We are blessed to have a handful of new faces joining our Living Word Lutheran High School Staff this fall! As our student body continues to grow, we keep our class sizes small by hiring new teachers. This coming school year, we are excited to serve over 200 students! Let’s meet the new teachers and faculty members!
Katie Hoven
Katie Hoven is now the head of the Choral Music Department at Living Word. She will also take over as the Musical Pit Director during the spring musical. Katie is a graduate from Wisconsin Lutheran College and has her degree in Choral/General Music, and she brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom for our students. Prior to teaching at Living Word, Mrs. Hoven taught in Brookfield, South Milwaukee, and Mukwonago, but she has been a stay at home mom for the past 10 years. She is most excited to get to share God’s word through music.
She has a wonderful husband and four amazing children, ages 8, 10, 12, and 14. As a family, they enjoy going for walks, fishing, boating, bowling, and a variety of other sports. They enjoy playing cribbage, Monopoly, and many other card and board games. Katie enjoys playing hand bells and singing at church. Outside of school, she enjoys teaching safety classes for the YMCA including Lifeguarding, First Aid, CPR, and Babysitting.
According to Mrs. Hoven, families should consider sending their child to Living Word because, “Living Word is a great school to give students opportunities of many kinds. Students get a great education and many opportunities to be involved in music, sports, theater and a variety of other areas; but, the most important reason Living Word is a great option for students is the Christ centered focus in every opportunity inside and outside of the classroom.”
Bryan Oechsner
Bryan Oechsner is taking on the new role of Career/College Counselor, Technology Director, and the Head Boys Soccer Coach. Prior to Living Word, he has spent most of his time in Lutheran education. He worked at Milwaukee Lutheran High School for five years as a counselor, and before that, he was the Principal at Mt. Rainier Lutheran High School in Tacoma, WA. Regarding his main position as Career/College Counselor, Bryan is “most excited to work with all students as together we discover passions and strengths and paths toward a bright future beyond LWLHS.”
Mr. Oechsner is married to his beautiful wife Heather, the current LWLHS Art teacher, and they have three sons (Cole, Denny, and Jonah). They enjoy traveling as a family, and both Heather and Bryan are Living Word’s International Trips Advisors.
When asked why a family should considered attending Living Word, Mr. Oechsner said, “The answer is found in the very name of the school itself. At Living Word, you will be nurtured in the Word of God. A caring staff will help to raise you according to the morality and values that emanate from the teachings of Christ. This becomes a shared common ground from which a future is developed. It is a values-based education. We focus hard on our culture - a culture of unity as a family of God. While we celebrate our unique selves as children of God, we also unify under this common faith. Living Word is a great size. We are big enough that we offer curriculum to challenge every student - from accelerated, college-bound students to students focused on high-paying careers that do not require a 4-year university education. And yet we are small enough that each student receives the attention that they deserve as we work together to plan out the unique, individualized path that all graduates will take.”
Nichol Kreger
Nichol Kreger will be joining Living Word as an additional Resource Instructor, and will be teaching a section of Life Science. Mrs. Kreger comes to Living Word with over 13 years of teaching experience; she previously taught middle school at Trinity Freistadt and St. Paul Grafton. She is most excited about teaching high school students for the first time in her career and sharing the love of Jesus every single day.
Mrs. Kreger has been happily married to her husband, Rodney, for almost 27 years. They have raised three daughters who all attended Trinity Freistadt. Hailey (26) and Kelly (19) both graduated from LWLHS. Her daughter Abby (23) graduated from Cedarburg HS. Her family enjoys doing home improvement for fun and it seems this will continue! Her interests include reading, cooking, and spending time with her dog Willy.
According to Mrs. Kreger, families should consider sending their child to Living Word because, “I always tell people that quality always beats quantity. What I mean by that is there were more (quantity) students, classes, sports, etc...in the other school...but the highest quality education happens at Living Word. My daughters developed quality friendships, participated in quality sports, and had the highest quality teachers.”
Rachel Mindham
Rachel Mindham, LWLHS Class of 2013, will be joining Living Word as a social studies teacher and she will also be the Head Girls Basketball Coach, as well as Assistant Athletic Director. Prior to Living Word, Mrs. Mindham worked as a law enforcement officer for the Village of Pewaukee. After leaving the force, she began to pursue her teaching degree from UW-Oshkosh, when she offered a position on staff at LWLHS.
She is married to her wonderful husband, Andrew, and they have a calico cat named, Ari. They both love to camp, spend time outdoors, play board games, and traveling.
Mrs. Mindham is most excited to grow relationships with the students. She remembers as a former student at Living Word all the positive relationships she had with her teachers and she wants to model that with her students. Rachel is also very excited to take over the Girls Basketball program. As a former basketball player at Living Word, she is looking forward to growing the team in faith, skills, and competition.
When asked why a family should consider sending their child to Living Word, Mrs. Mindham said, “As an alumnus, I experienced faith-based education first hand. I would not have chosen any other school. Looking back, the faith incorporation in the classroom and extracurricular activities made me who I am today in my faith. Living Word is extraordinary in the fact that it isn't just about the education, it's becoming a family in Christ and leading by example, to get the education and faith that will lead students to where God has chosen them to be.”
We are looking forward to a great 2020-2021 school year at Living Word Lutheran High School. To meet the rest of our staff, visit our Faculty & Staff page on our website.
Want to learn more about how an education can make a difference in your child's life? Schedule a visit with John Winter, Director of Admissions, and he would be happy to show your family around Living Word.