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”

– Oprah Winfrey

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

– Albert Einstein

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go!”

– Dr. Seuss

“The strength of our student relationships makes the difference in translating our passion for teaching into their passion for learning.”

– Beth Morrow 

“I want to be that teacher that when my children look back on their education they feel love in their hearts, have a smile on their face and can truly say they knew I cared.”

Bobbie Spamer

Social Studies Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Piedmont University, Georgia Southern University

  • Years of Experience: 3

“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”

– Oprah Winfrey

Denise Stanford

Science Teacher

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

– Albert Einstein

Kelly Webb

Language Arts Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • Mercer University, Walden University

  • Years of Experience: 22

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go!”

– Dr. Seuss

Nicole Zerr

Kindergarten Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • University of North Georgia, University of Georgia

  • Years of Experience: 12

“The strength of our student relationships makes the difference in translating our passion for teaching into their passion for learning.”

– Beth Morrow 

Karen Bird

Paraprofessional

“I want to be that teacher that when my children look back on their education they feel love in their hearts, have a smile on their face and can truly say they knew I cared.”

Sandy Delenick

English Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • McDaniel College/Loyola College

  • Years of Experience: 44

Tara Heimberger

Psychology Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • University of North Georgia, Georgia College & State University

  • Years of Experience: 3

Giselle Fresnillo

Enrichment Teacher

  • Currently working towards my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education.

  • Years of Experience: 5 years’ experience in Early Childhood.

William Starr

Spanish Teacher

  • Masters Christian Apologetics

  • Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

  • Years of Experience: 6

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.”

-Helen Keller

“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”

– Dolly Parton

“I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God’s help I shall succeed”

– Vincent Van Gogh

“The Righteous may fall seven times and rise again.”

Sandy Delenick

English Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • McDaniel College/Loyola College

  • Years of Experience: 44

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.”

-Helen Keller

Tara Heimberger

Psychology Teacher

  • Bachelor’s, Master’s

  • University of North Georgia, Georgia College & State University

  • Years of Experience: 3

“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”

– Dolly Parton

Giselle Fresnillo

Enrichment Teacher

  • Currently working towards my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education.

  • Years of Experience: 5 years’ experience in Early Childhood.

“I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God’s help I shall succeed”

– Vincent Van Gogh

William Starr

Spanish Teacher

  • Masters Christian Apologetics

  • Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

  • Years of Experience: 6

“The Righteous may fall seven times and rise again.”

Schedule A Tour

At Lyndon Academy we believe immersion is the best way to learn. And that holds true if you are considering joining the Lyndon Academy family. That is why we offer tours that allow you to see our students and faculty in action. We want you to immerse yourself in the Lyndon way so that you might get a small taste of the amazing experiences that happen within our walls.