Instructors
Mrs. Kaitlyn Arnold
Born and raised in Texas, I met my husband, Jacob, during our freshman year of college at Texas A&M University, where I rode on the Eventing Team. After graduation, we got married, and I began organizing horse shows at our family’s equine facility, MeadowCreek Park. As Jacob worked toward his Ph.D. and taught as a lecturer in Oceanography in College Station, we grew our family. Little did we know, God was preparing us for a big adventure. In 2024, Jacob left academia and was commissioned as a NOAA Corps Officer. We then made the bittersweet decision to close our family’s equine facility. We traded our riding boots for rain boots and moved our family—Theodore, Eleanor, and Callahan —3,000 miles north to Ketchikan, Alaska. We are absolutely loving life in Alaska and embracing all the hiking, fishing, and outdoor adventures, even in the rain! We’ll be here until September 2027 and then head to Port Angeles, Washington, for our next adventure.
Mrs. Jennifer Beaty
I was raised in Texas in a pioneering homeschool family, then lived in Bolivia from age 22-33. I fulfilled a dream and had the time of my life starting and running orphanages for abandoned and orphaned babies, and getting to know and serve the street kid population! Eventually, after marrying Jake (from Washington) and adopting or birthing five kids in the first 2 1/2 of years of marriage, we moved to Tennessee to be near my family. After three years there, Jake got a great job in NW Washington near HIS family, so the family (now bigger) moved again. Jake began training for the ministry, and in January 2024, he was invited to pastor Clover Pass Community Church in Ketchikan. We moved in May 2024 and love it here!
We have homeschooled since January 2014, the month after adopting three boys from the homes in Bolivia. Those three boys are now in their early 20s. One is married and all have good jobs. Our four daughters are the current Beaty students, with a new baby boy in tow! I love baking new recipes, reading books, outdoor family adventures, and starting new things.
Miss Sophia Beaty
I was born in Bolivia as the first and oldest of four girls and five bio children in a family of eight kids. I have done ballet since I was four and still enjoy taking classes three days a week at our local studio. I begin pointe soon! I love children and dance, which is a part of the reason I teach a gymnastics class with neighbor kids one-two days a week. I love reading all books and can't wait to combine two of my favorite things, books and teaching kids! I aspire to write books and get a private pilots license to fly helicopters in Alaska when I am older. I also love all school and enjoy learning everything I can about anything that is.
Mr. Justin Benner
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a drive to take things apart, figure out how they tick, and rebuild them—usually with a few improvements along the way. That lifelong fascination with complex mechanics and electronics is what brought me to KPU Telecommunications, where I spend my days keeping our local connectivity running smoothly. Off the clock, that same curiosity goes straight into restoring classic pinball machines, bringing decades-old, electro-mechanical games back to life.
Mrs. Tracy Benner
I’m a lifelong resident of our soggy little island and proud mom of two daughters. For the past year and a half, I’ve been homeschooling, which has been a rewarding adventure filled with learning, creativity, and plenty of memorable moments. I love all things crafty and enjoy finding creative ways to make everyday life a little more special. I attended Eastern Washington University and have always valued learning, community, and staying connected to the place I call home.
Mrs. Tracy Enright
Hi, my name is Tracy Enright. I moved to Ketchikan in 1983 from a small town in Wyoming. In 1986, I married my husband Miles who was born and raised in Ketchikan. We own a small construction company. We have two adult children. We attend Clover Pass Community Church.
Mrs. Autumn Hasibar
Hello, my name is Autumn Hasibar. I am a third generation to be born in Ketchikan, and I am currently raising a fourth! My husband, Joe, and I just celebrated our eleventh year of marriage, we have two children, Josephine and Jackson. We love the outdoors and enjoy exploring in our boat. My daughter is going into first grade and will attend Houghtling. My son and I will be joining the co-op this school year. I have an Associate in Arts & Science from Shoreline Community College, and an Applied Associate from The Art Institute of Seattle. I have always enjoyed art in all types of forms. I am looking forward to creating a space for students to be creative, have fun, and become ART EXPLORERS!
Mrs. Amy Hout
I was born and raised in Colorado and moved to Ketchikan in 2008. My husband, who is retired from the Coast Guard, now works in rental maintenance. We have two children—our daughter just graduated from George Fox University with a degree in mechanical engineering, and our son just graduated from high school through IDEA and is working as a deckhand on the airport ferry. I’m excited to be part of The Learning Tree co-op again and look forward to helping out however I can.
