INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM
Middle School Team
Jennifer Adkins, Lead Teacher
Meet Ms. Adkins, a proud Texas native who holds a BA in English from The University of Texas Pan American. With 15 years devoted to teaching, she decided to pursue her passion for nature and relocated to Washington. Here, she has fully embraced the breathtaking scenery of the mountains, towering trees, and majestic whales. Ms. Adkins was drawn to the Catalyst team by their unwavering commitment to providing a rigorous education tailored to the unique needs of each child.
During her leisure time, she finds joy in hiking and embarking on adventures with her loyal companion, Lady, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Together, they explore the natural wonders that Washington has to offer, reveling in the beauty of the outdoors.
Leane Church, Teaching Fellow
Meet Ms. Church—yes, she’s married to Mr. Church. A Bremerton native, Ms. Church is a proud mother of two children, one in high school and one in middle school. Her family also includes two beloved dogs. She enjoys music, cooking for loved ones, and watching thunderstorms. In her free time, she can often be found foraging for interesting rocks and connecting with others through positive energy.
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Ms. Church brings over 20 years of experience in education, having served in a variety of roles throughout her career. She has extensive knowledge in social-emotional interventions and emotional regulation strategies, and she believes strongly that there is more than one way to solve a problem.
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Now joining Catalyst, Ms. Church is excited to complete her education and student teaching. Her goal is to transition from a paraeducator and small group instructor to a fully certified teacher with a deeper understanding of the community and its unique needs.
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Ms. Church is deeply passionate about diversity, inclusion, and ensuring every child feels seen, valued, and loved. She believes that strong relationships are the foundation of a thriving learning environment and is genuinely excited for the school year ahead.
Jander Cline, Lead Teacher
Mr. Cline from Vancouver, Washington, is thrilled to embark on his journey with the Catalyst team as a Lead Teacher this year! His path led him to Walla Walla, Washington, where he spent the last five years, initially as a college basketball player at Walla Walla Community College. Later, in 2022, he transitioned to Whitman College to continue his basketball career at the NCAA Division 3 level while completing his studies. Recently, he proudly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and is eager to transition into a career in education.
From a young age, Mr. Cline has harbored a passion for teaching and is dedicated to guiding students towards realizing their aspirations and uncovering their boundless potential. Joining the Catalyst community aligns perfectly with his mission to contribute to an equitable and enriching educational environment for all Catalyst students.
When he's not in the classroom, Mr. Cline can be found on the basketball court, indulging in pickup games with friends and fellow enthusiasts. He finds immense joy in coaching and helping others discover the pleasures of recreational sports. Despite the weather, he carves out time to immerse himself in Washington's natural beauty through walks, hikes, and camping trips. While he has tales of his own adventures, Mr. Cline is always eager to lend an ear and listen to the stories of others.
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Sarah Daly, Lead Teacher
Mrs. Daly is originally from Buffalo, NY and grew up in Phoenix, AZ. She joined the United States Navy at 19 years old and traveled the world. This is where she developed a love for serving others and her country. She enjoyed interacting with people from various cultures, witnessing their beautiful landscapes, and eating their delicious food. Mrs. Daly received her bachelor’s degree in communications, from Arizona State University and is currently working towards her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. After graduating college, she followed her husband to his hometown of Houston, TX. This is where she uncovered her calling to teach. Mrs. Daly has taught in Texas for four years and coached middle school softball. She has a passion for teaching and helping students achieve their goals.
When Mrs. Daly is not at school, she is enjoying the outdoors with her husband, son, and two dogs. Mrs. Daly loves playing sports and participates in local recreation leagues with her friends. This will be Mrs. Daly’s first year living in Washington and she is very excited for all the new adventures to come. She also cannot wait to explore the multitude of coffee shops the state has to offer. Most importantly, she is thrilled to work at a school like Catalyst, where teacher and staff are dedicated to providing the very best education to all students.
Renee Hammel, Teaching Fellow
Born and raised in Iowa, Ms. Hammel's association with the Navy community brought her to Bremerton in 2005. This affiliation has taken her and her family around the world including Guam, Virginia, and Japan before returning to the Bremerton area in 2020.
After completing her Culinary Arts degree she held the position of Catering Coordinator at Olympic College. While in this position, Ms. Hammel successfully applied for and was awarded multiple grants allowing the program to maximize the efficiency of services provided by the catering staff. While not working Ms. Hammel enjoys spending time with her two children and husband performing outdoor activities such as camping, hiking and kayaking.
