Hello! My name is Kat Wada. I am first and foremost a redeemed sinner saved by grace for God's glory. My husband Marcus and I have been married for 15 years and we have 6 wild but sweet children. Our lives are full but we wouldn't want it any other way. We are so thankful for the ups and downs that have shaped our walk with the Lord. We started homeschooling when I was a new believer in California and when my oldest was 5 years old. We were so blessed by wise friends and a community of other homeschoolers, The Lord knew we needed to be poured into in that season and I am forever grateful for those friends. We moved to Arizona in 2020 without the safety net of our mentors. The Lord grew us immensely as a family. In 2022, my 5th son, Zion, was diagnosed with Autism and we knew we had to make a change in our lives and especially our homeschool day. I searched for a way to accommodate his special needs into our current co-op and home but it wasn't working. I didn't want to separate our children during their days since we have such a short precious season with them. I wanted to be able to keep them together as much as I could. Lori Castillo, my wonderful co-director and I decided to try out our ideas with a soft open in Spring 2023. It was such a blessing to have all of our kids together learning in one place. From there the Lord provided Anna Cabrera a believer who has the same heart for our children with special needs. She has a Masters in Special Education and many years of experience from the public school sector to her own business providing therapy. We pray more than anything that our Branches Special Need class will be able to provide an enriching, appropriate, and loving environment that is enabled by our own love for the Lord, who loves and cares for his people. Solas Academy also wants to provide families with a strong pre-k-12th grade school. We want our families to be challenged and edified, our moms to grow and be encouraged when days are long. We have a special mom's time portion where we can be equipped so in turn will be able to pour into our children. We continually pray for our current students and future families to come to know the Lord. Leadership continually depends on God to give us wisdom as we make decisions for this Solas Academy. We are not here to take your place as an educator but rather help parents to be more present and excited to homeschool their own families with one day of instruction, electives, and a schedule to follow at home. We have schedules to follow along from home for new families or for families that need a little extra help in different seasons. We pray for a year filled with learning and fun! Check out our calendar and email us to visit or for any questions you may have.

Hello, my name is Lori Castillo, and I get the privilege of serving as the Solas Academy Co-Director. My hardworking husband Joe Castillo and I have four wonderful children: Ricky, Rey, Olivia and Ezra. As parents, we are committed to an education that is built on God's inherent word and a biblical worldview. We began our homeschooling journey in 2020 as many did, and the Lord opened doors that ultimately led to the beginning of Solas. It is vital for us as directors to provide an environment that is Christ honoring, Christ centered, and gospel focused. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve your families and support you throughout your time here at Solas Academy.

Hi, I’m Anna — a follower of Christ, a wife, a mom to three soon to be four beautiful children and an Exceptional Student Specialist. I’ve served in the field of Special Education for ten years, and for the first five of those, I worked in the public school system. While I gained valuable experience, my husband and I felt called to something more — a path that would allow us to keep Christ at the center of our childrens’ education and create a truly personalized learning experience for our family. That calling led us to homeschool, and ultimately to Solas Academy — a Biblically grounded co-op where families grow together in both faith and knowledge. Out of that vision, and in partnership with Kat Wada and Lori Castillo, the Branches & Trellis program was born.