Faculty

Director: Pastor Bob Snyder

Bob Snyder is an ordained minister of the gospel, serving as founder, director, and tutor of Spring Branch Academy, and also as one of the associate pastors at Countryside Bible Church in Jonesville, Michigan. He has Bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering, an M.Div., and a Ph.D. in Church History from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Jinna have been married over twenty-five years, and have been blessed with six children.

  • North Dakota State University (Fargo, ND): BS, Mathematics, BS, Mechanical Engineering
  • Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Minneapolis, MN): Master of Divinity
  • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY): PhD, American Church History
  • Academic teaching experience includes teaching full-time at two Christian schools in Kentucky and being an adjunct professor at Hillsdale College (Lecturer in Religion)

High School

Pastor Scott Cress

Scott Cress teaches Biblical Greek at Spring Branch Academy. Scott has been pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hillsdale for the last 6 years. He lives in Hillsdale with his wife, Shana, and their four children. He enjoys camping, reading, and looking at his dusty guitar.  

  • Indiana University Southeast (New Albany, IN): BA, History
  • Covenant Theological Seminary (Creve Coeur, MO): Master of Divinity
  • Grace Theological Seminary (Winona Lake, IN): Doctor of Ministry
  • Academic teaching experience includes teaching public speaking at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), humanities at Jackson College (Jackson, MI), and history for several years at Crosspoint Christian School (Villa Ridge, MO).

Ms. Lily Erickson

Lily Erickson teaches High School Biology and Elementary School Science at Spring Branch Academy. A biologist by training, she has research experience from ecology to cancer medicine. She works as the Ministry Assistant to Falling Waters Bible Church and as a research consultant in a variety of applications. She lives in Jackson with her dog, Lexi, and is enjoying learning how to maintain a garden, as the weather permits.

  • Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI): BS, Biology

Mr. Gabe Healy

Gabe Healy gratefully serves as the teacher for Theology I at the Academy. He also serves as the senior high youth director and pastoral assistant at Countryside Bible Church. Gabe graduated from Spring Arbor University with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy, and is pursuing his Master of Divinity through The Master’s Seminary. He loves to read, teach God’s Word, and spend time with the youth group’s students.

  • Spring Arbor University (Spring Arbor, MI): BA, Psychology, & Minor, Philosophy
  • Academic teaching experience includes substitute teaching in Reading, Hillsdale, and Jonesville Community Schools.

Mr. Keith Keana

Keith Keana comes with a considerable amount of experience teaching chemistry in the United States Air Force, including the academy in Colorado.  Equipped with both a bachelor degree and a master degree in chemistry, he also brings to his teaching a passion for God’s wisdom and ways in science.  He and his wife are currently raising two children, both of whom took classes at the academy.  He also teaches some upper-level mathematics.

  • University of Oregon/University of Oregon Honors College: BA, Chemistry & Minor, French
  • University of Oregon: Master of Chemistry
  • Academic teaching experience includes one year University of Oregon, four years as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the United States Air Force Academy, and two years as Professor and Chair of Aerospace Science at Michigan State University.

Mrs. Molly Mason

Molly Mason teaches elementary and high school art classes at Spring Branch Academy. She’s loved art since her own time in elementary school and while in college, focused on graphic design and communications. She has been a freelance designer and writer for more than 20 years and owned a marketing agency for 7 years. Her Bachelor’s degree is in communications with an emphasis on visual design from Siena Heights University. She and her husband Jeremy have three children and live on a cat farm.

  • Siena Heights University (Adrian, MI): BA, Communications

Mr. William Schaerer

William Schaerer teaches Logic to Juniors and Seniors at Spring Branch Academy. He is a member of Countryside Bible Church; his wife, Chelsea, also attends Countryside. He loves critical thinking, engaging young people, and bringing fun and humor to instruction.  

  • Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI): BA, Philosophy and Religion, & Minor Greek
  • Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte, NC): Masters of Divinity, Emphasis in Christian Counseling
  • Outside of Logic, Will has no prior experience in an academic setting, but he has faithfully taught many years in children’s and camp ministry.

Mr. Clay Ward

Originally from Oklahoma, Mr. Clay Ward graduated from Hillsdale College in 2023. He is a husband and father to Ashley and Patrick, respectively. He is excited to teach at Spring Branch and to serve with the gifts that God has given him. While not at school, you can usually find him doing electric work or reading a book with coffee in hand. His excitement for the work comes from the Lord and his passion for learning, and is in no small part fueled by his wife’s cooking.

  • Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI): BA, Religion
  • Currently studying in the Log College program at Countryside Bible Church
  • Academic teaching experience includes working with children in tutoring and teaching capacities.