Mrs. Marianne McLaws-Cotter
I was born in Concord, California, in the bay area outside of San Fransisco while my Dad was in medical school. We moved a bit from California, to Arizona then finally to Sheridan, Wyoming, which is where I spent most of my childhood/teen years. Wyoming was a wonderful place to grow up! In college I moved back to Arizona and spent nearly 20 years there. I ran my own Videography business, which I really loved! Married there and had my two daughters there. When I became pregnant with my son, I decided I didn't want to raise my kids in the city anymore, and we moved to Glacier Park area in Montana, where my son was born and we started homeschooling.
An Alaska cruise helped us discover Ketchikan and we’ve been here almost 8 years now! We’ve been homeschooling for 9 years. It is a natural thing for our family as I was raised homeschooled as well, while growing up in Wyoming. Although we do travel a bit, we always like to come back home to Ketchikan. I enjoy cooking, learning about geography, history and cultures, music, walks in deep forests, scrapbooking, videography, travel, worshipping God, and spending quality time with my family! :)
Mrs. Loren Mickel
I’ve been in Ketchikan since 1993, age 6, when my dad relocated our family for a civilian job at the coast guard base. I homeschooled off and on from 3rd grade through high school. Even though I should’ve met my husband, Caleb, a million times over while growing up here, it didn’t happen until God’s timing was right. We quickly got married in 2007 and started expanding our family in 2014. We have a lovely daughter and son and 2 dogs. We have been homeschooling for the last 2 years and find it very enjoyable. We are loving the co-op and spending time together, creating a wonderful community for our kids to flourish.
Miss Abby Oberg
I was born in Côte d’Ivoire and grew up in Burkina Faso and Senegal (West Africa) as a missionary kid. Growing up overseas gave me a love for travel, learning about different cultures, and getting to know people from all over the world. I graduated from Toccoa Falls College in 2025 with a degree in Global Engagement, along with minors in Bible & Theology and Elementary Education. I now serve as the Missions Coordinator at Clover Pass Community Church and am really enjoying getting to know Ketchikan and being part of this co-op! I actually attended a co-op overseas when I was elementary age, and some of those classmates are still some of my closest friends to this day, even though we now all live in different parts of the world. In my free time, I love reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family. I’m so excited to get to know the kids and families here!
Mrs. Keshia Pinault
Hi I am Leila and Naia’s Mom, my husband and I were both raised in Florida and relocated to Ketchikan in 2016, 2023, and arrived again this past summer. With my husband’s Coast Guard career we have had the opportunity to live in Ketchikan, Maui, Valdez, AK, and Florida. I served in the Coast Guard for over 5 years and later took a position with Ocean Rescue as a lifeguard in Florida. Since my oldest was born we have been part of homeschool groups and co-ops throughout the years. At a young age I began competitive swimming which continued through my early 20’s and later embarked on CrossFit where I obtained my Level 1 coaching certification. Fitness and the outdoors have been a big part of our life. I am excited to lead the PE class and help in The Learning Tree Co-op however I can.
Mrs. Cindy Speights
Born a California girl, I moved to Sacramento (center of state) where I met my husband of 42 years. We traveled across US via military moves for 10 1/2 yrs when my husband got out. We moved to Alaska in June 2000 working for a company called AC or Alaska Commercial company managing village stores across Alaska in remote villages which God used for provision and direction since He sent us to Alaska as our mission field. We came to Ketchikan in early 2008 and bought our first home. We home schooled both our children who have gone on to be successful God loving believers. Our daughter lives here in Ketchikan with 4 teenagers and our son and his family live in Colorado with 4 teenagers. I consider myself blessed beyond measure. We were a part of a large church with a huge homeschooling cell group organization which our then teenagers actively participated in and I co-taught a drama cell group. I am so excited for this amazing opportunity to participate in the Learning Tree Co-op.
Mrs. Darcel Williams-Ridinger
Hi! I am Emmet and Tobias Ridinger’s mom. I have been homeschooling my sons since the fall of 2020. I was raised in Metlakatla, Alaska but spent my junior year of high school in Washington State and then graduated from Ketchikan High School. I then spent 4 years at Middlebury College in Vermont and received a bachelors degree in Sociology and Anthropology. After college, I worked as a certified behavioral health aide, community engagement coordinator, and a high school assistant basketball coach in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. I moved back to Ketchikan in 2011 to work as the Tribal Liaison and Study Skills Coordinator for a collaborative effort between the Ketchikan Indian Community and KGBSD to raise the graduation rates of native students. At the same time, I also served as the girls high school assistant basketball coach. I then started focusing on a student counselor masters degree and was four credits shy of graduating when God showed me he had a different plan. I’ve been home with my sons for the past 10 years and while I’ve enjoyed all of my previous roles, my favorite of all has been guiding my sons' faith and education.