Julian Malcolm – Headmaster
Logic, Theology
jmalcolm@thesummitva.org
B.A. History, University of Mary Washington
M.T.S. Biotechnology and Ethics, Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Catholic University of America

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Evan Williams – Director of Curriculum and Faculty
History, Latin, Trivium
ewilliams@thesummitva.org
B.A. Philosophy and Classical Studies, Hillsdale College
M.A. Philosophy, Marquette University

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John Piescik – Dean of Student Life
Latin, Theology
jpiescik@thesummitva.org
B.A. Theology and Philosophy, Franciscan University of Steubenville
M.Ed. Administration & Supervision, Marymount University

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Nick Marr – Director of Advancement
nmarr@thesummitva.org
B.A. Political Science, Notre Dame

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Melissa Buhle – Business Operations Manager
mbuhle@thesummitva.org

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Caleb Beck – Instructor
Fine Arts, History, Literature & Grammar
cbeck@thesummitva.org
B.A. Fine Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University
M.A. Fine Arts, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University Boston

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Zach Candler – Instructor, House System Director
History, Mathematics, Science
zcandler@thesummitva.org
B.S. Aerospace Engineering and minor in Mathematics, Virginia Tech

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Patrick Clark – Instructor
Fine Arts, History, Trivium
pclark@thesummitva.org
B.A. Theatre and History, Virginia Commonwealth University

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Kennedy Lopez – Instructor
History, Latin, Mathematics, Science
klopez@thesummitva.org
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of Alabama

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Ryan Malanga – Instructor
Latin, Mathematics, Theology
rmalanga@thesummitva.org
Ph.B. Philosophy, Catholic University of America

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Sarah McBride – Instructor
Literature & Grammar, Theology
smcbride@thesummitva.org
B.A. Theology, Ave Maria University
M.A. Theology, Ave Maria University

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Shannon Pepe – Instructor
Literature
spepe@thesummitva.org
B.A. English Literature, University of Buffalo
M.A. Liberal Arts, St. John’s College

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Amy Reese – Instructor
Science
areese@thesummitva.org
B.S. Pre-Med Biology, University of Mary Washington
M.S., Virginia Tech

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Genevieve Riley – Instructor, Director of Outdoor Programs
Mathematics
griley@thesummitva.org
B.A. Accounting, Ave Maria University
M.S. Business Analytics, College of William and Mary

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Julian Sicam – Instructor
Latin, Mathematics, Science, Trivium
jsicam@thesummitva.org
B.A. Philosophy, Benedictine College
M.A. Philosophy, The Center for Thomistic Studies, University of St. Thomas Houston

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James Stanley – Instructor
Latin, Literature, Theology, Trivium
jstanley@thesummitva.org
B.A. English Literature, University of Wisconsin
M.T.S. Theology, Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Catholic University of America

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Derick Buhle – Athletic Director
dbuhle@thesummitva.org

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Julian Malcolm

Julian moved to Fredericksburg, VA to attend college at the University of Mary Washington where he received his B.A. in History in 1997.

Prior to founding the Summit Academy he enjoyed a career managing military and intelligence business for several technology companies. Mr. Malcolm has also helped start and grow multiple successful private businesses throughout Central Virginia. He has also served as President, BOD for Mary’s Shelter in Fredericksburg, VA.

In 2015 he received a M.T.S. in Biotechnology and Ethics from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, CUA. He and his wife have been married for over twenty-five years and have 8 children.

Years at The Summit: 9 Years

Evan Williams

Evan Williams developed an interest in classical learning shortly after he finished high school. Prior to his first year at Hillsdale College, he picked up David McCullough’s biography on John Adams and was deeply impressed by Adams’ classical education. Evan would go on to finish his time at Hillsdale with a double major in Classical Studies and Philosophy. In graduate school at Marquette University, Evan was fortunate enough to study under renowned Latinist Fr. Reginald Foster (who served in the Vatican as translator under four popes, even preparing Pope Benedict XVI’s tweets for the Latin Twitter account @ Pontifex_ln). Suffice to say, Mr. Williams learned the importance of making Latin accessible! Evan is a lay Dominican and is currently finishing the dissertation for his PhD at the University of St. Thomas, Houston. Evan, and his wife Lauren, have four daughters.

Years at The Summit: 3 Years

John Piescik

John Piescik is himself a product of classical secondary education, having graduated high school from Trinity School at Meadow View in Falls Church, VA. He graduated from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in both theology and philosophy. He returned to his native Virginia with a passion for both theology and for his future spouse Kathryn, with whom he is now happily married and has six children. During their engagement, he continued his Theology studies, taking graduate courses at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C and working as a substitute teacher for the Arlington Diocese. Since then he has completed his Masters of Education degree in Administration & Supervision from Marymount University. Mr. Piescik teaches Latin courses for all grade levels, as well as New Testament course. In addition to his classroom experience, Mr. Piescik is also a talented actor, singer, and public speaker. He assists in the development of the Summit’s commitment to promoting the fine Arts by organizing events for the school community to perform drama and music.

