2023 Conference
Featured Presenters
& Panelists
Graduation Keynote: Dr. Daniel McConnell
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Daniel McConnell is originally from Indiana and earned a PhD in Sensory Psychology at Indiana University in 1999, and has been a Lecturer of Psychology at the University of Central Florida since 2007. He has also worked at the University of Pennsylvania and Wichita State University. Over the years he has taught thousands of Psychology students at UCF while also co-directing the Technology & Aging Lab, where they conduct research on how people perceive and use various forms of technology, especially older adults. They have studied how older drivers interact with cars, touchscreens, intelligent personal assistants and artificial intelligence, wearable and implantable technology, and social and assistive robots. He has written textbooks on the history of psychology and on applied psychology. He and his wife have been homeschool parents of their son Aidan for six years. For fun, he plays drums in a band with other UCF professors.
Brenda Dickinson
Established in 1991, the Florida Home Education Foundation (HEF) works to raise support and direct lobbying for home education in Florida. It exists to safeguard existing legislation and evaluate future legislation. Without HEF and Brenda, home educators would not enjoy tuition-free dual enrollment at colleges and universities; extracurricular activities at public or private high schools; Bright Futures scholarships; the elimination of the child abuse provision and the data base survey requirements; an affidavit that allows home educated students to enter community colleges without getting their GED; Florida On-line High School participation for non-public schools and home educators; and so much more.
Chrysalis Wright, Ph.D.
Dr. Chrysalis Wright is a developmental psychologist but more importantly has homeschooled her six children for almost 15 years. Applying developmental principles to home education has allowed Chrysalis the opportunity to tailor her student’s education to each individual child, focusing on each one’s passions and interests and going at their own pace. Her two older students have or are currently participating in the dual enrollment program and have successfully completed high school through home education. She is currently homeschooling a tenth grader who is already a contracted video game designer, two middle school students, and a second grader. Chrysalis runs a secular homeschool support group for all homeschoolers located in Central Florida called Sunshine State Homeschoolers, which organizes co-op classes, field trips, meet ups, parties, STEM events, and the ever so popular Teen Dances which were recently featured in the Orlando Sentinel. She also operates an umbrella school to assist homeschooling families across the state, various other U.S. states and territories, called Sunshine State Homeschool Academy. The umbrella school participates in the Bright Futures Scholarship program, offers multiple dual credit and dual enrollment opportunities for students, is a NCAA approved school, is affiliated with FLVS, is registered with the college board, and offers a high school diploma to students.
Marie-Claire Moreau, Ed.D.
Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who changed careers and became a home educator and consultant over 25 years ago. An academia junkie and habitual writer, she enjoys sharing home education trends and research, stress-free scheduling strategies, and the nuts & bolts of homeschooling, to statewide and national audiences. Dr. Moreau's industry-acclaimed book, Suddenly Homeschooling, revolutionized the market in 2011 by showing how anyone could begin homeschooling quickly with little effort, no matter the motivation, circumstances or budget. She also wrote the definitive guide to Florida homeschooling in 2017. Proud to have homeschooled her kids from birth, Dr. Moreau now supports other families raising the next generation of scholars., currently acting as the Director of the Florida Homeschool Association www.floridahsa.org and delivering continuing education to parents in the Homeschool Masterclass program www.homeschoolmasterclass.com.
Christopher Ferguson, Ph.D.
Christopher Ferguson holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida. He has clinical experience particularly in working with offender and juvenile justice populations as well as conducting evaluations for child protective services. In 2013 he was awarded a Distinguished Early Career Professional Award from Division 46 (media psychology and technology) of the American Psychological Association. In 2014 he was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association through Division 1 (General Psychology, effective January, 2015). He has written several books, including How Madness Shaped History (2020) and Moral Corbat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong (2017). In addition to his academic work he published a historical mystery novel entitled Suicide Kings, and plays a bit of Pink Floyd-ish sounding music under the band name "Gods of Avalon." He lives in the Orlando area with his wife and young son.
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Cam Anderson
Cam recently completed her 20th year of homeschooling her seven children, ranging in ages from 8-28. Her Facebook Page “Camschooling” is where she shares her homeschool journey online. But, in real life, Cam shares her teaching passion with the students of “Flagler Preparatory Academy” a homeschool micropod in Northeast Florida. As a curriculum expert and homeschool advisor, Cam helps families understand their needs and develop homeschool plans. She loves helping parents find the best ways to optimize homeschooling for their own students and family's needs.
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Samantha Eason
Homeschooling mom, certified teacher and an antique lover with an M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from Southeastern University, Samantha is a former Polk County elementary art teacher, licensed in the state of Florida with completed required coursework for license renewal through 2028. Samantha loves homeschool days filled with laughter & learning and successes, but understands failures, too. She believes families grow stronger, closer and more inquisitive because of homeschooling, and supports the homeschooling community through annual homeschool portfolio evaluations, speaking engagements, conference presentations and portfolio consultations.
