Following Homecoming & Family Weekend 2025 at Olivet Nazarene University, we talked one-on-one with Holly (Frazier) Metesh ’08 to hear more about what she has been focusing on since her graduation from Olivet. Holly’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history — plus her passion for teaching history to others — have blessed many in the homeschooling community and beyond. Following are some excerpts from our conversation with her.
What is your very first memory of being on the Olivet campus?
My Mom and I went on a campus tour when I was a senior in high school. My Dad had just accepted a call to pastor a church in central Illinois, and our family was going to move from Ohio to Illinois. I loved Olivet from the moment I got there. Olivet’s campus was what every teenager thinks about when they think about going away to college. I saw myself as an Olivet student immediately. I applied and was accepted.
When I came back to campus for Homecoming this year, I felt like I was home again. Olivet is still a safe place to learn and grow.
What was academic life like for you at Olivet?
I began as a voice major. Then I took a history course with Dr. William Dean and realized that I wanted a career focused on history. I changed my major to history in my sophomore year. I learned a lot about American history from Dr. Stephen Lowe ’88, and I enjoyed his presentation and teaching style. During my senior year, I did an internship at the Kankakee County Museum.
What is one of your favorite Olivet memories?
Singing with Orpheus Choir and touring together was a wonderful experience for me. Dr. Jeff Bell ’81 was our director, and he is still the director today. In 2005, we got to travel to Indianapolis and sing with The Gaithers on their “Homecoming” television program!
How and when were you first aware of God’s call on your life for teaching history?
I got married in 2009 and had three kids in three years. My husband was working three jobs, and I wanted to help. I decided to put our son, Levi, in a preschool. When I was making that first call to find out about preschool, I realized how important it was to me that my children understand they’re a part of a big, ancient story — and it’s one worth reading.
My dream was to work in a museum, and I let go of that for my kids. Being a mom is the greatest joy of my life. God’s plan is always the best plan.
So as a stay-at-home mom, I started homeschooling my kids in 2013. I found out quickly that there was a great need for a comprehensive and engaging curriculum to study history, so I wrote my own. My homeschooling friends began asking for copies, and of course, I shared with them.
I was disheartened to see how little adults and children know about our country’s history. I saw the importance of letting the past speak for itself. When we know the past well, we see God in our history. His history is the only history that will really last. God’s truth is the only truth, no matter who says it.
How has your history curriculum developed?
In 2021, I started “The Homeschool Historian” Facebook page www.facebook.com/thehomeschoolhistorian. I now have more than 50,000 followers on that page!
My history curriculum is called Chronos. https://thehomeschoolhistorian.com The Epoch Times did an article about the curriculum in 2023. The curriculum has received a 5-star ranking on Amazon.com and an excellent review from Cathy Duffy, a curriculum specialist and regular reviewer of homeschooling curricula. Some public schools are beginning to use this curriculum, too.
I also teach classes at two different academic co-ops for homeschooling families: U.S. history for middle schoolers and U.S. history with civics for high schoolers. I often teach special classes, too, like American Girl dolls history, 1990s history, and geography.
In January 2026, I will begin work on my Ph.D. in history.
What does your Olivet education mean to you at this point in your life?
I’m one of those alumni who takes the lessons we learned at Olivet and quietly lives them out in my life. I’m thankful that my Olivet professors knew what they were teaching. They allowed a lot of discourse and discussion in their classes. They taught us how to think critically. They taught us the truth of God’s Word in everything we studied.
My son, who is 15, is now considering Olivet. I’m encouraging him because Olivet is a safe environment where they are still doing education with a Christian purpose well.
Learn more about history and other major courses of study at Olivet by emailing admissions@olivet.edu or calling 800-648-1463
