Even at an early age, I dreamed of being a teacher, but after spending four years at a nationally operated preschool chain, I navigated away having been disillusioned by the experience. I spent the next few years in corporate America and earned my B.S. before moving to Oregon with my wonderful husband and two amazing children in 2012. Since then, God has brought each member of my family to Crosshill exactly when He needed us there. In 2018, I was given the incredible opportunity to join the CCS Teaching Staff and utilize my passion for discipling the next generation of believers! I am quickly learning that my kiddos teach me more than I could ever hope to teach them. I have a gift and each day I thank God that I can make a positive impact in the lives of so many children.
Kelly has been married to Mike, her High School sweetheart since 2001. They have 3 kids. Church on the Hill has been their church home since 2000. Kelly was called into ministry at Church on the Hill in 2006, where she served as the Children's Pastor for 11 years. In 2012 Kelly joined the CCS team. Her heart's desire is to support and encourage children and families as they enter schooling for the first time. She believes discipleship in these young years is foundational and with a partnership with parents we get an opportunity to watch Jesus come alive in their hearts! The first years of school are super important and Kelly loves to make sure these years are incredibly special for the whole family! Kelly oversees our Early Childhood Department.
After spending nearly 35 years living in the southern Oregon area, my husband Dan and I, along with our daughter (who currently attends Crosshill), made the move to Salem in the summer of 2017. Our primary reason for trekking northward was to allow "Grandma" to be nearer to our two little granddaughters! We have three older boys with families of their own now and enjoy spending time with them regularly. I attend Salem Heights Church and love singing in the Worship Choir there. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, fishing, and especially hiking. I have been working as an educator for 20 years now, primarily serving in public schools as a Title 1 Instructional Assistant at the elementary level. Since moving to Salem, I've also had the wonderful opportunity to work as a Special Education Instructional Assistant as well as a Preschool Assistant. The highlight of my education experience was the 2000-2001 school year when our family traveled to Papua New Guinea and my husband and I both served with New Tribes Missions as associate teachers for the year at Numonohi Christian Academy. It was an amazing ministry trip for our entire family. I am excited about joining the Early Childhood Education team here at CCS and look forward to facilitating the academic, social, emotional, and spiritual growth of these uniquely created little ones who will be entrusted to our staff throughout the school year!
In the winter of 2011, my husband Tyler and I were searching for a private school to send our incoming kindergartener to for one year. We visited Crosshill’s Open House night and we knew we had found our son’s school for his first year! Our plan was to attend for one year because we couldn’t afford for all three of our boys to attend on one income. Thankfully, God’s plans were much bigger! My husband got involved in the basketball program that year, providing little by little for us to keep our three boys in school. Four years later, I took the job as kindergarten teacher at Crosshill and the rest is history! Every day I have the privilege of pointing little hearts to Jesus! I am so thankful to be a part of the Crosshill community as both a mom and teacher. God has blessed me with such amazing relationships here that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 2003 from George Fox University, and my Master’s Degree in Education from Walden University in 2010. I currently hold a Professional Teaching Licence in the state of Oregon.
As a part of the 2020 graduating Class of Crosshill Christian, I can testify firsthand to the difference that a Christian education can make, and I’m excited to be giving back to the community that has poured into me all these years. During my time at Crosshill, I was active in theater as well as Church on the Hill, and so this place has always been one of community, both in and out of school. I started working in maintenance after graduating, eventually transitioning to working for the school. During the day, I’m all over the place, between overseeing pick-up and drop off, going outside with the kids at recess, cleaning bathrooms, and working at the front desk. I also volunteer with Calibrate, COTH’s high school group as one of the freshman boys' small group leaders. In my downtime, I enjoy lesson planning for my future classroom, design, and planning--be it planning parties or just life in general. Two fun facts about me are that, despite the fact that I have 20/20 vision, I wear fake glasses and I think plants are just super neat.
I’ve been a part of the Crosshill Christian School family since 2000 when my husband and I enrolled our son in Kindergarten. Later our daughters joined the Crosshill family when they began school. All three children are now alumni. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving this amazing place and began working as a Teacher’s Aid in First Grade during the Fall of 2018. My degree is in Psychology from Corban University. I serve with my husband at Valley Baptist- Perrydale where he’s been the pastor since 1991. Crosshill has given me the opportunity to build into other children the love of Christ and point them toward success.