Ms. Hammel is excited to begin her teaching journey as a member of the Catalyst community. Here she is looking forward to instilling a sense of belonging and empowerment to its scholars. She is motivated to share her culinary knowledge to lead these scholars into making wise food-based decisions as well as teaching the skills they need to know to become independent in their own kitchens.
Mai Li Jorgensen, Small Group Instructor
Ms. J is locally from Seattle and recently graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's in Human Centered Design & Engineering. With her background in accessibility-focused design, she is passionate about meeting students where they are and creating classroom environments that are inclusive, student-driven, and full of support. She is excited to join Catalyst as a Teach for America Corps Member and is committed to helping every student feel that they belong, can succeed, and be authentically themselves.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. J enjoys creative hobbies that keep her hands and imagination busy, including 3D origami, sewing, and other hands-on crafts. She's also a lover of stories and spends much of her free time reading and writing fiction. When she's not curled up with a good book or making something new, Ms. J values connecting with others and especially enjoys spending time with her cat, Mr. Wobbles.
Kristiin Kerby, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Kerby is excited to join the Catalyst community! With three years of experience in the local school district, Ms. Kerby is passionate about creating a supportive and trusting environment where every student feels heard and valued.
Originally from California, she moved to Washington during her freshman year of high school and graduated from Olympic High School in Bremerton. She holds a degree in Education with endorsements in Special Education from Western Washington University, as well as a degree in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology from Western Governors University.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Kerby enjoys crocheting—she has an impressive yarn stash and more patterns than she can count in a feasible amount of time! She also loves relaxing with a good book and her two dogs. Ms. Kerby is looking forward to building strong connections with students, families, and fellow staff throughout the year.
April Lindvold, Lead Teacher
Ms. Lindvold is originally from North Carolina but calls Washington home.
After graduating high school, she joined the United States Navy, where she got to travel the world, learn history, experience different cultures, and met her husband.
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She graduated from Old Dominion University with her Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies. Prior to Catalyst she has worked as a 3 rd grade teacher, music teacher, and worked as a substitute teacher.
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Outside of school, she plays taxi driver to her three kiddos: 16, 14, and 8. She takes them to Scouts, swim lessons, and school activities. She also has a small zoo in her house consisting of 2 dogs, 2 cats, a bearded dragon, and a guinea pig.
Her hobbies include spending time with her family, traveling, playing Minecraft, and snugglingup with a great book.
Miranda Lindquist, Teaching Fellow
Ms. Lindquist was born and raised in Washington and recently moved to Bremerton from the Olympic Peninsula. She has previously worked in public schools and is very excited to join the Catalyst family! In her free time she enjoys being outside, hanging out with her family and pets, and seeking the sunshine. She love to travel, her soul is the most quiet at the beach and in the mountains. She can't wait to meet everyone!
Matthew Moran, Lead Teacher
Born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Mr. Moran packed up his family and made the drive to Bremerton, Washington, just to be at Catalyst. Graduating from the University of Delaware, he worked as a Behavior Specialist and worked with students to create behavior plans and performed positive interventions. He then transitioned into teaching middle school Social Studies and Leadership programs.
He then made the leap into the world of Summer Camp at the Siegel Jewish Community Center, making the outdoors his classroom as he programmed activities for ages five to fifteen. In 2020 he began teaching at the Widener Partnership Charter School virtually, focusing on Science and Social Emotional Learning. During this time he began his Master's Program at Widener University, graduating in 2023 with a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology.
He enjoys writing in his spare time, as well as playing table top games like Dungeons and Dragons and Powered by the Apocalypse. Since moving to Washington, he has gone on adventures with his wife Megan and his son Asher. He'll gladly talk to any student about their favorite anime, their philosophy of life, or their favorite art movement.
Sara O’Neill, Lead Teacher
Ms O'Neill is from Colorado and is someone who is making her dream of living in the Pacific Northwest come true by joining the Catalyst team. She studied English at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado and has taught elementary and middle school for the last 6 years.
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Ms O'Neill enjoys cooking, music, baking (pies and anything loaf related are my favorites), hiking, painting and hanging out with my two cats Roman and Pollo.
Ashli Payne, Teaching Fellow
Ms. Payne, a proud Bremerton native, is deeply passionate about giving back to her community. She finds purpose in empowering women through health and wellness and mentoring young female athletes with aspirations of excelling in sports.
