TELOS ONE DAY ACADEMY
FACULTY + STAFF
MIKE KOLESAR
Director and Co-Founder
Mike Kolesar is the director of TELOS. He is a veteran educator who has taught professionally at all levels from Pre-Kinder through College and has extensive experience teaching adults. He has a degree in education from the University of North Texas. He has taught 3000+ students between the ages of 4 and 16. He is also a conference and seminar speaker, percussion instructor, and he teaches in his local church. His passion is making complex ideas simple, tying them to the Christian worldview, and sharing his love of learning with anyone who will listen. When he isn’t teaching, you can find him in the desert shooting or in his shed playing the drums.
JARED MENDE
Jared Mende was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. He has been a believer since early childhood and grew up going on weekend outreaches and missions trips with King's Kids, a local branch of Youth With a Mission. He currently lives in the northeast with his wife, Bethany Mende, who works as a homebirth midwife, and their two children. Their home church is Jesus Chapel.
Mr. Mende's purpose in teaching is to see more young believers engage deeply and thoughtfully with the truth, goodness, and beauty of the historic Christian faith. He loves thinking about the big questions and discussing them with people who disagree with him. His main interests include church history and ancient Greek and medieval Christian philosophy. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Philosophy and English and American Literature from UTEP in 2025 and is currently pursuing a Master's in Philosophy at the same institution. He has been on the Telos team for three years, teaching classes in History, Literature, Latin, and Logic.
This year, Mr. Mende is excited to be teaching Humanities for the Secondary Prep and Secondary cohorts. All truth is God's truth, but God's truth is spoken directly through the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, to truly understand logic, history, philosophy, or literature, we will look at all of these through the light of the revealed Word of the Lord.
CHERYL KOLESAR
Head of Upper Level and Co-Founder
upperlevel@telosonedayacademy.com
Cheryl's passion for education is rooted in biblical truth and classical methodology, shaped by her upbringing as a missionary kid in Venezuela. Her teaching journey began at just eleven years old teaching Sunday School in her parent's church in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and she brings extensive experience homeschooling with multiple methodologies, having used most major Christian homeschooling curricula. Well-versed in the Classical Method, she successfully homeschooled all three of her sons from beginning to end, and her eldest, Michael, now teaches Latin for 3-8th grade at Dominion Christian School in Virginia, while her other two sons are living out their passions and callings--Lucas, as a writer who has written six plays by the time he was 18. Chase runs his own business, travels all over the world on mission trips, and aspires to become a sound designer. Her oldest son was prepared to excel at Patrick Henry College, one of this country's most prestigious Classical Christian Colleges.
As head of the upper level of Telos Academy, she has taught a variety of subjects including Spanish, Speech and Debate, and World History with genuine enthusiasm and care for each student. With her youngest now graduated, Cheryl has completed the journey of educating her own children and joyfully dedicates her expertise to nurturing the academy family. The most meaningful part of her role is witnessing the beautiful transformation in students' hearts, minds, and lives each year—moments she treasures as precious gifts.
Our academy develops not just knowledgeable students, but virtuous individuals prepared to impact their communities with wisdom and integrity. Cheryl values the partnership with parents as we prepare the next generation to think clearly and engage winsomely with the world.
When not working on TELOS, you can find her exercising, making homemade cinnamon rolls, shooting in the desert with her husband, swing dancing with her sons in the kitchen, or leading her prayer team. Her happy place is traveling to Summit Ministries in Colorado and enjoying high tea at Glen Eyrie Castle. With a warm smile and open heart, Cheryl delights in encouraging everyone she meets.
CYTALCI PARKS
Cytlalci Parks is a native Spanish speaker from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She holds a Law degree from the University of Guadalajara and brings a rich background in education and service to our school community.
From 2009-2010, Mrs. Parks worked in Legal Research at the Mexico Institute of Social Security. She then served as a university professor from 2014-2018 at the University of Specialties, where she taught Bioethics across multiple programs including Nutrition, Nursing, Dentistry, and Physiotherapy.
