Amy Darpel is a lifelong Northern Kentuckian. She graduated from Villa Madonna Academy and pursued degrees at Thomas More College. She has spent her entire teaching career advocating for gifted students and working with students who struggle with Executive Functioning Disorder. Amy has had various roles at Covington Latin School including admissions, marketing, Executive Director of ExploreMore!, and Director of Advancement.
Mrs. Darpel is married to her high school sweetheart and has three children and one grandchild. Her son, Jake, attended CLS and graduated in 2016.
Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.
- Einstein
Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Samantha Darpel grew up in Northern Kentucky and attended Notre Dame Academy and Thomas More University, where she majored in Communications, English, and Theater. She received her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of the Cumberlands. Samantha has served as CLS's Theater Director for many years, using her vast experience from high school and college productions. In addition to theater, Samantha teaches English, Speech, and Film. She has served as the Director of ExploreMore! and Camp Invention summer programs.
Ms. Darpel is married to her college sweetheart and has one son, Edwin, and a dog, Clyde.
Magister Ryan Divine grew up in Sugarland, Texas, and Northern Kentucky, where he graduated from Covington Latin School in 2016. While at Latin School, he was involved in the National Junior Classical League (NJCL) all four years as well as the Basketball, Cross Country, and Golf teams. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. He is currently completing his Masters in Business Administration with the University of Cincinnati.
Ryan heavily indebts himself to the Classics and has been a private tutor of all levels of Latin for 4 years. One of his favorite experiences is traveling to Greece to see first hand the literature, archeology, and mythology seen in the classroom. While in college he has attended 5 NJCL conventions as a Senior Classical League member and served as the 2018-2019 NSCL Historian and 2019-2021 National Website Committee member.
Magister Divine will be teaching Latin II and III students as well as sponsoring the school’s JCL chapter. He is beyond excited to return as part of the Latin School community and share the same passion that he has received as a classicist.
Audaces fortuna iuvat – Vergil
Jo Guido grew up in Northern Kentucky, attending St. Vincent and St. Catherine elementary schools. She is the oldest of seven children and a Northern Kentucky University graduate. Her undergraduate degree is in mathematics, and she has earned a Master of Arts as Teacher of Mathematics from the University of Cincinnati. After graduating from NKU, she began teaching math in Cincinnati Public Schools, where she spent 33 years, retiring in 2018. The recipient of many teaching awards, Ms. Guido was most recently selected as the winner of the Hawkin’s Award – a yearly award given to one outstanding CPS teacher.
Ms. Guido spent the first half of her career teaching 7th and 8th-grade math at Shroder Paideia, a school based on classical methods of education, incorporating seminars, academic coaching, and didactic instruction. The remaining years were spent teaching 11th and 12th grade at Clark Montessori (the first public Montessori High School east of the Mississippi). As an 11th and 12th grade teacher, she has taught Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, and dual enrollment Calculus and Statistics.
Ms. Guido was enjoying her retirement, hiking, creating artfully stitched decorative balls called Temari, tutoring, traveling the country teaching teachers, and visiting with her grandchildren when a friend suggested she might be a good fit for a math position at Covington Latin. When Ms. Guido was in elementary school, girls weren’t yet admitted to Covington Latin, and she is excited to finally have an opportunity to be a part of the Covington Latin family.
Mr. Evan Harmeling has lived in Northern Kentucky his entire life. He graduated from Covington Catholic High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Thomas More University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Education. Mr. Harmeling worked in a veterinary clinic for four years before becoming the biology teacher at Covington Latin. He discovered his love of teaching while working as a T.A. for several biology labs during his undergraduate career. He is excited to be teaching in the Diocese of Covington.
Mr. Harmeling enjoys spending his free time experiencing the natural world. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and all-around outdoorsman. He hopes to one day visit all of our nation’s national parks. His other interests include spending time with his family and playing musical instruments.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever.” –Isaiah 40:8
Since Ms. Haynes could walk and climb onto her Dad’s desk, she was stealing highlighters and ink pens, drawing rudimentary figures onto his paperwork and documents. Since then, art has been her passion. She draws almost every day to express herself.
Ms. Haynes attended Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood, Kentucky (2017). She was a finalist in the Overture Awards for Visual Art in her senior year. She is a two-sport letterman in Track and Cross Country. After high school, Madyson earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Thomas More University (2021). Her artwork has been published in various books, “Words” “SOS Art Food and Justice,” and ``ABC Book for Waste and Recycling.” Her art medium specialty is Ceramics, Illustration, Printmaking, and Watercolor.
She was an Outreach Art Instructor for Baker Hunt in Covington, KY. She went to Sixth District Elementary School, Newport Intermediate School, and John G. Carlisle in the Outreach program. She is still an instructor for numerous youth classes at Baker Hunt.
When she is not working, Ms. Haynes stays busy spending time with family, staying active at the gym, making numerous art pieces, and enjoying being outdoors.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and English, Mr. Krebs developed teaching experience at two other schools prior to joining the Latin School faculty in 1991. Teaching English, Drama, and Speech, Mr. Krebs also served as faculty advisor to Student Council, the Shakespeare Club, and coached the golf team for eight years. He has had the privilege to co-lead the Covington Latin Expeditionary Force to Europe on four occasions: in 1992, 1995, 1999, and 2004. During those years he also served on the Faculty Advisory Committee, as an elected faculty liaison to the Headmaster.
