LEADERSHIP TEAM

Mr. Jake Clay

Mr. Chad Johnson

Mr. Johnson is looking forward to being a part of the BRAVE Academy culture and very excited to see his students spiritual and academic growth throughout the year. He played college basketball at UCCS and transferred to Grand Canyon University when he graduated in 2001. Mr. Johnson’s greatest accomplishment is being a God-honoring husband and father to his 3 children. He enjoys reading books from his favorite authors; John Eldredge, CS Lewis, and Chuck Swindoll. He also loves to spend time praising and growing in his relationship with Jesus, spending time with family, hiking, playing golf, and basketball. 

Ms. Olivia Vacca

Dean of the Rhetoric School

Ms. Valerie Watne

Homeschool Director 

Ms. Valerie is a native of a small Southern California town just west of Los Angeles. Her college education in English sparked her interest in writing books, national news articles, and television, earning her writer credit for a Daytime Emmy nomination by the age of 19. When she surrendered her life to Christ after college, she became passionate about Jesus and furthering the Kingdom through families. With over 23+ years of experience in the world of homeschooling, she has been championing the rights of homeschooling freedom, while building a knowledge of curriculum choice. Through counseling homeschool families nationwide, she has been able to journey alongside families and witness the growth and development of homeschooling in America. Her greatest accomplishment is in her three adult children, whom she adores and is immensely thankful to have homeschooled throughout their education.

ACADEMY SUPPORT TEAM

Mrs. Mary Kenney

Admissions Coordinator

Mrs. Kenney is thrilled to be part of the BRAVE Academy community this year, where she looks forward to watching children laugh, play together, and forge lifelong friendships. With a degree in exercise physiology, she enjoys teaching dance and nutrition, sharing her passion for healthy living with her students. One of her favorite books is "Lone Survivor," which inspires her with its themes of grit and unwavering hope.  Her greatest accomplishment is becoming a devoted wife to her wonderful husband, Matt, and a loving mother to their four incredible children. Beyond her family life, Mrs. Kenney volunteers as the emcee for All-Stars, supporting special needs adults and children. An adventurous spirit, she has completed over 650 skydives, BASE jumps, and helicopter and hot air balloon jumps, even coaching skydiving and packing parachutes for a professional team in New York. Mrs. Kenney's diverse experiences and enthusiasm for life make her a dynamic presence at BRAVE Academy. 

Ms. Shelby Kropp

Academy Coordinator

Originally from a small town in the Midwest, Ms. Kropp lived in Georgia before moving to Colorado, where she has spent the last six years. She cherishes her role as an aunt and enjoys spending quality time with friends and family. Her love for the outdoors shines through her hobbies, which include camping, white-water rafting, and fly fishing. After graduating from the dental hygiene program at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL, in 2013, Ms. Kropp worked in the dental field for 13 years. However, she felt a calling from the Lord to join BRAVE Academy, and she became part of the team this summer. Passionate about sharing God’s truth with students, she aims to help them build a solid foundation of their identity in Christ from a young age. Ms. Kropp finds immense joy in her work and is excited to see how the Lord will move in the lives of students this year at BRAVE Academy!

Mr. Todd Brock

School Security and Safety

Mr. Brock is excited about the growth at BRAVE Academy this school year, looking forward to meeting new students and reuniting with returning ones. One of his favorite books outside of the Bible is Fearless by Eric Blehm, a powerful story of a man's journey from addiction to becoming a warrior for Christ. His greatest accomplishment is being a devoted dad, granddad, and husband. With six years of experience in electronic warfare in the Navy, Mr. Brock visited over 20 countries and grew in his relationship with God. He graduated from Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) and has worked in the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. He rediscovered his passion for protecting others through the Able Shepherd program, where he has trained hundreds in self-defense. Married for 30 years, Mr. Brock enjoys the outdoors, including hobbies like hunting, camping, hiking, and golfing. He looks forward to seeing how God will continue to guide his journey and the future of BRAVE Academy and the church.