My husband and I have been married since 1999. We have four kids, two girls and two boys with thirteen years between the oldest and youngest.We attend First Baptist Church of Salem. For as long as I can remember, my passion has been for children and families. After college at George Fox University, this passion led me to social work of various kinds. My desire was to make a lasting and positive impact on the families I served. When my husband and I had our first child, that passion naturally shifted to our own children. Then, when it was time for school, we discerned that the wise choice was to become a part of the Crosshill community. We were thrilled that a school would partner with us in raising our children in godliness and grace. We now have three children who attend Crosshill and one who will make her debut in a couple years. It brings me great joy to come alongside so many parents as they disciple their children. With ACSI certification, I continue to learn new and excellent ways to implement discipleship in the classroom that not only benefits my students, but also their families. I am so blessed to be able to live out my passion for children and families at home as well as at work!
I felt God’s call on my heart to work with children from a very young age. Even as an elementary student (just down the freeway in Albany Public Schools) I was often dreaming up ways I could make my own future classroom a safe, nurturing place to be for all kids. I met my future husband, Ryan, my first week of college at Western Oregon University. We married in 1998 and I graduated a year later with a BS in Developmental Psychology. Still believing that my ministry calling was in the elementary classroom, I earned my Masters in Teaching from George Fox University in 2002. Soon after, I began teaching part-time in the Salem area and had my two oldest sons. Though I believed from the start that God had called me into teaching to be the light of Jesus to His children in a dark world, I had not considered doing so at a Christian school until I began to realize my own children’s need for Christian education at a school where their discipleship would be the top priority. I began to look into Crosshill Christian for both my kids’ benefit, and my own teaching career, and then watched as God “moved mountains” in our lives to get us all there in a very short time. All three of my sons now attend Crosshill and I am so thankful for the nurturing, Gospel-based atmosphere they are receiving through their formative years at Crosshill. (Our family now attends and serves at Church on the Hill as well.) I know that all children, even “church kids”, need a strong spiritual foundation and I feel both blessed and humbled that God has called me to be an ambassador of His grace as I teach at Crosshill and partner with parents in discipling His children.
I graduated from Western Oregon University in 2003 and was blessed to spend the next 15 years as a stay-at-home mom to 5 children. It was during this time that the Lord led my husband and me to Crosshill Christian School, as we searched for a Kindergarten for our oldest daughter. Our family was instantly drawn to the community and discipleship that Crosshill Christian school provides. My passion for education started through volunteering in my children’s classrooms. I knew at that point that I wanted to be in education and that lead me to seek out a teaching position at Crosshill. I love being a part of my student’s academic growth and feel privileged to have the ability to teach them about Jesus and pray for them. My family has been blessed by Crosshill’s mission of discipleship. I love being part of such a unique community where my family and I can be both challenged and fulfilled academically and spiritually.
My husband and I met when we were in middle school and got married in 2007. I graduated from Corban College with my Bachelors in Education in 2008 and quickly moved into my first year of teaching for Salem-Keizer public schools. After 4 years of teaching, I had my first daughter, Hayley, in 2012. I became a stay-at-home mom at that time, and I loved every minute of it. The Lord was teaching me to serve and be content in a whole new way. After sending Hayley to Crosshill for 2 years, I was sold on the community and model of discipleship. \My second daughter Teagan had finally started school and a job opened up at Crosshill in the Lord’s perfect timing. I was excited to be back in teaching and elated at the opportunity to teach and be able to pray with the kids. It truly is the perfect combination for discipleship. Our family has also grown in this time to include my niece, who is a high school student here at Crosshill. Our family has been immeasurably blessed by this community and we are thankful that all three of our children can grow here.
God’s calling on my life didn’t become clear to me until after college. I played softball at Corban University and earned a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Education and Human Performance in 2015. I always knew I wanted to be a college athlete, but never thought beyond that. After college I had many odd jobs and even moved to the east coast for a year, only to land a job as an instructional assistant at an elementary school once I moved back. That job stirred up a passion for teaching in me that I didn’t know I had. Fast forward to now, I will have my Master’s in Elementary Education come January 2021. I have two sons: Remington and Titus. Remi was born in 2017 and Titus in 2019. They are my motivation and the reason for everything I do. My passions lie in teaching, sports, parenting, God, relationships, family, and using the lessons God has taught me to inspire others to live a life trusting in His plan.
My story begins with wonderful Christian parents. My mother was a Christian school teacher for about 20 years. I followed in her footsteps. I graduated from LIFE Pacific College in 1999, and began teaching that fall. I taught 3rd or 4th grade the next 7 years. During that time, I married my amazing husband Ty. I stopped teaching when our first child came along. Victoria was born with a genetic disability that causes her to fight daily emotional and physical battles; in God’s strength she has become Victorious! Just after Hannah was born, we received an opportunity to join a church plant in Keizer. So we moved from Southern California to Oregon to minister to this community.I came to Crosshill Christian School when my youngest child was ready for kindergarten. God had a place for me here. Being a teacher is truly one of my greatest joys, and I am beyond thankful God has given me the opportunity to teach at Crosshill.
