Our Team
Brandon Hartman
Headmaster
Brandon and his family moved to the Tyrone community in January of 2018. Prior to taking the role of Headmaster at Tyrone Christian Academy, Brandon worked in a leadership position for Verizon. Brandon and his wife, Megan have 3 children; Branson, Bastian, and Arwen. As a family they enjoy spending time camping, hiking, playing sports and gathering with extended family.
When not spending time with family, Brandon follows his passion of being a lifelong student. He holds the belief that learning is never complete and there is always new knowledge to be gained, concepts to learn, and skills to be studied.
Contact Mr. Hartman: bhartman@tyronechristianacademy.org
Addison Ray
Kindergarten
Addison graduated from Lancaster Bible College in 2023 with a Bachelors of Science, with majors in Biblical Studies and Early Childhood Education. Before joining us, Addison taught First Grade at Covenant Christian Academy where she had attended as a student from kindergarten through graduation. Addison is originally from Harrisburg, PA and moved to Tyrone in 2024 after marrying her husband, Cooper.
Addison enjoys gardening, baking, sewing, playing volleyball and basketball, traveling, being outdoors, and raising animals. Addison is a 4-H volunteer in Dauphin County and a volunteer for her home fair, the Elizabethtown Fair. Being involved in 4-H and fairs helped shape who she is today and develop her love for working with youth and teaching them new skills and concepts. Addison is excited to see what God has in store for the future of Tyrone Christian Academy as well as this new chapter in her life.
Contact Mrs. Ray: aray@tyronechristianacademy.org
Kim Theys
1st/ 2nd Grade
Kim attended Wor-Wic Community College, Penn State Altoona and St. Francis University, where she earned her Bachelor in Science, with a minor in Math and Entrepreneurship. She holds an Elementary Certification in Pre-K to 4th grade, and has worked in several school districts throughout Blair County. Teaching church camp in the summer has also been an incredibly rewarding experience for her while attending Curryville Church of the Brethren.
Kim spent her childhood in the Roaring Spring and Martinsburg area before living in Ohio, Maryland and Florida throughout her adolescent years. She now calls Hollidaysburg home, where she lives with her three children; Josiah, Daniel and Adele. Her favorite time of year is the summer, she loves spending time with her children playing games, swimming at the beach, seeking thrills at amusement parks and going to family events.
Contact Ms. Theys: ktheys@tyronechristianacademy.org
Danielle Welder
Paraprofessional, 1st/2nd Grade
Danielle previously worked in various positions with the Commonwealth of PA. In 2022, she retired after 20 years to homeschool her son, Caiden. Danielle, Caiden, and her daughter Maylee live in Houtzdale. In her free time she enjoys camping, playing board games, and mountain biking. She attends Community Worship Center, where she volunteers in the children’s ministry and with the media team.
Both of her children attend Tyrone Christian, and she knows God answered prayers as He led them here with a purpose and she is excited to be a part of what God is doing here!
Contact Ms. Welder: dwelder@tyronechristianacademy.org
Paula Rachael
3rd/4th Grade
Paula earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from Penn State. She also holds a master’s in special education, and differentiation. In addition to her educational background, we thank her for her time serving as an automated logistics staff sergeant in the Army Reserves.
Paula lives in Tipton with her husband Jeff. She has 3 children; Bailey, Jordan, & Shane. In her free time, she enjoys camping, going to the beach, and spending quality time with her family, friends, and pets- which include 2 horses, 2 dogs, a cat, and a turtle!
A member of Hillside Church in Bellwood, Paula gave her life to the Lord as a teenager and has never been shy about crediting God for pulling her through every tough situation she has ever faced. From the very first moment she heard about Tyrone Christian, knew she would teach here. She is excited about what God is doing through the school and the Warriors we are raising!
Contact Mrs. Rachael: prachael@tyronechristianacademy.org
Brittany Evans
5th/ 6th Grade
Brittany earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Lock Haven University, along with a Mid-Level English certification. Since 2010, she has worked with children and families, both as a teacher and as a health and nutrition specialist at Child Advocates of Blair County.
Brittany lives in Bellwood with her husband Josh, and her two boys Jacob and Wyatt. Her free time is spent reading and spending quality time with family and friends. She’s excited for the new adventure God has for her here at Tyrone Christian, and is very much looking forward to enriching the lives of her students in new ways by being able to focus on Jesus in the classroom and throughout our day!
Contact Mrs. Evans: bevans@tyronechristianacademy.org
Stephanie McChessney
Middle School Math and Science, High School Science
Stephanie earned her Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix following her time at Penn State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science. Both of her parents preceded her in the teaching profession; she firmly believes it is her life’s calling and credits God with knowing how much she would love teaching even before she did! Stephanie taught as a Math and Science teacher at Saint Patrick Catholic School in Newry, a position she held for five years before joining us in 2022.
She enjoys playing games and spending quality time with her husband Ryan. She has two children, son Avery and daughter Kassidy. She and Kassidy sing together at their church in her hometown of Williamsburg. Confident that God called her specifically to Tyrone Christian, teaching our middle and high school students what it looks like to follow Jesus and lead a life established by Biblical principles brings her great excitement! Her favorite verses are Numbers 6:24 – 26, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Contact Mrs. McChessney: smcchessney@tyronechristianacademy.org
Becky Sellers
Middle and High School Math and Science
Becky spent 12 years in Public Education teaching Middle and High School Agricultural Education, Middle School STEM/STEAM, 6th Grade Science and 8th Grade Science. She also spent 4 years working for Penn State Extension as a 4-H Educator.
