April Thome earned a B.A. in history education from the University of Washington and completed her fifth year at Central Washington University. Additionally, she completed training as an educational therapist through the National Institute for Leaning Disabilities located in Norfolk, Virginia, and special training in study skills through the National Institute for Secondary Principals in Boston, Massachusetts. April taught 5th grade for 5 years in the Selah public schools and worked for 11 years at West Side Christian School; serving 6 years in the classroom and 5 years as elementary principal. In 1997 she founded the private program called “HomeLink Yakima” that offers once-a-week classes for home-schooled students of all ages.

Shannan Golladay graduated from Azusa Pacific Univ. with a degree in Life Science. She served as a Young Life volunteer for eight years and worked as the Young Life middle school coordinator in the Yakima Valley for six years. Shannan has been with HomeLink since the beginning and has taught middle school and high school science classes for over 20 years.

Silvia attended Texas Tech University and was a home schooling mom for seventeen years. She was very active in her local home school support group and began working with HomeLink in the 2006. She’s the voice on the phone and the first face you see at the front desk. Email: sjohnson@narhs.org

Pia Morris is the name behind the friendly face you have seen working at the HomeLink office for a couple of years. Pia grew up in the South and graduated from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She homeschooled and graduated her three children.

Steve Bernard has competed in local, area and district level speech cornpetitions, reaching the level of Advanced Communicator Gold in the Toastmasters Organization. His teaching experience includes 10 years at YVC in the computer science department. He has also taught Leadership and Public Speaking at West Valley Junior High School.

Laura Brazeau graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Teaching Emphasis. She also holds an Associate of Science in Nursing from Yakima Valley Community College. Laura first came to HomeLink as a parent, homeschooling her two sons during the pandemic. As an advisor she looks forward to fusing her lifelong love of history and literature with her background in childhood development and love of working with kids of all ages.

Janene is a mother of 8 children who has been homeschooling for the last 17 years. She loves to hike, garden, snow and water ski with her family and read good books. She hopes to inspire thinking, sharing, and a love of great literature from the students who join her in this class.

Rachel Hawkins, a nurse by education, has developed a love for theater and storytelling through her work at Shiloh Bible Camp and Tieton Drive Bible Chapel. There, she and her husband co-wrote and directed drama with teens to teach Bible lessons, the story of Pilgrim’s Progress, missionary/martyr stories, and puppet plays. Rachel Hawkins began with HomeLink in January 2023 directing the middle school theater in several epic tales: Around the World in 80 Days, Prince or Peace, and Long, Long Journey: the Adventures of Marco Polo. She looks forward to working with the Theater Arts class.

Alyssa studied Spanish Education and has taught both public and private classes for the past seven years. She and her husband, Bryce, are both born and raised in the Yakima valley where they now raise their three young children. Alyssa enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and gardening.

Shirley attended high school in Zimbabwe, Africa and attended the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology. Before moving to the Northwest, Mrs. Lynch finished what she needed for a chemistry degree. She began homeschooling her four children in 1994.

Becca Mailand attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, earning a BA in English Lit and an MA in Elementary Education with a specialization in Reading. Over the past 15 years, she has taught everything from PreK through Middle School and currently works part-time as the Director for Grace of Christ Preschool. She currently homeschools her oldest son and is very excited to be a part of Homelink as the teacher for Elementary History and Science and working with April Thome to teach Middle School History and Language Arts.

Megan is a single mother of one and was born and raised in Yakima. She started Celebrate with Paint in 2015, a successful mobile painting party service which has included events for WA Middle School and Camp Ghormely. We are excited that she will be sharing her creativity and experience with the students here at HomeLink.

Katie attended George Fox University earning a BA in Music-Pre-teaching and MA in Teaching. Prior to moving to Yakima she taught K-12 music in Oregon. Katie has been teaching music, theater, math, science, and now, history, with HomeLink and Montessori School of Yakima for more than 10 years, and also homeschools her own children.

Born in the Bay area and later moved with his family to Washington in 1983. Tom played sports for Selah High School before going into the Air Force, where he was a military working dog handler. Having a working dog allowed him to assist the Secret Service during a Presidential visit. He has secured areas for dignitaries and World Leaders. His love of history has brought him to HomeLink as an advisor.

I love teaching! I’ve taught in the public schools and I’ve also homeschooled my 6 children for 13 years. Teaching has flowed into leading Bible Studies and preaching. I recently finished 3 years of Seminary – being a student again was crazy! I prefer being the teacher. Currently, I run a nonprofit, Artos. Artos’ mission is to encourage and support teachers and staff in Yakima county schools.