Mr. Brian Bernhardt is originally from Bloomington, Illinois, and is the youngest of four siblings. He discerned religious life in college before receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. After college, Mr. Bernhardt and his wife, Courtney, served as FOCUS missionaries for two years, before going into teaching for the past three years. Mr. Bernhardt recently completed a Master of Arts degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute. Mr. and Mrs. Bernhardt will be married for five years in August and are blessed with their daughter, Thérèse. Mr. Bernhardt loves soccer and all sports, being outside in any form, and a good night of Euchre or board games.

As a versatile teacher, Mr. Robert Pitts formerly taught humanities courses and math at Chesterton Academy before leaving for seminary discernment in 2023. He has served as a member of the fire and rescue department in the Quad Cities and taught theology at Peoria Notre Dame High School in the 2025/2026 school year. Mr. Pitts received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Bradley University and has a particularly deep love of studying and teaching the Scriptures. Robert is a strong supporter and proponent of the Classical education model.

Mr. Matt Gibson is originally from the Chicago suburbs and had his first foray into Peoria by attending Bradley University. He graduated with his Bachelor degree in Mathematics in 2021. After graduating, Matt attended Grand Valley State University for his Masters in College Student Affairs Leadership. From there, he continued his adventures on college campuses by serving as a FOCUS missionary at the University of Cincinnati. After a brief time in seminary for the Chicago diocese, Matt joined the Chesterton staff as a teacher and Development Director in the spring of 2026. He transitioned to a full-time faculty member, Dean of Math and Science, and Development Director in the fall of 2026. Matt is a parishioner at St. Philomena parish. Outside of school, he loves reading, hiking, and playing volleyball. 

Ms. Taryn Watkins was solemnly consecrated in the Ordo Virginum for the Diocese of Peoria in 2019. As an artist and teacher, she is dedicated to the pursuit of beauty and truth. Based in Peoria, IL, she blends her formal training in Fine Arts with a contemplative life rooted in prayer. She just finished a two-year program studying Philosophy in Rome and is excited to be back in Peoria to share what she has received from the Eternal City. Whether she is painting or leading a classroom, she views her creative practice as a form of prayer, striving to capture the "wound of love" and the beauty of truth. Her work is based on the belief that beauty has the power to draw the soul toward the Divine Beauty. She enjoys spending time writing poetry, gardening, and occasionally going on long walking pilgrimages.

Mrs. Rachel Cavender graduated with a bachelor's degree from Ave Maria University (2019), majoring in Theology and minoring in Latin. During her time at Ave Maria, she fell in love with languages, since then also learning Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, and Akkadian while completing her master's degree in biblical studies (2021) and PhD in Old Testament (2026, forthcoming) at the University of Notre Dame. Throughout her seven years in graduate school, Mrs. Cavender has enjoyed tutoring and teaching Latin at Classical and Catholic schools and is excited to (re)join Chesterton Academy of the Sacred Heart this year! This past December Mrs. Cavender and her husband, Alexander, welcomed their first child, Rowan Arthur. Thus, her free time is spent reading the Pout Pout Fish!

Mr. Berlinger retired from Caterpillar, this year, with 35 years of service, most recently as the Founder and Head of Corporate Technology Licensing. For the past 5 years he was also an Executive in Residence at Bradley University, where he created and taught a course on Intellectual Capital Management to undergraduate and graduate students and globally to over 200 Caterpillar employees each semester. During his Caterpillar career, Bill held various engineering, purchasing and leadership roles. He is a globally recognized expert on intellectual property and testified before the United States Senate on patent valuation. Bill holds a BS in mechanical engineering and physics and an MBA. He has 14 patents and sits on the board of several technology-based start-up companies and owns the Western Hearts Ranch and Riding Club outside Peoria, which serves the middle-income equine community.

Mrs. Taylor has lived in the Peoria area the majority of her life and is the wife of Bret Taylor (31 years), and mother of Zach (29), Nate (27), Ben (25), Bridget (22), Dominic (19), Matthew (15), and Peter (11). They have been members of St. Mark Parish (since 1996), Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in St. Louis, and St. Mary's in Kickapoo. Mrs. Taylor holds bachelor's degrees in Mathematics, Economics, and Finance from Augustana College and has over 40 years of tutoring experience in middle school, high school, college, and ACT Review in mathematics.

