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. The Lord provided another mom who has a child with special needs, Rae Chicas, and she organized sensory boxes and music therapy for the soft open. We wanted to have a special needs class that weren't just tolerated, but served, and encouraged to grow and succeed. Lori Castillo, my wonderful co-director and I decided to try out our ideas with the other half of the school Pre-K- 7th grade. It was such a blessing to have all of our kids together learning in one place. From there the Lord provided Anna Cabrera an amazing believer who has a same heart for our children with special needs. She has had 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 everyone!My name is Lori Castillo, Co-Director for the Solas Academy and most importantly; a blood bought saint through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ by the grace of God. Together my husband Joe Castillo and I have four wonderfully made children by the names of Ricky, Rey, Olivia aka Boli, and Ezra. We are a homeschooling, chicken raising, family who enjoys growing in the word of God, using our time to learn alongside our friends and make memories with our family. We are members at Mission Bible Church East Valley, where the word is preached verse by verse.I am one of two directors that oversees the organization, logistics, classes, and curriculum here at Solas Academy.​ I can be reached at solasacademy24@gmail.com, ATTN: Lori Castillo, with any questions or concerns.Our vision for Solas Academy is to create a one stop shop for families who look to grow in their knowledge of Christ, take enrichment courses and create an environment where families with special needs children will grow alongside their peers. We are blessed to see Solas Academy expand to cater the needs of all children, and we are even more blessed to be the ones to serve your family.

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.