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Wendy Richardson, M.Ed.
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Wendy has a MEd of Education and a BA in Social Work. She is currently the Director of Admission at Oak Meadow, a distance learning school. After working in both public and private schools as a teacher, Wendy has worked as an educational counselor for homeschool families for the past 12 years. She brings with her a broad range of experience and information about the different ways to educate children.
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Leilani Melendez
Leilani Melendez, homeschooling mom of four kids, applies her 10+ years of experience as a middle school classroom teacher to provide homeschool evaluator services to Florida families. She also shares guidance, resources, and support through her YouTube Channel "Living With Eve" and other social media platforms, and has recently wrote "Freedom To Learn: Choosing Your Path to Homeschool Victory." A book that covers the basics to help new homeschooling parents get started, but also delves deep and shares parents' stories that encourage even the most seasoned homeschooling parent. Leilani’s youngest has Down’s Syndrome, which has inspired her to start connecting with other families on similar journeys to share support, information, and encouragement…because all families are exceptional!
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Gabriela Mancini, Psy.D.
Dr. Gabriela Mancini’s areas of specialization include psychology and neuroscience. She completed her undergraduate studies at Florida International University (FIU) and her graduate degrees at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). Dr. Gabby is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked in medical, professional, and academic settings, including hospitals, schools, and universities. Dr. Gabby is passionate about increasing awareness of brain and mental health issues and incorporating emotional literacy into everyday learning. She enjoys developing interactive courses and fun ways to teach kids about brain sciences and emotional intelligence. Dr. Gabby loves working with kids and hopes to help them develop a life-long love of learning.
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Lauren R. Parker, Psy.S. NCSP
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Lauren Parker, Psy.S., NCSP is a Nationally Certified, Florida Certified, and Florida Licensed School Psychologist. Lauren spent nearly a decade working for a large urban school district before transitioning to private practice and consultation; founding Central Florida Gifted Center. Lauren has dedicated her career to serving students with academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. In September 2022, Lauren had the honor of presenting a TEDx Talk on Why Mental Health is Critical for Academic Success. Lauren’s work is centered on changing systems within schools and communities to support the social, emotional, and mental wellbeing of students and to support the development of these essential components of learning and lifelong success.
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Jimminda Thompson, MEd
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Jimminda has served in the field of education for over 25 years in various roles and levels, working with elementary age children through adult learners. Currently she is representing Florida Virtual School as the District Relations Manager for Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties as well as the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. She is excited to share the wonderful opportunities for students through the valuable choice of virtual education through FLVS. Jimminda attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and continued to quench her thirst for learning by earning a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from American College of Education. She is the author of the book entitled, You Get What You Act For, The Importance of Communication. Jimminda enjoys the Arts and building a life with her husband and three children.
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Leslie Ann Daniels
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Leslie Ann Daniels graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Environmental Education and a minor in General Science, as well as received a Teaching Certificate through the School of Education for Grades K-8. She also took graduate courses in Alternative Education at the Waldorf Institute of Southern California and at Antioch College in Keene, NH. In addition to working as an Oak Meadow K-6 teacher since 1986, Leslie homeschooled her children using Oak Meadow’s K-8 curricula. She is an avid fan of storytelling!
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Dianna Zayas
For the past 8 years, Dianna has taught Preschool through High School science to many children alongside her own 3 children while on their homeschool journey. Whether via Life Science, Astronomy or Robotics, Dianna has helped many homeschooled students experience STEM education in their own ways, accommodating their own unique styles of learning. Dianna's hope is that by sharing her adventures and valuable lessons learned along the way, it can help make someone else’s homeschool journey a little easier. Find Dianna at her blog, "Creating My Own Way".
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Celia Zamora, Ph.D.
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Celia Chomón Zamora, Ph.D. currently serves as the Director of the Professional Learning and Certification Department at ACTFL, where she focuses on supporting language educators and language learning across the globe, as well as developing the training and calibration of instructors evaluating ACTFL’s human-rated language assessments. In her role, she facilitates the creation of professional development resources, collaborates and engages with stakeholders, and actively advocates for teachers, both in school and at home. She was honored as a DELP (Diversity Executive Leadership Program) Scholar in 2022. Prior to joining ACTFL, Dr. Zamora served as an educator, researcher, and advocate for over 15 years. She taught English, Spanish, and Japanese in various settings: public and private K-12 schools, private universities, and minority-serving community colleges. Apart from her role as an instructor, she also served as the Assistant Director of the Spanish Language Program at Georgetown University, as well as the Department Chair of the Modern Languages program at a private school in Virginia. Dr. Zamora received her B.A. in English and Japanese Studies, as well as her M.A. in Linguistics from Florida International University. She earned her doctorate in Spanish Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University, where she was awarded the prestigious Harold N. Glassman Distinguished Dissertation award in the social sciences.
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