Dr. Duffy is a native Rhode Islander who graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School in 2009. He received a B.A. in Philosophy and Humanities from Villanova University and a PhD in Philosophy from Fordham University, and taught undergraduate courses at the same institutions. His academic and scholarly career is marked by many prestigious fellowships and honors. Most recently, he served as the assistant headmaster of a classical charter school in Austin, Texas.
"Students at Chesterton Academy will encounter the beauty and wonder of reality through a richly classical and Christ-centered education, one that fosters true friendship in the pursuit of wisdom and holiness,” said Dr. Duffy in a written statement. “I am excited to return to my home state of Rhode Island to serve as the founding headmaster.”
Michael and his wife Laurie have lived in Jamestown, Rhode Island for 30 years and are parents of 5 children and the grandparents of 4. Michael is a trustee at his local parish, St. Mark Church in Jamestown, RI. Michael received his B.S. in Resource Development and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island and started his own business which he sold in 2016. During his career, he helped start several businesses in industries which ranged from manufacturing to online marketing. In previous years, he has served on various boards including Magdalen College, The Mother of Life Center, and St. Edmund's Retreat Center. Mike brings a broad spectrum of skills which he hopes will help families who want a strong, Catholic, and classical education for their children.
Miss Rebecca Scheurer is from Templeton, Massachusetts, a small farm town in the northern part of the state. She graduated high school from Trivium School in Lancaster, MA. Between high school and college, Miss Scheurer took a year to work, during which time she spent a few weeks studying JPII's Theology of the Body in Poland. Among the many graces on that trip, Miss Scheurer decided to attend Thomas Aquinas College in Northfield, MA, from which she recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. During college while on a trip as a Totus Tuus Missionary in Oklahoma, she discovered that she enjoyed instilling wonder about the good, true, and beautiful in young people, and so when she heard about the mission of the Chesterton Academies, she decided to help establish Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope in Rhode Island. In her free time, Miss Scheurer loves anything to do with the outdoors, especially hiking, making music with her nine younger siblings, and, of course, reading the great works of western civilization, especially St. Thomas Aquinas.
Jerry Magaña grew up in Chesterfield, Virginia, where he was homeschooled for much of his education. After receiving his Associates Degree and working for several years as a network engineer, Jerry developed a deep love for truth, goodness, and beauty while studying theoretical mathematics for his Bachelor of Science at the University of North Georgia. This love led Jerry to complete a Masters degree in Mathematics from Arizona State University. Jerry has co-authored five papers in subjects including mathematical biology, quantum chemistry, and algebraic geometry.
While a graduate student, Jerry also taught full-time for a classical academy in Phoenix, where he taught Algebra for 8th grade and Calculus for 12th grade, and met his wife, Margaret, also a teacher there. Outside of academics, Jerry was a founding member of the Schola of St. Ephraim and an altar server at the ASU Newman Center. Jerry also served in the Porters of Saint Joseph, a church security ministry. Jerry is excited to start with Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope in 2024. He brings a deep love of the liberal arts and a profound conviction for the importance of human formation through education. At Chesterton, Jerry's courses will include Math, Science, and History.
Margaret Magaña graduated high school in Coventry, Rhode Island, and then set out for four years of backpacking, speaking Latin, and immersion in the great philosophy, theology, literature, and art of Western Civilization at Wyoming Catholic College. After graduating, she spent two years teaching Latin at a charter school in Phoenix, Arizona. She met her husband in Phoenix, and is overjoyed to join Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope. At Chesterton, Margaret will teach across several subjects, including Latin, Literature, Philosophy, History, and Fine Arts.
Jennefer and her husband Robert live in Paxton, MA and are the proud parents of their daughter, Isabella, who is a current Chesterton student. Jennefer is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has a BS in Microbiology. She worked for many years in the pharmaceutical industry before transitioning to being a stay-at-home mom, then working full-time outside the home in retail management, all while homeschooling up through 8th grade. Prior to coming to Chesterton full-time, Jennefer worked as the secretary of her home parish in Worcester, MA.