Growing up near Three Springs, PA, Becky moved to Tyrone in 2008 when she married her husband Jon. They have 2 sons, Landon and Wyatt. In her spare time, she enjoys serving in the Community Kids! children’s ministry at her church, Community Worship Center. She is also very active in volunteering in the 4-H program. She also enjoys the outdoors and various forms of writing.
Becky realized her love for educating youth when she was in high school through her leadership roles in 4-H, FFA and Dairy Promotion. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Penn State University in Agricultural and Extension Education. While she says her career has looked nothing like she pictured as a sophomore in high school, she believes that unique path is exactly what was needed to prepare her for the role God is calling her to play in raising up TCA Warriors!
Contact Mrs. Sellers: rsellers@tyronechristianacademy.org
Grayson Putt
Middle and High School English and Social Studies
Grayson earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Music with a minor in Psychology from Queens University of Charlotte. After completing his degree, he lived in North Carolina and held the position of Assistant Technical Director at his alma mater while also working as a tutor and private lessons teacher.
In his time away from work, Grayson enjoys activities such as hiking, woodworking, and spending time with family. His favorite verses are Isaiah 41:17-20, and he looks forward to the opportunity to support the next generation teaching at Tyrone Christian!
Contact Mr. Putt: gputt@tyronechristianacademy.org
Zack Rackovan
Bible, Middle & High School Art
After graduating with honors from Auburn University with a degree in Industrial Design, Zack enjoyed success in a number of corporate design positions, with many of his original designs gracing the shelves of big box retailers and national distributors. After living in the southeast for 7 years, he returned home to central Pennsylvania to be closer to family…and mountains.
Zack and his wife Kendra have called Tyrone home since 2012, and are firmly rooted in the Tyrone community and their local church, Community Worship Center, where they serve in various ministries. When he’s not designing, drawing, or teaching, and sometimes even when he is, you can find him hiking, camping, or enjoying time outside with his wife and four kids. With an eclectic array of experiences, Zack’s desire is for the Lord to use him in whatever ways necessary to impact and influence the next generation of Kingdom Warriors!
Contact Mr. Rackovan: zrackovan@tyronechristianacademy.org
Karen DelBaggio
Music
Karen holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Pennsylvania State University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Reading from Shippensburg University. She brings over 34 years of public school teaching experience, along with over 30 years of experience teaching in Christian ministry.
Karen and her husband, Patsy, will celebrate 43 years of marriage this year. Known to many as Goo-Goo, Karen finds most enjoyment spending time with her family, especially with her seven grandchildren. She loves to play the piano as part of her church’s worship team and is looking forward to being able to pass on her love of Jesus and music to the next generation.
Contact Mrs. DelBaggio: kdelbaggio@tyronechristianacademy.org
Megan Hartman
Physical Education, Elementary Art
Megan has a B.S. in Kinesiology from Penn State University. Prior to joining the team at Tyrone Christian, she spent 12 years teaching physical education at Tyrone Area School District. During her tenure at TASD, Megan fell in love with the people and community of Tyrone. In 2018 she and her husband made the move to Tyrone to raise their family.
When not working, she spends most of her time wrangling her 3 very active kids. She also volunteers at her church and teaches fitness classes. She is excited for this new adventure, and is looking forward to seeing God move and change lives through Tyrone Christian Academy.
Contact Mrs. Hartman: mhartman@tyronechristianacademy.org
Jareida Hall
Spanish
Born in Puerto Rico, Jareida Hall is fluent in Spanish and English. Jareida taught as a Spanish 1-4, Bible and First Year Seminar teacher at Grace Prep High School, a position she held for 4 years prior to joining us. She loves sharing her language and culture with her students and her passion to help the next generation reach their God-given potential and live out their purpose is evident. Jareida also earned a Children’s Ministry associates degree from the University of Valley Forge in 2015. In addition to her time teaching at Grace Prep, she has also served as a full-time NextGen pastor, and answered the call to missions work in El Salvador, Honduras, India, and Madagascar.
Jareida and her husband have been fostering and adoptive parents for 5 years through the local CYS program. She enjoys quality time with her family and friends, playing games, exploring new places, and of course shopping! Her and her husband, Dayvonne, are members of Community Worship Center where they serve in CommunityKids! and on the prayer team. Her life verse is Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” She recognizes that God never fails, and His ways are always better.
Contact Mrs. Hall: jhall@tyronechristianacademy.org
Robin Lauder
Academic Monitor
Robin earned her Associate’s degree in Business Administration-Marketing and Management after graduating from South Hills School of Business & Technology in 2004. She worked as an Assistant Front Office Manager at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center before she felt the call to stay home and raise her four children.
Robin lives in Tyrone with her husband, Jason, and their children: Parker, Asher, Cadence and Theo. She volunteers in the children’s ministry at Community Worship Center and in her free time, Robin enjoys reading, attending her children’s sporting events and spending quality time with her family.
After 11 years as the Chief Operating Officer of her household, Robin is excited to return to the workforce and knows that Tyrone Christian Academy is where God has called her to be. She loves working in an environment where she can openly share her love for Jesus and feels blessed to have the opportunity to invest in the growth of the next generation.
Contact Mrs. Lauder: rlauder@tyronechristianacademy.org
Sierra Jones
Administrative Coordinator
Sierra holds her Child Development Associate for PreK – Preschool from The Council for Professional Development. She has 8 years experience teaching in the classroom and has done a lot of volunteer work with older age groups as well. In addition, Sierra holds her Associates degree in Administration from York Technical Institute and has previously worked as a payroll specialist and accounts payable specialist.
Sierra lives in Tyrone with her husband, Michael, and their two children: Porter and Eli. She is an active volunteer at Community Worship Center and in her free time Sierra enjoys spending time with her family, reading, baking, coaching and watching her children do the things they love.
Contact Mrs. Jones: office@tyronechristianacademy.org