About Us
MKS Studio began as a private music lessons studio founded by homeschool mom and musician Monica Koffi, where she offered private instruction for piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, and choirs. 5 years later, the studio grew beyond capacity and MKS was birthed. Established in 2021, our goal is to offer the best fine arts classes to homeschools and area youth in the metro area and beyond. We foster a love of learning, and love of music, and a love of the arts from a Christian perspective.
Our Staff
Monica Koffi -
Owner and Operator
Hi, my name is Monica Koffi, and I am a Christian, a mother, and a musician. After deciding to homeschool full time in 2012, my entire understanding of education changed. As my family and I traveled through this learning process, I fell in love with learning. In 2015, I was inspired to start a private music lesson studio to share this love of learning with others through private instruction, teaching classes, and conducting choirs. Since then, I’ve had the honor of meeting and sharing my teaching with adults and kids all across the country. I love to push others and pour into them my knowledge and passion for Christ, music, and education.
Kristen Culver - Operations Manager and Accountant
Hi, my name is Kristen Culver and I’m the Operations Manager for MKS studio. As a Christian homeschooling mom with 2 kids, I have spent a lot of time planning and organizing the learning process to nurture integrity, morality, and character in my children. Our family loves to travel, and I run a blog about our adventures on the road called, "The Local Travelers". I am also owner and operator of DKC Local Designs, which designs and sells personalized marketing materials. My daughter, Rylee, has taken piano lessons with Miss Monica, and has blossomed! Seeing how this studio has helped her grow, I jumped at the invitation to come on board and bring fresh ideas and marketing tactics to the team, as well as manage the back-end details of the business. My goal is to help expand the company, in a way that allows for more students to come on board and fall in love with music. I'm looking forward to meeting you all personally and can't wait to see all that the coming year has for this studio!
Christine Courie -
Director, Teacher, Choreographer
Christina Courie is a Christian, a wife to a Pastor, and a Homeschooling mother of two. She has homeschooled her children from the beginning, and has now been homeschooling for 10 years. She has been married for 17 years. She is originally from California, and has lived in Iowa, Indiana (where her husband attended Seminary) and has called Nebraska home since her family moved here for her husband’s Pastoral call in 2019.
She loves to encourage and support others to continually learn and grow, and loves working with children of all ages, helping to show them the love of Christ, and pointing them to their identity in Christ, as they use the gifts God has given them for His glory.
She has years of experience in teaching dance and was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships for dance in her younger years. Originally a dance major at California State University, Fullerton, she changed majors several times, and put school on pause after getting married and having children, before finally going back to school full time in 2020, as an adult homeschooling mom, to complete her undergrad degree. She graduated with honors in 2021, from the University of Nebraska, Omaha with a Bachelors of Multidisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Theatre, Business, and Psychology.
She was blessed while living in Indiana to be the choreographer for a large Christian, homeschool, theatre academy. She has had the privilege to work with amazingly talented directors, and hundreds of homeschool children from elementary through high school ages, and has choreographed Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, 100 Dresses, The Three Musketeers, Oliver Twist, Seussical the Musical, Jr. and 42nd Street.
Ryan and Darcy Witt -
Choir Conductors
Ryan Witt is married to Darcy and homeschool dad of four children. They have been homeschooling for over 16 years. Ryan has been a Pastor for over 18 years, pastoring in Iowa and Illinois before accepting a call to pastor a church here in Omaha where he currently serves. His ministry has included over 15 years of working with children, teens, and college and career students.
From a young age, Ryan has had a rich musical upbringing. He has played violin in orchestra and currently plays guitar through worship at his church and various ministry events. However, vocal performance and participation in choirs has been his greatest enjoyment that began in Junior High. By his High School years he was involved in choir, select ensembles, musicals, vocal performance, and many years of voice lessons. By college, he participated in a 50 voice chorus for several years and traveled the country for 30 weeks on a small ensemble of 8 voices for three consecutive summers. Since college he has utilized his abilities in the church through solo, groups, and directing adult and kid’s choirs and musicals.
Ryan’s wife, Darcy, also has a love for music and a heart for young people. Darcy has a passion for Christ, has been homeschooling for more than 16 years, and married for 19 years. She has always enjoyed working with teenagers and has a bachelors degree in secondary education with an emphasis on English. She loves working with young people, especially teen girls, and encouraging them in their walks with the Lord and pursuing God through all of their interests. She has been involved in music, choir, band, and drama throughout high school and college. she has continue to be involved in music throughout their different ministries as well.
Ryan & Darcy are so thankful that God continues to bless and bring opportunities in the area of music. Music is a powerful tool and its greatest climax is when we can utilize it to exalt our Lord and Savior and share truth through its message.
