Our Staff & School Board

Josh Lister
Headmaster

Mr. Lister has a bachelor's degree in early European history with a minor in philosophy from Ohio State University and a master's degree in Classical Christian Studies from New Saint Andrews College. He desires for God to be glorified in the lives of every student at Ancient Paths, and he hopes that our school will nurture a love for God, a love for others, and a love for learning in the classical liberal arts tradition.

Mr. Lister and his wife Jessica have been married since 2014. They have three children, Jane, Etta, and Lewin. They enjoy gardening, making maple syrup, doing puzzles, reading good books, and ice cream.

Contact Josh at josh.lister@ancientpathsclassicalacademy.com

Zack Ruder
Christendom Teacher

Mr. Ruder has worked in church ministry for the past 20 years working with children, students, and adults in various roles. He graduated from Geneva College with a B.A. in Biblical Studies & Philosophy and a M.A. in Education. He received his Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary. He faithfully serves as lead pastor of The Village Church Columbus.

Mr. Ruder is married to his beautiful wife of over 16 years, Megan, who is his constant support, encourager, and best friend. Together they have two children: Abby and Titus. He loves teaching, reading, enjoying the outdoors, sports, and spending time with his family.

Jessica Lister
Jr. Kindergarten Teacher

Mrs. Lister received a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the Ohio State University in 2016. She is passionate about teaching children at early ages and has years of experience teaching children at this stage.

Mrs. Lister and her family enjoy exploring the Columbus area together, including going to various parks, thrift stores, and restaurants around town. Mrs. Lister is excited to be a part of Ancient Paths and desires to engage the youngest minds in a distinctly Christian and classical education for the glory of God.

Hannah Fonseca
Kindergarten and 1st Grade Teacher

Miss Fonseca has been working with children in early development for over 10 years. She has a love for teaching and is passionate to see children grow in all areas but especially in their love for the Lord. She is excited to implement classical methods in the classroom and to see students learn new things through songs and chants. 

Miss Fonseca lives in Bexley with her sister, who fosters children, and their dog Nala. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, her church community, traveling, and singing.

Renika Scott
Jr. Kindergarten Classroom Aid 

Mrs. Scott has a bachelor's of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Toledo. She also has homeschooled her two sons incorporating Charlotte Mason and other classical curriculum in their education.

Mrs. Scott and her husband Emmanuel have been married since 2018 and have two boys, Ezekiel and Emmanuel. They enjoy going to the movies and taking road trips together. She desires to intertwine biblical truths with lessons and to help cultivate virtuous young men and women. She hopes to walk along side our students watering their gifts and nurturing their desires to serve the Lord and to live in a manner that is worthy to Him.

Gloria Keough
2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher 

Mrs. Keough homeschooled her four children for 12 years. Growing up, she herself was homeschooled, and she then went on to study at CCAD under a full scholarship. She hopes to point students to Christ while teaching them in the classroom.

Mrs. Keough and her husband, Matt, have been married for 17 years and have four children Connor, Hero, Ireland and Finn. They enjoy drama co op, reading, camping and watching old movies together. 

Megan Ruder
4th & 5th Grade Teacher

Mrs. Ruder has 20+ years experience teaching in elementary and middle school classrooms. She enjoys helping students learn and sharing in their excitement as they grow to grasp new concepts and overcome challenges. She has a desire to teach students to know God's truth and to pursue excellence in their academics. Mrs. Ruder is excited to teach at Ancient Paths where she will challenge her students to stand firm in their faith in our ever changing world.

Mrs. Ruder and her husband Zack have been married since 2003 and have two children, Abby and Titus. They love to spend time with friends and family, watch their kids compete on sports teams, and vacation at the beach.

Michael Carlisle
Physical Education Teacher

Mr. Carlisle played four years of collegiate Soccer at Greenville University where he received a degree in Pastoral Studies. He has experience as an Athletic Director, Health Instructor, Gym Teacher, and Bible Teacher. He is also a pastor at The Village Church Columbus.

He is married to, the love of his life, Jamie, and together they are blessed with three biological children (Michael, Joanna, and Moses) and a host of foster children. He loves spending time with his family, finding the simple pleasures in things like thrifting and gardening.

