Upper School Faculty
Bennett Kraemer
Dean of Formation
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.
Chiharu Dewhurst
Dean of Student Life
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. Mrs. Dewhurst is excited to return to Holy Rosary Academy as Dean of Student Life. She is looking forward to further enriching our campus life by working closely with students, staff, and parents to create opportunities for friendship, service, and community engagement.
Laura Walters, Ph.D.
Dr. Laura Walters has been sharing her love of art and science with HRA students for over 12 years. She is a well-respected and valued member of the Anchorage community, where she offers educational lectures on history and art at schools and local organizations.
Dr. Walters received 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. While in Scotland, she taught at the University of St. Andrews and worked at what is now Art UK – an art education charity that houses digital copies of over 300,000 public artworks. She also holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Art Appreciation at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. When not teaching, she enjoys making art, hiking, playing the piano, and spending time at home.
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.
Kevin Quain
Mr. Quain, a Renaissance man, is now in his fourth year. He will continue to teach Theology, Italian, Latin, Drama, and Physical Education. He is also our Play Director, Athletic Director, and Coach of middle school basketball and track. As a certified instructor of Iliad Athletics, he enjoys sharing his knowledge and love of fitness and nature with the boys every year.
Mr. Quain received his B.A. in Classical Civilization from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and his M. Phil. in Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. In his free time, Mr. Quain practices Olympic-style fencing and is an all-seasons outdoorsman, challenging himself to learn new skills in new environments.
Isaiah Martinez
Isaiah Martinez received his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California. A homeschooler all through high school, he is excited to work alongside parents to guide students towards lifelong engagement with the true, the good, and the beautiful. When not grappling with the truth alongside his students, Mr. Martinez enjoys performing onstage, listening to Broadway musicals, and reading Great Books.
Peter King
Peter King graduated from Thomas Aquinas College with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. He is a lifelong student of the Classics and Catholic theologians. He is well-prepared and excited to lead high school students in Socratic discussions. He is a great journalist and creative writer and hopes to share his love of words with his students. Mr. King left the plains of Kansas to explore God’s majestic Alaskan wilderness. In his free time, Mr. King reads, acts in plays, and hosts a creative writing club. Mr. King will be teaching History 7, Physics 12, Composition 12, and Latin 2.
Victoria Smyth
An alumna of Holy Rosary Academy herself, Victoria received her bachelor’s degree in English from Benedictine College in 2019. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys analyzing literature, trying new recipes, and riding her horse. She looks forward to journeying with her students this year through the life and love of the Catholic Tradition.
Ali Ann Stramilov
Mrs. Stramilov is an HRA parent with 21 years of teaching experience, including 9 years at Holy Rosary. Mrs. Stramilov is a familiar face on campus, where she serves as the PSO President and teaches 8th-grade Saxon math. She is passionate about teaching strong math and reasoning skills, in addition to building her students long-term math retention strategies.
Mrs. Stramilov earned her BA in Philosophy from Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, a Master of Education from the University of Alaska Southeast, and a Master of Theology from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at Catholic University.
Mario Bird
Mr. Bird is an attorney at North Star Law Group. He also directs the schola at Holy Family Old Cathedral. We are blessed at HRA to have Mr. Bird directing the Performance Choir. Often, they perform at local events to showcase their talent. Mr. Bird graduated with a B.A. in Film from the University of Notre Dame and earned his Juris Doctor from Ave Maria School of Law. In his pre-law life, he worked as a teacher, photographer, video editor, coach, and filmmaker. He hails from the Kenai Peninsula and is an avid outdoorsman. He shares his love of Alaska with his wife and nine children.
Joseph Syren
Joseph Syren is a CPA and received his master's degree in accountancy from Gonzaga University. While at Gonzaga, his love of music grew even stronger as a member of the University’s Men’s chorus. Joseph’s musical interests include Gregorian chant under the interpretation of Dom Cardine (Gregorian Semiology), organ accompaniment, and Znamenny Chant (Russian Orthodox Chant).
In his youth, he participated in choirs, operas, and schola (liturgical choirs) throughout Alaska and remains convinced that the study and execution of both sacred and secular music are integral to the faithful formation of God's children. He has served as the director of the schola for St. Therese’s Chapel in Anchorage, AK, since 2023 and looks forward to working with the Middle School Men’s Choir this fall.
Christina Ford
Mrs. Ford graduated from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, with Honors in both Early Music and Middle High German. While she was at college, she also studied practical flute and was a bandsman with the Australian Army Reserve. She moved to South Africa, where she studied Classics and Renaissance Italian literature while continuing to sing with small ensembles specializing in Early Music and Renaissance Polyphony. Thereafter, she lived in Belgium and translated two books from Middle Dutch into English before moving to Israel, where she explored the ruins of Crusader castles and documented their kitchen facilities. Currently, Mrs. Ford teaches the middle school girls and lower school choirs. She is the mother of an alumna.
Outside the classroom, she demonstrates living history with a special emphasis on textiles, music, dance and historic foodways from various periods. Mrs Ford has lived here in Anchorage since 2002, and is a parishioner at Holy Family Old Cathedral. She is excited to share her enthusiasm of music with the school community.