Carole co-founded Evergreen Academy with her daughter, Matina, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She has extensive experience as a school teacher and is NAMC Montessori certified. Carole is passionate about blending the best practices from Montessori, Forest School, and play-based education to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Her greatest joy is working with 5-7 year olds, fostering a rich, nurturing environment filled with books and hands-on opportunities for exploration and growth. Some of her favorites: cooking, spending time with her six grandbabies, and spending summers camping and hiking in Oregon with her husband.

Jeff is passionate about hands-on learning and inspiring curiosity in young learners. In Spark, he guides engaging, hands-on projects that encourage creativity and exploration. In the Discovery Studio, he leads Civilization (history/social studies) and art, fostering thoughtful discussions and artistic expression. With experience teaching in a nature-based, alternative education setting, Jeff brings a love for innovative teaching methods and a dedication to helping children thrive. His interests include reading, writing, movies, video games, hiking, and camping, which often spark connections with learners and enrich his teaching. Some of his favorites: spending time with his wife, Beth, a physical therapist, and their daughters that attend the school, as well as enjoying family adventures hiking and camping in the great outdoors.

Matina Hunnell and her mom, Carole Parker, co-founded Evergreen Academy in 2019 with a shared vision to provide a better educational model for Matina’s two children and the greater Norman community. What began as a dream has grown into an award-winning, learner-driven nonprofit K12 school. Before starting Evergreen, Matina spent twelve years as a music educator. She holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Jazz Studies from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Music in Songwriting and Voice from Berklee College of Music. Some of her favorites: gardening, exploring farmer’s markets, improvisational cooking, coffee, dark chocolate, and reading a good book while snuggling her lazy and lovable Australian Shepherd, Junebug.

Kristin has been a member of the Evergreen team since 2020 and has become an integral part of the magic of our school. She played a key role in helping Evergreen Academy achieve its two accreditations through Cognia and in receiving the highest learner-driven marks possible as an IALDS Gold-certified school. Kristin holds a Master’s in Human Relations and a Bachelor’s in Psychology, both from OU. Before joining Evergreen, she founded a highly successful nonprofit homeschool group where she taught classes. At Evergreen, she enjoys designing quests and engaging writing projects for the learners in Discovery Studio (7-11 year olds), where her two youngest boys are also students. Some of her favorites: dark chocolate, laughing, and spending time with animals—especially her two beloved dogs.

Christy McBride is an Evergreen alumna with a deep passion for working with young learners. As the Assistant Spark Guide, she loves helping students develop their art and reading skills, creating a vibrant and encouraging environment where they can thrive. In addition to her work at Evergreen, Christy directs a two-week musical theater camp each summer that culminates in a fantastic performance for our students and the community. Her creativity and dedication to the arts inspire learners to explore their talents and express themselves. Some of her favorites: fostering a love for creativity and storytelling through theater, guiding learners as they grow in confidence and skills, and sharing her enthusiasm for the arts with the Evergreen community.