I was born and raised in West Michigan and I attended Plainwell High School where I spent most of my senior year in woodshop class. This is when my passion for the craft of woodworking started. Since graduation from high school, I have spent my lifetime learning different trades: construction, concrete finishing, Ready-mix driver, and handyman. For the last 26 years, I have been working for the City of Otsego’s Department of Public Works. I have always desired to share my gift in woodworking with others; God laid it on my heart to teach trades to high school students in an environment with a firm foundation in the Christian faith. I enjoy working at South Christian High School and am excited to use my gifts and talents for God’s children and inspiring them to further His kingdom.

My wife Jill and I have been married for 34 years and have been blessed with five children (three girls and two boys). We were blessed to be able to put our children through Christian schooling and are passionate about the impact Christian role models and friends can have on young adults.

In my free time, I enjoy working in my barn where I have built my own woodshop. I always keep busy with miscellaneous projects whether it be around my home or elsewhere, but one of my most fun projects was restoring a Ford Model A.

I graduated Holland Christian High School in 2016, and enjoyed spending my time there playing baseball and football. During that time, I was also blessed to have been able to visit Israel, which sparked a passion for teaching and studying the Bible. I graduated Calvin University with a degree in Secondary Education and took a job as an ESS Aide at Grand Rapids Christian Middle School, for a semester. This experience helped me grow tremendously as a teacher in both confidence and compassion. It also helped me start a job as a full time Social Studies and Bible teacher at Holland Christian Middle School in 2021. After teaching for two years and being blessed by the people at HCMS, God decided to bring me to South Christian as a Bible teacher!

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I grew up in Holland, Michigan and graduated from Holland Christian in 2016. I moved to Sioux Center, Iowa to study special education and received a minor in reading from Dordt University. After graduation, I moved back to Michigan and met a South Christian graduate and recently got married in July of 2023. My husband and I both came from large families and love spending time with them doing activities such as camping, going to the cottage, traveling, and relaxing! I love thrifting and sharing my lucky finds with those around me.

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After multiple summers of awesome experiences participating in Camp Sunshine throughout high school, I decided to pursue becoming a special education teacher. Little did I know, this would be the best decision I could make for my life. This decision has led me to many great experiences, specifically becoming involved in Special Olympics Unified Sports. My favorite part about Unified Sports is that it provides a platform for students with a wide-range of abilities to reach a common goal while fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging. I graduated from Hope College in 2023 with a B.A. in Special Education, Emotional Impairments and Learning Disabilities. I married my wife, Morgan, in July 2025 and we currently reside in Hudsonville, MI. I love being part of a growing school system that loves to put their love for the Lord and others on display. I am an avid Detroit sports fan and love to spend my free time coaching and supporting others!

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God has given me the incredible blessing of three great kids. Although it was a challenge to raise them alone during much of their school years, God showed up in amazing ways and we have always had more laughter than tears! Spending time with my family is still one of my favorite things to do. Reading, hiking, and traveling make life interesting and fun. I have a B.A. in Education and a MEd in Learning Disabilities from Calvin University. I am also a trained life coach. I’ve worn many hats in my career – from teaching 3rd and 4th grade to preschool and kindergarten to being a middle school special education teacher. What keeps me in the world of education is the bold belief that God is still at work, calling students to follow him. And as someone who gets to speak that into their lives, I get the honor of reminding them they are his and that He has good plans for them.

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In the fall of 2021, I started working at South Christian High School as a long term substitute teacher for Mrs. Kim Koetje, and for Mrs. Roberta VanHaitsma. I really enjoyed working in a Christ centered environment. This job brought joy, a sense of purpose and healing into my life; it also allowed me to continue growing in my faith. I loved being a part of the Moms in Prayer group at SCHS for three years. I currently work with Mrs. Sally Brown’s Inclusive Education Department team. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work at South Christian High School.

During my youth years, I majored in piano at the Music School of Rimsky-Korsakov in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. I also majored in Early Childhood Education at the Teacher’s College and at the Institute of Childhood at the State Pedagogical University of Gertsen in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. After coming to the United States, I acquired an Associates of Arts from Kalamazoo Valley Community College, majoring in Social Work and Mathematics. I was honored to be a student speaker at the 80th Commencement Ceremony. I worked with children of all ages throughout my work career. Before coming to SCHS, I was employed at Vicksburg High School’s Math Lab.

Family is very important to me. My husband Matthew and I have been married since 1999. We have two adult children, a son AJ and a daughter Anastasia. We have two cats named Tigger and Daisy May. My hobbies include gardening, reading, playing piano, and spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy planting trees with my husband; we plant at least one tree every year.

I am an Orthodox Christian, and I belong to Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I’ve always felt God has called me to two purposes in His kingdom: be a teacher and be a mom, both of which I have been blessed to fulfill. I attended Cutlerville Christian and South Christian (2009), which I loved and cherish. I decided to attend Michigan State University and earned my BA in English and minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) with a teaching certification. Right out of college and for eight years, I taught English at Forest Hills Central High School. I felt God calling me to come back to my alma mater, and while I never expected I would ever be back, I am thrilled. My husband, Ben, a 2004 SCHS graduate and landscaper and I have been married for thirteen years and have four children: Evie, Tessa, Case and Reuben, who attend/will attend Moline Christian. We enjoy being outside, camping, playing games, and spending time with family and friends.

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