Years at The Summit: 9 Years

Nick Marr

Nick Marr is Director of Advancement, where he oversees fundraising in all aspects, capital projects, board relations, and external affairs. After joining The Summit in August 2023, he established the school’s Annual Fund and increased major giving ten-fold. He is launching a campaign to establish the school’s permanent campus.

He also produces A View from The Summit newsletter and runs an upper-school elective course, “Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Philanthropy,” which features wide-ranging readings (from Pope Leo XIII to Tocqueville and Warren Buffett), seminar-style discussions, and guest lecturers. Previous guests include a regional bank CEO and a co-founder of the Hallow app.

Nick earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied political philosophy. He and his wife Alexandra reside in Virginia with their son Leo.

Years at The Summit: 2 Years

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Melissa Buhle

Melissa Buhle is The Summit Academy’s Business Operations Manager. She has more than twenty years of human resources and office management experience, has taught online accounting seminars, and has several field certifications. In addition to her work at The Summit, she volunteers to assist Zoan Baptist with administrative work, including payroll and tax preparation. In her free time, Melissa enjoys reading, cycling, and spending time with family.

Years at The Summit: 4 Years

Caleb Beck

Caleb Beck grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Radford, Virginia. He earned his B.F.A. at Virginia Commonwealth University and his M.F.A. jointly at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Tufts University.

After graduate school Mr. Beck moved to Chicago, and worked as an adjunct faculty member at Chicago State University, Roosevelt University, and the City Colleges of Chicago. He also founded an art gallery specializing in emerging Chicago artists. His own paintings have been exhibited in New York City, Chicago, Boston, and Richmond.  He is a member of the New Art Dealers Alliance and of the Catholic Art Institute.

In April 2024, Mr. Beck and his wife Kaitlyn had their first child, a beautiful baby girl.

Years at The Summit: First Year

Zach Candler

Zach joins the faculty at The Summit after a ten-year career with Lockheed Martin as a spacecraft engineer, most of which he spent supporting NASA’s Orion program. During this time, Zach also began graduate studies at the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO while also working serving in parish ministries as the High School Youth Group Leader at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Lakewood, CO. Prior to joining The Summit, Zach and his family, spent a year in Waco, TX working on a farm with World Hunger Relief, where he gained hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture while continuing his work with young people and managing various on-site immersion programs with Christian youth groups.

An engineer who is also a lover of Catholic theology, literature, and the liberal arts, as a well a burgeoning farmer who can demonstrate the skills of rabbit processing, Zach may be the quintessential Renaissance Man. He relates that what attracted him to his new position is that it is apparent that “The Summit Academy is a school committed to a pedagogy that makes evident the harmony between faith and reason and that goes beyond just imparting knowledge to its students but also seeks to instill wisdom, wonder, and virtue in them.” Zach will be teaching Algebra I, Pre-Calculus, Calculus and New Testament as well as assisting with the development of The Summit’s house system.

Zach graduated with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics minor from Virginia Tech in 2008.

Years at The Summit: 7 Years

Patrick Clark

A native of Fredericksburg, and the son of two teachers, Patrick Clark returned to his hometown to join the Summit faculty in 2020. Mr. Clark holds a double B.A. in History and Theatre Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. While living in Richmond, he worked as a National Park Ranger, as well as a writer, actor, and theatrical director.

After three years of teaching in public secondary schools, Mr. Clark answered the Lord’s call to the foreign missions. From 2018 to 2020, he served as a lay missionary in Comayagua, Honduras, and now serves as Director of Mission for the Missioners of Christ. Mr. Clark teaches Middle and Upper School History, leads the Summit Drama Department, and oversees the school Library.

Years at The Summit: 5 Years

Kennedy Lopez

Kennedy Lopez developed a passion for classical liberal arts while attending The Summit Academy, where she was a member of the inaugural graduating class in 2019. After graduating, she continued her education at Marion Military Institute in Alabama, where she was commissioned into the United States Army and then went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. Before returning to Fredericksburg with her daughter she completed Field Artillery Basic Officer Course and serves as a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard.

Years at The Summit: First Year

Ryan Malanga

Ryan Malanga was born and raised in the Fredericksburg area, a life-long parishioner of St. Patrick Catholic Church. During the course of his undergraduate studies he entered into St. John Paul II seminary in Washington D.C., where he earned his degree in philosophy at the Catholic University of America. Having recently returned to Fredericksburg Ryan is happy to join The Summit this year, where he is excited as he says, “to give as much as he can of the good that he has received.” 

