BOARD
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Blake Brown
Blake has been the pastor of Southwest Harbor Congregational Church since July of 2003. After being called into the ministry from a career that included Pitney Bowes, Taco Bell, and HR consulting with Genesis Solutions, he attended Seminary at Gordon Conwell on Boston’s North Shore, graduating with a Master’s of Divinity with an emphasis in Old Testament studies.
Blake and his wife Carrie have three children, Avonlea, Jack and Finnegan. He enjoys reading, long-distance cycling, working on his 1973 MG Midget, kayaking, and spending time with his family.
Burt Lowry
Originally from Oregon, Burton Lowry has pastored Ellsworth Assembly of God since 1986.
He and his wife Sharon live in Surry. They have four children and four grandchildren. They enjoy reading, boating in summers, and the slower pace of winters.
Jay Brennan
Jay serves as the teaching pastor of The First Baptist Church of Dexter, Maine, where he has served for over 20 years. Jay holds graduate degrees from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA, and the University of Maine. Over the last few years, he has participated in studies in Asian History at Boston College.
Jay and his wife Dottie moved to Maine with their family in the late 1980’s, where he served in various administrative roles, helping several Maine private schools launch international boarding, development and alumni programs. Today he serves as the CEO of Global Study Connections with offices both in S. Korea and the US. Jay and Dottie have seven grown children and twenty-two grandchildren.
Marc Woolfolk
Marc has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Rutgers University and an MBA in finance from NYU. After working for Bankers Trust and CIBC as a risk manager and convertible bonds trader in New York City, he moved to Connecticut with his wife, Claire, and their two children, Beth and Matthew in 1997 to help manage a hedge fund. In 2008, he and his family moved to Mount Desert Island and began attending Southwest Harbor Congregational Church that same year. Marc loves nature and hiking throughout Acadia National Park. Additionally, he is an avid guitar player.
Claire Woolfolk
INsert
Claire is originally from Colorado. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers University. Claire moved to Maine with her husband, Marc, and two children, Beth and Matt, and currently serves as the Mount Desert Town Clerk. She is an active member of Southwest Harbor Congregational Church, a member of the Island Quilters, and passionate about the kingdom of God advancing.
Tim Stanley
Tim was raised in Southwest Harbor and has a long family heritage in the Mount Desert Island Area.
Tim studied history and political philosophy at the University of Maine and then pursued a juris doctorate at the University of Maine School of Law in Portland.
Tim is currently practicing law with Jones, Kuriloff & Sargent, LLC in Ellsworth, where he assists clients with estate planning, probate matters, and trust administration.
He and his wife Becca live in Ellsworth where they have recently grown their family with their first child, Sophia.
Administration
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Aaron Hanson
Headmaster, Dialectic Teacher
Aaron has a B.A. in philosophy with a focus in epistemology (theory of knowledge). He also holds a Th. M. in systematic theology. He has worked as a teacher in both private and secular settings, tutored in subjects from creative writing to calculus, and has taught both adults and children. He desires to see every child grow in wisdom and wonder so as to mature into strong and humble adults in love with Christ.
Janet DeBellis
Administrator/Admissions
Janet grew up in southern New Jersey and studied architecture at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Before moving to Maine in 2005, she worked in the architectural field as an architectural designer and project manager. During her tenure at Mirus, she has worked as an administrative assistant and a Junior Kindergarten teacher before transitioning into a full-time administrator/admissions position. Janet lives on MDI with her husband Tony, and son Jack.
FACULTY
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Demelza Ramirez
Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Demelza is a native of Ellsworth, Maine and has lived here all her life. She has worked as an assistant preschool teacher in YMCAs here in Maine; has worked with elementary and middle schoolers in after school and summer camp programs; and is on staff as co-leader of the catechesis program at Imago Dei Anglican Church in Bangor, Maine. She is also an adjunct at New England Bible College & Seminary in Bangor, Maine. She has an M.Div from NEBCS, and a BS in Professional Writing from Taylor University in Upland, IN.
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Anna Hanson
Director of Development
Anna has a B.S. in Human Development and Family Relations, and a M. A. in Biblical Studies. She served as the youth director at Southwest Harbor Congregational Church for ten years, and is currently Director of Women's Ministry. Since the inception of Mirus in 2012, Anna has been intregal in the development of the school and making connections with local communities. She lives in the area with her husband, Aaron and has four children.
