Staff and Board

Teachers at Ambleside are creative, thoughtful, engaged learners with broad interests and educational knowledge.

They realize that education is not merely an interest, but a passion.

— CHARLOTTE M. MASON —

Teachers at Ambleside are creative, thoughtful, engaged learners with broad interests and educational knowledge. They enjoy ideas, read regularly, and are passionate about faith and learning. They pursue relationship with Christ and are called to shepherd their students spiritually as well as academically. In addition to classroom observation and weekly training, all our teachers complete a week-long intensive training through Ambleside Schools International, with whom we enjoy a formal affiliation.

Administrative Staff

Leslie Kassing

Head of School

Teachers

Ms. Kelly Leavitt

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Board of Directors

Samuel Kassing

Board Chair

Hunter Kraus

Secretary

Brian Parks

Treasurer

Dorothy Dersch

Member

Leslie Kassing

Head of School

Leslie is the founder of Ambleside School of Columbia. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in Fashion Marketing and Management from Stephens College before joining her husband in campus ministry for 8 years. After having her three children, she began pursuing a degree in counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary. While practicing counseling part-time, Leslie began homeschooling her children using Charlotte Mason's methods. The more Leslie learned about Charlotte Mason, the more confident she became that this philosophy and method is what will provide children with the greatest opportunity to flourish both now and into adulthood. Leslie is thrilled to combine her knowledge in counseling and psychology with Charlotte Mason's approach to education, as the two fit together beautifully!

Kelly Leavitt

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Kelly Leavitt is a doctoral student in the Language and Literacies for Social Transformation program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she is also a graduate research and teaching assistant. She has over 15 years of experience as an English educator — a teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum writer. Kelly is excited to be joining Ambleside to teach the Kindergarten and 1st Graders.

 Samuel Kassing

Board Chair

Samuel is the pastor of Columbia Presbyterian Church. Samuel and his wife, Leslie, spent 14 years together in campus ministry with Cru before feeling the call to church planting. Samuel is a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary and is passionate about seeing healthy churches planted in the Midwest that honor God and love people. His previous work in campus ministry fostered a burden to see an ecosystem of ministries established that are built upon prayer and servant-leadership. Ambleside is one of those ministries, and he is eager to see how God uses the school to shape the lives of students and parents in Columbia for the sake of the Gospel.  

Hunter Kraus
Secretary

Born and raised in Memphis, TN, Hunter moved to Columbia to attend the University of Missouri in 2010. After graduating from Mizzou with degrees in Classics and Chemistry, he worked in campus ministry as a Cru intern for two years. From there, he attended medical school at the University of Tennessee and then moved back to Columbia for residency training. After a one-year hiatus in South Carolina, he will be returning as a urologic oncologist at MU Health in 2027. Married to Bri with two sons, Harrison and Jack, he is eager to support Ambleside Columbia in its mission to offer a holistic, Christian education to Columbia and the wider mid-Missouri community.

Brian Parks

Treasurer

Brian brings nearly two decades of experience as an educator and instructional leader to the Ambleside School of Columbia Board. He has served students in public, private Christian, and community college settings, with a passion for cultivating wisdom, curiosity, and a love of learning. Brian holds degrees in Music Education from Missouri Baptist University and the University of Missouri, and an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership from Missouri Baptist University. He serves as worship coordinator at his church and is pursuing studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. Brian appreciates Ambleside's classical Christian approach to education and the formation of students who pursue truth, goodness, and beauty in all areas of their life.  

Dorothy Dersch

Member

Dorothy has been actively involved in Ambleside of Ocala (Florida) since 2011. Her varied roles include homeroom parent, grammar instructor, Nature Study teacher, Shakespeare costume seamstress and organizer, and most recently, Ambleside High School Administrative Lead. She has served on the Ambleside International Board since 2020. The youngest of her and Mark's eight children had the joy of being in an Ambleside School from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Dorothy is a grandmother delighted to see the generational cycle of intentional education of the whole person continue in her family and her community. She and Mark have grandchildren in Ambleside Columbia and travels often to be with them.