Meet the team.

George Popham

"Whatever I was doing in my work as a teacher, it wasn't teaching. It was some kind of exercise in command and control. I wanted to see engaged minds: enthused, and in full ownership of their own learning."

George founded BSLC after more than two decades in education spanning community colleges, Boston University, and a wide range of high schools and middle schools. He holds master's degrees from St. John's College (Liberal Arts) and Boston University (Religious Studies). His classes at BSLC tend to wander into literature, philosophy, and the history of ideas.

George serves on the board of trustees of Liberated Learners, the national network of self-directed education centers of which BSLC is a member.

Outside of BSLC, George hikes, birds, meditates, and practices yoga.

JayJay Mudridge

"The people who leave you were never your tribe in the first place. And people will gravitate towards you, the right people, will see you being your full self and be enamored of and impressed by your authenticity."

JayJay came to BSLC after years of advocacy and direct work with autistic and neurodivergent youth, shaped by their own experience as an autistic person navigating public education. At BSLC, they mentor students and build curricula around each person's actual needs and interests, including movement-based approaches for students with attention differences. JayJay believes deeply that neurodivergent young people deserve neurodivergent adults to look to.

Outside of BSLC, JayJay writes poetry, builds and repairs jeeps and arcade cabinets, and can usually be found at a CrossFit gym.

Terry Louison

"I could see that Bay State was a place where learning could be thrilling and fun and creative, that I would learn so much myself, and that becoming a part of the Bay State community would change my life in all the best ways. I was right."

Terry joined BSLC in January 2017 and has been a cornerstone of the community ever since. She has a rich creative background spanning photography, print production, broadcast production, and advertising. For over twenty years, she has run her own portrait photography business. Terry channels all of this experience into arts programming at BSLC.

Amelia Hicks

"Even without a high school degree, I was able to go to college, get jobs, and go to grad school. I had to find the educational path that was right for me. At BSLC, everyone recognizes that there are many paths to a rewarding, full life. All of those paths require education, but many of them don't require traditional school."

Amelia joined the BSLC team in 2024 after working as a philosophy professor at Kansas State University for over a decade. At BSLC, she teaches math and social science courses, with some philosophy thrown in for good measure.

In her spare time, Amelia enjoys dog-training, watching horror movies, and experimenting with audio production.

Jon Ireland

"I saw my children struggling to fit into the traditional education system I believed was inevitable until we found out they could choose their own path and rediscover the joy of learning. We've never looked back, and our family is happier for it."

Jon keeps BSLC running behind the scenes, drawing on a career that has ranged from hospitality to software, always with a focus on the people side of operations. Jon has two boys, alumni of BSLC, and is a firm believer in allowing kids the freedom to choose their educational paths with the patient guidance of a great mentor.

Jay Kolp

Brian Fey