Gregory Pesely studied liberal arts at Thomas Aquinas College and completed his graduate work mostly in the area of philosophy of science at Laval University, Quebec.
Mr. Pesely's first teaching position was at St. John’s Seminary College, the archdiocesan seminary for Los Angeles. He taught there for two years and one year at Bishop Diego HS in Santa Barbara.
He taught required and electives in philosophy at Benedictine College for eight years and then accepted a position in the catechetical ministries department for the Diocese of Fargo, ND. While in Fargo and later here in Peoria, Mr. Pesely wrote on theological topics and reflections for various publications, such as the National Catholic Register, OSV, and My Daily Visitor.
Mr. Pesely, and his wife, Diana, are parishioners of St. Mary of Lourdes Catholic Church in Germantown Hills. They have six children and seven grandchildren.

Mateusz (Mat) Koszarek joined Chesterton Academy in the Fall of 2022 as the Ballroom Dance Instructor and serves as a board member since May 2024. Although ballroom dance started as a family activity during his initial high school years, it evolved into a competitive venture. His departure from the competitive arena interlapped with his studies at Bradley University where he received three Bachelor degrees. Since graduating from Bradley University in 2016, Mat’s entrepreneurial interests have led him to spend his entire professional career within the financial services industry building a financial planning practice. In 2022, he merged his practice with Dill Wealth Management Group, a Forbes-recognized comprehensive financial planning firm. His dedication to providing his clients with the deepest skillset possible have led him to acquire the CFP®, ChFC®, and ChSNC® designations. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Mat serves his clients by proactively monitoring all aspects of their plan for opportunities with investments, insurance, tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning, charitable giving, and beyond. Additionally, as a Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC®), he guides families through the intersection of financial, legal, and government benefits to establish a viable plan for children that have special needs. The most important roles bestowed upon him are those of husband and father. He is married to Trish since 2017 and is the father of five beautiful children. They are parishioners at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Peoria, IL.

Mrs. Rachel Wofford graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois in 2000 with a distinction in biology honors and a chemistry minor. She worked in two university laboratories for neuroscience and human nutrition and worked as a Howard Hughes undergraduate research fellow during her time at U of I. In 2002, she graduated with a master’s degree in elementary education. She and her husband, Isaac, have six children aged 6-21 and have been homeschooling for 16 years. In April of 2025, their entire family was baptized at St. Mary of Lourdes parish.

Jeff Podhajsky is a Catholic husband and father. He lives in Princeville, Illinois with his wife, Jennifer, and their six children. They are members of Sacred Heart parish in Peoria, and oblates of the Community of St. John in Princeville. Mr. Podhajsky graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and has since earned his CMA in Accounting. He has eleven years' experience teaching mathematics at various public and private schools, including Algebra I, Algebra II, College Math, Calculus, and Physics. Mr. Podhajsky has also coached several sports over the years, including basketball, baseball, and track. 

Mr. Anderson spent his career as a radio personality at various radio stations in Wisconsin and Illinois. (He even used to be a DJ at a polka station!) While living in Champaign, Illinois, he spent about five years involved in community theatre. He is a husband to Mary and father of five. His family is a member of St. Mary of Lourdes in Germantown Hills. 

Mrs. Sherry Leonard comes to Chesterton with an MBA from Walden University and 10 years of experience driving strategic financial management and operational excellence in both healthcare and public sectors. Through her previous roles, Sherry has exhibited skills in financial reporting & analysis, team development & performance management, process improvement & automation, financial reporting & analysis, and financial strategy. Her strong roles in leading and working in teams, financial management, process improvements, collaboration, and leading projects with fundraising initiatives make her an excellent fit for the position.

Mrs. Jones is the mother of 6 and has extensive experience as a homeschool teacher. She is a proponent of classical education and has a background in financial administration. And in her spare time, she loves to play disc golf!

Mrs. Rupert brings a multitude of talents to Chesterton with her bachelor's degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois, and her experience at Caterpillar as a Staff Auditor. She and her husband Paul have welcomed their first child, Agnes, this year. She lives in Pekin and is a member of Sacred Heart parish.