Welcome to our new series in the Saint Emmelia podcast: With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. Today, Holden Spain from Hellenic College Holy Cross shares how the college experience can shape young people long after they graduate.

We’re excited to introduce a new series in the Saint Emmelia podcast: With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. In this episode, Mindi Popovich-Schneider, Marcy Fox, and Mat. Melissa Naasko discuss the challenges and great blessings of working while raising children–and how young women can navigate the pressures and expectations of both the secular and religious worlds.

We are so excited and honored to have Autumn Krause join us on the podcast! Autumn is a Kirkus-star winning Young Adult author, homeschool alumna, and Orthodox homeschool mom. Her books, A Dress for the Wicked and Before the Devil Knows You're Here, were published by mainstream companies, with the latter garnering many accolades. Her third book will be published September 2nd, 2025. Autumn shares how she confronts the hardships of life in her books and recounts how homeschooling impacts her work as an author.

Books mentioned:

A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause

Before the Devil Knows You're Here by Autumn Krause

Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Brothers Karamazov by Fyodr Dostoevsky

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

In this episode, we talk to Fr. Theodore Petrides, who draws from his own experience homeschooling his 6 children, to share both practical and spiritual wisdom to homeschooling parents.

Meet Deacon Nicholas Kotar: author, translator, teacher, and fellow homeschool parent. In this un-depth discussion, Deacon Nicholas shares an author's perspective on American Orthodoxy, building culture through folktales, and creating roots of faith through storytelling.

Mat. Melissa Naasko interviews Subdeacon Herman Tyler Ward. A technology expert for a school district in California, Sbdn. Herman shares his insights on AI and internet safety. You can hear his previous episode here: https://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/saintemmelia/081_interview_with_subdeacon_herman_ward/

Mindi is joined by Monica Chilbert, an Orthodox Christian wife, mother, homeschool co-op teacher, and of course, avid reader. Monica and Mindi discuss assessing books for their kids, and the role of monsters in books.

Books mentioned:

The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

Stuart Little by E.B. White

The Children of the Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

The Hug Machine by Scott Campbell

Curious George by H.A. Rey

Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia O'Hara

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

St. George and the Dragon by Jim Forest

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Fables by Arnold Lobel

The Fire Cat by Esther Averill

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro

Phantastes by George MacDonald

The Secrets of Ormdale by Christina Baehr

Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Meet our board of Spiritual Advisors! Fr. Nikolai Meyers is the priest of Sts. Peter and Paul in Topeka, KS and is our advisor for the diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. He has been invaluable to Saint Emmelia's, advising us on communications, helping with the SOUTH conference the past few years, and sharing his wisdom about curriculum in our Saint Macrina Lectures.

On today’s episode, Matushka Melissa talks with St Emmilia Ministries financial officer about the scholarship programs funded by our organization as well as managing homeschooling when you have lots of small children at home. It’s a fun and informative interview that will give the listener lots of ideas to make homeschooling easier.

On this special episode, Matushka Melissa talks with her oldest daughter, Maria Ross. Maria is a former homeschooler and a 2023 graduate with honors from Michigan State University with a double major in Math and Secondary Math Education with a minor in Biology. Maria uses her personal experience as a formerly math resistant student to give advice and guidance on teaching math in general but especially to struggling students.

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Three_R_s.html?id=vRqGAAAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1614165.You_Can_Teach_Your_Child_Successfully

https://hewittlearning.org/curriculum-home/math-it/

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yXNG6GKFhQM&si=kUugCpC_QqV2eNXq