The Tutors
Tim Tipton
Timothy Tipton is a formerly incarcerated student and CRLA-certified tutor. Before his release in 2019, he helped author the first prison tutor training curriculum accredited by the CRLA and helped train numerous other incarcerated tutors. He worked for Clark College while pursuing his transfer degree and was featured on the front page of The Columbian newspaper for his personal life transformations and success. He has given several inspirational speeches since his release from prison. In 2024, he completed his BS in computer science from Washington State University.
Adrienne Larsen
Adrienne brings over five years of deeply dedicated experience having successfully mentored and tutored countless women in achieving their GEDs while incarcerated. Her commitment to education shines brightest in the classroom, especially when teaching mathematics, where she excels at building confidence and making complex concepts accessible.
Now a Certified Recovery Mentor, she channels her passion for service into her role at The Rebel Academy. She is driven by a genuine love for helping others succeed and finds immense joy in celebrating every milestone, big or small. Adrienne’s journey is a powerful testament to transformation, making her an invaluable guide for any student ready to embrace their educational future.
Tom Whiteford
Tom is a graduate of The California Institute of the Arts and taught in K12 for 30 years. He has a knack for working with students of varying (dis)abilities and excels in English and math instruction. He applied his teaching skills in Columbia River Correctional Institution as a GED tutor and joined The Rebel Academy in 2025. In his spare time, Tom is an accomplished musician.
Shawn Nelson
Shawn Nelson was formerly incarcerated at Larch Corrections Center where he earned his GED in 2022. Advised by his teacher, Dr. Z, to try tutoring through the CRLA program on-site, Shawn became one of the most reliable and effective volunteer tutors until his release. Excelling at communication and patience, especially with students learning math, he believes there is always more than one way to help students understand tricky concepts.
Christian Rodriguez
Christian came to The Rebel Academy as a GED student with two tests left to finish after getting out of prison. He was not confident that he could pass the math, but his work ethic and consistent attendance proved him wrong. He passed his tests after only a few months and quickly found he also has an affinity for public speaking, helping other students like him who think of themselves as incapable, and using his bilingualism to make our tutoring available to Spanish-speakers. Right after graduating, he joined The Rebel Academy as a translator and is also training to be a tutor. He is a shining example of why we do what we do!
Executive Director:
Dr. Lauren L. Zavrel
Our Director, Founder and Fearless Rebel Leader, Dr. Lauren Zavrel, fondly called “Dr. Z” by her students, has taught and tutored GED in English and Spanish since 2010. With the help of four dedicated incarcerated tutors in 2018, she launched the first prison peer tutoring program to receive certification from the CRLA, which gained the program national attention (including the cover of The Columbian; see photo). She won the Faculty Excellence Award from Clark College in 2020 and completed her Ed.D. at Arizona State in 2025, specializing in training for GED teachers in prisons and jails. In 2023, she authored a book about how to teach in corrections, available here.
Board of Directors
Julie Lauka
Bio coming soon.
Chris Randon
Photo coming soon.
Christopher Randon is a formerly incarcerated student and veteran tutor. He worked closely with Dr. Z to build the most successful high school completion program in Washington prisons. Since release in 2018, he has spoken at several events and conventions championing education for incarcerated individuals as well as building a network of like-minded men and women from both sides of the prison system.
Adam Clark
Adam Clark is a formerly incarcerated student and GED graduate. After completing his GED, Adam began working with underserved populations
seeking GED and other educational opportunities. After completing undergraduate studies and degrees at Portland Community College and Portland State University, Adam began working as an Outreach & Intake Coordinator with the Yes to College program at Portland Community College. Providing direct outreach, guidance, and support, Adam’s passion is for helping student’s transform their lives through education while dismantling systems which restrict and prohibit success for the most vulnerable students. This passion directly aligns with the work of the Rebel Academy and Adam’s personal journey is reflective of the larger work we do.
Carol Fitzgerald
Carol has spent the past twenty-five years working with justice involved individuals. She began her Corrections Education Career as an instructor and then moved into Administration. Seven of those instructional years were spent teaching at an Alternative School for juveniles who would have otherwise been expelled from their school in Nampa, Idaho. The remaining years have been working as a contracted community college employee in correctional facilities in Washington and Oregon. She taught college and GED classes for Treasure Vally Community College at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) for seven years before spending one year as the Interim Director at that same facility. She then transitioned to Walla Walla Community College where she spent ten years as the Assistant Dean for Corrections Education at the Washington State Penitentiary. One year ago, she returned home to Treasure Valley Community College to take over as the Director of Corrections Education at SRCI and Warner Creek Correctional Facility (WCCF).
Justin Allen
Justin Allen is an educator, writer, and musician. He has taught across community colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest for the past 20 years. Much of that time has focused on teaching classes to prepare adult students for college, and earn high school completion. Justin celebrates the diversity of his students and the hope education nurtures in all of us.
Michael Fields
Michael Fields is a previously justice impacted individual who found a passion for tutoring while involved with the justice system. He saw that there was a need for students to be able to relate to the person who was teaching, not just the content. He is a QMHA-R and Certified Recovery Mentor who has a passion for helping people learn and grow. Michael is a strong advocate for student-centered learning, and he believes that all students can learn and succeed. He has found a career path at a Portland non-profit immersed in helping heal the community he once took from. Understanding that meeting people where they’re at, while establishing a genuine connection is where the magic happens.
The Rebel Academy 