Laura Kanzeg
Kindergarten Reading &
5th Grade History Teacher

Mrs. Kanzeg is a pastor’s kid from Wichita, Kansas, Mrs. Kanzeg holds a BA in English and Education from Cedarville University. However, she considers her primary education to be the one she gained walking through the trivium while homeschooling her daughters, reading the great books, asking the big questions, and tracing the hand of the almighty God across the curriculum.

Her daughters are grown now and she and her husband Ben are enjoying being empty nesters. In addition to homeschooling, she worked as Director of Faculty and Curriculum and taught many levels of world history in a classical school setting. Mrs. Kanzeg’s favorite hobby is reading about, and then telling unsuspecting friends and strangers, all the best stories from world history. She looks forward to serving alongside the rest of the Ancient Paths faculty to point the students to the one true God, for whom and through whom everything was made.

Zachery Lewald Applied Mathematics Teacher

Mr. Lewald helps to teach our applied mathematics elective. He has a bachelor's degree in microbiology and molecular genetics and is currently in the MD program at The Ohio State University. He is also pursuing a master's of divinity at Covenant Theological Seminary. He has a love for teaching and discipling and hopes to point students to God through the study of His creation and the natural sciences. 

Mr. Lewald is married to his wife Anna and they faithfully serve their church community in multiple ministries.    

Mrs. Jones Art Teacher

Mrs. Jones has a bachelor’s degree in art history and during her undergraduate studies she played division I soccer. She has a desire to teach students to artistically express objective, biblical beauty and truth in a subjective way, and to train and discipline their fine motor skills all for the glory of God.

Mrs. Jones has training in mosaics, painting, drawing, leather making, woodworking, glassblowing and gilding to name a few and dabbled in a smattering of other very odd art forms.

Brendan Rowland
6th Grade Teacher

Mr. Rowland holds a master's in English Literature from the University of Glasgow and a bachelor's in English with minors in History, Creative Writing, and Honors Philosophy from Cedarville University. During his undergraduate, he studied abroad at Oxford University. He previously taught literature at the Institute of Reading Development.

Mr. Rowland and his wife, Elizabeth, enjoy reading great books, writing poetry, playing and listening to music, taking walks, and playing board and card games. He hopes to instill the God-given joy of learning in his students and help develop their appreciation for history's great texts.

Megan Sleeper
Music Teacher

Mrs. Sleeper has degrees in music education and flute performance from Ohio State University. She has been teaching since 2015 and also enjoys doing private lessons. She looks forward to enjoying the beauty of music with her students. It is her wish for her students to grow in their knowledge of music for the glory of our great God.

Mrs. Sleeper and her husband Dustin live in the Hilltop with their two young boys. Some of their favorite things are coffee, gardening, bonfires, tacos, and board games with friends and family. Mrs. Sleeper also serves her local church playing flute and singing on Sundays.

Brittany Zimmerman
Latin Teacher

Mrs. Zimmerman has studied ancient languages since high school and majored in Hebrew at Ohio State graduating with academic research distinction. Her passion for ancient languages has led her to study Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. She has also worked as a Latin, Hebrew, and English tutor and has professional experience researching ancient Greek. Mrs. Zimmerman hopes to bring her enthusiasm for language, reading classics, and academic excellence to Ancient Paths. She wants her students to critically engage with the Latin language and texts in ways that point them to the glory of God and the beautiful world He has made.

Mrs. Zimmerman and her husband Josiah just had their first child, Emmet. They enjoy hiking in the Rocky Mountains, reading books, and playing board games together.

Shamus Strapp American Founding and Civics

Mr. Strapp has his undergraduate degree in economics with a minor in biblical studies from Cedarville University. He has been involved in ministry and various teaching capacities for a decade. His passion is to guide students into a deeper knowledge of God’s Word and a greater maturity in their faith, while also showing students how to receive the rich heritage of our nation's founding with gratitude.

Mr. Strapp and his wife Chelsea have been married since 2017 and have four children: Shepherd, Salem, Sparrow, and Fisher. He faithfully oversees the Youth Club, Homeless, Singles, and Life Ministries at the Village Church Columbus.

Tim Boggs

Josh Lister

Morgan Murdock

Zack Ruder