Following her university career, Mrs. Parks deepened her faith through studies at La Roca Biblical Institute in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco. This experience led to meaningful missionary work in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she served for seven months with FFHM ministry, gaining invaluable cross-cultural experience that enriches her teaching today.
In 2018, Mrs. Parks married her husband Kendall Parks and relocated to the United States. God opened doors for them in El Paso, where they have been serving families since 2019. She is passionate about sharing both the Spanish language and her rich cultural heritage with her students, bringing authenticity and depth to language learning in our classical Christian educational environment. To God be all the glory for the path that has led her to serve in Christian education.
GIGI WILCOX
A TELOS Alumni, Ms. Wilcox is passionately dedicated to the many wonders of her Savior’s Will. She firmly believes it her duty to pursue her great creative interest in the arts of storytelling, particularly via the cinematic medium, as a means of serving the Lord with what rhythms, desires, and experiences He has designed her!
ROBERT GUZMAN
Robert Guzman is a dedicated and experienced mathematics educator with 17 years of service teaching high school mathematics. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) and brings a strong STEM background to the classroom, helping students connect mathematical concepts to real-world applications in engineering, technology, and problem-solving.
Mr. Guzman is a certified Mathematics teacher for grades 9–12, as well as a Special Education (SPED) Certified and English as a Second Language (ESL) Certified educator. His diverse certifications enable him to effectively support students with varying learning needs and backgrounds, ensuring that all learners have access to meaningful and engaging instruction.
Throughout his career, Mr. Guzman has served students in the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) and at Telos Academy, where he has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence, student growth, and educational equity. He is passionate about creating a positive learning environment that fosters critical thinking, perseverance, and confidence in mathematics.
By combining his extensive teaching experience with his advanced engineering academics, Mr. Guzman strives to inspire students to become lifelong learners and problem-solvers. His dedication to student success and his ability to make complex mathematical concepts accessible have made him a respected educator and mentor to countless students throughout his career.
Teaching Philosophy:
“Every student can learn and succeed in mathematics when provided with high expectations, meaningful support, and opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. My goal is to empower students with the skills, confidence, and perseverance needed to achieve success both inside and outside the classroom.”
LUCAS KOLESAR
Lucas Kolesar is a TELOS graduate. His passion is creative writing that honors God and touches the hearts and minds of readers. He has studied with Phil Lollar (co-creator of Adventures in Odyssey), Mark Hamby (founder and president of Lamplighter Ministries), and members of the Arise Collective Theatre team. He has been teaching since he was 12 years old. He has written, directed, and produced two full-length dramas, Three Tales of Temptation and The Collective, along with writing and overseeing the collaborative production of the musical, After Jericho, performed in California. He is also known for writing The Cobbler’s Cobblers which was produced by and presented at Lamplighter Ministries’ Summer Guild. When he isn’t writing, you can find Lucas swing dancing, reading, meeting with his writing group, making soap or cinnamon rolls, or doing something else creative.
CALEB HARRELSON
Caleb Harrelson has been married to his wife of almost 18 years, Kendra, and has 4 kids. He is the Pastor of Clint First Baptist and founder and President of Engage Truth Ministries. Engage is a local biblical worldview and evangelism training organization. He has taught speech and debate for several years in the Engage Worldview Academy. His undergrad degree is in youth and family ministry and He is currently working on his MDiv (emphasis on apologetics in philosophy & apologetics) at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has also received certificates in apologetics from ICR and the Cross Examined Instructor Academy with Dr. Frank Turek. Caleb tutored in a classical Christian co-op for several years and continues to teach various topics in the Christian worldview at the Engage Worldview Academy.
He enjoys hiking, backpacking, board games, ultimate frisbee, running, studying, spending time with my family, evangelism, disciple making, studying theology, apologetics and philosophy.
MUSIC/ART—TBD
Coming soon.