Faculty & Staff

919-977-8811 ext. 102 

I am husband to my wonderful wife, Rebekah, and the father of five amazing children, and I have been a part of Iron Academy long before it even had a name. I have taught many classes at IA and I serve as the school’s principal. I am also a veteran of the US Air Force and I have been teaching for over 30 years.  I enjoy travelling with my family, dates with my teen daughter, and of course with my wife. I also relish father/son trips with our sons, absolutely anything that involves learning, and the simple, but life changing truths of Scripture. I am also an avid photographer; and as such, I am thankful that the Lord provides glimpses of HIS wonderful attributes throughout HIS Creation, so that I may capture them to the best of my ability. I am honored to be a part of the educational journey of the young men at Iron Academy as we partner with their parents to lead them to Christ.

Some of my favorite books are: The Cost of Discipleship, The Pursuit of God, Life Together, The Sovereignty of God,  Habits of the Household, How Now Shall We Live, The Reason for God, Return of the God Hypothesis

919-977-8811 Ext. 105 

I am married to Nick and we have 4 children, 3 sons and 1 daughter. Our oldest son is an Iron Academy graduate and our other 2 sons are current students. Our daughter, of course, attends a different school, but benefits greatly from Iron Academy by having brothers who are learning how to be gentlemen and treat her accordingly. I have been involved in church ministry, missions, and youth discipleship for over 15 years. I love traveling, cooking, baking, and listening to music. 

My rolls at Iron Academy include admissions & enrollment, event planning, communications, app & website management, and senior year activities.

Fun Fact: Mr. Hahn and Mr. Anderson were teachers of mine in high school! After earning two degrees and a bit of traveling, I returned to Raleigh and loved hearing about the mission of Iron Academy. It was and is truly an honor to partner with the staff and parents in training up this generation of young men to genuinely love and lead in service to the Lord. I first worked for IA from the fall of 2017 through the spring of 2019. After living in another state for a few years, I again moved back to Raleigh and back to Iron Academy.

I graduated from Grace College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Counseling and from Liberty University with a Master of Education degree for School Counseling. I was first drawn to the counseling field, because I loved the idea of building one on one relationships with students. The Lord has guided me to now pursue teaching and discipleship as a part of my passion for watching students grow and develop. I have taught in various capacities and in various subject areas for a total of 8 years.

I have a son, Barrett, who adds so much joy and light to my life. God has been so good to us, and I can hardly believe that Barrett gets the opportunity to look up to the wonderful young men and staff at Iron Academy.

When I’m not teaching or following behind my toddler, I love going to the beach, camping and hiking, learning new artsy and creative skills, getting sucked into a good movie, or traveling to learn and experience new cultures. I attribute my love of reading and history to my mom. She was also a teacher and always used books to make historical places come to life when we vacationed growing up. I count it as a privilege that I get to bring these young men on a journey through different lands and periods of time through literature!

It has been my honor teach the young men of Iron Academy since the spring of 2023. Before the Lord called me to become a teacher in Christian education, I had worked in factories, kitchens, on farms, as an ice cream truck driver, in stock rooms, and even as an aircraft mechanic. My degree is in English with a minor in Christian Ethics from The College at Southeastern (Judson College). The subjects I teach are high school literature and eighth grade English Language Arts, and I incorporate Christian philosophy and ethics throughout. My goal is to teach our young men to think critically about the literature and media we create and consume so that they may approach the culture with wisdom and discernment.

In 2013, I married the love of my life, Addie, and together we have three excessively beautiful and good-looking children: Ashur, Gideon, and Adalia. Our favorite activities are gaming, reading, and being with our church, Faith Baptist in Youngsville. We have lived in Franklinton since the summer of 2024.

My favorite book? So glad you asked; C.S. Lewis’s Perelandra. Favorite poem? Poe’s “Eldorado” for most of the week, but Paradise Lost if you’re willing to call an epic just a “poem.” Favorite film? Sergio Leonne’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” if you can find it.

