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Jonathan Brush
JONATHAN is the President and CEO of Unbound, a homeschool graduate, and a homeschool dad of six. He worked for nine years as a Director of Admissions for a private, liberal arts college, and then spent over ten years working in non-traditional higher education.
Jonathan loves Unbound and Unbound students and dreams every single day about new ways to connect them to each other. He gets to work with the world’s best team and the most amazing student body in the history of the world (which is just as awesome as it sounds), and field questions about Rule 4 violations (ask an Unbound student to explain). Jonathan and his family make their home in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Victoria Schurter
VICTORIA is the VP of Content & Development for Unbound. An Unbound graduate, Victoria has served in a variety of roles including student leadership, coaching, and in the Business and Leadership program. She is passionate about equipping young adults to recognize their potential, to know God, and make Him known in daily life.
When she’s not working on an Unbound project, you can find her scribbling on a novel, playing a favorite instrument, riding horses, watching a sunset, or dreaming up some new adventure that absolutely includes the Pacific coastline. One of the best parts of her world is walking alongside her fellow Unbound students as they make an eternal impact in their generation.
Ellie Smith
ELLIE serves as the VP of Sales and Operations at Unbound. She holds a degree in Communications from Thomas Edison State University. More importantly, during her time as a student, Ellie completed an intense, two-year internship in event planning, digital marketing, and B2C sales. This hands-on experience laid the groundwork for her career, allowing her to transition into a role focused on connecting young adults with post-high school training that connects directly with the real world in ways that traditional higher education fails to do.
In both personal and professional pursuits, Ellie is driven by a commitment to building and improving systems that enable the pursuit of excellence in work, personal development, and relationships, striving for a lifestyle of continued learning.
Megan Hiett
MEGAN is a Senior Advisor and Executive Assistant at Unbound. She is a 2014 Unbound graduate who fell in love with her college experience as she earned her BSBA. She enjoys being the ‘get it done’ force behind new ideas and loves interacting with students online and in person. When she’s not planning events, creating spreadsheets, or keeping the Unbound team on track, she can usually be found spending time with friends, mastering a new skill, or booking a flight for her next adventure.
Olivia Jacks
OLIVIA is an Operations Coordinator for Unbound. While pursuing her history degree, she found encouraging friendships and opportunities for growth within the Unbound student community. This discovery led to her serving in several leadership capacities, such as co-leading the Student Welcoming Squad, throughout her time as a student.
In addition to all things Unbound, Olivia loves reading books old and new, drinking tea, and spending time with family and friends in the mountains of Virginia.
Tim Fisher
TIM is the Controller and Director of Teams & Talents for Unbound, where he not only crunches numbers but also ensures the team members have what they need to succeed. He is pursuing a degree in accounting through Thomas Edison State University and jumps at nearly every chance to travel he gets.
When he’s not studying about vision and leadership, Tim enjoys creating adventures with friends, running, biking, and reading. His life mantra is “Live life with an open hand.” He lives in the Greater Cincinnati area.
David Rethemeyer
DAVID is the Marketing Coordinator for Unbound. He was a homeschool graduate by age 16, earned his BSBA through the Unbound program, and finished his MBA from Missouri S&T by age 21. He specializes in branding, content marketing, and digital advertising.
In his spare time, David enjoys gaming with friends, going for long runs on the Katy trail, tinkering with his computer, coming up with Words of Wisdom (ask an Unbound student to explain) serving at his local church, and eating absurdly spicy chicken wings.
Jace Bower
JACE is a Copywriter for Unbound. An Unbound alumnus, he has experienced firsthand the powerful advantages of doing college differently and participating in an intentional community. Jace graduated with his bachelor’s degree in History in 2016 and has worked in restaurant management and marketing since then. He also served on the Unbound Student Cabinet in 2019.
The author of two books and a semi-regular blogger, Jace can often be found doing something with words. When he’s not, chances are he’s reading about theology or spending time with his wife Shannon and their daughter in their Virginia home.
Madison Timken
MADISON is the Social Media Coordinator for Unbound. She is a homeschool graduate and an Ascend program alumni. She is currently in a practitioner program specializing in integrative health.
She loves finding fun and meaningful ways to connect the Unbound community together through social media. During baseball season, you can probably find her at one of her three brother’s baseball games. She also enjoys camping, taking walks outside in the sunshine, and spending time with her family.
Trent Emmack
TRENT is an Admissions Counselor for Unbound. He enrolled in Unbound in 2018 and is currently pursuing a Business Degree in Marketing Analytics. Trent served on the 2020 and 2021 Unbound National Student Cabinets, as well as the 2021 Community Development Committee.
