Meet the Apt Team!

At Apt, the talented team of educators serves each student and creates a dynamic classroom environment.

Administrator

Karen Jacobsen was born and raised in Sandy Utah. She has an older brother and a twin sister. In Highschool and college Karen was active in her church and was a camp and youth counselor for several years. Additionally, she went to Russia on two occasions to help run a two-week sport and bible camp for orphans in Yoshkar-Ola

Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Utah State University where she graduated in 2004. Shortly after graduating she moved to Oregon where she started her career in banking. When she left the banking industry in 2023, she was a compliance officer for a local credit union. She is now happily the Administrator for Apt Academy and is excited to help in the growth and development of the students.

Karen enjoys spending time with her children, who are students of the academy, her husband and their French Bulldog.

Pre-K & Kindergarten

Mrs. Klady Burke joins Apt Academy with over seven years experience in education, including a focus on specialized education. She is passionate about creating an inclusive and nurturing environment for all students. She believes every child has the ability to succeed and reach their full potential. Over the years she has learned how to meet each student where they are, and use their unique strengths to help them succeed. Her approach is centered on setting high expectations and providing the support and encouragement needed to help each child thrive academically and personally.

Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and going on adventures with her husband and their Golden Retriever.

1st & 2nd Grade

Rachel was born and raised in Oregon on a small farm just outside of Canby. From a young age, she discovered her passion for working with children, a calling that has guided both her education and career. She has extensive training and hands-on experience supporting children with special needs, having worked in the public school special education setting as well as at an autism therapy center.

Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from California Lutheran University and went on to complete her master’s degree in Teaching at Concordia University. With a strong educational background and a heart for children, she is dedicated to creating a positive, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive.

3rd-5th Grade

Mr. Brandon Jackson comes to Apt Academy with over a decade of experience in the educational field.

As an educator it is his responsibility to protect and educate every student that enters his classroom. He must do the best of his ability to exhaust every resource he possess to ensure his students succeed.

In addition to teaching at Apt Academy, he is the owner/ operator of Oregon Texas Line Fitness (OTL). With teaching classes at both the Academy and the gym he is able to reinforce that repetition is the key to learning and that it is about progress, not perfection.

6th-8th Grade

My name is Tristan Holechek, and I teach the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades for Apt Academy.  I grew up in Molalla, Oregon, graduating from Molalla High School in 1993.  Following high school, I attended Oregon State University where I majored in agricultural business management.  After obtaining my Bachelor of Science, I did not feel like the corporate world was for me.  Therefore, I went back to Oregon State University and completed a master’s degree in education.  

My first teaching position was teaching agricultural science in Elgin, Oregon.  Elgin High School was a great place to work, but I wanted to experience life in the military.  This was before September 11th, 2001, so most of the branches of the military were only training.  I wanted to be doing something.  Therefore, after I completed my first year as a teacher, I resigned and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard.  

Once I fulfilled my four-year commitment to the Coast Guard, I decided I wanted to go back to teaching.  Since that time, I have taught in Monument, Oregon; Clatskanie, Oregon; and Boardman, Oregon.  

In 2019, I needed a break from public education.  Upon learning of an opportunity to work for Canby Public Works, I applied and was hired.  I spent two years working on a geographic database for the City of Canby.  This was a wonderful position, but in 2021 I was yearning to return to the classroom.  This is when I found Apt Academy.  

Apt Academy has been a wonderful opportunity, and I wholeheartedly believe in our mission of providing a Christian based education to our students.