Middle School

Mrs. Jessica Dodds

Jessica Dodds teaches middle school math at Spring Branch Academy.  She has been married to her husband Dave for eleven years, and they are raising four energetic children.  They have homeschooled their children from the beginning and plan to enroll them in Spring Branch Academy as soon as they are old enough.  Prior to getting married, Jessica served as an Intervention Specialist (special education) in Ohio. She also taught a wide range of subjects at an international school in Peru, South America, where she served middle school and high school kids of missionaries, businessmen, embassy, military, and nationals.  Although she has taught many subjects and ages, she is most passionate about teaching math to middle school students and is excited about the opportunity to teach at Spring Branch Academy!  

  • Urbana University (Urbana, Ohio): BA, Middle Childhood Education (4-9): Mathematics and Language Arts/Reading
  • Academic teaching experience includes teaching full-time for one year as an Intervention Specialist at a public school in Ohio and teaching full-time for three years at the International Christian School of Lima (Peru, South America) where she taught: 6th grade math, Pre-Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2, U.S. History, Earth Science, 6th grade Language Arts/Reading and Drama.  She also has homeschooled her four children for the past six years.

Mrs. Lara Ryd

Lara Ryd teaches Middle School Writing & Reasoning, and lives in Jonesville with her husband and two boys. She graduated from Hillsdale College in 2018, where she studied English alongside her husband. She loves being in the kitchen, reading by sunny windows, growing flowers, swimming in Lake Michigan, and writing about culture and theology.

  • Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI): BA, English, & Minor, French
  • Academic teaching experience includes tutoring middle and high school students in writing at Center for Lit, as well as teaching 8th grade grammar, writing, and literature at Hillsdale Classical.

Mrs. Sumer Wells

Sumer Wells has been teaching in some capacity for the last 19 years.  She earned her BA in English with a minor in Biology and a teaching certificate from Hillsdale College and went on to teach a variety of English classes including AP English at Hillsdale High School for nine years.  During this time she also completed a Master of Education degree from Spring Arbor University.  Three kids later, she moved to a part time position at Hillsdale Academy teaching high school and middle school literature classes for seven years.  She’s also been teaching her now four children at home and in co-ops for the past six years.  Mrs. Wells brings to Spring Branch a love of words and story, teaching middle school grammar and elementary literature classes.  She is a wife of nearly 18 years to her husband Tim, and their family has attended Countryside Bible Church for almost 20 years and resides in Hillsdale.

  • Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI): BA, English, & Minor, Biology
  • Academic teaching experience includes nine years of teaching English at Hillsdale High School, seven years of literature at Hillsdale Academy, and six years of homeschooling and co-op teaching.

Elementary School

Mrs. Laura Manchester

Laura Manchester is the Elementary Coordinator at Spring Branch Academy. She has been married to her husband, Don, for 20 years and has four daughters. She started homeschooling when her third daughter was in kindergarten and is blessed to have homeschooled for six years now. She teaches the writing and grammar class for the 4th-6th grade, the nature class for the 1st-3rd grade, and tutors the 1st-2nd grade. She has a passion for educating her children in the fear of the Lord and praises God for what He is doing through the people at Spring Branch Academy.

  • Schoolcraft College (Livonia, MI): Associates, Liberal Arts
  • Academic teaching experience includes six years of homeschooling her own children and teaching piano since 2010.

Mrs. Tara Snyder

Tara Snyder teaches the Spring Branch Academy Elementary School Music and Performance class. She enjoys teaching the children basics in music theory as well as broadening their musical horizons by exposing them to various instruments, including piano, ukulele, voice, and bells. Tara graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts in 2019 and married her husband, Joseph, in 2023.

  • Maranatha Baptist University (Watertown, WI): BA, Communication Arts

Mrs. Lindy Stewart

Lindy Stewart is the 5th-6th grade tutor for Spring Branch Academy’s elementary school program. She has attended Countryside Bible Church for 15 years, where her husband, Rob, serves as Senior Pastor. Lindy and Rob live in Jonesville with their three sons—Titus, Will, and Eli—who attend Spring Branch Academy. Lindy is an experienced gardener and apiarist, and works in Marketing and Sales for her family’s grass fed beef business.

  • Adrian College (Adrian, MI): BA, Business
  • Academic teaching experience includes six years of homeschooling her own children.

Mrs. Jenny Vasaris

Jenny Vasaris is the 3rd-4th grade tutor for Spring Branch Academy’s elementary school program. She also teaches phonics and art snack. Jenny and her husband, Jason, have homeschooled their six children for the last 8 years.

  • Spring Arbor University (Spring Arbor, MI)