Founder • Head of School

In the Spring of 2004, Bob woke up in the middle of the night and penned the 40 Points of Grace and Grace Prep High School was born. His school model brings creativity, innovation and academic excellence together with the resources necessary to prepare godly students to be world-changers. And that’s exactly what Grace Prep does.

Bob, along with his wife, Dannah, founded Pure Freedom which has offered faith-based discipleship resources and events for over half a million American tweens, teens and parents around the world.

• Cedarville University, Political Science
• Founder of Born to Be Brave
•Published author, Who Moved the Goalpost?
•Inventor of the almost famous Two-Sided Buffet concept

Founder • Best-Selling Author and Speaker

Dannah and Bob are a powerful creative team. When Bob shared the 40 Points of Grace with her, Dannah knew it wasn’t just Bob’s idea. It was God’s idea. And she was all-in to make the God-sized task of Grace Prep become a reality.

Dannah’s heart has been for tweens, teens and parents for years, beginning with her best-selling book And the Bride Wore White. Since then, she’s published many more resources designed to disciple women of all ages and draw them deeper into the truth of God’s Word. You can hear Dannah weekly on Revive Our Hearts.

• Cedarville University, Organizational Communication
• Best-selling author and speaker
• Lover of llamas, peacocks, donkeys and all of God’s creation

Associate Head of School • bethshearer@graceprep.com

Beth’s love for her own family directly translates into how she interacts with the students and staff at Grace Prep. As a parent of three Grace Prep alumni, she is thrilled to be a part of an educational program that supports the uniqueness of each student while preparing them for life all in the framework of an intelligent faith.

• Loyola Marymount University, BS in Psychology and Minor in Alcohol and Drug Studies California State University, Fullerton, MS in Clinical Psychology
• Foster care work in the social welfare system
• Research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in the SAFE passage trial
• Beth’s favorite work buddy is Hunter, her labradoodle, who is also the unofficial school greeter!

Principal • amyharris@graceprep.com

It seems as though Amy was born to work with teenagers and walk through life with them. With four kids of their own, she and her husband embrace the life and energy high schoolers bring. Amy worked with teens in youth ministry for over ten years at her previous church in Ohio. Amy’s gentle strength is complimented by her radiating personality. In her free time, Amy enjoys napping, reading, shopping, and spending time with her family and friends.

Her life verse is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

• Cedarville University, B.A. in Education and a Minor in Bible
• Over a decade of teaching experience
• She’s a Buckeye fan, but we’re praying for her. ;-)

Office Manager • joanna@graceprep.com

When you walk through the doors of Grace Prep, Joanna’s shining eyes and warm smile will greet you. She keeps the administrative wheels turning around here and creates beautiful connections with students along the way. It’s not unusual to see a student leaning on Joanna’s desk talking about life. Outside activities such as hiking, kayaking, and playing sports with her family are her favorite things to do. Joanna is proud to have her motorcycle license and hopes to have a Harley Davidson someday!

•Grace Prep Parent two times over
•Born in Laramie, Wyoming but raised in State College
•Joanna’s husband, Kurt, is also on staff with Grace Prep as the Athletic Director.
•She loves a good chai latte so feel free to stop by the coffee shop on your way to the school.

Spiritual Life Director • jarrod@graceprep.com

Grab a dictionary and look up the word “adventure.” (We’ll wait.) Do you see the words “Jarrod Sechler” there? No? Well, that’s surprising because this guy does not shy away from exciting challenges! Let’s start with that time he ate a juicy grilled beetle grub in Ecuador. Then there’s that time he hiked around the rim of a live Nicaraguan volcano in the dark. And of course, he rode his bicycle all the way across the U.S. But when Jarrod’s not bungee jumping out of hot air balloons, he really loves watching sports, going hunting and fishing, and doing outside fun stuff with his family. Jarrod has a passion for challenging our students to walk in servant leadership.

•Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from Penn State
•Parent of two Grace Prep alumni
•He will drive LONG distances for good buffalo wings.

Math • robbygresh@graceprep.com

Do you know what’s better than a great math teacher? A math teacher the students really like. And our students really, really like Robby. On one hand, Robby likes performing research on thin film coatings formed using electron beam physical vapor deposition for corrosion protection...and on the other hand, he is great at being a total goofball with the students. He loves teaching Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Geometry, and Business Math at Grace Prep but Robby’s happy place is with his wife (also a Grace Prep alum) and twin daughters!

• Schreyer Honors College of Penn State, B.S. in Engineering Science
• Penn State, M.S. in Engineering Science
• He once hatched a nest of Praying Mantises...in his house...not on purpose. It all started with what looked like a pine cone in their Christmas tree…

Spanish • ainhoamasviroca@graceprep.com

Born and raised in Spain, Ainhoa got her first taste of living abroad while participating in a two-week exchange program in England. She later spent an academic year in the United States, where she decided to stay after meeting her future husband. Ainhoa has worked as a translator/editor and as a Spanish and English middle school and high school teacher. She loves sharing her love for language and foreign culture with her students and hopes it will help them build meaningful relationships with others and expand their sphere of influence for Jesus Christ.

