Meet Our Instructors

Wendell began his real estate career in New York City, where he worked in real estate, construction, and development for a Fortune 500 Company. During his time in New York, Wendell became deeply involved in negotiating leases and renewals with retail mall ownership groups, selling company real estate holdings to developers, and was mentored by renowned business leaders in a fast-paced setting that demanded success. Upon relocating to Florida, Wendell set out to earn his Florida Sales license, then a Broker license as he stepped into the Florida real estate market. He then stepped into the banking industry under Sallie Mae, working his way up the Training Director position until his 1998 departure.

Wendell went on to earn Florida Real Estate Instructor license in 2001 and then a Florida Broker license. He is a Broker Associate with Watson Realty Corp. as a member of the Courchaine Commercial Group, which specializes in commercial investment properties, commercial leasing, and property management. Wendell has worked in the Real Estate Instructor capacity at FSCJ and numerous private real estate schools in Florida and. He continues to gain more technical expertise to better serve his customers and students as he has earned Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), Certified Instructor Facilitator (CIF), and Certified Investment Specialist (CIS) designations. In addition to this, Wendell is a certified technical writer, with 40 hours training in info-mapping.

Wendell’s teaching approach links course material to specific, real world relatable experiences, allowing the students to better retain the concepts. Wendell utilizes his 35+ years of experience in hands-on, face-to-face customer service to provide quality instruction to his students so that they can excel in a real estate career.

Stephanie is a Jacksonville native who has a passion for teaching. Beginning as a swim instructor, she went on graduate with Honors from the University of Florida (go Gators!!), holding a bachelor’s degree in Education. After graduating, Stephanie began teaching in Interlachen, Florida. She took an ESOL teacher position in Jacksonville, then found her passion as a science teacher at LaVilla School of Arts. While teaching, Stephanie obtained her Florida Sales Associate license in 2020, then went on to attain her Florida Real Estate Instructor license in early 2022.

Stephanie still considers herself a lifelong learner, receiving a fellowship from the National Geographic Society Educational Fund to study dolphins in Greece and was recently awarded the Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship to fund a dream Earthwatch expedition.

Stephanie has over three decades’ worth teaching experience, including an ESOL certification, and hybrid virtual classroom instruction during the pandemic. Her teaching approach is inclusive of many learning styles, including check backs, acronyms, and real-life scenarios for conceptualization. Stephanie presents material and engages students, while breaking the concepts down into manageable pieces so that the information can be easily retained.

Along with being a teacher, Stephanie is a mom of three successful adults. She is the daughter of a builder and has an appreciation for architecture that was instilled in her at a young age. Becoming a real estate associate was a dream come true for Stephanie and she is very eager to help you accomplish your goals and see your dream realized too!

Paul relocated to North Florida from Maryland, where he attended the University of Baltimore and received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He and his wife have raised two sons, both of which are Clemson University alumni. (Go Tigers!)

Paul held a sales associate license in Maryland before branching out to other fields, including software development and implementation, business consulting in marketing, business start-up, and operational efficiency. After moving to Florida, Paul decided to continue a career in real estate, obtaining his Sales Associate license in 2007, Broker Associate license in 2016, and a Real Estate Instructor license in 2017.

Paul’s teaching style employs various aids, including knowledge checks and repetition, to ensure that students retain the information. His classroom offers real-life applications of concepts, allowing students to engage and ask content questions.

Having moved no less than 18 times in the last 25 years, Laura has a unique perspective on relocation and personal experience to balance her professional knowledge.

A Midwesterner at heart, Laura was born and raised in Quincy, Illinois. She has lived in The South for the last 20+ years (though coastal locations that offer no basements still make her clutch her pearls during tornado season).

Laura is a community connector who works with individuals, groups and businesses, to help them make informed decisions. She believes in striving for win-win situations and knows that the people around us are where our collective value lies. Laura is known for her direct approach and honest feedback, as much as her willingness to provide help and support.

Since becoming a Realtor in 2009, Laura has been licensed in 4 states. She is currently active in Virginia, Tennessee & Florida, and has served in leadership roles at the local, state and national level.

Here are the juicy bits you were looking for when you committed to reading this boring bio:

Laura and her bulldogs moved to Florida in 2021, where she alternately prays for rain or sun, depending on the weather, and remains a loyal fan of 'Da Bears. Laura played the role of "Extra," in her high school's production of South Pacific, despite belting out more of "Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" than anyone else in the audition. She is a certified to read blueprints and her biggest life lessons are mostly things she has learned the hard way, like: "Never buy a horse named 'Buck'."