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Amber Small
Kindergarten Teacher
Amber was born and raised in Maine. She attended the University of Maine in Child Development and Family Studies, and met her husband, Peter. She fell in love with classical education and Charlotte Mason when she homeschooled her four children for several years. She served as a preschool director for four years and created a classical preschool curriculum. In her spare time, Mrs. Small loves watching her children play sports, cheering too loud, and eating good food with her husband.
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Stephanie Bradshaw
1st Grade Teacher
Stephanie lives in Ellsworth with her husband, Matt, and her two sons. She graduated from F.M.M.C., in Florida, where she studied Biblical studies and theology. Stephanie joined the Mirus community when her oldest son started Kindergarten and quickly fell in love with classical education. She began volunteering and substitute teaching and then joined Mirus full-time as a first-grade teacher in 2021. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family or participating in local community theater.
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Amy Philbrook
2nd Grade Teacher
Amy received a B.A. degree in elementary education from Gordon College in 1988. She also holds an M. Ed. in literacy from the University of Maine (Orono). Amy lives on Little Cranberry Island with her husband and has raised four children and at present, three grandchildren. She loves to be active: gardening, running, cross-country skiing, hiking, and piano/organ playing. After years of teaching in the public school system, she came to Mirus in the fall of 2022. She desires to learn and guide her students toward the truths found in Classical Christian education.
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Matthew Corey
4th Grade Teacher
Matt Corey grew up in Albion, Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in University Studies. He has taught in many different settings and recently began serving as pastor of the Unity Union Church in Unity Maine. Matt lives in Morrill with his wife Jenna, and their three children.
Garrett Soucy
Rhetoric Teacher
Garrett serves as the pastor of Christ the King in Belfast, Maine. He is an accomplished writer and musician earning him the accolades of being one of the greatest lyricists to come out of Maine. He lives in Liberty, Maine with his wife Siiri and their 11 children.
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Ruth Welch
2nd Grade Teacher
Ruth came to Mirus Academy in 2014 as a volunteer parent. Since then she has taught PreK, Kindergarten, and now co-teaches 2nd grade. She lives on MDI with her husband John, and they have five children and one beautiful granddaughter. In her spare time, you can find her working alongside her husband in their family business, hiking the trails in Acadia National Park, or in her garden.
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Amy Erlanson
3rd Grade Teacher
Amy is currently teaching 3rd grade, growing in wonder alongside her students. Prior to joining the Mirus community nearly five years ago, Amy was a home educator for over 25 years and was involved in numerous academic, extracurricular, community, and church-related activities. She earned her BS degree in Recreation Management from the University of Montana. She and her family live in Orland and enjoy many outdoor activities.
Brooks Linde
5th & 6th Grade Teacher
Brooks grew up in Florida and graduated from Florida State University with a B.A. in Political Science. He graduated with a Th. M. in OT. There he met Colleen, a beautiful fellow student with a beautiful love for God. Brooks and Colleen have been married for nine years and have three children. Their family enjoys church fellowship, reading, and outdoor activities
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Sarah Hoskins
Music Teacher
Having grown up in a family of musicians, Sarah studied cello performance at Wheaton College and DePaul University and was a founding member of NoCo Artists in Fort Collins, Colorado. Sarah recently relocated to Maine, where she lives with her husband Steve, an Anglican priest, and 3 of her 5 children. She plays in the Bangor Symphony, maintains a private cello studio, teaches K-12 music and choir at Mirus Academy, as well as coordinating church music and liturgical arts at Imago Dei Anglican Church.
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Jason Loose
Upper School Science & Math Teacher
Jason is from the Los Angeles area and studied Chinese language at Arizona State University and Nanjing University. Married to a New Englander, he moved to Maine in 2022 with his wife Jessica and daughter Margot. After nine years of teaching math, Chinese, and other subjects at his alma mater in California, he is happy to be working in classical education with the team at Mirus.
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Amanda Kral
Physical Education Teacher
Amanda grew up on Cape Cod and has a BA in History from Western New England University where she played softball and volleyball. She came to Maine in 2010 as an Island Institute AmeriCorps Fellow for the Deer Isle-Stonington community and met her husband through her service project. Amanda enjoys sharing her passion for healthy body movement with the students of Mirus. She lives on Little Deer Isle with her family.