Our Board of Directors
Chad Haygood
Garrett Watkins
Garrett Watkins
Chad has served as the Senior Pastor of Grace Life Church since 2009. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Alabama and a master’s degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. With four school-aged children, he and his wife Meredith have a passion to see children discipled from a Christian worldview through Christian and classical education.
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Garrett Watkins
Garrett Watkins
Garrett Watkins
Garrett has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Boyce College and a Master’s Degree in Preaching and Pastoral Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He taught high school Bible and Comparative Philosophy at a Christian school in Woodstock, GA for five years before moving to Hastings, NE. Garrett ha
Garrett has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Boyce College and a Master’s Degree in Preaching and Pastoral Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He taught high school Bible and Comparative Philosophy at a Christian school in Woodstock, GA for five years before moving to Hastings, NE. Garrett has been married to Anna for 10 years and has two children. Garrett is an elder at Grace Life Church. He is passionate about seeing children equipped with a Christian education that shapes their worldview and prepares them for a life lived in the presence of God.
Chad Anderson
Garrett Watkins
Chad Anderson
Chad has served as Senior Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Kearney, Nebraska since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree from Doane University and a master’s degree from Covenant Theological Seminary. Chad has also enjoyed teaching science part-time and coaching running sports at Zion Lutheran School in Kearney, where his wife Deborah
Chad has served as Senior Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Kearney, Nebraska since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree from Doane University and a master’s degree from Covenant Theological Seminary. Chad has also enjoyed teaching science part-time and coaching running sports at Zion Lutheran School in Kearney, where his wife Deborah (a native of Hastings and Adams Central grad) has worked with pre-school children for the past three years.
Our Faculty
Holly Leth - Teacher
Holly Leth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Early Childhood Education from Hastings College. She has taught in the classroom for 15 years and teaches children's church, Sunday School and VBS at Berean Bible Church. Most recently Holly has taken on the role as Children's Ministry Coordinator at church. She loves to instill a love of learning in her students because when children love to learn, they want to learn more. Holly and her husband Josh have been married 18 years and live just north of Hastings with their five children who range in age from 5 to 17. She enjoys baking, reading, learning, and family time.
Alycia Hughes - Teacher
Alycia Hughes holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy from the University of Iowa. She also holds a Master of Education degree in Special Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Alycia completed the Primarily Math program in the second cohort through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and holds a math specialist certificate from the university. As a special educator for the past 15 years, it has been her distinct pleasure to work with students of differing ability levels and to see student abilities rather than disabilities. Her passion for mathematics has driven her to help children see that math is not something to be feared but rather an essential tool for daily living that can be a tremendous amount of fun. She teaches children's church and helps with AWANA at Hastings Evangelical Free Church as well. Alycia and her husband, David, have been married for almost 13 years and have two children. In her free time, Alycia enjoys running, reading, Husker athletics, and adventuring with her family.
Meredith Haygood - Teacher
A native of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Meredith moved with her husband to Hastings in the fall of 2009. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Alabama. Meredith’s involvement in education began over 10 years ago when her oldest child started Kindergarten and she started homeschooling. She loves to see children grow in curiosity and wonder while puzzling toward truth. She is excited to foster this growth in the classroom by sharing her love for God’s truth as revealed in his Word and the world that he has made. Mrs. Haygood is looking forward to serving the students and families at Hastings Christian School.
Stephanie Shade - Teacher
Stephanie Shade is a central Nebraska native who holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from UNL and a Master of Arts in Education degree from UNK. Mrs. Shade believes music is a powerful and effective tool for aiding in the development of children, and has sought to learn the best ways in which to do that. She holds Level I and II certification in Orff-Schulwerk methodology, is certified with Education Through Music, and has attended many workshops on various approaches to music education. She taught in public schools for 9 years before resigning to become a stay-at-home mom in order to homeschool her children with both classical and Charlotte Mason approaches. She and her husband Chris have 8 children, 5 of whom are adopted children with special needs, and 3 of whom are biological. God has impressed on Mrs. Shade’s heart that each child is made in His image, and she finds great joy in sharing His gift of music with young people of all ages, personalities, and learning styles.
