Our (Amazing!) Faculty & Staff

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Headmaster

Daniel Green grew up in West Tennessee.There he attended a classical school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Following that, he graduated from Union University with  a degree in Theology and a degree in Physics. During this time, he married his wife Serena, whom he met while working at Solid Rock Bible Camp in Alaska. Daniel grew up making two trips a year to Alaska, where he has family. Just before moving to Alaska, Daniel and Serena lived in Athens, Greece. Daniel enjoys reading, board games, ultimate frisbee, and of course, administration.

K-5 - 1st Elementary

   Sherry Nauta and her husband, Larry, have spent their lives investing in the community through education and Christian ministry. Sherry spent her career as a teacher and retired from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Sherry has years of experience with Saxon math and a phonics-based reading program that employs the Orton-Gillingham method. She looks forward to building a solid foundation for life-long learning with these young students.

Most importantly, Sherry treasures teaching her students to love Jesus and the truth of Scripture. 

1 Timothy 4:8
...for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Elementary 

 Lydia Holcomb is wife to Fred and mother of 5 boys. She has been serving with her husband as missionaries with MARC, in Soldotna, since 2020.

Lydia, originally from Pennsylvania, grew up as a pastor's daughter and chose to place her faith in Jesus as an adolescent. The Lord has proven both His mighty strength and His sense of humor throughout Lydia's and Fred's parenting years by blessing them with micro-preemie triplets and by, then, calling their family into full-time ministry a few short years after they caught their breath. If asked, they are happy to recount survival stories of God's mercies from their NICU months and their time in missionary aviation training, as well as a myriad of poop stories, from the early years.

After homeschooling her children for a number of years, Lydia found Kenai Classical, and classical Christian education, to be a great provision from the Lord for their family. Having served on the Board, she now puts her elementary education degree to good use and is most excited to share the goodness and beauty of Jesus Christ with young souls, and to apply God's transcending Truth across the subjects.

 4th-6th Elementary

Karen Stam fulfilled a life-long dream in August of 2022 with a move to Alaska. She grew up in the PNW but always enjoyed visits from her grandpa from Kodiak and his tales of the North. Her passion was reignited a couple of years ago after some friends moved to Nikiski, and she had the opportunity to visit for two summers. After teaching 3rd-5th grade for the past few years at a classical Christian school in southern Arizona, Karen ventured way north and lives with her two cats, a life-sized skeleton named Jeremy, and a ton (literally) of books.

Karen came to appreciate classical education when she was homeschooling her son and has developed that passion ever since. She is furthering her personal education as a full-time student at Liberty University and loves to share her love of reading, grammar, history, and Jesus with the next generation of students. 

When she is not at Kenai Classical, Karen enjoys reading, working at a local youth outreach, BBC British mysteries, playing her guitar and singing, and of course, doing all of the wonderful outdoor things that Alaska has to offer.

Elementary Music

  Alaska-born and raised, Callie McLay has a passion for music and keeping it alive on the Kenai Peninsula. Callie has been teaching private music lessons since 2021 and is excited to share her love of music with Kenai Classical's students! 

When not teaching, she enjoys making watercolor paints, writing books, and playing in the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra. Both she and her husband are IDEA Homeschool alumni and local business owners. 

Upper School Math

    Mr. I (as he is called) has served in Christian education since he first moved to Alaska in 2014. Born in Texas and raised on the East Coast, Fred also previously lived in New Mexico, Las Vegas, and Silicon Valley. Fred has served in many important roles at Christian schools, including coaching sports teams, leading retreats, developing curriculum, mentoring teachers, and leading overseas service trips. Fred has also taught students who qualified for the United States Math Olympiad and students were accepted on to schools like Stanford, Wheaton, and other top-tier universities. Fred is currently finishing a master’s degree in educational leadership with a long-term goal to serve and steward teachers at Christian schools  Outside the classroom, Fred is an experienced sports announcer and a member of the Extra Miler Club. 

Upper School Humanities & Science

Jerry Strait grew up on a farm in the Missouri Ozarks listening to Johnny Horton singing “North to Alaska,” reading Jack London, and dreaming of faraway wilderness places. In 1984, he secured a seasonal job in Soldotna with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game that turned into a thirty-five-year-long outdoors adventure. 

Meanwhile, in the off-season from Fish and Game, Jerry traveled doing foreign missionary work (India, New Zealand, and Ukraine) and attending college and university in Missouri and Texas. He holds four degrees: an Associate of Arts in General Studies with an emphasis in journalism, a Bachelor of Arts in History, a Bachelor of Science in Biblical and Related Studies, and a Masters in Christian Ministry with a Christian Education focus.

Jerry and Violetta are blessed with two wonderful daughters: Vitalia and Aleysa.

Jerry is excited at the opportunity to teach at Kenai Classical. This year he has taught HS Bible, Alaska Biodiversity, Alaska History, JH Humanities, and Alaska Outdoor Studies.

Upper School Writing & Rhetoric, Russian

Vitalia Strait was born and raised in Kenai, AK, but spent a lot of time also growing up in Ukraine, her mother’s home country. She recently earned her BA in English from Colorado Christian University, where she also worked in the Writing Center. Next year, she intends to pursue her MA in creative writing, with the hope of becoming a professional writer and college professor. She has had some works published in various journals, such as The Trouvaille Review and Poetry Potion. Needless to say, words take up most of her time, both for work and pleasure.

This is her fourth year teaching at Kenai Classical.  She is thrilled to help KC students improve their writing skills and foster a love of learning!

Upper School Latin 1 and 2

Jack Whiteacre grew up in Fairfax, VA, but moved to the Louisville, KY area in 2012.  He lives in a little town called Pewee Valley (it is not a valley, and he has never seen a pewee bird there). He just returned from a four-year stint in Moscow, Idaho, where he got his BA at New Saint Andrews College.

He is entering his fourth year of teaching, during which he has taught at Kenai, Logos School in Moscow, Idaho, and Trinitas Classical Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. He is also beginning his Masters of Fine Arts for Creative Writing through NSA, and is serving as the Director of Student Affairs for Trinity College of Louisville.

With what little spare time he has, he loves to watch sports, write fiction, play guitar, drink Dr. Pepper, and binge P.G. Wodehouse books. He looks forward to showing his students the goodness of God through Latin.