Teachers' Bios

Dr. Kerry Irish is a Professor of American History Emeritus at George Fox University. In 2000 the University recognized his classroom efforts with the Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching. He is the author of Clarence C. Dill, The Life of a Western Politician, and several articles on Dwight Eisenhower's military career. In 2011, the United States Army Historical Foundation awarded Professor Irish its 2010 Distinguished Writing Award for his article "Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines: There Must Be a Day of Reckoning." That article appeared in the Journal of Military History in April 2010.  Dr. Irish has significant experience managing a small business. For much of the 1970s and early 80s, he was manager of the Bend, Oregon A&W Drive Inn Restaurant. In 1978, he and his father Ralph were recognized as the A&W owner/operator of the year for their region.  Dr. Irish served on the board of directors of C.S. Lewis Academy in Newberg, Oregon from 2021-2024. During his tenure, he was chair of the education committee. He led the effort to set up an annual review program for teachers and helped revise the academy’s bylaws.   Since moving to La Pine in 2022, he and his wife Vickie, who was Vice-President HR and Training for Shari’s Restaurants for many years, have been leading the effort to establish a Christian academy in La Pine. In September 2024, their efforts, along with help from many other volunteers, came to fruition when Faith & Grace Christian Academy opened its doors to its first students.

Vickie Irish: Prior to retirement, Vickie worked for Shari's Management Corporation. During her time at Shari's, Vickie held several positions; for the last 25 years she served as Vice President of Training and Human Resources. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role was identifying talent and then creating and leading training programs that fostered promotion from within the company. Prior to working for Shari’s Vickie and her husband owned and operated an A&W Drive-in. Since retiring, Vickie has been involved with the Amazing Grace, Summit Kids, greeting and bible study programs at Highlakes Christian Church. Last year, Vickie taught 2nd grade at Faith and Grace Christian Academy and is currently the 3rd grade teacher, she loves applying her training skills and seeing her student’s eyes light up when “they get it!” Vickie is also a board member and assists with selecting the academy’s elementary curriculum.

Marina Hoff is a passionate early childhood educator who finds great joy in helping young children grow academically and spiritually. She teaches Kindergarten at Faith and Grace Christian Academy, where she creates a nurturing, Christ-centered environment that encourages curiosity, kindness, and a love for learning. Marina has several years of experience working with children through her church's Sunday School program, where she has served as both a teacher and a Kids Ministry supervisor. These experiences have strengthened her love for teaching and her ability to connect with children of all ages.   In addition to teaching, Marina home schools her two oldest children, which allows her to bring creativity, flexibility, and a deep understanding of individualized learning into her classroom. She believes that every child is uniquely created by God and deserves the opportunity to flourish in their own way. Outside of the classroom, Marina enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors with her family. Whether at school, church, or home, she strives to reflect God’s love through patience, joy, and a genuine care for helping children thrive.

Becky has worked in many areas of Kid's Ministry, from nursery worker to Next Generation Coordinator, for more than 30 years. Becky also had a career in banking for nine years where she thrived and quickly moved up the banking ladder. She did everything from Teller and Senior Teller to New Accounts Rep and Loan Officer before leaving the banking world to raise her three boys. When Becky and her husband moved to La Pine as Pastors of La Pine Christian Center, Becky enrolled her boys in Morning Star Christian School and started volunteering in the Preschool Department. She ended up working there for 6 years as a Teaching Assistant and After School Program Director until returning to homeschooling her boys. This is Becky's first year teaching First Grade at Faith and Grace Christian Academy and she loves teaching this age. Watching the lightbulb come on as they start reading words is her favorite!

Joanna Martin is very excited to be teaching second grade at Faith and Grace Christian Academy! She loves creating a fun and welcoming classroom where kids can grow in their faith, build confidence, and discover a love for learning. Joanna taught First Grade last school year at Faith and Grace Christian Academy and has homeschooled her youngest daughter for the past 7 years. Her goal is to help each child feel valued, encouraged, and excited about school every day. Joanna has also taught Sunday school on and off for the past 20 years and feels it is very rewarding to teach children and help them develop their relationship with Christ! When not teaching she enjoys spending time with my family, teaching her dog Wrigley new tricks, singing and playing the ukulele, landscaping, and enjoying all kinds of outdoor activities.

4th and 5th grade teacher

Rachel grew up in California, the middle child of seven siblings, and the only daughter. She was homeschooled during her early years, then attended a small Christian academy for junior high and high school. After graduating high school at the age of 16, she began working for Trader Joe’s and attending community college. From there, she went on to attend and play Division I soccer for Lipscomb University in Nashville. After moving back to the Bay Area for family reasons, she met her future husband, and began studying pre-nursing at San Jose State University. Soon realizing the nursing career path was not for her, she chose to not finish school, but instead to focus on her new marriage. Over the years, her jobs have included teaching 8th grade Physical Science at her former academy, working for Trader Joe’s for eleven years, and making ice cream for a creamery in Santa Cruz as well as Bonta Gelato in Bend. She has now been married for 13 years, and has three children with her husband Sean. When she can manage to find any time to spare, she enjoys gardening, baking, reading, and making herbal salves and remedies. Rachel began teaching middle school science at Faith and Grace last year, and is excited to continue to share her passion for the sciences.

Jennifer Dandy is thrilled to be the middle school language arts teacher at Faith and Grace Christian Academy. Prior to teaching, Jennifer spent 15 years at A-Dec, a prominent global dental manufacturing company. During her tenure, she excelled as a technical writer and adult educator, primarily focusing on crafting technical service manuals for field technicians. These manuals were crucial for field service personnel responsible for maintaining and repairing dental equipment in offices worldwide. Additionally, Jennifer developed comprehensive curricula and led technical training sessions for A-Dec employees and their dealer service partners. After relocating to La Pine with her husband of 19 years and her son, Jennifer began her homeschooling journey. She spent three years homeschooling her son for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Jennifer is honored to be a part of Faith and Grace Christian Academy and genuinely enjoys teaching middle school-aged children and assisting them in preparing for high school.

With a degree in Computer Systems Engineering and a minor in mathematical modeling from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dave is now a retired Information Systems executive. He served as Chief Technical Officer for Pacific Stock Exchange, CIO for an Internet Startup called TestMart, consulted for Fortune 500 companies on Project Management, and head of technology for a large county’s welfare department in California. Since retiring in 2021, Dave has supported High Lakes Christian Church, fund raising for their SALT program, and now serves on their security team. While Dave takes pride in his 45 years of steadily increasing roles in technology, he takes greater pride in working with your middle-school children teaching Math last year. Dave is committed to helping you and your children love learning.