Chesterton Academy of Omaha forms young men and women to know what is true, love what is good, and delight in what is beautiful—joyfully lived in the Catholic faith.
The Chesterton Way
Mission
Under the patronage of G.K. Chesterton and in partnership with families and the Church, Chesterton Academy of Omaha exists to foster a Culture of Life by forming a new generation of joyful leaders and saints. Students are educated in the classical tradition and grounded in the enduring truths of the Catholic faith.
Parents
Chesterton Academy of Omaha recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children and seeks to support families through excellent faculty and a shared commitment to formation. Working in close partnership with parents—and continually drawing from the wellspring of faith and reason—our faculty seek not only to equip students with the knowledge needed to excel in life, but also to cultivate a love of wisdom and virtue so that they may live well.
Curriculum
We offer an integrated, classical, liberal arts curriculum developed by the Chesterton Schools Network. Rooted in the Great Books of Western Civilization and the wisdom of Catholic scholars throughout Church history, our curriculum engages students in rich Socratic dialogue. Through our pedagogy and school culture, students receive an intellectual and moral formation ordered toward all that is good, true, and beautiful, leading them ultimately to glorify God in all things.
Our Model of Education
Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II, our guiding motto is Cultura Vitae—the Culture of Life. We prepare students to confront the materialism and despair of modern culture and to respond to Christ’s invitation to “have life, and have it abundantly.”
Our classical curriculum unites a broad liberal arts education with the intentional cultivation of Christian virtue and a deep appreciation for beauty. Through this formation, students grow in wisdom, joy, and freedom.
Intellect
Students are formed through rigorous academic study rooted in the classical liberal arts tradition.
Character
We help students grow in the four cardinal virtues—prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice—which form the foundation of authentic leadership.
Spirituality
Students are nurtured in a vibrant Catholic culture that integrates faith and reason and encourages a personal relationship with Christ.
G.K. Chesterton
Chesterton Academy is named for the great English writer and Catholic convert G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936), whose life exemplified joy, wonder, gratitude, and fidelity to the Catholic faith.
One of the most outstanding men of letters of the early twentieth century, Chesterton was an accomplished essayist, novelist, poet, and philosopher, authoring more than one hundred books across a wide range of subjects. In 1922, he entered the Catholic Church, an event that shocked the literary establishment of his day. He was later eulogized by Pope Pius XI as “a gifted defender of the faith,” and a popular movement for his canonization is currently underway.
We have chosen Chesterton as our patron because he embodies the harmony of faith and reason, Catholic joy, and common sense—virtues we seek to cultivate in every student.
The Chesterton Schools Network
Chesterton Academy of Omaha is a member of the Chesterton Schools Network, based in Minneapolis. An apostolate of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, the Network supports and inspires parent-led Catholic schools across the country.
The Chesterton Schools Network provides guidance, consulting services, operational resources, and the classical curriculum framework that supports faithful, sustainable, and mission-driven schools.
Faculty
Mrs. Pam Maxwell
Headmaster
Biography
Pam Maxwell has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Deaf Education. She holds teaching certificates in Deaf Education and Spanish. After leaving a business career, Pam taught deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Minnesota. She volunteered in Guatemala for 2 years and was acting principal and development director for Our Lady of Guadalupe-Ines Mission School in South Omaha. She has taught high school Spanish for 16 years and college Spanish for 1 year. She has traveled through Central America, Spain, France, England, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica and has volunteered as a teacher of English to Spanish-speaking inmates at the county jail. Pam was raised in Omaha and is a member of St. Bernadette Parish. She and her husband, Chip, have seven adopted children from Guatemala.
Mr. Mitchell Godfrey
Director of Advancement
Biography
Mitchell Godfrey has bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and chemistry from St. Ambrose University in 2015 and a Master’s degree in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2018.
Mitchell is a cradle Catholic who met his wife, Coley, while in college and settled in Papillion after their wedding. He felt a call to make a career change from the defense industry to the faith after the birth of their first child. After an introduction to Chesterton Academy through the Restoring Catholic Culture series, he was hired as the Director of Advancement.
Mitchell and Coley now have three kids; Brett, Trinity, and Isabelle. The Godfrey family enjoys going to the zoo, parks, and the pool. Mitchell enjoys watching reading and listening to Catholic apologetics, taking online courses through Hillsdale and Catholic apostolates, reading to the kids, watching Star Wars and superhero cartoons with the kids, and mini golfing with Coley. He is also a big fan of Notre Dame and Green Bay which he cheers for alongside the kids.
