MISSION
At Sacred Heart Hybrid Academy, our mission is to support and enrich the homeschooling community in the Upstate of South Carolina by a hybrid education in the Catholic tradition that seamlessly integrates state education requirements with faith-based learning. We are dedicated to fostering academic excellence, spiritual growth, and personal development for students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Through a collaborative approach that blends in-person instruction with flexible homeschooling, we aim to cultivate a nurturing environment where each student can thrive academically, embrace his Catholic values, and develop a lifelong love for learning.
VISION
Our vision at Sacred Heart Hybrid Academy is to be a beacon of educational innovation and community engagement for homeschool families in the Upstate of South Carolina. We envision a future where our hybrid academy not only excels in academic and spiritual formation but also serves as a dynamic hub for dual enrollment partnerships with local and state colleges, empowering students with advanced educational opportunities. We aspire to offer diverse extracurricular programs, including speech and debate, a chess club, and other enriching activities, across multiple locations. Through regular information nights and active outreach, we aim to be a central resource for local homeschoolers, fostering a vibrant and supportive network that enhances educational experiences and strengthens our shared Catholic values.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Cristina Flores is a seasoned professional with a diverse background and a passion for continuous learning. With prior experience as an Intelligence Specialist in the Marine Corps, she brings strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and leadership abilities to her endeavors.
She holds multiple academic credentials, including a MBA, demonstrating her commitment to education and professional development.
Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Cristina opened Flores Consulting, where she provided professional consulting services and support to numerous small businesses in 2019. Her expertise in business strategy, management, and operations has made her skilled in analyzing diverse circumstances and in communication.
Outside of work, Cristina enjoys hiking and traveling. She has called Taylors her home base for the last three years, embracing the natural beauty of the area and the sense of community it offers. Most importantly to her professional and personal pursuits, Cristina is a devoted mother of five children and has been happily married since 2007.
With her wealth of experience, strong educational background, and dedication to personal and professional growth, Cristina is excited to make significant contributions to Sacred Heart Hybrid Academy as Executive Director.
Cristina Flores
Jessica Sadowski, a lifelong Catholic, has been homeschooling her three sons for the past 12 years while also sharing her educational passions and experience with other parents through various Catholic co-ops and homeschool programs. She is a former X-Ray Technologist and College Instructor and most recently worked as an Upper School Lead Teacher and Parent Liaison with Highlands Latin School in Anderson, SC. Jessica has extensive experience teaching in the classroom, evaluating and guiding other teachers, working with homeschool parents at the school, and helping her students develop a love for learning.
As a Dame of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Jessica loves to encourage fellow Catholics to support our Catholic brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. She is also a member of the Third Order Dominicans and half-way through a 6-year apprenticeship to become an iconographer.
Jessica is eager to grow Sacred Heart Hybrid Academy into an institution that focuses on a strong Catholic culture, prepares students with a solid liberal arts education, and helps students to grow in wisdom and virtue through the pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful.
She is also on the Board of Directors and is the Head of School.
Jessica Sadowski
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joseph Pearce
A native of England, Joseph Pearce is the internationally acclaimed author of many books, which include bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis and The Catholic Church, Literary Converts, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile and Old Thunder: A Life of Hilaire Belloc. His books have been published and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Croatian and Polish.
He has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. His verse drama, Death Comes for the War Poets, was performed off-Broadway to critical acclaim. He has participated and lectured at a wide variety of international and literary events at major colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Europe, Africa and South America.
He is Visiting Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University and a Visiting Fellow of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, New Hampshire). He is editor of the St. Austin Review (https://staustinreview.org/), series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions (www.ignatiuscriticaleditions.com), senior instructor with Homeschool Connections (www.homeschoolconnectionsonline.com), and senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and Crisis Magazine. His personal website is http://www.jpearce.co.
Joseph Pearce
Mindy Hoang graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sociology from Lee University. After completing her degree, she worked in healthcare and advertising before marrying her husband, Long. His 23 year Navy career made moving across the country a frequent occurrence, and Mindy managed the family’s transitions, ensuring stability during his deployments.
In 2023, the family settled in the Upstate, where they now live on a homestead. Here, Mindy and Long are learning to raise animals and live sustainably, living the life of Ora et Labora. With this new chapter, Mindy continues her work as a health and wellness coach and dedicates herself to homeschooling their youngest son. Two of their sons have already graduated, with the oldest one attending John Paul the Great Catholic University in California and her second son heading to St. Joseph the Worker in Steubenville, Ohio.
A member of the Catholic Church since 2002, Mindy has been actively involved in various Catholic communities across multiple states. She is enthusiastic about contributing to and strengthening the Catholic community in the Upstate.
Mindy Hoang
