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).

Mrs. Lily Hubinger

Lily Hubinger 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. 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. Clay Ward

Clay teaches Theology I, Theology, II, and Humanities III at Spring Branch Academy. He is married to Ashley, his dear companion in bringing up their two boys. While not at school, you can usually find Clay romping outside with his boys, engaging in his small group, learning a new fun fact, or overall enjoying God’s works of creation and redemption.

  • Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI): BA, Religion
  • Completion of the Log College program at Countryside Bible Church
  • Currently studying online at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
  • Academic teaching experience includes working with children in tutoring and teaching capacities in addition to a year at SBA.

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.

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)