Years at The Summit: First Year

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Sarah McBride

Sarah studied Theology at Ave Maria University. During her time at AMU, she was involved with the women’s soccer program as a player and coach. She has experience working with middle and high school students in the parish, school, and camp settings, and she is excited to continue working with youth at the Summit Academy.

Years at The Summit: 4 Years

Shannon Pepe

Shannon Pepe graduated from the University of Buffalo with a B.A. in English Literature in 2010, proceeded with graduate studies in English at the University of Vermont, and received her M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in 2016.

After a semester of teaching freshman composition at the University of Vermont and six years of teaching literature at two independent schools—one a classical Christian school in Dallas, Texas—she was grateful to find a home at the Summit, where she now teaches sophomore, junior, and senior Literature. Originally a chemistry major, she found that she longed for a more human education. She first found one in the study of literature, but still had a sense that she was among several recent generations deprived of a cultural inheritance that prior ones had ceased to pass on—an inheritance both intellectual and religious. In seeking out this inheritance, she rediscovered her Catholic faith and fell in love with the liberal arts tradition. She has dedicated her career to studying and teaching the Great Books and cultivating in students a receptivity to truth, goodness, and beauty through dialectic.

Mrs. Pepe and her husband have two children, with a third arriving this spring.

Shannon Pepe’s writing has been published in VoegelinView (click here to read) and The Imaginative Conservative (click here to read).

Years at the Summit: 7 Years

Amy Reese

Amy Reese will be teaching The Summit’s Dual Enrollment Biology courses this year. She has juggled a variety of roles as a professional scientist, analyst, riding instructor, home school educator and active member at St. Anthony Catholic Church in King George.  In previous positions Amy has employed her skills in handling radioactive isotopes, working with rare tumors and other tissues types, and working with live laboratory animals. This work has seen her employed as a research assistance at Johns Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Pathology Department, teaching molecular biology courses to undergraduates at Virginia Tech and finally, serving as an analyst at the Joint Warfare Analysis Center in Dahlgren. She will be teaching 11th grade Biology 101 and 102, 10th grade Honors Chemistry, and three middle school Science courses.

Amy graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Premed Biology degree and received her Master of Science from Virginia Tech.

Years at The Summit: 7 Years

Genevieve Riley

Genevieve Riley attended Ave Maria University, where she studied Accounting and played soccer. Through backpacking trips in Utah and serving at Camp Wojtyla in Colorado, she discovered a passion for outdoor education and ministry. In August 2023, Genevieve became a certified Wilderness First Responder. Prior to joining the Summit Academy, she worked as a college advisor and athletic director for a K-12 classical academy in Florida. She received her MS in Business Analytics from William & Mary and later worked as a data engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton. Now, Genevieve teaches both middle and high school mathematics, as well as brings forward her experience in soccer and outdoor leadership to coach the HS Girls Soccer team and lead the Outdoor Program.

Years at The Summit: 3 Years

Julian Sicam

Julian Sicam is a graduate of Benedictine College, from which he received a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He continued his studies at the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston where he received a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a doctorate. More recently, his admiration for classical education and his passion for the intellectual tradition of the Church led him to work in Catholic classical schools as an administrator and teacher. He looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm and experience with the Summit community and to helping students deepen their Catholic faith.

Years at The Summit: 2 Years

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James Stanley

James studied English Literature at the University of Wisconsin, and Theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies, where he completed his M.T.S., and all but the dissertation for his Ph.D. Joining the Summit in its second year, he owes his interest in classical education to a providential series of books and mentors, beginning with a middle-school encounter with the Bible and culminating in his doctoral research on the thought of Christopher Dawson under David L. Schindler. Midwesterners, hailing from Wisconsin and St. Louis, respectively, he and his wife, Jane, married shortly after college and have five children.

Years at The Summit: 8 Years

Derick Buhle

Derick is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who has a passion for serving today’s youth as a coach, mentor, and follower of Jesus Christ. Although his professional career was in HVAC management, sales, and service, Derick has always had a contagious love for soccer, “The Beautiful Game.” Known as a hard-nose, passionate, but fair player and manager, Derick has played and coached in the surrounding Fredericksburg and Richmond area at the Varsity, JV, Middle School, and Travel levels for 25+ years. He is a licensed USSF coach who is always learning something new and innovating on the pitch.

This passion for coaching and teaching has led him to take on his new and exciting roll as Athletic Director for The Summit Academy. His wife Melissa Buhle is Operations Manager for The Summit and his son Andrew Buhle is Class of 2026. His pastimes include driving his two classic cars, cooking and smoking his favorite foods, gardening, and making music with his granddaughter Charlotte.

Years at The Summit: 2 Years

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