Ms. Sara Redman

Barista, Health, and Kinder Aide

Ms. Redman is a devoted mother of three beautiful children and a passionate advocate for teaching the love of Christ to the younger generation. After spending a year as a preschool teacher, she stepped away from the role when her faith in Jesus Christ was challenged. However, by prioritizing God in her life, Sara experienced His blessings when her family became a part of Brave Church three years ago. All three of her children attend BRAVE Academy, and are enjoying their classical Christian education. Sara now serves at the Academy as a café worker and kindergarten assistant teacher. She finds immense joy in training up His little warriors and feels honored to work alongside dedicated individuals who are committed to expanding the Kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. She is grateful for the blessings in her life and praises Him from whom all blessings flow.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL (K-6)

Mrs. Monica Rich

Kindergarten  

  

Mrs. Rich studied Elementary Education and Christian Education at Concordia University in Irvine, California, and has over 25 years teaching experience at various Lutheran schools in the Denver area.Mrs. Rich has loved Jesus from her earliest memory and feels blessed to partner with parents to teach their children about the Lord in a classical Christian school. She has been married to Chris for 31 years and has two sons, Kelby and Tanner. When not in the classroom, you’ll find Mrs. Rich in the mountains reading or walking her dogs. She is currently reading Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado.

Ms. Maggie Scena
First Grade

Ms. Scena earned her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. With a wide array of experience working with children, Ms. Scena previously worked for Jeffco Public Schools, from preschool through eight grade. Before coming to BRAVE, she opened and ran a middle school autism center program where she used her extensive training in reading instruction from the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education. She is married to a wonderful man and has three boys. Her youngest son Teddy is the reason she went into education. Teddy is on the autism spectrum and Ms. Scena was inspired by the amazing teachers and therapists that worked with him throughout his education. Now, she pays it forward by helping other families. Her biggest hobby is learning new things and researching new information. She is very excited to be a part of BRAVE Academy this year and looks forward to partnering with families to help their children learn, grow, and share the gospel. 

Ms. Hannah Baugh
Second Grade

Recent graduate from Colorado Christian University with a degree in Elementary Education. Mrs. Baugh has lived in CO for the past 10 years and loves spending her free time working out, at sports games, paddle boarding and skiing. She also enjoys reading and her favorite book is A Life Impossible by Steve Gleason. Her greatest accomplishment has been giving her life to Christ and letting that mold her into a new person. She is most looking forward to getting to know BRAVE family and cultivate the beautiful minds of second graders. 

Mrs. Kellie Barry
Third Grade

Originally from Alabama, Kelly now lives in Denver with her husband and three children who keep them busy and entertained. Her favorite book is Where the Red Fern Grows, as it reminds her of home and brings back cherished memories. Kelly enjoys sharing this story as a read-aloud with her students as it has been a special experience connecting with her past in her classroom. In her free time, she enjoys reading, pretending to cultivate a green thumb in her garden, and enthusiastically cheering on her kids at various sports events. 

Ms. Mara Pilloud
Fourth Grade

Ms Pilloud grew up in a Christian, military household moving state to state every couple years. She moved to St. Louis, MO and earned two undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Elementary Education. After college, Ms. Pilloud moved to Colorado to be close to family. In 2019, she graduated with a Masters in Transformational Leadership in Education. Having sat in a variety of leadership committees, Ms. Pilloud found much enjoyment collaborating with staff and parents to make their students year successful both academically and socially. She comes from a very small family and her cat Oreo, but will soon be getting married and doubling in fur babies! Ms. Pilloud looks forward to openly speaking to her students about God. 

Ms. Debbie Schaller
Fifth Grade

Ms. Schaller graduated from Colorado Christian University. She is an East coast girl at heart- originally from New York. Her background is in youth ministry, and she is passionate about youth- particularly middle school and 5th grade. She is most excited about getting to know her students and their families and being involved at BRAVE Church, pointing students back to the Lord and seeing them grow academically and spiritually. Ms. Schaller loves coffee, dogs, football, hiking, running, and anything outdoors. Her favorite book is Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, one of the most powerful books she has read on prayer that has completely changed how she engages in prayer. 

