_{Academy Director}
^{Dr. Jonathan Shoemaker}

I am originally from a small, country town in west New Jersey. In 2000, while a student at Catholic University of America in Washington DC, I was inspired to pursue a career in education, hoping to one day become a professor of ancient Greek philosophy. In the courtyard of the National Basilica, after a discussion with a priest, I decided to dedicate my life to helping others discover the world of learning that had transformed my own life. In 2005, I moved to Southern California, where I attended Claremont Graduate University for an Master’s in Philosophy. In 2007, I was accepted to the Doctoral Program at University of California, Irvine and received a scholarship to study under a Classical Greek Philosophy scholar and research the classical foundations of European and American intellectual history. I earned my Doctorate in May 2015 with a specialization in Classical Greek Philosophy and an area of competence in the philosophies of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. For the last 8 years, I have worked as a professor at several colleges and universities, designing and teaching over 50 courses from Classical Greek Ethics to Logic and Critical Thinking.

I come from a closely knit family, which has always kept the Catholic faith as the cornerstone of our lives. My father is a member of the Knights of Columbus and my mother has been active in statewide charitable organizations in New Jersey since 1995. My brothers and I had an active role at St. Elizabeth and Brigid church in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, volunteering with Catholic education and outreach. I am a proud uncle to four wonderful nieces and nephews and serve as godfather to my seven year old niece, Annelise, and five year old nephew, Henry.

When I am not teaching or designing lecture slides, I spend time playing classical guitar, drawing, swimming, or surfing in the South Bay or Huntington Beach. I am excited to serve you and your families by providing our students with a rigorous – yet fun – classical education, one that cultivates and awakens not only their intellect, but also their character and spirit within a Catholic community of faith.