Founding & Board Members

Meet the Board

Albert Cheng, PhD

Cliff Hughes, O.D

Cassidy Klutts, Ph.D

Jacob Lively

Rachael Wilson

Meet the Founders

The Founding Board for Anthem Classical Academy consists of families and individuals who live in Fayetteville, are members of different local church bodies, have a passion for classical education, and share a desire to see more educational opportunities for the families of the surrounding area. We began meeting in January of 2020 to develop the school’s mission and vision, but, as individuals, we have all been praying for this type of education to come to Fayetteville for several years. Based on the unique talents each of the founding members share, we believe that God brought us together for the purpose of disciplining students in God’s creative work, through a rich and fulfilling education that stays with students well beyond their instructional years.

Ryan and Emilie Gorman

Cliff and Nichole Hughes

Mary Hurst

Caleb and Jenny Martin

Rachel Buwick

Albert Cheng

Albert and his wife Lydia live in Fayetteville and are members of Christ Community Church, where Albert is a ruling elder. Albert is also a professor of education policy at the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, where he studies virtue and character formation while teaching courses in education policy and educational philosophy. He is an affiliated research fellow with the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University and a Senior Fellow at Cardus. After completing a bachelor’s degree in pure mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, Albert began his vocation in education as a high school math teacher at a local public school near his hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area. He later attended Biola University and the University of Arkansas for his graduate studies in education policy.

Cliff Hughes

Cliff Hughes is a native Arkansan where he grew up in Fort Smith. He is married to his wife, Nichole and together they have four children: Georgia 13, Hudson 11, Knox 10, and Magnolia 7. All are current students at Anthem Classical Academy. Cliff is an optometrist in Fayetteville. He completed his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Central Arkansas and his doctorate of optometry from Southern College of Optometry. Following optometry school, he did a residency in ocular disease at West Tennessee Eye in Memphis, TN. While in Memphis, Cliff and Nichole were exposed to classical Christian education and determined to educate their children in this way, if the Lord allowed. Their three oldest children were students at The Academy of Classical Christian Studies in Oklahoma City before they moved back to Northwest Arkansas. Cliff and his family are members at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville.

Cassidy Klutts, Ph.D

Cassidy is the assistant director of governance support for the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office, where she provides training and support to governing boards of Hillsdale Member Schools. Prior to joining Hillsdale, she managed an undergraduate internship program at Hillsdale in D.C. and earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Arkansas’ Department of Education Reform. During her time as a graduate research assistant, Cassidy researched private and charter school governance, classical and Christian school choice, as well as school finance.

Passionate about advancing American classical and Christian education, Cassidy actively works to overcome the many barriers that inhibit charter schools, private schools, and classical liberal arts curricula from flourishing. She is a native Californian and left the Golden State to pursue a B.A. in American Studies from Hillsdale College. Cassidy and her husband, Wilson, are members of Chaffee Crossing Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Ryan and Emilie Gorman

Ryan and Emilie Gorman have called Fayetteville home since 2011, and they have three children: Karis, Knox, and Callaway. They are active members of Fellowship Fayetteville, where they have invested as community group and premarital study leaders. Ryan and Emilie are excited to bring a classical Christian model to Fayetteville, and they look forward to serving the families around them.

​Ryan earned a Bachelor's degree in Education with an emphasis in Mathematics from Ouachita Baptist University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State. He has taught and coached in Northwest Arkansas for a decade and recently left his fifth year as a public school administrator to become the Head of School at Anthem. Ryan is exceptionally gifted in leadership development and organizing teams to maximize God-given strengths in advancement of the mission. The opportunity to train students to know God’s truth, think logically, and become Christ-centered leaders has brought a new excitement and vision to Ryan’s career.

Emilie graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Mass Communications and Christian Studies. She is a freelance designer specializing in print, brand identity, and logo design. For the last three years she has led a multi-state team of sales and marketing representatives with an emphasis in social media and online communication. Emilie’s passion for classical education developed as she explored educational options for her own children. Her desire is to see young people grow to develop a heart for Jesus, a curiosity and love for learning, and form a character that will lead others around them.

Cliff and Nicole Hughes

Cliff and Nichole have lived in Fayetteville for three years and are current members of University Baptist Church. They previously lived in Oklahoma City, where their four children attended The Academy of Classical Christian Studies. In their early twenties, they became classical Christian school enthusiasts and knew it would be the right fit for their own children. Together they bring the unique perspective of parents who have seen their children thrive in a classical Christian setting.

Cliff earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Central Arkansas and a Doctorate of Optometry from Southern College of Optometry. He has served as an optometrist for thirteen years, and he recently opened his own private practice, Eyelove Family EyeCare. Cliff is passionate about helping families in his local community, whether that be through his private practice or through the local church.

​Nichole earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Oklahoma State University. Prior to staying home with her children, she worked as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for five years. Nichole also served for three years as a board member for The Academy of Classical Christian Studies. During this time, she gained experience in board governance, school finances, and mission alignment. Currently, Nichole is classically homeschooling her four children.

Mary Hurst

Mary has lived in Fayetteville for over seven years after moving here from Detroit, Michigan, where she attended a K-12 private Christian school. She was first exposed to classical education at Hillsdale College, where she graduated in 2013 after earning a B.A. in English and a B.A. in Religion. After college, she began teaching at a classical charter school, where she taught a variety of grades in the grammar and logic schools.

Mary is passionate about teaching Phonics, Literature, and History, and she is excited to see how a Christian school can flourish with a classical curriculum. She currently works at Art Bridges, a non-profit art foundation in Bentonville. She attends New Heights Church with her husband, Jordan.

Caleb and Jenny Martin

Caleb and Jenny have lived in Fayetteville for ten years where they have attended New Heights Church. They have one daughter, Eden, and are expecting a baby boy in March. Together, they are passionate about helping students see faith and reason as complementary to one another.

Caleb graduated from Southwest Baptist University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and has taken graduate courses in Bible, Theology, and Christian Ministry. He has worked in college ministry with para-church organizations since 2010 and has led worship for a variety of local churches. Caleb’s experience in working with non-profit ministries has allowed him to specialize in fundraising strategies, leadership training, ministry development, and board governance.

Jenny graduated from Southwest Baptist University where she double-majored in English and Religious Studies. Although she has worked in public and private education, she has spent the last eight years working in classical education, which quickly became her favorite method of teaching and learning. In her time as a classical educator, she has developed curriculum for 6th-12th grade literature and rhetoric, has served as Department Head for grades 3-12, and has mentored new teachers. Jenny is currently working on her Masters of Humanities with an Emphasis in Classical Education through the University of Dallas, where she received the Homer Scholarship. In the Spring of 2020, Hillsdale College nominated her for the Marcella E. Oberle Award for Outstanding Teaching in Grades K-12.

Rachel Buwick

Rachel has lived in Fayetteville for over seven years, but is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, where she attended one of the first charter schools that promoted a Core Knowledge curriculum. Rachel graduated from Hillsdale College in 2013 where she double-majored in Political Economy and Religion. She taught at a classical charter school for four years, where she taught in the grammar and logic schools. Her favorite subjects to teach were Latin, Phonics, and Singapore Math.
Rachel is passionate about demonstrating how a classical curriculum can benefit students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Rachel currently works for a local architecture and development firm and as a local real estate agent. She attends New Heights Church in Fayetteville.
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