A year after earning his Master's Degree in Education, in the fall of 1999, he joined Dr. Bowman's team at the Diocesan Education Office, serving as Secondary Consultant, the ACUE Schools Consultant, and the office manager for the Kentucky Non-Public Schools Commission. Those two years in the education office took him around the diocese and the state, meeting people who are passionate about private and faith-based education.
Matt returned to Latin School in the fall of 2001, serving as Campus Minister for the next eleven years. He is honored to serve the Latin School community as Dean of Students, a position he finds rewarding and enlightening. In his parish, he serves as an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9
Ms. Light is very excited to be returning to her alma mater as a history teacher! Inspired by the great teachers who taught her, Ms. Light earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Thomas More University in 2019, with minors in English and Philosophy. She worked in the fine art and antique auction business for almost four years. There she had hands-on experience with some of the most valuable and unique privately held artworks and artifacts in the world. While working, she earned her Master of Arts in Public History from Northern Kentucky University in 2022.
Ms. Light has a dachshund named Lady Sybil, “Sybbie” for short. She enjoys live music, classic literature, and traveling. She is a parishioner at the Cathedral and is deeply impacted by her Catholic faith.
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." - Flannery O'Connor
"Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody's business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy..." - Thomas Merton
"To remain ignorant of history is to remain forever a child." - Cicero
Alexandra McIntosh is a writer and teacher living in Kentucky, her favorite place in the world. Her debut collection of poetry, Bowlfuls of Blue, was published by Assure Press in 2021. Her background is varied—she received her B.A. in Adventure Leadership from Asbury University in a program that used outdoor activities (backpacking, rock-climbing, and canoeing) as the basis for theoretical discussions about nontraditional education; her M.A. is in English from Northern Kentucky University, where her thesis focused on women writing about nature; and she earned an MFA in Poetry from Miami University. Some of Alexandra's favorite writers include Wendell Berry, Jorrie Graham, Christian Wiman, Elena Ferrante, and Thomas Merton; she especially likes books contemplating the natural world and our place in it. Alexandra serves on the Board of the Fort Thomas Forest Conservancy, planning and hosting events at the Harlan Hubbard Studio and Nature Preserve and overseeing the Hubbard Artist-in-Residence program in conjunction with the Behringer-Crawford Museum. She is the Managing Editor of Moon Cola Zine.
Zorada Porter was born in the Appalachian Hills of Eastern Kentucky and graduated from Saint Joseph High School in 2015. She moved to Northern Kentucky to begin her undergraduate degree program at Northern Kentucky University, graduating Summa
Cum Laude with a B.A. in English literature. After feeling her calling towards teaching, she is working on her MAT at Northern Kentucky University. When she is not teaching or working on her degree, she enjoys spending time at home with her cats, drinking a cup of tea, and relaxing with a book. Her hobbies include crafting, and working on her novel.
Mr. Smorey grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While in Jr. High, his father took a job with Procter & Gamble, and the family picked up and moved to Cincinnati. After graduating from Fairfield High School, Mr. Smorey attended Fairmont State University in West Virginia and earned a Bachelor of Engineering Technology. He also played collegiate baseball.
Mr. Smorey worked in the architectural/construction field in Southern California and then landed back in Cincinnati, where he worked for 31 years for the Hamilton County Building Department as a plans examiner for the Storm Water Division. During this time, Mr. Smorey felt God’s call to attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary; School of Theology in Cincinnati, and graduated with a Master of Arts in Religion, specializing in Youth and Young Adult ministry. After graduation, he became the Youth Minister at Guardian Angels Parish in Cincinnati. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Smorey worked as a volunteer for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as the Faith and Spirt Chairperson for the Charter on Catholic Youth Athletics (CCYA) and was the Spiritual Liaison/Executive Member of the Greater Cincinnati Catholic Youth Sports League (GCCYS).
In 2017 Mr. Smorey and his family moved to Alexandria, KY. He and his wife have been blessed with two sons. He is very active in his parish, St. Mary of the Assumption, in Alexandria. Mr. Smorey is also the boys head basketball coach at Covington Latin and enjoys sports, board gaming, doing projects around the house, and spending time with the family and their dog, Crosby.
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
James Stebbins was born in Salt Lake City, UT. He spent his childhood in many places, including Houston, TX, and New York City, before moving to Northern Kentucky. He graduated from Covington Latin School in 2016. At Covington Latin School, he was involved in JCL and played golf. James then attended Xavier University, graduating from the CPHAB program, with minors in Biology and Philosophy, in 2020. The Classics and Philosophy Honors Bachelor of the Arts program has given James profound respect for the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. James completed his Masters in the Arts of Teaching at Thomas More University.
James has been in love with the Classics since entering Covington Latin School. He has tutored Latin at all levels for seven years, and Greek for three years. He also studied ancient medical ethics and doctor-patient relationships for his CPHAB thesis and earned the Zahurancik award for distinction in the CPHAB program upon graduation. James will be teaching AP Latin and Ancient Greek, and cannot wait to share his enthusiasm for the ancient world with his students.
Non scholae sed vitae discimus. -Latin Proverb
Emily Whalen has lived in the Greater Cincinnati area her whole life. She graduated from St. Henry District High School and attended Xavier University for her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Master's of Education. She also works as a part-time tutor at Huntington Learning Center. Currently, she is pursuing a licensure in integrated social studies. When not doing "school work" as a teacher or for her own continuing education, Emily enjoys reading, hiking, playing board games with friends, and rock climbing.