Staff - Liberty Launch Academy

Meet the Team

Molly Bauman

mollyb@libertylaunchacademy.org
Pre-K

Cammy Cirhan

cammyc@libertylaunchacademy.org
1st

Laura Murphy

lauram@libertylaunchacademy.org
3rd

Diane Leeper

dianel@libertylaunchacademy.org
4-5

Ashley Reese

ashelyr@libertylaunchacademy.org
4-5

Posie Kalin

posiek@libertylaunchacademy.org
Digital Media & Arts

Jason Miller

jasonm@libertylaunchacademy.org
6-8

Zayne Starr

zaynes@libertylaunchacademy.org
6-8

Emily Sherrill

emilys@libertylaunchacademy.org
2nd

Kim Girard

kimg@libertylaunchacademy.org
K

Drey Woodson

dreyw@libertylaunchacademy.org
Innovation

Damone Soloman

damones@libertylaunchacademy.org
PE, Security, Community

Michelle Armstrong

michellea@libertylaunchacademy.org Adminstrative Assistant

Luke Kjar

Chairman of the Board

“Have a goal so big that you will surely fail unless God or divine forces intervene.”

lukek@libertylaunchacademy.org

Sam Abrams

Head of School

“Personalization of learning requires giving up enough control to students to empower them to progress.”

sama@libertylaunchacademy.org

Request
Information

School Hours:
PreK: 9 am to 1:00 pm
Kindergarten: 9 am to 2:30 pm
1st - 9th Grade: 9 am to 4:00 pm

© Liberty Launch Academy | Logo & Web: Tran Creative

Founder

Luke Kjar

As a student in both high school and college, Luke found himself frustrated with an educational system rooted in poor techniques that yield poor results. He realized that “succeeding” in school was not a matter of truly learning, but being able to memorize and regurgitate information poured out during lectures. With good grades and a love for wrestling, he received a sports scholarship for college and achieved an associates degree in business management. In college he found his soulmate, who was also a collegiate basketball athlete, and in 2005 they both graduated and got married.

While continuing his college education, he decided to step in and help his uncle with a car dealership that was falling under. Watching the original model, Luke realized that the dealership was in desperate need of something different. After searching and researching solutions, he realized that he could sell cars at a much lower, affordable price for customers, and started implementing the necessary changes to bring his ideas to life. By 2017, he was the Founder and CEO of a company with 300 employees, 11 dealerships, with revenue over 1 billion dollars.

When he sent his son to public school in 2011, he had to re-experience education and began to wonder how he could bring change for good in the system. After talking to one of his mentors, Robert Plotts, who spent 40 years as an educator, he realized that many educators were longing for a change, but unable to enact new ideas due to the well-ingrained systems and restrictions in place. With a new vision and desire to leave a legacy past his mark in the auto industry, Luke sold his company in 2017 and stepped down from his position as a CEO to give full attention to starting the school.

Shortly after, Luke and Rebecca fell in love with Liberty Lake, its community, and the nature surrounding it, and decided to move. While initially intending to open a private boys school named Liberty Boys Academy in 2020, his vision for the school truly came to fruition after meeting Sam Abrams. Now, Luke is ecstatic to be starting a school for all students that cultivates character through sports, engages students in real-life application of learning, and connects students to the community.

Luke’s interests and hobbies are Water skiing and Wake surfing on Liberty Lake, Scuba diving, Wrestling, and all things entrepreneurship.

Head Master

Sam Abrams

After graduating from Central Valley High School, Sam took a part-time teaching job, hoping to attend dentistry school after his time as an undergrad. It was during these four years that he realized his passions lie not in making money, but in pouring into students and helping them discover their love for learning. After earning his BA in Mathematics, he moved to Orem, Utah to work at Summit Alternative High School. It was at this school that he saw the value in empowering students to grow rather than force compliance. In holding his students to a higher standard, he quickly realized how students responded to this level of investment, demonstrating a desire to learn and improve. Summit was known for helping students find success in life and contribute to society.

Sam then moved back to Spokane and spent three years teaching at the now-closed Mead Alternative High School. This alternative school was designed to provide support for students that required something more than the traditional “brick and mortar” environment. Its goal was to provide both service-learning within the community and outdoor education opportunities, encouraging students to graduate on their own timeframe.

With a determination to bring his experience to an administrative level, Sam realized he would have to move into a traditional school to be considered for higher positions, so he began to teach ninth-grade math at Mead High School. During these two years, his ninth-graders had one of the highest standardized test scores recorded at Mead.

In 2014, a Mead Alumni asked for Sam to move to Qatar to help with their alternative school. It wasn’t long before he was asked to create an alternative learning program for the school, which has since been labeled the number one education initiative in Qatar in 2018. Despite an unconventional learning method, all standardized test results from this school were the highest in the area and all their students were accepted into universities.

With his success at the alternative school in Qatar, Sam was given the opportunity to start an international STEM school. He again sought to positively disrupt the traditional education system. He pushed for mastery grading instead of a traditional GPA and created a curriculum that brought real-world experiences into the classroom. The STEM school was one of 227 international schools nominated for their ability to connect learning to the real world, and they received recognition as the #1 Teaching and Learning school in the world.

Now, Sam is eager to step into his role as the Head of School for Liberty Launch Academy and is excited to be back in his hometown with his wife Angie and their three children.