Deniesha Chapman Instructor Profile

I am a mom of three and grandma of one, and I homeschool my youngest two. We have been homeschooling since August 2020. My education is in Psychology, and I am pursuing my master's degree in Social Work. I have worked with children most of my life, but I was formally a developmental specialist at Community Montessori for three years before staying home with my children to homeschool and continue my education. I have worked with every age group and love watching children develop and change.

I work at the YMCA Kids Club, where I can bring my children, and they can help with the littles. I also work as a site captain at the White Flag homeless shelter when it is open during the cold months. I am in my fourth season with the shelter.

I am a newly promoted Brazilian jiujitsu brown belt. I have trained under Jason Dempster at Southern Indiana Martial Arts for over ten years. I am our women’s instructor, and I am a co-instructor for our kids’ jiujitsu classes. I have been teaching at our gym for about seven years. I enjoy sharing what I have learned over the years with young people. I believe everyone should learn self-protection skills, as they not only allow one to keep oneself safe for longer in an unsafe situation, but the confidence and self-awareness that a person gains from building these skills are invaluable.

Otherwise, my family and I like going for walks (especially on the Big Four Bridge) and frequenting the area parks. We hope to do more traveling soon. We also enjoy family Bible studies and movie nights. My husband and I are beginning ministerial work and will do more work to get our electrical LLC off and running soon.