I graduated in 2019 from William Peace University with a degree in Psychology and Religious Studies. I recently earned my Master’s in Divinity degree from Campbell University Divinity School. In addition to my teaching position at Iron Academy, I serve part-time with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as the Chaplain at William Peace University. I enjoy the opportunities I have to disciple my students and watch them grow into gentlemen who “live pure, speak true, right wrong, and follow The King”. 

My entrance into secondary education stems from failing to engage or to be engaged in my education until well after high school. I became a teacher hoping my students would be engaged and learn to be engaging.

From dull corporate headquarters to life in the beautiful Venezuelan Andes, working in federal prison, teaching in San Francisco, framing houses, working as a hostage negotiator, writing my doctoral dissertation in education, marrying as an immature young man, accepting Christ in 1999, and starting a school focused on biblical manhood, my own education has been a charming journey. In God’s grace and reflective of His sense of humor, He has granted me the great privilege of being a teacher. I am fortunate to have a patient, loving wife, and two children genuinely pursuing their own calls to discipleship. I attend The Summit Church at Capital Hills.

I grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California. I earned a BS in Business Administration and Marketing from California State University Chico, then moved to Silicon Valley. My career includes various roles in customer support, tech support, child advocacy, and education. Outside of work I love serving at church, travel and reading. I married my college sweetheart, Chad, and we have been married for 23 years. We have two adopted children, a college freshman and a high school junior at Iron Academy. We also have 2 rescue mutts, a husky mix and a pit mix. I feel blessed to serve at Iron Academy as it is such an impactful ministry.

I am thrilled to be a teacher at Iron Academy. I am originally from the great state of Texas, but I’ve spent much of my life in Eastern Europe. My growing up overseas formed my love for history. It gave me the opportunity to visit the places most people only get to read about. I have been married to my beautiful wife, Nayab, since March ‘23. This May we welcomed our sweet baby girl, Eliza, into the world. I graduated with a BA in international relations from Liberty University and an MDiv in Ethics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. My wife and I serve at First Baptist Church Durham.  I am also a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, college football, and the San Antonio Spurs.

A few of my favorite things:

Movies: The Lord of the Rings, The Irony of Fate

Books: Russian literature, Tolkien and Lewis, East of Eden, and presidential biographies 

Food: bread and soup, tacos, Texas BBQ, and my wife’s Pakistani cooking

Activities: hiking, traveling, cooking, reading, playing soccer, and enjoying a fire with loved ones

919-977-8811 ext 103

Growing up in an athletic family and participating in every sport available to me, I've had the concept of teamwork and fair play sewn into my character. A wrestling scholarship to North Carolina State University brought me from Minnesota to Raleigh, North Carolina.

I've coached multiple sports for over 40 years, which, through God's plan, led me to Iron Academy where I currently coach wrestling and cross country. I have a passion for mentoring and serving and IA's mission provides the perfect opportunity to build truly biblical men. Developing, and working with, our student leadership team is a calling that I fully believe will help strengthen our culture. In my P.E. classes I pride myself in teaching leadership and life lessons while teaching new skills and activities.

I can usually be caught singing or humming and I have a daily mission to make others laugh. I do like to read history and leadership books; notably the Bill O’Reilly series, God Wrestler, and Extreme Leadership.

Becky, my wife of over 30 years, 2 grown children, and a dog share this ride with me. We also share a love of camping, hiking, kayaking, bowling, and the S.F. 49ers!

Favorite Verse: Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I have been on staff at Iron Academy since 2021. I teach Middle School History and Bible, and I am also the Middle School Basketball Coach and Golf Coach. I graduated from NC State University. I have lived in the Raleigh area for my entire life, and I am an active member of The Summit Church. I enjoy watching sports, being outdoors, playing golf, and grilling. My favorite place that I have traveled is Warsaw, Poland, and if I could go anywhere in the world, it would be Scotland, the home of golf.

My favorite books include: To Kill a Mockingbird, My Side of the Mountain, 1984, And Then There Were None, Holiness by J.C. Ryle, and The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman.

I grew up in a strong Christian home with parents that taught and displayed Christ's love for me. It was revealed to me at an early age that accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior was the only path to salvation (John 14:6). I have dedicated my entire life to the mission of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and am excited to be at Iron Academy serving Him. 

