Mrs. Newell graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a BA in Biology in 1995, received a California teaching credential from National University in 1996 and got her M.A. in Mathematics Education in 2019. Moving frequently before settling in the Pacific Northwest, she held various positions and treasures all the experiences she had serving in the field of education. She taught math and science courses in junior high and high school, coached cross-country and track, and wrote test questions for standardized tests and online programs. She also owned her own tutoring business and worked for an online school, where she was first introduced to homeschooling. Seeing the many benefits of home education, Mrs. Newell has had the joy of homeschooling her 4 children since 2008.

In addition to working at FPA and homeschooling, Mrs. Newell enjoys serving in her church and local homeschool community. She also enjoys home improvement projects, playing the piano, reading, running, hiking, skiing, and going on traveling adventures with her family. She loves working with youth and strives to provide an enjoyable and fun learning environment where her students can develop their testimony of the Lord and His hand in all things as well as see their own divine potential.

Mrs. Fehrin Brindley has lived in rural, western South Dakota her whole life. She attended Black Hills State University where she majored in Science Education and was a key player on their NCAA Division II volleyball team. She taught Chemistry and Biology in a public high school before joining the FPA teaching staff in the fall of 2020. In 2021, she earned her Master of Science in Chemistry from Ohio University. Mrs. Brindley loves to play guitar and sing, read, ride her horses, coach volleyball, and work with her husband on their place. She also has three young sons that help keep her heart and time filled.

Mrs. Brindley loves teaching and strives to instill in each of her students a lifelong desire to keep learning new things. She is amazed by God’s intricate designs discovered and proven through science and is excited to share those marvels with every student she meets.