Faculty & Staff

Curby’s goal is to help develop young minds that have a deep appreciation and understanding of Western Civilization and to be thoughtful, virtuous informed citizens who are prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.

Curby graduated in 1986 from the University of San Antonio with a degree in Humanities. A few years later he decided to fulfill a lifelong ambition and joined the US Army. He was commissioned as an Intelligence Officer and served for 22 years, was a paratrooper, combat vet, earned two Bronze Stars and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his service, he earned a Master’s in Human Resource Management.

After retiring, he worked as an academic dean, dean of students, and instructor at one of the largest private classical schools in Texas.  He earned a 2nd Master’s degree in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University in 2018.  He also earned the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2020.

His hobbies include studying history, theology, philosophy and culture. He also enjoys rock tumbling, coin collecting and building his own computers.  His favorite books are The Lord of the Rings and almost anything by CS Lewis and GK Chesterton.

Curby married Stephanie Graham in 2004 and they have two beautiful teenage daughters, both of whom have benefited from a classical education. He chose Optima because it is cutting edge, and he wanted to help reach students that would normally be unable to attend a classical school.

Dr. John Rosenbaum serves as a junior high teacher of various subjects for Optima Academy Online. Dr. Rosenbaum hails from California, spent time in Washington, and is now settled in Texas with his wife.

Rosenbaum has worked positions as varied as Christian missions, inventory control, department management, being a purchaser, and doing small-business and personal tax accounting.

However, his life’s mission is to help others think better so as to live better. So Dr. Rosenbaum enrolled at Baylor University (TX) to earn a PhD in Analytic Philosophy. Philosophy, briefly, is a disciplined pursuit of wisdom by reason and argumentation. Rosenbaum sought to improve his own thinking skills to better be able to teach those skills. His specializations include philosophy of language (“phil language”), phil fiction, and metaphysics; though he is competent in phil science, phil religion, and the history of philosophy. Rosenbaum was also a funded fellow for research-level training in Empirical Linguistics.

While classical education is multifaceted, the Western liberal arts tradition is at its core philosophical. So as a philosopher Dr. Rosenbaum has the knowledge of, skillset for, and the ability to teach core material in a classical education. And he is passionate about doing so. For a classical education unifies human knowledge, teaches people how to think, and equips them to be virtuous and to take responsibility for their own lives. The prospect of classical education in virtual reality through Optima excites Rosenbaum in placing him at the cutting edge of a genius use of a new, soon-to-be-everywhere medium.

Favorite nonfiction books include Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle), On Favors (Seneca), and The Theory That Would Not Die (McGrayne); favorite fiction include The Sparrow series (Russell) and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (Clarke). When not doing philosophy or teaching, Dr. Rosenbaum is either playing board games or designing them.

My name is Jacob Goodwin, and I am the 7th & 8th grade science teacher. I was born and raised in Jackson Mississippi. I got my bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Mississippi State University. I have always loved science, and I would like to spread my love for science with others. When I am not working, I am usually either playing tennis, playing piano, playing video games, or playing with my dogs. If you need to get into contact with me, my office hours are Monday through Friday from 1 PM to 3PM.

Maddie Sullivan is our 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at Optima Academy Online. She has taught in a variety of educational settings, but she is excited to embark on this new journey with our students this fall. She has always had a passion for writing, and she loves building relationships with all of her students.

Maddie graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in English and minors in Secondary Education and Film Studies. After attending Wake Forest, she moved to Wilmington, North Carolina to begin her career in education. After a year teaching 8th grade ELA, she moved to Valdosta, Georgia where she spent time teaching elementary students. She stepped back into the middle school classroom this past school year in Knoxville, Tennessee where she currently lives with her husband.

She loves visiting the beach, playing volleyball, and traveling with her family. She has always enjoyed both books and movies; her all-time favorite novel is The Great Gatsby, but she loves both the book and film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.

Mr. Birchum is extremely passionate about working together to help our young scholars succeed. As a former Americorps member, he is not unfamiliar with what it means to be on a team to bring out the best in children. He graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a 3.91 GPA and was on the Dean’s List every semester. He is very outgoing and loves adventure. From being an Eagle Scout to playing in-person Quidditch, Mr. Birchum thrives when doing things he loves. Mr. Birchum’s favorite books (right now) are Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Being a first-year teacher, he will bring an unparalleled level of passion and enthusiasm to the classroom. In his opinion, Optima Academy Online unequivocally delivers the best mode of learning for academic growth and is the absolute coolest school to be a part of in the world.

Valerie Medlin teaches 6th grade English and Language Arts at Optima Academy Online. Her students are known and loved in a classroom that is motivated by curiosity and creativity. Through a literary journey among Medieval and Renaissance classics, she and her students will experience what William Faulkner called one of the great privileges of writing: “help[ing] man endure by lifting his hearts.”

Valerie majored in English and Spanish at Elon University and has taught both English and Spanish in the private and public-school systems. Her love for languages has its origin in international travel, particularly in South America and Eastern Europe. Some of her favorite authors include Flannery O’Connor, Octavia Butler, Colson Whitehead, and William Faulkner. She spent the summer of 2022 in Normandy, France learning French and reading Medieval literature. Valerie is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach while still being a student of the world.