• Liberty University, BA in Spanish
• She has been fascinated by language, especially grammar, from a young age.
• Want to know the three American things that Ainhoa has never adapted to? Here they are: porta-potties, root beer, and peanut butter!

History • donjones@graceprep.com

Not only does Don keep us on our toes with historical events, he could beat any of us in pop culture and music trivia. He has studied theology, child and adolescent psychology, education, literature, and cultural and social anthropology. Another strength Don brings to the Grace Prep table is his international perspective, born out of his family’s experience living in Berlin, Germany as missionaries with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Don is fascinated by the former eastern block countries, postmodern and post-Christian thought in Europe and North America and how faith integrates into our everyday lives. He also loves running obstacle/mud races!

• Nyack College BA in Youth Ministries
• Alliance Theological Seminary, MA in Cultural Anthropology
• Served as Youth Pastor at State College Alliance
• He has a dog that actually smiles. (We’re not kidding.)

Science • christie@graceprep.com

Imagine a teacher who really loves Science and also acknowledges God as the Creator of the Universe. That’s exactly what Christie brings to the table here at Grace Prep. She has the ability to make complex scientific information academically accessible for the students. And all along the way, she is pointing students towards the One who miraculously created it all. Outside of school, Christie enjoys bird watching, astronomy, geocaching, and escape rooms.

• Penn State, Materials Engineering and Chemistry
• University of Texas, Masters Degree in Organic Chemistry and Instructional Technology
• She’s taught a variety of secondary science classes for nearly 20 years at schools, homeschool co-ops and online.
• Christie once wore the same dress every day for months in a row. (You should ask her why!)

English • jamirbarnes@graceprep.com

And the World’s Best Smile Award goes to…our newest English teacher! Jamir is a devoted worshiper and educator who passionately engages young people on their journey of self-discovery and faith using biblical principles. He finds joy in all aspects of English content and is dedicated to fostering literacy to understand reality, faith, and social-emotional development dynamics. His favorite verse, 1 Timothy 4:12, guides his approach: "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity."

•Penn State, B.S. in Secondary English Education and Teaching with a minor in Social Justice in Education.
•For two years, he gained valuable experience teaching English at a public school in Charlotte, North Carolina.
•He has served as a Youth Leader at Elevation Church.
•Fun fact: Jamir's birthday falls on a holiday. Can you guess which one?

Geometry & Bible • aaronkrempa@graceprep.com

Aaron was a college professor of Philosophy for 16 years until 2021, when he quit to stay home full-time with his two small children. He loves teaching and is excited to bring this passion into a learning environment that shares his faith and deep commitment to living the cruciform life in the community. Philosophy begins in wonder, and Aaron has never ceased being amazed at the miracles of creation that abound around us. He loves reading, traveling to strange places, dwelling in nature, contemplating beauty, and enjoying the company of his friends and family.

•Penn State, Ph.D. in Philosophy
•Stony Brook, M.A. in Philosophy & Art
•St. John’s College, M.A. in Liberal Arts
•Vassar College, B.A. in Philosophy; Ancient Greek
•Aaron’s looking for a reading buddy! If you’re interested in reading the New Testament in the original Greek language, let him know!

Business & Entrepenuership and Alumni Relations • tylerspalsbury@graceprep.com

Tyler is a true State College, PA native. We love how he likes to get things done, as he’s often found building something or tearing something down around the school, always making things better. For over a decade, Tyler has pursued another passion by annually going to Southern Mexico to build schools and churches. In addition to his involvement in the 242 Youth Ministry, Tyler’s into reading, traveling, home gunsmithing and outdoor activities.

• Penn State, B.S. in Secondary Education and a Minor in History
• Helps with his family’s business Two GuyZ LLC
• He was a goodwill ambassador for the US State Department to Australia!

Bible • curtishershberger@graceprep.com

Curtis is a family man and a business owner, and his contributions to Grace Prep are rich because of both those roles. His casual demeanor is a great balance for when he’s teaching some of the complexities of the Bible to our students. The 242 Youth Ministry loves having Curtis around as a leader, too. (P.S. Curtis’s business is Blue Diamond Carpet Cleaners.)

• Joshua School of Ministry graduate
• Liberty University, Biblical and Theological Education
• Curtis roasts his own coffee beans. #coffeeguy

Athletic Director • kmh15kmh15@gmail.com

Kurt is a sports fan - through and through! And he’s great at organizing all the schedules for our soccer, basketball and track programs. We’re not sure where we’d be without him! Kurt truly loves the school environment because he also works for the SCASD as a health and physical education teacher at Mount Nittany Middle School. His favorite thing about working at Grace Prep is the opportunity to serve the students and families. In his free time Kurt enjoys playing a wide variety of sports, and engaging in outdoor activities such as fishing and kayaking.

• Kurt was in a rock band with his friends in high school. The band was called The Banana Heads.