Mrs. Veronica Tharan
Sixth Grade

Mrs. Tharan comes from an exciting MMA background where she was ranked 5th in the Nation in the sport of Judo and won multiple national medals when she was an athlete at the Olympic Training Center. She trained with some of the best UFC fighters and coaches in the world. While she was pursing an MMA and legal career, the Lord had other plans for her. She moved to Denver, where God brought her to work as an Executive Director of Operations for several childcare businesses. When Mrs. Tharan was pursuing her legal career, God led Mrs. Tharan to BRAVE Academy, now she is looking forward to getting to know each child in her class and seeing how the Holy spirit will lead the year. In her freetime she enjoys to read, her favorite author is C.S Lewis, she highly recommends the books Space Trilogy and Chronicles of Narnia. 

Ms. Lauren Olig
Academic Support

Born and raised in Minnesota, Ms. Oleg wanted to escape the cold and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. The Lord brought her to BRAVE Academy, and she is most excited about building relationships with her students and watch them flourish as they learn to navigate the world from the view of a biblical education. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, camping, reading, playing board games, and cooking. Ms. Oli’s favorite books are The Forest of vanishing Stars and The Givers of Stars because of the themes of resilience, friendship, and love through different times in history.

LOGIC/RHETORIC SCHOOL (7-12)

Ms. Elisabeth Sheffer
Humanities

Ms. Sheffer graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Evangelism and Apologetics from Colorado Christian University. One of her biggest accomplishments was receiving the Citation Award for fifteen years of Bible study and scripture memory through Awana. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, crafting, baking, singing, and reading. Her favorite book is The Scarlet Pimpernel by Barones Orczy. She enjoys the mystery, romance and history of the story as it portrays a beautiful picture of Christ. Ms. Sheffer is mostly excited to get to know her students and help them learn and grow a firm foundation on the Word of God. 

Ms. Sierra Sanchez
Science

Ms. Sanchez is excited for the upcoming school year and eager to witness what God will do in the lives of students and faculty who have taken a leap of faith. She looks forward to building meaningful relationships with everyone and growing together in their educational journey. Currently reading "Gentle and Lowly" by Dan Ortlund, she finds inspiration in its reflections on Christ’s affection for sinners, reminding us of God’s heart and the importance of walking with Him through grace and mercy. With a Master’s degree in Biology with an emphasis in Education from Grand Canyon University, she is looking forward to embracing her role as a teacher and faithful servant of God, believing that nurturing a love for learning and for God in her students is a true privilege. Recently relocated to Colorado in October 2023, Ms. Sanchez has been attending BRAVE Church after teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten in Wyoming. She enjoys spending time with her family, particularly her beloved nieces and nephews. In her free time, she loves exploring nature with her dog through running, hiking, and fishing, as well as indulging in photography, reading, and cherishing moments with friends.

Mrs. Mikayla Troke
Math/Science

Mrs. Troke believes one of the byproducts of education is that it exposes students to a wide variety of concepts and skills. Because of this, students can often discover talents and gifts that God has blessed them with especially in the later years of their academic career. She is excited to work with the Upper School students to possibly discover some of these gifts. Mrs. Troke is happily married to her husband Danny, and they have two pet birds; a blue parakeet: Edgar, and a sun conure: Ada. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing new clothes, practicing on her electric violin for the worship team at BRAVE, and reading. Although difficult to pick a favorite book, The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks is her current favorite. Interesting because this series showed the growth of an author perfecting his craft throughout the series, as well as an allegorical perspective into another person's faith and relationship with Christ.

Mr. Patrick O'Bleness
Upper School Math Teacher

FINE ARTS/PE

Katie Sowa

Ms. Sunny Weiner

Mr. Ian Johnson

Mr. George Villacres