Upper School Faculty
Chiharu Dewhurst
Chiharu Dewhurst received her B.S. in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University. After graduation, she lived in Florence, Italy, teaching English as Foreign Language at the University of Florence and helped students grow in their Catholic faith. She returned to the states and taught ESL Physics for several years at high schools in Houston, Texas. She has also taught at a classical school in Denver, Colorado, teaching Latin for 7th – 11th grade, Biology and Chemistry. She is an avid dressage rider, enjoys alpine and cross-country skiing, golf, traveling, fishing, and camping with her husband, Andrew, along with their daughter, Vera.
Monica Kinney
Monica Kinney received a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California. She then moved to Anchorage, where she has lived since, working as a teacher, homeschooling mother, and private tutor. Mrs. Kinney has experience teaching a wide variety of subjects including Latin, history, and mathematics. When not working with her amazing students, she enjoys reading with her five children, spending time outdoors, spoiling her chickens, and singing in a sacred music schola. She is delighted to join the faculty of Holy Rosary Academy, and to have her family part of this community united in the pursuit of truth and goodness.
Bennett Kraemer
Bennett Kraemer received his B.A. in Education and Social Studies from Benedictine College. From there he moved to Nightmute, Alaska to teach in one of the remote native villages. He is excited to be at Holy Rosary where he can teach and watch students grow, not just intellectually, but also in their relationship with Christ. When he’s not teaching, Mr. Kraemer enjoys hunting, fishing, and taking in everything Alaska has to offer.
Kevin Quain
Mr. Kevin Quain grew up in southeastern Michigan and attended Saint Joseph’s Academy where his love of Latin led him to pursue a B. A. in Classical Civilization at Wayne State University in Detroit. While there, he also studied Italian and completed a month-long study abroad program in Italy. Mr. Quain earned his Masters of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Upon returning home, Mr. Quain taught 7th grade at Bishop Kelley Catholic School in Michigan, and helped implement a classical curriculum there. He is thrilled to work with the community of Holy Rosary Academy again this upcoming school year.
Laura Walters, Ph.D.
Laura Walters got her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and her MLitt and PhD in History of Art from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she also taught. This is her 10th year teaching at Holy Rosary Academy, and she also teaches homeschool groups and will begin teaching at the University of Alaska Anchorage this year. When not teaching, she enjoys making art, giving art history talks in the community, hiking, playing the piano, and spending time at home.
Katrina Zimmerman
Katrina Zimmerman received her B.A. in Classics and Latin from The University of Oklahoma and her Master's in Teaching from the University of Alaska. She began teaching high school Latin in Louisiana and then followed her husband's aviation job to Alaska and began teaching Latin at Dimond High School shortly thereafter. She decided to take a break from public school teaching to homeschool her children and became active in the Anchorage homeschooling community, teaching Latin at local homeschool co-ops and working as a sponsor teacher for a homeschooling charter school. She is excited and honored to join the amazing team of educators and families at Holy Rosary Academy and teach in a classroom again! In her free time, she loves to spend time with her husband and her seven children, especially learning, travelling, and volunteering in the community. She also loves reading nonfiction and conversations with friends over a cup of coffee.
Christina Ford
Mrs. Ford is an accomplished singer and a regular chorister for Holy Family Old Cathedral. She is excited to be singing with the upper school students here at HRA.