Mr. Matthew Nevius
Humanities, Debate, Gym
Biography
Matt Nevius teaches Philosophy at Chesterton Academy of Omaha, as well as History 9 and Theology 12. A convert to the Catholic Faith, he has worked with the youth both as a Vocational Rehab counselor and a volunteer youth minister. He has also worked as a Graduate Student Assistant at Liberty University while working on his Master’s degree in Philosophy.
Mr. Nevius has a BA in Philosophy and Religion and an MA in Philosophy from Liberty University. He wrote his MA thesis on the nature of human dignity.
Mr. Nevius has a wife and five children. He enjoys reading books to his children and spending time with his wife. They also enjoy hiking, camping, volunteering at their parish, spending time with friends and family, and other outdoor activities.
Mr. Jake Cortright
Humanities, Debate, Gym
Biography
Msgr. Robert Laliberte
Humanities
Biography
Msgr. Robert Laliberte grew up in St. Anthony’s Parish in Fargo. After graduating valedictorian from Shanley High School in 1964 and spending two years at St. John’s, Collegeville, MN, he received the Basselin Scholarship to Catholic University in Washington, DC, where he completed an MA in philosophy and an STB in theology. His teaching has centered around Scripture, philosophy, and Hebrew.
Upon retirement in 2011, after residing two years in New Hampshire, he now divides his time between Fargo and Omaha, where he has helped found the Chesterton Academy of Omaha, a small classical high school, and is learning Spanish to bring the sacraments to the burgeoning population of hispanic immigrants.
Mrs. Jessette Berggren
Literature & Drama
Biography
Mrs. Jessette Berggren teaches Literature and Drama at the Chesterton Academy of Omaha. Mrs. Berggren studied English at Nebraska Wesleyan and is trained and certified as a writing instructor by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW).
Her experience in drama encompasses 25 years with minor and lead roles in many different community theatre and operatic productions.
Her love of classical literature and her study of educational methodologies, both classical and modern, have led her to enthusiastically embrace the Chesterton curriculum as the best way to help young people understand the goodness, beauty, and truth of their Judeo-Christian heritage while also helping them traverse the current cultural pitfalls of atheistic humanism.
A lifelong Catholic, Mrs. Berggren and her family are members of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Plattsmouth.
Mrs. Nicole Stransky
Latin
Biography
Nicole Stransky is now in her third year of teaching Latin at Chesterton Academy of Omaha. Mrs. Stransky received her BA in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College. Wanting to change the world through law and politics, she applied to law school and received a full scholarship to Ave Maria School of Law. However, after a semester, she elected to marry her husband Brian and start a family over completing a Juris Doctorate, and she’s never looked back. She has discovered her passion for teaching, for she believes that it is through education, the drawing of hearts and minds to an encounter with Jesus, that the most important change takes place, the salvation of souls.
Mrs. Stransky worked for many years as a tutor with the Mother of Divine Grace homeschooling program. She homeschooled her own four children with MODG for 10 years, moving around the country while her husband served on active duty in the U.S. Army.
She feels indebted to Providence to have three daughters currently attending Chesterton Academy and is excited to see what their future holds. When she is not prepping for class or driving her kids around the universe, she enjoys a relaxing escape in classic literature and in music. She is also fond of gardening, birding and enjoying the great outdoors with her children, and playing board games with her family.
Mr. Richard Stibor
Mathematics
Biography
Coming soon.
Mrs. Heidi Knofczynski
Humanities, Drama
Biography
Mrs. Crystal Wray
Art
Biography
Crystal Wray has a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from the College of Saint Mary with an endorsement in Art. Ms. Wray also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She utilized her Bachelor’s degree as she advanced through the ranks of the United States Navy. When she retired from the Navy, Mrs. Wray became a Civil Servant and worked in the Protocol Office of the United States Strategic Command. Once she retired from the Civil Service, Mrs. Wray turned her attention to her first love: becoming an Art Teacher.
Mrs. Wray is married to Mark; together they have two adult children and five grandchildren, as well as one great-grandchild.
Mrs. Wray is a parishioner of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Bellevue, NE, where she has taught First Grade Religious Education for 17 years.
Mr. Brendan Cope
Mathematics, Science
Biography
Brendan Cope has a bachelor’s degree in cell biology from the University of Kansas and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Brendan is a cradle Catholic who found his adult faith thanks to John Senior’s influence on the University of Kansas curriculum and the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center. After college, he studied at the Pontifical College Josephinum, but discerned his vocation was not in the clerical state. He then spent six years in the US Air Force flying as an electronic warfare officer on the RC-135 out of Offutt Air Force Base.