My husband, Jay and I got married in 2009. We have three kids, all who attend Crosshill. I graduated from Corban University in 2005 and began teaching at CCS that fall. After teaching for 5 years, I was able to take seven years off to raise children. During my seven years at home, I subbed for Crosshill and continued to be connected to the staff and families in that format as well as complete my Master’s Degree. I returned to Crosshill in 2016 and began teaching part time in fourth grade. My family attends Bethany Baptist Church where I have always been very involved in ministry and have been the children’s ministry director for over nine years. I love Jesus and I love that I get to talk about Jesus with my students, pray over them daily, and invest in their hearts as I help show them Christ.
I was born and raised in New Mexico. My mother was an elementary teacher, and I didn’t think I wanted to teach! In college, however, when playing in a marching band and looking across a parking lot to a playground full of elementary kids, I felt the Holy Spirit’s nudge, and I knew elementary education was where God was calling me! I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in Music from New Mexico State University in 2001. I then taught in Texas and New Mexico before moving to Oregon. In 2010, a difficult set of circumstances left me as a single mother of two children. Though it was a great storm in my life, I have been able to see the hand of God at work throughout the years since. In 2014, I earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education. God has gone before me, and He is faithful and good. His provision is overwhelming. God bringing my kids and I to the Crosshill family was part of that. My daughter was going into high school, and I was praying for God’s direction for my children’s life. There was an opening at the school, and God provided a way for us to join this incredible family. It is such a privilege and pleasure to be given the opportunity to be a part of the discipleship mission at Crosshill. We attend Salem Heights Church, and I look forward to the years ahead serving and shepherding the students God brings into my life!
I am an Oregon native and grew up in the Umpqua valley near Roseburg. I competed on Roseburg's wrestling and football teams at Roseburg High School. It was during my high school years that I became a follower of Jesus Christ. I attended Western Oregon University pursuing a bachelor's degree. I also pursued the person who would later become my wife - Karla. We married in 1984 after receiving my Bachelor's degree in education. After our wedding, I attended Multnomah Biblical Seminary and received a Master of Sacred Ministry degree. For the next eleven years I was a youth pastor in Washington and California. During my time as a youth pastor, Karla and I were blessed to have three children Dawn, Kyle and Anna. While in California, I earned the Master of Divinity degree at Azusa Pacific University. In the fall of 1999 I was hired at Willamette Christian School which is now called Crosshill. My wife and I live in Keizer and currently have six grandchildren.
God's way of creating a calling on one's life, to love Him, serve Him, and share the gospel with others, is quite the adventure! The opportunities that Crosshill offers teachers, families, and students to grow in discipleship and ministry opportunities while knowing Christ more, is an ultimate opportunity! God called me to Crosshill after earning a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies 1997 and a M.A.T. in Teaching in 1998 from George Fox University, holding licensure from the state of Oregon. Currently, I am blessed to teach 6th graders, orchestrate the instrumental band program, and coach varsity soccer at Crosshill. It is a thrill to work along with my wife, Megan, and have my two children attend Crosshill! Outside of school, my family enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, and soccer! God wired teaching into my DNA and seeing people discover Christ is the greatest adventure!
Throughout my life, God kept pointing me in the direction of being a teacher. For 10 years I kept telling God, "No, that's not for me. There must be something else." Even in that denial, God brought opportunities into my life that led me down the path of teaching. I finally listened and went back to the same school where I got my Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing in 2014, Corban University. There, I went through a Master's program to get my teacher's license. As of 2017, I am now a licensed K-12 teacher through TSPC with a Language Arts Endorsement. After I got my license, I assumed I would work in the public school system and got a job at Parrish Middle School for 4 months. However, God had other plans for me outside of the public sector and dropped an opportunity for Crosshill in my lap. I was drawn into the community the second I walked on campus and even got to pray during my interview (a first for me!). My husband Joe got married in 2018 and we attend Court Street Christian Church where I help out with odd jobs around the church and my husband is a storyteller in the Children's ministry. One of our main drives in our life together is to pursue creative projects as the Creator has given us. One of the greatest places for me to exercise that gift is my classroom. I love finding ways to express my passion for discipleship through creativity and communication. It has been one of the greatest joys I have in my life.
Originally from the majestic State of Alaska, I moved to Oregon in 2012 to study at Corban University where I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies Education and a minor in Biblical studies. God used my time at the university to develop my passion for ministry through studying theology and history. I met my wife at Corban, and God has since used our shared desire to pursue ministry around the world. We served at a school in Central Asia for three years and continue to serve distantly since moving back to Oregon in the summer of 2020. I am grateful for the gift of being able to serve at CCS and I have been greatly blessed by the opportunity to grow in understanding of discipleship and God's Word with the staff, students, and families who make up this community.
