Mrs. tara stoker bostwick
Managing Partner
20 years teaching experience
11 years of Administrative Duties
BS Sociology, College of Charleston
International Global Studies, Institute for Shipboard Education
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
Tara grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and benefitted from the provincially mandated bilingual education system. She and her family are all avid equestrians, having discovered Aiken as a perfect winter training base in 1977. Married for 29 years to polo player Charlie Bostwick, Tara, Charlie, and their family have made Aiken their full-time home since 1994.
Tara has traveled extensively throughout her life, most recently to Central America as chaperone to youth groups.
Tara’s educational philosophy incorporates her desire to provide students with a relevant global education.
“Young people must develop a strong awareness of the world around them. Today they need to have the tools to navigate a global community that is more interconnected than ever before. It is our role as educators to provide a twenty-first century curriculum that not only addresses the divergent learning styles of our students but also provides a course of study that tackles the challenges which the next generation of leaders will face.”
MRS. DARYA MCMURTRIE
Learning Strategies, Elementary
Orton-Gillingham + Certificate
18 Years Teaching Experience
BS Interdisciplinary Studies,
Business Management & Political Science
Mrs. karen lehrhaupt
Co-Founder (retired)
College Counseling, Essay Writing, English
40 Years of Teaching Experience
5 Years English Department Chair, Academic Dean
BA Hood College
MA Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutgers University
Karen has had a variety of diverse opportunities in her long career as an educator. She has taught everything from 5th grade to AP English Literature and Composition, AP US History and also spent several years as a Middle School Reading Specialist.
Karen moved to Aiken sixteen years ago from New Jersey and never looked back. She loves living in the South and particularly enjoys the uniqueness that is Aiken. She has had the occasion to teach many students from varied backgrounds and has always been challenged to find ways to meet their needs.
Karen loves to learn, and after receiving her Masters Degree, continued to take post graduate courses and also has been declared “highly qualified” by the state of South Carolina.
She loves to read, play golf and walk on the beach. She spends many weeks a year on Hilton Head, and also enjoys visits from her children and grandchildren.
Mrs. Lily McCullough baumil
French, English, Religion,
Social Studies SAT/ACT Prep
meet our team
33 years of teaching experience and holds a
BS Special Education,with a concentration in Learning Disabilities, College of Charleston
certification in Elementary Education.
Hilary started her teaching career in the North Carolina public school system, where she taught for 13 years. After relocating to Aiken Hilary found herself at Aiken Preparatory School teaching pre-algebra and learning strategies. She remained through the transition and taught at Mead Hall Episcopal School for the last 5 years. We are so fortunate to have Hilary on staff. She will head up our Learning Strategies Department, bringing experience, enthusiasm, and compassion. Students needing extra support in study skills, a boost in confidence, or new learning strategies will undoubtedly benefit from the addition of Mrs. Blanton to Aiken Educational Services.
Mrs. hilary blanton
Learning Strategies, Pre-Algebra
Dr. George Hummert
Physics, Calculus, Statistics, Pre-Calculus
PhD, Electrical Engineering Carnegie-Mellon University
MSEE, Electrical Engineering Carnegie-Mellon University
BSEE, Electrical Engineering Carnegie-Mellon University
George brings to AES a multitude of experience after an illustrious career in the Electrical Engineering field that has taken him from McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Los Angeles where he was responsible for developing digital simulation routines in the Guidance and Control Group, to Westinghouse Electric’s R&D Center in Pittsburgh where he specialized in electric and magnetic analysis, to SubAir Systems in Aiken where he developed and co-authored a key patent protection. George remarkably found time to be an Adjunct Professor in Electrical Engineering where he taught Electromagnetic’s, first at the University of Pittsburgh, then at the University of South Carolina. He is published and has traveled throughout the world presenting his papers at industry wide conferences.
Today he holds 14 patents, is an Engineering consultant with Summit Engineering, SubAir Systems, Club Car, Inc., and Roper Industries.
George has spent a lifetime collaborating and teaching peers and students in the STEM subjects. He continues to share his knowledge by substitute teaching at area schools and tutoring for us at AES.
Mrs. Beth beckham
Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Studies
MRS. CHRISTINA UNGUREANU
Geometry, Algebra I, Pre-Calculus, College Algebra
AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Statistics, SAT/ACT Math
37 Years Teaching Experience
BS Math, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
MS iStatistics, University of South Carolina,Columbia
MS +30 certification in Math
MRS. ELIZABETH GREEN
19 Years Teaching Experience
2 ½ Years Educational Director Experience
B.A. Elementary Education
37 Years Teaching Experience
BA Chemistry Erskine College, Erskine SC
MS Textile Chemistry, Clemson University
Masters + 30 years certification
National Board Certification, Chemistry
Beth worked briefly at Allied Chemical Company before finding her calling in teaching. She became a science and math teacher at Wardlaw Academy in Johnston, SC. She taught at Wardlaw for eight years and then moved to Aiken where she was hired to teach science at South Aiken High School. Mrs. Beckham taught primarily Chemistry including Chemistry II and AP Chemistry, at South Aiken for 29 years. While there, she served as Science Department Head before retiring in 2016.
Beth lives in Aiken with her husband of 39 years. They have two children Libby who works in Cincinnati, OH and has a daughter and one on the way. Beth's son Thomas is completing his Residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in Radiation Oncology after having received an M.D.-Ph.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Darya has lived in Aiken for most of her life. “Aiken is a wonderful place to raise a family. I am so blessed to live in this amazing place and to be able to raise my own children here.”