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A standout scholar-athlete at Olympic High School, Ms. Payne's skill and dedication on the basketball court earned her a full-ride athletic scholarship to a Division I university, followed by a successful professional basketball career that spanned across Europe and Australia. In 2023, after retiring from professional sports, Ashli launched the RAWW Hoops Girls Development Club, an organization devoted to teaching young women invaluable lessons of life through the game of basketball. Her mission is to grow the program, develop creative ways to showcase young women from Kitsap, and empower girls to be leaders in their communities. ​
Ms. Payne is excited to contribute to the Catalyst team, where she can expand her impact on Bremerton youth and continue to serve her community. In her downtime, she enjoys expressing her creativity through art, spending time with her family, exploring nature with her dog King, and discovering local restaurants, art galleries and shops.
Tonirenee Payne, Teaching Fellow
Ms. Payne has called Bremerton her home since she was 10 years old. Her father brought the family here from Sacramento, California when her father served in the Navy. She is a mother of a 10 year old boy and has worked as a caregiver in memory care for the elderly for 9 years. Being a mom and a caregiver has taught her that nurturing is a huge part of what makes her happy. She is grateful and excited to have joined the team and is determined to spread her light and nurturing spirit here at Catalyst!
Alyssa Renaud, Lead Teacher
Ms. Renaud has cultivated a career in education and journalism. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Film from Boston College and a master’s degree in Journalism from Emerson College. For the past six years, Ms. Renaud has taught digital media, film, yearbook, and computer science in Oklahoma. In addition to classroom teaching, she has contributed to statewide efforts to develop instructional resources aligned with Oklahoma’s academic standards for computer science education. Ms. Renaud has also worked as a news reporter and filmmaker, producing content for a variety of platforms including the USA TODAY Network.
Outside of her professional work, Ms. Renaud is passionate about spending time with her family, reading books, watching movies, and cooking. She’s an enthusiastic traveler who has explored much of the United States and Europe. She is excited to make Washington her new home!
Catherine Sebastian, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Sebastian is from Bremerton, WA and went to Western Washington University. She studied English Literature and Film Studies then got her Masters in Teaching. Ms. Sebastian grew up on Oahu, Hawaii then moved to Bremerton in 2005, spending her summers in Japan with her sister and grandparents. She spent much of her childhood outdoors on the beach, hiking, and helping her grandparents with their vineyard.
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Ms. Sebastian previously taught at North Kitsap High School and has worked with elementary and middle schoolers. As a teacher she believes that the environment heavily influences a scholar’s growth and mindset, therefore it is important to integrate in their learning. She loves to spend her time watching anime with her boyfriend, cooking, and playing the NY Times Crossword. She is excited to teach at Catalyst as a third grade teacher and hopes to build strong relationships with her scholars.
Ash Symonds, Teaching Fellow
Ms. Symonds recently moved to the area from Florida, following her husband’s assignment at Bangor Naval Base. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (K-6) and has experience working with both elementary and middle school scholars. Ms. Symonds enjoys being creative with clay, hiking, and exploring new adventures. She finds great joy in watching her scholars grow academically and personally.
Keith Viridian, Lead Teacher
Mr. Viridian was born and raised in Southern California in a city on the outskirts of Los Angeles County. Mr. Viridian and his fiancée decided to move to Washington and came across this lovely school. We were both very fortunate to be hired and he is thrilled to be able to teach at Catalyst alongside her. His journey into the classroom was long, but he finally felt that he was right where he belongs.
From first grade, all the way until his senior year of high school Mr. Viridian was in Cub Scouts then promoted to Boy Scouts of America where he received the highest honor of Eagle Scout. All throughout high school, he participated in sports such as Wrestling, Tennis, Cross Country, and Track and Field. During his senior year, his team won the State Championship for Division 3 in 2010.
After high school, Mr. Viridian attended Cerritos Community College taking courses in various subjects, not only to find a passion, but to educate himself and become a well-rounded person. While doing this he joined a band and played at places such as the House of Blues in Hollywood and the Whiskey a Go Go. He started coaching Cross Country and Track and Field a couple of years after the band separated. A few years later he transferred to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and received my Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences.
Following graduation, Mr. Viridian worked at a middle school until he received my acceptance letter to Pepperdine University for their Masters of Arts in Teaching Program. He taught in a first and fifth grade classroom and would later be hired as a first/second grade combo teacher. Now he is excited to start the next chapter of my life in Washington with my fiancée at Catalyst.
Note: Some staff are not listed on the website based upon what they have told us they prefer.