Families Helping Families:              Together with HOME

Peggy Ployhar

As SPED Homeschool Founder & CEO, Peggy has become a leader in the homeschooling community and is a popular speaker on home educating students with learning challenges. This physicist turned home educator left a lucrative career in the medical device industry to teach the struggling learners in her own home, which eventually turned into a lifetime calling. Peggy founded SPED Homeschool in 2017 and now leads an organization that empowers thousands of families across the globe each year to create specialized home education plans. Peggy is also the host of the very popular live broadcast and podcast, Empowering Homeschool Conversations, a weekly talk show where her guests address relevant issues related to customizing homeschooling for unique learners.

Peggy is the former:

Texas Home School Coalition Special Needs Team Lead

Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators Special Needs Coordinator

Mothers of Preschoolers Area Coordinator for MN, ND and SD 

She is certified by the American Association of Christian Counselors and trained as a Precept Bible Study leader. Plus, on the side, she is a professional aerial silks performer and instructor at her other business, Eternal Aerial Arts LLC.

In her free time, Peggy enjoys vegan cooking, paddle boarding, hiking and reading. She and her husband Doug live in League City, TX, and after 19 years of homeschooling have now graduated all three of their children from their home school.

Leo and Nancy Martin

Leo Martin, an educator and expert on the early history of our nation, has been called "the last God-fearing guide in historic Plymouth, MA." While so many others are taking God out of the history books, Leo maintains that the Pilgrims and Founding Fathers established "one nation 

under God," founded on Judeo-Christian values.

A true patriot and historian, Leo Martin is the Education Director at The Jenney Interpretive Centre in Plymouth, MA, where he is known for his service giving historical tours and lectures dressed in Pilgrim costume. He is a champion of our nation's founding principles displayed in the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth. His book, "Pilgrim Pursuit of Happiness" talks about the five liberties the Pilgrims were searching for when they left the church of England and came to the New World and is the subject of one of the exhibits at The Jenney.

An excellent story-teller, Leo and his wife Nancy speak around the country on a variety of subjects relating to the Pilgrims and the founding of our country. Leo and Nancy have been married for over forty years and have three grown children and four grandchildren. They have been working

together in Plymouth since 2001 preserving the Christian heritage of our country.

Kathi Kearney
Kathi has served on the HOME Board for many years. She has worked with homeschooling families in Maine for more than 30 years, and helped to author Maine’s homeschool law. Kathi teaches gifted & talented students, is a Professional Associate with the Gifted Development Center in Denver, and teaches online courses for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.        

Elizabeth Caruso

Liz Caruso lives in Caratunk with her husband, 2 sons and golden retriever. She co-founded Somerset Homeschool Co-op in 2010, co-coached the robotics team into 2 state awards, and has homeschooled her sons into college. Her son Jeremy graduated with 11 college courses and is attending a Florida university with a scholarship. Her son Christopher is taking all early college classes for his junior and senior years and is tracking to enter college as a junior. Liz works part-time out of her home as the selectboard chair and as a Maine guide. During Liz's recent run for Congress in Maine’s CD2, she reinforced the need to encourage and empower the next generation of great leaders.            

Michelle Collomy

Michelle is a veteran homeschool mom of twelve children. She and her husband are HOME Regional Representatives who have been homeschooling their children for 25 years. Their children currently range in age from 30 down to 12. They are active in their church, their hometown of Hiram and in the homeschool community. Michelle's greatest joy is spending time with her eleven grandchildren!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Trish Hutchins

Trish is a veteran homeschooling mom from the Belfast area. She is a Homeschoolers of Maine regional representative for Waldo, Knox, and Lincoln counties. Trish has homeschooled her sons from kindergarten through high school, and both boys are currently in college.  

Nathanael Morin

A homeschool graduate from Midcoast Maine, Nathanael Morin is an avid hiker, adventurer, and geocache enthusiast. Nathanael's mother was a HOME Leader and that inspired him to become involved as well. Nathanael has been leading the HOME Hikes program for several years.