On leaving the USAF in 2015, he married his wife, Stacy, and moved to Omaha. After much discernment, he stopped practicing pharmacy clinically to focus more upon raising his children. After learning about classical education, he decided to start devoting time to teaching the math and science he had learned in his previous careers.
Brendan and Stacy have three children: Theodore, Molly, and Blaise. The Cope family enjoys swimming, sports, and exploring nature in parks and the zoo. Brendan enjoys woodworking, dabbling in programming and electronics in his homelab, Gregorian chant, and traditional Irish music. He has recently started learning to play the Irish Bouzouki.
Mr. Ron Reno
Fine Arts
Biography
Mr. Ron Reno teaches Fine Arts and Art History at Chesterton Academy of Omaha. After graduating from the University of Kansas, Ron intended to be a graphic designer for a corporation, a publishing house or a print shop. Instead, Ron worked for several years for Safeway Stores, Inc. and became a store director for Safeway. He has worked for other companies over the years but he always felt beckoned to do art again. For the last 15 years Ron has donated his paintings and prints to any sound and Godly organization that requested. Most of his art was sold at auction for the glory of God. Through those donations and Fr. Scheibelhofer, he became introduced to Chesterton Academy of Omaha, where he has taught since 2016. Ron loves teaching and opening God’s possibilities through art to his students.
Ron serves as a Deacon at Saint Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church in Sioux City, Iowa. He has been married to his bride Louise for 47 years now and together raised two children, Philip and Anne.
Mrs. Kat Doebel
Fine Arts
Biography
Originally from Chicago, Kat Doebel moved to Papillion in 1991 when her husband’s Air Force career brought them to Offutt Air Force Base. Kat and her husband Martin have 3 grown children and 3 very young grandchildren.
Kat earned a BS in Music Education Vocal/Choral emphasis from the University of Illinois- Urbana/Champaign and a Masters in Music Education from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. Since moving to the Omaha area, Kat has been involved in a number of musical organizations. She was the choir director at Gross Catholic High School in Bellevue for 23 years, retiring in 2015. As vocal music instructor, she was the music director for Gross Catholic musicals as well as music director for St. Bernadette’s summer musical productions. In addition to being a cantor, she directed the Junior Choir for 10 of years at St. Columbkille parish in Papillion. This choir was one of two selected to perform in the first touring company of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’s Omaha run. From 2003-2010, Kat directed the high school choir affiliated with The Nebraska Children’s Choir; Choral Arts Society Teens. Upon the dissolution of that organization, Omaha Academy Choir was formed. That choir’s final concert was May 2021. While this appeared to be a final retirement, God had other plans with a call from Chesterton Academy of Omaha.
From 1991 to present, Kat has been a cantor at Boys Town Dowd Chapel. Kat also sings with Omaha Chamber Singers. Kat and her husband now live on a hardwood tree farm in Council Bluffs. While it may be on the other side of the Missouri River, it is still part of the Omaha area they consider home.
Mr. Chip Maxwell
History
Biography
Mrs. Denise Terneus
Mathematics
Biography
Mrs. Denise Terneus earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Creighton University while also a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at University of Nebraska Omaha. As a lieutenant, Mrs. Terneus served four years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, working as a Configuration Manager for the Propulsion System Program Office and as a Financial Manager for the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory. With the support of her husband, Michael, Mrs. Terneus provided twenty-five years of Catholic classical education at home for their four boys. She has been grateful for her sons’ continued pursuit of the Great Books at college, as well as their interest in mathematics, with one son now working to earn his doctorate in mathematics.
Mrs. Terneus enjoys participating in Chesterton Academy’s evening book discussions led by Mrs. Berggren, hiking at national parks, traveling on pilgrimages, serving as the Sacramental Registrar for St. Peter Parish in Omaha, and working for the Sarpy County Election Commission during election seasons. She most especially cherishes time with her husband, dear sons and daughters-in-law, and six delightful grandchildren.
Mrs. Kelen Panec
Science
Biography
Coming Soon.
Mr. Mark Versch
Science
Biography
Coming Soon.
Mrs. Mary Jo Holdcroft
Mathematics
Biography
Coming Soon.
Board of Directors
Mr. Steve Eulie
President
Mr. Louis Olivera
Treasurer
Mr. Brian Stransky
Secretary
Msgr. Robert Laliberte
Board Member
Mrs. Maris Bentley
Board Member
Mrs. Lauren Bopp
Board Member
Mr. Joe Gordon
Board Member