I have been in Christian education for over 15 years and I have over 10 years of experience as a pastor.

I enjoy spending time in the mountains with my wife and daughter. I have a BS and MS from NC State University and an M.Div from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I am very excited that the Lord has me at Iron Academy! I have been married to my beautiful wife, Cassie, since 2017. We have one son, Jaxon, who is a blessing and an absolute joy, in addition to a host of four-legged children. I received my B.S. in Meteorology from North Carolina State University in 2016 and received my M.S. in Meteorology from Iowa State University in 2021. I enjoy learning more about God through studying His creation, and I love teaching math and science at Iron Academy!

My favorite activities include practically any sport, music, and spending time in fruitful conversation, intentionally learning more about the people around me. My favorite movie series is The Lord of the Rings trilogy and my favorite movie soundtrack is practically anything from Howard Shore, John Williams, and Hans Zimmer.

Favorite Verse: Psalm 139:1-3: “Oh Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and intimately acquainted with all my ways.”

I am very excited to be a teacher at Iron Academy! Reading has been a passion of mine since I was very young—my first loves include The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia. It wasn't until upon reading Crime and Punishment by Dosteovesky—one of the most God-inspired fiction classics I have ever read—that I realized the Lord was calling me to teach. I realized then that reading literature is not just about "reading good books," but rather it is also about cultivating empathy, wisdom, Biblical virtue, and so much more! 

My education took a few twists and turns that started in the Culinary Arts. Then, in an effort to one day open a restaurant, I worked on a Business Administration degree, thinking that it would give me an advantage. But quickly realizing that owning a restaurant is not quite a family-friendly adventure, I turned to what helped pay for my undergraduate degree at SUNY Geneseo, teaching and tutoring mathematics. I was not a mathematics major, but it came easy to me, and teaching it felt therapeutic. I continued to earn a teacher certification in Mathematics and Business. Then I earned my master’s degree in Mathematics Education and a PhD in the Science of Learning at the University of Buffalo.

I do love playing video games with my family. When the kids were younger, we played more of the old-school Super Mario-type games. My girls, Micaela & Liliana, still play the simple games, Mario Party and Racing, but Mario ventured into some of the newer games. Now, I came across a quote the other day, unsure of the source, but it stated, “Video games in the 80s were run, jump, eat this flower, and collect the coins! Video games now leave you a broken man, haunted by the choices you’ve made. You do not fear the sweet embrace of death, but you still have unfinished business.” After playing Fortnite with my son and his friends, I found that quote to be more of a fact than an opinion. Besides games, if I do have any free time, it’s watching sports, especially baseball and hockey. My wife Melissa and I also love watching movies, and I agree with some of the other bios listed here about the Lord of the Rings, but the more profound and thought-provoking set of movies that gets our vote is the Despicable Me series.

Nonetheless, from what I have learned, for people to be truly effective educators, they need to be themselves. As for me, one frequently watched favorite actor is Adam Sandler, and my students like to point out that I not only look like him, I also sound like him. My mentality is very similar to his; to be conventional is, for the students and me, boring. I learned that many are afraid to try something new or make a mistake. If the students are learning, I encourage educators to utilize all of our previous training, such as my culinary background, “Teacher Sparks Learning in His Classroom with Flambé!” It sounds like a great time, and according to the students, it is.
Over the last 20+ years of teaching, I started in the public schools but ended up working for Indiana Wesleyan University for 10 years. I stopped teaching there due to medical circumstances and to finish the PhD. Let’s just say that there is a stark contrast between teaching in public schools and teaching in private Christian schools. But reflecting back on my many years of teaching, what can no longer be overlooked is that the most pressing national education problem revolves around the misplaced goal of education, which is literacy, especially in STEAM coursework. My overarching goal as a teacher is to instill a love of learning and an appreciation for the unique language of mathematics. Further, the most effective way to reach a student and know what they need is to be an active listener and a student yourself. This mentality has helped me to develop a personal motto: When I encounter an academic year where I have not found an opportunity to improve or learn, I will then know that it is time to retire. Until then, I look forward to learning as much as the students do each year.