Meet the faculty & staff at awakening seed school
Specials Teachers
Bryce Gerrich | PE, Specials Teacher
About Bryce: Bryce is a native Arizonan and proud Seed alum! His daughter, Ella, started in Toddler 1s the summer of 2017 and is set to graduate 4th grade in 2026. His wife, Katie, is a Professor of Choral Music at Arizona State University.
Education: Shifting careers after a dozen years in the I.T. recruiting/sales space, Bryce fully committed and began teaching at Awakening Seed in 2019. He completed his Masters of Early Childhood Education in 2023. He has served in teaching roles throughout the school while teaching PE to all classes multiple days per week. He will be teaching PE again in 2025-2026 while serving as a full-time teacher in the Specials classroom along with Jay and Diane.
Free time: In 2024 Bryce began an elementary after-school club called “R-PACK” (Role-Playing Adventure Club for Kids). Bryce leads young adventurers through story-based, imagination-led games using pencils, paper, lots of fun dice, and teamwork. He is also a life-long Sun Devils football fan and since 2007 has worked as “spotter” to his broadcaster father-in-law, Tim Healey. Bryce also lives close enough for Sunday dinners and Waffle Wednesdays with his parents, Pat and Stuart, so he gets to thank them often for introducing the whole family to the Seed!
Jay Cleveland | Music Teacher
About Jay: This is Jay’s seventeenth year teaching music at the Seed. Jay enjoys sharing with students his knowledge and love of music. He is particularly interested in guiding them in their use of music in their everyday lives. This year on his non-music teaching days Jay is offering classroom support as needed.
Education: Jay graduated from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri, with degrees in music therapy and music education in 1992. Jay completed his music therapy internship at the Children’s Center for Neurodevelopmental Studies, a school for children with autism and other spectrum disorders.
Free time: When he isn’t working, Jay enjoys reading and spending time with his family, including his wife, Christine, and kids, Emily and Jack. Outside of the classroom, he teaches guitar and other music lessons.
Diane Hughes | Spanish Teacher
About Diane: Diane is returning for her nineteenth year as the Spanish teacher at Awakening Seed. She has two children who are both Seed graduates!
Education: Diane has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and Spanish, a minor in Latin-American studies and a post-baccalaureate certificate in elementary education, all from ASU.
Free time: When she isn’t at school, Diane enjoys spending time with her family.