Hyrbrid Schooling for Improved Learning

Russell Agin is our building and safety guy, who also brings a business acumen, from his 20 year experience as an entrepreneur and small business owner and safety expertise from 20 years as an EMT. Additionally he has a unique perspective on education, as he was a student for whom a traditional classroom system was not easy. In his words, “I am the guy that hated school and I am the guy that everyone thought was stupid, but I’m a dreamer. Dreams produce goals and goals are meant to be achieved! Creating an environment that can foster dreams and goals is what education is all about and that is exciting to me.” He became involved with BHA as a joint goal and project with his wife, Christine. Russ’ favorite subject in school was science! An avid and talented guitarist, he loves to play music with his friends whenever he gets the chance.

Pastor Brad Rhodda is the lead pastor at Light of the Valley Church where the school is housed and was brought on for his spiritual and organizational insight. His professional experience includes being a former Sheriff’s Deputy and owning Strong Tower Security firm. While we’re not sure if enduring all the noise and chaos from his office, which shares a wall with the 6th -8th grade class, is good for him, the students and teachers so appreciate that he is on site. He loves to see children being educated with truth in a culture that denies truth even exists. When asked what drew him to support BHA and serve on the board, Pastor Brad said, “As a graduate of area public schools and watching my own kids graduate from area public schools, I saw a desperate need for a true Christian education experience for area kids.” In school, Pastor Brad’s favorite class was English. When not working you will find him out in the woods doing Motocross, mountain biking, fishing, and just enjoying God’s creation.

Renee A is our 3-5th teacher. Her resume contains an incredible amount of experience in a variety of school settings. She has been a teacher for 20 years and in that time has taught everything from Pre-K to 12th grade. Her specialized training is in Science and Spanish Education. She is highly skilled at creatively adapting the learning material so that students are engaged with the subject and build understanding from multiple perspectives. When asked about the most exciting part of learning, she said “I very much enjoy those ‘Aha!’ moments. It’s fun to watch them learning through the struggles and come out the other side saying, ‘I can do it now!’” The opportunity to be a part of building a school with a focus on hands-on learning and a focus on different learning styles is what initially drew Mrs. Renee to be involved with BHA. In school her favorite subjects were Science, Spanish, and English. When she’s not busy with school or church, Mrs. Renee likes to sew, crochet, read, and play with her kitties.

Mrs. Renee comes to us with a wealth of school experience. She has taught in all types of school settings, worked with public schools, private schools, online, in-person, elementary, middle school, highschool, Pre-K. Any kind of school you can think of, she’s probably been involved or knows someone who has. With 20 years of teaching experience and having been a teacher with BHA since our launch, Renee brings great insight to the board. Her favorite moment in a classroom setting is that “Aha!” moment when students grasp a concept. There were a number of things that drew Mrs. Renee to be part of the BHA team, but she notes that the most important is, “I sensed that God wanted me to be here”. In her own school journey, Science, Spanish, and English were her favorite subjects. When she can find the time, she enjoys sewing, crocheting, reading and playing with her kitties.