Discover Chesterton.

Martha is a retired homeschooling mother of 6. A graduate of UCLA with a degree in International Relations, she worked in Recruiting and Project Management before taking on her most important role as wife and mother. She and her husband Tom spent 30 years in the Seattle area, where she helped their diocesan parish school transition to the Classical Catholic educational model and start a Classical High School. In 2021, the Holy Spirit called the Ritters to bring their passion for their Catholic faith and Classical Education to Utah, where Martha has started two Atria with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Peter is a cradle Catholic. He and his three siblings were born and raised in suburban Chicago by their loving and faithful parents Shirley and Jim. Peter attended Catholic grade school and later received a liberal arts degree from a small midwestern school and a technical degree from Purdue University. He moved from Chicago to Salt Lake City in the summer of 2020 following a 35-year career as a commercial construction executive which included postings in the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia. As a parishioner at St. Ambrose, he is a weekly Eucharistic Adoration participant during which he has read and studied the Catechism and is now undertaking Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a year.

A California native, Sandra Alas, moved to Utah in 2020. She is a wife and mother to three young children. As a former educator, Sandra understands the importance of a strong education in the Catholic Tradition to help prepare our youth to grow and prosper.

Sandra graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a B.A. in English Literature and earned her JD from Western State College of Law. Currently, she is a Senior Trust Officer with Bank of America where she serves as a fiduciary for ultra-high net worth clients and has been recognized in the American Bankers Association 40 Under 40 (2023).

Maurisa is a wife and homeschooling mother of seven. A native of Spokane, Washington, Maurisa attended Whitworth College and received her degree in sociology with a minor in psychology. In 1991 she married Chris and he accepted a commission as an officer in the Air Force. For over 25 years, she has taught her own children and been an instructor in three homeschool co-ops. After Chris retired from active duty in 2012 the Mayerles settled in rural Utah. As she nears the end of her homeschooling years, she feels a continued desire to promote alternatives to public education such as the Chesterton Schools Network.

Nancy was born and raised in the Midwest with a Catholic upbringing and education, attending Catholic grade/high schools. She attended the University of New Hampshire and the University of Utah earning a BS in Accounting and an MBA at Westminster College in Salt Lake City. She has lived in Utah for 30 years. Nancy has worked in the banking and energy industries; and as a corporate educator for a DOD Contractor in process improvement. She teaches Sunday School at St. Ambrose Parish; and has tutored children in the parish community for several years. Her experience working with children from both the Public and Catholic school systems revealed a real need for a true Classical education. She is pleased to be a small part of bringing this education to a reality in Utah.

A native of Arizona, Kirk earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from San Diego State University. It was in San Diego he met his wife, Grace and her three children. In their marriage they have been blessed with two more children together. Their involvement with a classical Catholic school was a catalyst for Kirk's conversion to the Catholic faith. Kirk retired after 30 years of driving strategies and business development for entrepreneurial start-ups. Since 2012, he has served as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the Agnus Dei Foundation, which established the Lamb of God Maternity Home in San Diego.