OUR TEAM
HomeLink has a great team of advisors and support staff waiting to serve you!
ADVISING TEAM
April Thome
Founder and Consulting Director
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.
Jim Paine
Custom Education Designs Program Administrator
Jim received a BA in Christian Education from Seattle Pacific University and served as a pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination for 30 years. Jim and his wife, Nance, have two grown sons the youngest of which was homeschooled from 8th-12th grades.
Steve Bernard
Computer Apps & Speech Advisor
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.
Rachel Bertsch
Art Advisor
Rachel Lucas-Bertsch studied art at the California College of Arts and Crafts and at YVC, and majored in Graphic Design. Mrs. Lucas-Bertsch enjoys working with many media in different formats, including pencil, graphite, chalk, oil pastels, color pencil, pen and ink, painting, watercolors.
Ann Bowman
Drama Advisor
Ann Bowman attended Linfield College earning a BA in Biology with minors in History and Chemistry. She completed one year of her master’s work in history. Growing up in a family of educators, with a father who was both a history teacher and a state legislator, Mrs. Bowman is passionate about history and our country.
Janene Cardon
Great Literature Advisor
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.
Wendi Frank
American Sign Language Advisor
Wendi graduated from Central Washington University with a BA in Business Education and an MA in Master Teacher. She has taught in both private and public schools, most recently being Eisenhower High School, grades 9-12 in the business department from 1998-2011 teaching keyboarding, computer applications, business math and accounting. She has home schooled her daughter since 2003.
Shannan Golladay
Science Advisor
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.
Blanca Gonzalez
Spanish Advisor
Blanca attended Eastern Washington University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Spanish Education and Minor degree in Computer Applications. She currently teaches Spanish and P.E. at West Chestnut Academy, where both of her children attend, and is also a certified substitute teacher for the Yakima and West Valley school district.
Stephanie Hart
Theater Arts Advisor
Stephanie spent the majority of her childhood engaging in community theatre on and off stage and graduated from the Seattle Film Institute. Her studies included scriptwriting, directing, casting, and working with actors. She has worked the last 5 years in HR and Administration and is excited to revisit her love of the arts.
Shirley Lynch
Math and Science Advisor
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.
Katie Meinzinger
Elementary and Math Advisor
Katie attended George Fox University earning a BA in Music-Pre-teaching and MA in Teaching. She taught music at all levels in Oregon Public Schools for three years and has been teaching music, theater, math, and now, science, with HomeLink and Montessori School of Yakima for more than 8 years.
Heather Young
High School Personal Finance Advisor
Heather is a Yakima native and former Homelink student. She earned an Associate's Degree from YVC and a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College. After completing college she then moved back to Eastern Washington and currently lives in Yakima with her husband. In her spare time Heather enjoys being outdoors and cooking.