Darya began her career in education as her sons started elementary school. She taught for a total of 15 years at Aiken Preparatory School and Mead Hall Episcopal School. She has taught Kindergarten; 1st Grade; 2nd Grade; 3rd Grade Science; 5th Grade Math, Science, and Geography; and 6th/7th grade Earth Science. Other duties included Team Leader and Lower School Science Coordinator. Darya also spent two years as a Student Programs Specialist at Ruth Patrick Science Education Center, teaching a variety of math and science programs to students from all over the CSRA. “I believe that every student has the ability to learn. Helping them find their unique path to success has been the most rewarding thing about being an educator.”
Darya has been married for 34 years to Cory McMurtrie. They have 3 children and one grandchild. Darya’s husband is a Navy veteran, and both of her sons are currently serving in the United States Navy. Will is married to Cassie, and is a Naval Flight Officer. Will & Cassie have one son, Cooper. Justin is married to Randi and is a Surface Warfare Officer. Emma is a student at Mead Hall Episcopal School. Spending time with her family is definitely Darya’s favorite thing to do. Other hobbies include reading mysteries, listening to true crime podcasts, playing board games or card games, and doing anything at the beach.
Darya is looking forward to taking a more personal approach to educating students, and is excited to join the team at Aiken Educational Services.
32 years of Teaching Experience
BA French, College of Charleston
MA English, The Citadel
National Board Certification, French
Lily, an Aiken native, taught for many years in Charleston at Ashley Hall School and Charleston Collegiate Academy. After teaching for seventeen years at South Aiken High School, she retired from Aiken County schools in 2014. A recipient of Fulbright awards to France and Japan, Ms. Baumil taught in France and has traveled extensively. She has written two books, Lord, What Shall I Say to Them for Thee?, a collection of her father's sermons, and Crime in Carcassonne, a young adult fiction novel, and she is working on a biography of Sarah Pressley Watson from Ridge Spring, SC, who was honored by France as chevalier of the Legion of Honor for her work in that country from 1920 to 1959. Currently, Ms. Baumil writes for Bella Magazine and volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem for Aiken County. She has two children and three grandchildren and is married to Barry Tompkins of Aiken.
Mr. John wagoner
College Math, Pre-Calculus, Algebra II, Geometry, Algebra I, Pre-Algebra
Lizzy is a native South Carolinian growing up in Greenville, SC. She graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Clemson University and spent her first 2 years teaching 2nd grade at the International Baccalaureate Academy of Hilton Head Island Elementary School. She then moved to Columbia, SC where she taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5thgrades for 7 years at A.C. Moore Elementary where she was honored with Teacher of the Year before meeting her husband and relocating to Aiken. Upon moving to Aiken, she accepted a Student Program Specialist position at the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center. This position led to her becoming the Director of Student Programs at the Ruth Patrick for 2 ½ years before stepping back into her original role as she and her husband started their family. As director she developed many S.T.E.M. programs as well as taught a range of math, science and technology classes spanning grades K4-12th to students across the CSRA. She is still currently teaching part-time at the center.
Lizzy has been married to Andrew Green for 10 years. They have two daughters and one son. Andrew is an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance here in Aiken. Eliza is in 1st Grade at Aiken Elementary, Jane Anne is in 4K and Hayes is in 3K; both at Aiken’s First Baptist Preschool. Lizzy loves spending time with her family and feels blessed to be joining Aiken Educational Services so she can continue to have plenty of time with her little ones while supporting her passion for educating others. She also loves playing tennis, reading, anything home decorating or DIY projects, and traveling especially to the coast.
40 Years teaching experience
BA Physical Education and Health, University of Tennessee
MS Educational Administration and Supervision
Masters + 30 Certification in Math
John hails from the coal mining hills of Kentucky where his father taught the importance of hard work and humility. He began his teaching career here in Aiken at AHS where he taught math for 6 years and coached football. He then became Assistant Principal at Harden County High School in Savannah, Tennessee. While there he also taught Algebra I and II. Returning to Aiken John went to work at the then recently built SAHS teaching math and coaching football. In 2000 he became head of the math department until his retirement in 2010. During that time he became head coach of South Aiken's Football program leading the team for 3 years and producing a number of successful collegiate players.
John has an innate ability to make all of his students at ease by finding amusing anecdotes to the math lesson at hand. His jovial disposition makes him immensely popular with our students. He views math as a challenge to be solved always making sure that his student understands how to not only work the equation independently, but to understand how to apply that knowledge to similar problems. He is a master of demystifying math.
When not tutoring John loves gardening at home, woodworking, spending time with his grandson and traveling with his wife.
AIKEN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES LLC
I grew up, went to college, and taught math for 17 years in Romania, in a beautiful medieval city in Transylvania. Together with my husband and two daughters, we moved to Aiken in 2002, and continued our teaching careers in South Carolina. I taught entry level Statistics classes during my master’s program at USC Columbia, but for most of these years I was a Math teacher at South Aiken High School.
My experience ranges from middle school to college level Math, and over the years I taught students with various difficulties, skill levels and abilities.
I am passionate about teaching math, and strongly believe that with a combined effort, every student can make progress, and I dare say maybe even start to enjoy it in the process.
When I need to unwind, I love to hike, practice yoga, and play pickle ball. I am excited to join this wonderful team of educators and am looking forward to working with you.