In his free time Trent can usually be found lifting weights, watching football (Go Chiefs!), playing the latest RPG, or catching up on TV shows everyone else watched a decade ago. He’s down to do just about anything as long as it involves the right people, which usually means going on crazy adventures with fellow Unbound students and alumni. His love of anything pyrotechnic has also garnered quite the reputation…
Caleb Jacks
CALEB is an Admissions Counselor for Unbound. He is a homeschooled student who graduated in 2022 with a Business degree from Liberty University and served on the Unbound Student Cabinet in 2021 and 2022.
When Caleb isn’t talking with excited students on the phone, you will likely find him outside in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoys hiking, motorcycle riding, and exploring new trails with his Labrador Retrievers. Whatever he is doing, he strives to grow new skills that will help him continue to use the opportunities he has now and to gain new opportunities in the future.
Melissa Weber
MELISSA is a Social Media Content Manager for Unbound. has worked as an adult critical care nurse for the last six years. She has volunteered in after-school programs and from 2021-2022 moved to Ethiopia to work in a children's home. She is a voracious reader and avid hiker. When she can't find a mountain she will wholeheartedly run for several miles instead. She currently works full-time as a house manager at a home for single moms, and part-time as Be Unbound’s Social Media Content manager.
Tamma Phillips
TAMMA is a Video Media Producer for Unbound. Although Canadian-born, she patriotically defends and praises both her American, British, and Canadian heritages – there’s nothing like waving a British flag during the fireworks of the Fourth of July while claiming the neutrality and kindness of Canada.
Her immense enjoyment of videography stems from making small videos with her family throughout her childhood and her current series of personal vlogs. Besides video creation, she enjoys reading, baking, and most of all, ice skating. A common theme found through her journey is summed up well in this quote by William Romaine: “[God] does all things for the best! And He is teaching you not only to say it, but also to feel it.”
Michael Caprera
MICHAEL is a Media Production Specialist for Unbound. He is a recent transplant to the beautiful mountains of Colorado and graduated with his degree in Information Technology from Thomas Edison State University in 2019 through the Unbound program.
Michael also exercises his Unbound spirit through astrophotography, star time-lapse, hiking, having deep conversations, as well as playing, composing, and producing music. You might also find him getting really excited about electric cars, Elon Musk, or personal finances.
Ben B.
BEN is a Media Productions Assistant, Writer, and Student at Unbound. In 2022, Ben joined Unbound’s Navigate and later Ascend programs, which offered him numerous opportunities to pursue his interests through internships and positions at Unbound. Currently, he is completing a Business degree while exploring various ventures that align with his passions.
In Ben’s spare time, he enjoys talking about and working on mechanical gas-powered vehicles, working on and learning about electronics, spending time with friends and family, fishing, boating, volunteering at his church, or theorizing about how to improve various aspects of products, companies, and society. Overall, Ben’s goal in life is to live a life honoring to God, make a difference in the lives of those around him and society, and continually learn through both successes and failures. Ben currently resides in the PNW, and he is excited to see what the future holds for him.
Julia Gottfried
JULIA is a coach for Equip and Explore. Julia is a homeschool graduate, Ascend program alumni, and describes her time in the Unbound community like a second family to her. She is an avid storyteller, real estate agent, and revival missions team alum.
While Julia is mainly surrounded by corn fields, she is always down for a good competition. Whether it is a fierce game of beach volleyball, acting out reverse charades, or baking the best family carrot cake, she loves to faithfully seek out laughter and connection. She daily strives to encourage people to be compassionate and courageous with the gifts God has given them. Her dream is that she might grow in knowing Christ crucified and always live conscious of His deep love for her. Julia abides in a northwestern Ohio farm town where she enjoys the community of godly friends and church family.
Kyle DeJarnatt
KYLE is a Declare Coach at Unbound. He is a homeschool and Unbound graduate who earned his BSBA from Liberty University in 2021 and is currently pursuing his MA in Christian Ministry from Liberty’s School of Divinity. He loves working with high school and college students and especially having discussions about biblical topics and how these can be applied to students’ lives.
When he’s not studying or working with students, Kyle can often be found attending theatre performances or mini-golfing with his wife, Heather, doing cheese tastings and playing Super Smash Bros. with his friends, or talking someone’s ear off about Tolkien’s writings.
Faith Schwindle
FAITH is a Content Research Intern for Unbound. She also assists with a variety of projects, including editing many of the student webinars. All four of her older siblings have been part of Unbound, and she has enjoyed being both a student and a staff member. Currently a team leader and Year 3 student in the Ascend Program, she is in the process of getting a business degree from Liberty University Online.
When she’s not working on school or research, Faith is probably writing in one of her novels, playing music, or making a delicious allergen-friendly recipe. She loves interacting with her family and friends, and she travels frequently to visit relatives and old friends. If you really want to get her excited, just start talking about movie soundtrack scores. She currently resides in northern Illinois, with her parents, younger sister, and dog.