Chris Scheufele-
Teacher, Stage Manager
For over 25 years, Chris has been involved in music. He holds a degree in K-12 Music Education with a guitar concentration and a vocal minor. Yes, he actually went to school to be a rock star. Pretty cool, huh?
He is skilled in several styles including classical, jazz, and of course, rock. He has performed in several bands, theatre pit orchestras, worship teams, and studio projects.
Chris was a public and private school music teacher for over 10 years including elementary music (yes...that included everyone's favorite - recorders), choir, band, jazz band, orchestra, handbells, classroom guitar, and private guitar instruction.
Currently, Chris leads the worship team at Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church in Omaha, travels the country as an author/speaker/comedian, and records music in his home studio. He is married and has 3 kids. Chris and his wife homeschool their children. (Ok...his wife does 99% of it.) His kids are involved in various MKS classes because the programs are awesome and, let's face it, even Super Mom needs a break sometimes.
Oh yeah...Chris and his family all love Jesus, too.
Luann Scheufele-
Teacher
Luann Scheufele is a teacher by trade, with years of experience in the public school system, as well as homeschooling circles. She currently helps run a private company with her husband, screen prints all of the MKS T-shirts, and teaches our Music and Movement class.
Luann and her children and family are an immense blessing to MKS Studio, and we’re honored to have her as a teaching staff for the 25/26 school year.
Heather Alston-
Scenic Artist
Hello, my name is Heather Alston, and I am a Christian, wife, and mother of two girls. I am currently teaching the lead art teacher at Trinity Classical Acadamy in Waterloo, Nebraska. My school is a collaborative school where teachers partner with parents to teach students in a classical model. I create and maintain the art curriculum for all grades. I have been teaching art in the public and private setting for 9 years and creating art personally for over 35. I have taught everything from pottery and drawing to embroidery and digital design.
I hold a Bachelor of arts is History and Studio Art from Peru State College. I hold a Masters of Arts in Teaching from College of Saint Mary and am currently enrolled in the Masters program from the Art of Education University where I am pursuing a Masters in Art Education.
God has gifted me with a passion for sharing his beauty of creation to anyone who is willing to listen and learn. I love all forms of visual arts! At home I mainly focus on oil paintings, drawing, and watercolors.
Emily Perina -
Teaching Assistant
Emily Perina has grown up in choir, participating in 4 different choirs throughout middle and high school. She has a deep love of singing, music, and serving others. Emily is a Vivace alumnus, having participated for 3 consecutive seasons before graduating from the program. She then served as a Student Conductor for the 2021-2022 season. As a homeschool graduate, she loves helping others grow in music and growing her own knowledge too, and being involved in choir is the perfect opportunity for that!
Outside of MKS, Emily also serves on her church worship team through piano and vocals on Sunday mornings. You can also finder her performing with her local band called Turnbridge Collective, where she plays as the band’s keyboardist and a vocalist.
When she isn’t involved in music, Emily enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family.
Sue McDonald -
Piano Accompanist
Sue loves kids and she loves music, so she is glad to be joining the MKS studio family.
Sue is enjoying retirement in Omaha, after serving with her husband for 45 years with the Evangelical Free Church. She has taught piano lessons in her home all these years, served in various church music positions and served as a Music Educator in the Public Schools for 24 years in Virginia. The McDonalds have 3 married children and 11 grandchildren.
Stephanie Strautmann-
Piano Accompanist
Stephanie is a Christian, wife to Andrew, and homeschooling mother of twins. Stephanie grew up playing the piano through private lessons. Stephanie loves listening to, singing, and playing music. In Junior High and High School she began splitting her time between singing and accompanying for the school choirs, ensembles, and soloists. During college, Stephanie taught private piano lessons while pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Nursing. She still works part-time as a clinic nurse, but her primary role is homeschooling her children. Stephanie still enjoys teaching piano to her children, however her first love is playing music. She is a piano accompanist for her local church, and loves playing sacred hymns and arrangements in her free time. Stephanie's heart's desire with music is to point others to the Savior. As she plays "songs, hymns, and spiritual songs," may others sing along in their hearts and be drawn to Him.
Jenn Sharkey -
Operations Support
More on Jenn Sharkey soon!
Rachel Liekhus -
Head of Costumes
Rachel is a Christian, a wife to Robert, and a mother of five. She has homeschooled her children for the past 9 years. She is an organizer of events and field trips in the Lincoln area for other homeschool families.
In 2019, she began her journey as a seamstress, with the goal of learning to sew in 2020. When the pandemic hit, she began sewing masks, and grew from there.
Currently, she works as a seamstress testing clothing patterns for six different pattern companies. In her spare time, you can find her in the garden, on a stand-up paddle board, and embroidery.
“A creative education has the power to catapult anyone into a new journey of expression and growth.”
— Monica Koffi, Founder of MKS Studio
