In the 10+ years of being involved in Stoa, Aaron has experienced firsthand how this “sport” has benefited each of his own children. Additionally, working for over twenty years in the hospitality industry, Aaron has seen how this training significantly impacts real-world success. This has given him a vested interest in discipling young people to be well-spoken, thinking adults who are following Christ.

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In his free time, Aaron loves hiking, soccer, games with the fam, and wondering what new endeavor his wife of 30 years will come up with for them to do next.

 

As a Stoa veteran, Wendy brings a wealth of knowledge and love to our club, undergirded by her faith in Jesus. With decades of experience, Wendy turns humble ingredients into nourishing feasts on a weekly basis for our Plumb families, believing that love, creativity, and a bit of spice can feed both body and soul.

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When not preparing meals, Wendy loves experiencing the great outdoors with Chris, her husband of 34 years. She’s the grateful mom to 16 incredible children and a blessed grandma to 21 bright, joy-filled souls.
 

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The Millers joined Stoa in 2019 and Ben has become passionate about helping teens become next-level speakers and debaters. Ben sees himself serving in Stoa long after his youngest graduates. Having spent over 25 years in the construction industry, he recently launched his own architectural drawing and engineering business, which gives him the freedom to coach with two clubs, Legacy (PA) and Plumb (CO).

Married for 22 years, Ben and his wife, Anna, are blessed with four amazing kids, a son-in-law, and a grandson. As a family, outdoor adventures, like camping and hunting, are a big part of their lives.

 

At age 10, Sofia was registered in her first Stoa tournament as a junior competitor. She quickly discovered a new love and spent the next seven years training and competing. As a coach, Sofia shares her advanced expertise, encouraging students to think outside of the box and push beyond what they think they can do to reach the excellence she knows they are capable of.

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In addition to coaching, Sofia is also an accomplished artist and pianist, writer, reader, pup mommy, movie enthusiast, and cowgirl. She and her husband, Ben, make their home in Colorado Springs.​​​

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Coming Soon!​

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Registering her own children for Stoa many moons ago was just the beginning of what would become a lifelong passion: training young people to find their voice and speak for Christ with confidence and respect. With a love of reading, writing, teaching, and speaking, Ralina seeks to mentor young people in excelling in all these areas.  

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Wife to Aaron, mom to four, mom-in-law to two (almost three!), you can find Ralina most days organizing or cleaning something, walking pups with Aaron, or chatting with one of her kids, and always, always surrounded by books.

 

Participating in Stoa was a major part of Kenny’s homeschool education. Delving deeply into multiple debate forms and various speech events, his own skill set was built and enhanced, paving the way for many opportunities, including a degree from CCU in Communication. In coaching, Kenny greatly appreciates the opportunity to invest in young people by drawing from his own deep well of knowledge and honed set of skills.

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Kenny is an avid ultimate frisbee player, enjoys strategy games with family and friends, and is interested in continuing to pursue roles as coach and mentor.

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Having spent five years honing his own speech and debate skills as a part of Stoa, David is an alumnus who brings a store of knowhow and experience to both Legacy (PA) and Plumb (CO). Loving to challenge himself and also having the opportunity to challenge others, he looks forward to helping students reach their potential and take their speaking abilities to the next level.

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Alongside coaching and completing his requirements and training to become a pilot, you can also find David out-of-doors where he loves many sports and activities, including, but not limited to, camping and hunting.

 

With eight years of Stoa under her belt, Caramia believes all the hard work has been worth it! She serves Plumb by whipping up delectable meals and desserts for our GF contingency and assisting Wendy in the kitchen.

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Some of Caramia’s favorite things (besides Jesus!) are hosting Bible Bee during the summer and a book club for homeschoolers throughout the year. Married for 28 years, Caramia and Phil are the parents of five children. Whether hanging out with the family, cooking, judging, coaching, or reading, you will find Caramia spreading her laughter, energy, and joy wherever she goes.​

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A homeschooled student and Stoa alumna, Mindy brings heart and experience to Legacy. Now working in sales, she has seen firsthand how confident and capable her public speaking training has made her. She has loved coaching her own brothers and Legacy (PA) and Plumb (CO) students, polishing their speeches and being a part of their journeys.

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Coaching aside, Mindy loves trying new recipes in the kitchen, getting competitive over a board game, and enjoying the great outdoors. She and her husband, Enos, live in Canon City along with their son and French bulldog (who thinks she’s a human too!).

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Priscilla has literally been a part of Stoa since birth due to her family’s intrinsic involvement since Stoa’s inception. Her own training journey began in junior competitions and then progressed to senior competitions where she spent five years. Her lifelong learning has cultivated a desire to continue working with students and inspire them to grow in their own journeys.

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Priscilla is a deep thinker who enjoys good conversations, time with family and friends, hanging out with kids, baking delicious desserts, and sharing words of encouragement. She is working towards a degree in elementary education with Colorado Early Colleges.

 

With a heart for equipping the next generation with the tools they need for life, Anna brings the superpowers of teaching and motivational coaching to two Stoa clubs, Legacy (PA) and Plumb (CO). Growing up in the Amish community, homeschooling and public speaking were not on her radar, but she has since become hooked! She loves helping students to grow, not just as speakers, but as people. In 2024, Ben and Anna launched Legacy, the first Stoa club in PA.

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When not teaching or coaching, Anna loves being outdoors, soaking up the sunshine, and being a mom and grandma.

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Not having grown up as part of a Stoa family, this whole world was brand new to Ben when he first helped Sofia do some art work for an Expository speech several years ago. He began coming to tournaments to watch and judge and quickly caught Stoa fever. As a naturally gifted speaker and teacher, this new world has become an encouraging place to continue his own training and expertise.

 

Outside of Plumb, Ben is husband to Sofia, dad to adorable pups, church youth director, zookeeper, and restaurant server with a love of art, reading, and soccer.

 

Growing up in Colorado, Lara was an insatiable reader and dabbler in poetry and prose. Her Christian high school speech class motivated her to conquer public speaking fears, and Bible classes inspired a love of theology and apologetics. A Communication and Marketing Degree opened doors in writing, speaking, and graphic design.

 

Married twenty-four years, Lara and Matt have seven children. They love learning together and homeschooled from the beginning, including ten months of road-schooling with Matt's medical job. Lara still devours books, loves oxford commas, and feeds her soul with Scripture, nature, art, and hymns.