Maggie Hogan
Although her boys are grown and gone, Maggie is such a homeschool addict she now borrows kids to homeschool! (And she’s thinking about writing a “homeschooling baby” curriculum now that she is a proud new grandma!) With too many ideas floating around in her head, she often has a glazed look in her eyes as she is heard to exclaim: “Quick, write it down before I forget it.”
She’s passionate about Christ, her family, books, travel, homeschooling, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. Since beginning homeschooling in 1991 she has spoken across the country and in Canada, written numerous articles and books, appeared on radio and TV, and spoken to thousands via homeschooling and women’s conferences (and to random strangers on the street.) She is pretty sure she will never graduate but is totally loving the journey.
Illuminations is her newest baby and one she is strongly committed to—wanting to simplify homeschooling moms’ lives by providing them with realistic goals, tools, and materials to use.
She wants her headstone to read, “Been there—done that, had a blast and praise God: now I’m HOME!”
Melissa Craig
Melissa Craig has a BA in Communication Arts from Grove City College. She worked in the business world, doing management and training, while pursuing her Master’s Degree and teaching certificate. Much to her surprise, God called her to use the skills she was developing to teach her own children at home!! So, she stopped climbing the corporate ladder 10 years ago and has been homeschooling her four children (only one when the journey began) ever since. She lives in Michigan with Rebecca, age 17; Joshua, age 11, Jeremy, age 8 and Bethany, age 4. All children have strong personalities, and she often feels she needs to purchase a home with more sound waves for all the simultaneous noise! Melissa loves serving on the BIP board, working on curriculum development and writing for Bright Ideas Press. When she’s not teaching, working or mediating her passionate children, she loves to digitally scrapbook, sing praises to her Lord and serve in her church’s high school youth group.
Dari Mullins
After much prayer and discussion, Dari and her husband, Allen decided to homeschool their future children long before they were born. Dari, being the high Type A person that she is, started researching homeschooling when her oldest was eighteen months old. She read everything on the topic and did extensive study on the type of curriculum she wanted to use. After realizing there was nothing out there that she liked, she began writing her own. Two of the unit studies which she co-authored (Galloping the Globe and Cantering the Country) were published and are still popular today. Since she loves to talk and has made plenty of mistakes, she started putting together seminars to help other homeschool moms learn from her experiences. She now speaks at conferences and meetings all over the US and thanks God for the opportunity to help others.
Her three children, now teenagers, have been homeschooled since Pre- K (remember she is high type A) and still enjoy the journey! Allen, Dari, Artie, Autumn and Aspen live in Asheville, NC. Her children are involved in multiple sports, chorus, volunteering and other activities – the hectic schedule keeps everyone on track (most of the time).
Dari loves working with Bright Ideas Press developing curriculum that is Christian based, user-friendly, academically sound and fun to use. When not sitting at the computer, Dari enjoys reading, scrapbooking and spending time with her kids.
Tyler Hogan
Tyler Hogan is the BIP Office Manager. He lives in Dover, Delaware with his very patient wife, Helen, and their adorable baby, Kaylee. In his “spare time” he teaches classes for homeschoolers, performs as a street mime, reads books, drinks Chai Tea, and thinks deep thoughts. Tyler finds it odd writing about himself in the third person.
