THE PHILOSOPHY

GET INSPIRED

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to

have tried to succeed.”

–Theodore Roosevelt-

OUR FOUNDERS

FOUNDER / OWNER / COACH

Hi, I'm Sasha Aarsen, a former collegiate athlete and fitness entrepreneur turned homeschool mom. I am the dreamer and visionary behind our campus. I will be the head coach guiding young leaders down their individual paths. We have three sons and have always wanted more for them when it comes to education. I felt ill equipped in providing them the skills they need to create the life they want to live. I dream about them creating a business together but struggled to find ways to plant that seed of intention within them. Then I came across Apogee Strong. It was exactly the partnership I was looking for to provide the absolute best for my kids and family as a whole. The greatest part is this also allows us to provide a similar opportunity for others as well. I can't wait to open our campus in the Fall of 2025. It is exciting to think about how our life and the lives of those who come alongside us are going to change in the most remarkable ways.

FOUNDER / OWNER / CFO

Hi, I'm Nick Aarsen, the brain and the braun behind the business side of Apogee Ames. I am a CPA by day and Father / Coach to our three amazing boys by night. The desire to find and provide an out of the box, more hands on real life experience style of education is what sealed the deal for me with Apogee Strong. Our family is at its best when we can learn and explore out in the world rather than participating in the current textbook learning environment. While this may work for some, it is not and has never been a one-size fits all approach. Building Apogee Ames for our family while also being able to provide this type of opportunity, which is not available in our area, to others is what fuels our passion. We can't wait to see where this takes us next. The future is looking bright. Come join us!

OUR team

Pathfinders COACH

Hello! My name is Lydia Blevins and I am excited to be the head coach for the pathfinder crew this year at Apogee Ames! I am originally from Iowa, and now living in Ames!

I graduated high school in 2024, and that is when I felt God calling me to full time camp ministry! I worked different camps in the past as a camp counselor and absolutely fell in love with it! When I joined Hidden Acres staff I was challenged and stretched in so many ways! I was pushed to problem solve and sought out to learn new things any chance I got!

One of the biggest reasons I am excited to be apart of Apogee Ames is to continue having a positive impact on children! Encouraging and challenging kids to try new and difficult things, will have such a positive impact on their future!

I love being outside and going on adventures! My free time consists of family time, hanging out with friends, or helping out at camp! I cannot wait to help shape and grow these young leaders and myself in the process! I am so excited to start this new journey with Apogee!

Trailblazers COACH

Hello, I am coach Jay. I have called Iowa home for most of my life where my wife of 25 years and I raise our two young boys. We are currently homeschooling, which has undoubtedly been the greatest experience for our family. I also serve in the Iowa Air National Guard, a great career that has lasted 26 years.

Our family made some big life changes three years ago to better align with our family mission, “Develop Leaders and Family Independence Founded in Faith.” This allowed us to prioritize our boys and greatly simplified our life. Homeschooling was part of this change where we discovered our educational vision directly aligned with the Apogee model and have committed ourselves to embracing Apogee’s pedagogy further.

Leading others to greatness has always been something I personally take value in. I would describe myself as a simple guy with high expectations who prioritizes actions over words and enjoys the freedom to think. I would sum up my teaching style as; creating a joy and curiosity of learning how to think, not what to think. I am humbled to be part of Apogee Ames to help build Nick and Sasha’s vision and have the outstanding opportunity to lead our next generation of youth to be the best version of themselves.

the apogee TEAM

Tim Kennedy

Tim’s hard work and passion have resulted in an extraordinary life. Green Beret, UFC Fighter, and Television Host are all among his career highlights, but perhaps not as personally meaningful as Husband, Father, and Patriot. Tim is a great example of being unapologetically American!

THE PATRIOT

Matt Beaudreau

As a lifelong educator Matt has a reputation as a provocative thought leader in educational and personal development practices. He is a two-time featured TEDx speaker and he was named Corporate Trainer of the Year at Stanford University, having spoken to over 250,000 people .

THE EDUCATOR

WHITNEY VOISIN

Like an uncaged tiger, Coach Whit brings resilience, heat, and a quiet power to Apogee. Coach Whit has become a force of nature not unlike the hurricanes that peppered her formative years. Deep empathy, sharp insight, and a fierce commitment to integrity in all things.

THE MATRIARCH

KEVIN VOISIN

Full of power, vulnerability, wisdom, and vision, Coach Kevin brings the experience and solid foundation needed to change the lives. At live events or virtually, what you can expect from him is genuine love & connection with an unyielding insistence on being open, responsible and accountable.

THE COACH

SEAN BRISCOMBE

Sean is a husband, father, and co-trustee of Kind Foundation.

He has been in financial services for over 20 years, helping people to keep their money, grow their wealth, and give back meaningfully and powerfully . It's his passion and unique talent, and what he believes will ultimately change the world!