Mrs. Haanen developed a love for classical education while educating her own children and experiencing the abundance of a rich liberal arts education. She began her career teaching middle school Spanish in Douglas County. Over the years, Mrs. Haanen has directed children's and youth ministry, and taught in various settings including public, private and homeschool contexts across K-12 grade levels.

In 2020 she developed and launched the Ascent Homeschool Program after seeing a need for an excellent classical enrichment program for homeschool students. Under her leadership, the program has grown to include over 170 students in grades K-8th. 

Mrs. Haanen earned her B.S. in Education with concentrations in middle level science and Spanish with honors from Valparaiso University in Indiana. In addition to homeschooling her four daughters, she enjoys reading great books, gardening, running, coaching and playing soccer.