Bill Koehne

Kristi Underhill

I grew up in Oak Park and attended Grace Lutheran School for 6th-8th grade (alumni from the class of '87). After graduating from OPRF and attending Calvin College (majoring in education and math with a minor in physics), I got married, moved to Atlanta and started a family. Our next big life jump as a family of 5 was a move to Maryland. After 12 years in Maryland, we moved back to the Chicagoland area in 2012. I began teaching at Grace in 2017.  I started as the PE and jr. high small group math teacher and continued in these roles for 3 years. Then I taught 6^th grade for 3 years (there's definitely a 3-year pattern going here). This is my 7^th school year working at Grace. For the '23-'24 school year I’ll be teaching math in the morning again and taking on Assistant Principal duties in the afternoon. I’ll be picking up some more sports coaching this year as well. I’m most excited about serving the Grace community in a new capacity while still having the opportunity to directly work with students in the classroom and on the court. Some of my personal passions include baking, sports, any kind of physical movement (not great at Zumba 😉), and encouraging students to try new things.

Jessica Allen

I attended Moody Bible Institute in Christian education but graduated from Judson University. While in college, I worked at Riverwoods Christian Center in the summers, where I met my husband. We have 7 children, and I homeschooled for 6 years. I worked as a teacher’s assistant in special education for 6 years. I enjoy relaxing at home with my family watching movies and playing games.

Tina Baird

Kim Hoffman

Jackie Johnson

Ashaki Brazil

I grew up on the Westside in the North Lawndale Community and graduated from Near North Career Magnet High School. I completed my associates degree at Malcolm X College where I was a part of the honor society. I took two theater classes and directed and acted in a children's play. I received a scholarship to attend Roosevelt University where I got my BA in criminal justice. It was during my junior college years at Malcolm X where I found my joy and love for working with young children. My grandmother always said that I had a special gift with kids. Children would wave and say hi to me everywhere I went. This is why I decided to following my dreams to become a preschool teacher.

My teaching skills and experience were learned at Les Finch's Learning Tree over 12 years.

When I decided to go back to school at Roosevelt  University, I wanted to work more with the youth by becoming a mentor and helping them to stay out of trouble in the streets. I believe that everyone deserves a chance to receive a good education and to turn their lives around.

I have lived in Berwyn now for about 20 years. I have been married for 12 years to my husband Derrick. We both enjoy spending time together and going to the movies and concerts. We both like watching the same sports on tv like basketball and football games during their respective seasons, but my favorite sport to play is volleyball. I was a volleyball co-captain in my senior year of high school. For fun, I love to jump rope too.

Art runs in my family. Five of my nieces know how to either draw or paint. I also enjoy family time. I believe that is so important right now. We sometimes forget about all the fun memories we shared growing up as a kids with our sisters or brothers. I feel that is important to share these memories with our children and family.

Julie Brown

I am fortunate to be a Grace School alum and proud to say it was here at Grace that I was taught that Jesus loves me and all his children. I was taught to be kind of others and treat them with respect and dignity. I graduated from Oak Park River Forest High School, where I enjoyed their early childhood classes, and then worked full-time at a small infant and toddler day care program in Oak Park. I continued my studies at Triton in their early childhood program. I was fortunate to work at St. John Lutheran School in Forest Park, which later became Walther Lutheran Academy. After many years of working as a preschool teacher's aide and in the after-school program there, I came to Grace where I have worked for many wonderful years. My interests outside of work are spending time with my husband, Craig, to whom I've been married for over 33 years. I also enjoy gardening, crafting and family game nights with my siblings.

Jennifer Brayton

I am a lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church and School, having attended and graduated from Grace in the late 1980's.  I have a bachelor's degree in education from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. My husband, Mike, and I were married at Grace and all 6 of our children have either graduated from Grace or currently attend the school.  My interests have always included the education and care of young children. I also enjoy watching movies, Starbucks drinks, and spending time with friends and family.

Jessi Pederson

I have taught in Lutheran schools since graduating from Concordia University Chicago with a degree in Lutheran Early Childhood Education in December of 1999. Most of those years have been spent as a 1st grade teacher, which I have found to be my favorite teaching position. I love to foster the development of and love for reading with my 6 and 7 year-old students.

I have enjoyed taking some additional courses focusing mostly on reading and writing skills and applications, and I am always reading for enjoyment and to keep myself current with educational practices and theories. When I am not working, I can be found enjoying my own 3 children and going on big and little family adventures.

Christina Starrick

I feel incredibly blessed to be have joined the staff at Grace as the 3rd grade teacher! My husband, Michael, and I have been married for over 15 years and have 3 kids who attend Grace. I have my Bachelors in Elementary Education from Western Governors University. I did my substitute teaching at Grace where I got to know so many of the wonderful students at our school. Prior to teaching, I was the director of a homeschool co-op in Oak Park and tutored there as well.

Outside of the classroom, I primarily spend my time reading, strength training, or lying in the hammock.

Ruthi Brucato

The Lord has blessed our family by the ministry of Grace Lutheran School and I am honored to be the fourth grade teacher. I hope to daily extend the grace and love of Jesus Christ to my students. I grew up in West Africa and California and moved to Chicago to attend Moody Bible Institute, where I received a B.A. in Elementary Education and Bible. I then attended Wheaton College Graduate School for certification in T.E.S.O.L (teaching English as a second language) and taught for a few years at Oak Park Christian Academy. The Lord brought my family to serve and work in Bologna, Italy, for almost 8 years before leading us to live in Oak Park and enroll our children in Grace School. Outside of school I love going downtown in Chicago, swimming, cooking (Italian food!), and spending time outside with my sweet husband and amazing four children.

Lisa Nelson

Serving children is my passion. I have been blessed to work with children of all ages for many years, with the bulk of my experience in the fifth grade. I am excited and thankful to now serve the fifth and sixth grade classes at Grace!

My husband and I relocated to Oak Park after living thirty years outside the United States. We spent our years between Bolivia, Costa Rica, and Slovakia. At times challenging, living abroad was a humbling, enriching time for our family. We returned to the US to be closer to an aging parent, our six children and their spouses, and our first grandchild!

I enjoy many things, but I am always grateful for time to go on walks with my husband, visit with our children, sit by the fire and read, provide hospitality, and just create.

Brian Schultz

I am the junior high math and science teacher. I have been teaching at Grace since 2008. Aside from teaching the students about the wonders of the mathematical world, I coach boys basketball and track and field. I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees from Valparaiso University. Outside of school I enjoy spending time traveling with my wife, Liz, and our daughter, Athena.

Lisa Wolfanger

I have been a teacher in Lutheran schools for more than two decades. Before coming to Grace, I taught in Lutheran schools in Pittsburgh and New York City. I received a bachelor's degree in education from Concordia, River Forest, Illinois, and a master's in education from Nazareth College, Rochester, New York. At Grace I teach English-language arts, American history, and religion.

Breah Ponce

I attended Judson University for undergrad and double majored in Mathematics & Psychology. After a brief dip in corporate America, I knew I wanted to veer my career towards teaching. I quickly obtained my professional teaching license alongside my Master of Arts in Teaching at Trinity International University. I taught mathematics for four years at Morton West High School, during which I had three children. I then put my teaching career on pause for 10 years to raise my children full time, and as a bonus, I had a fourth baby! In 2020-21, I had the pleasure of returning to the classroom via Grace Lutheran School, teaching middle school math. I absolutely love GLS and thank God for the opportunity to educate young thinkers within the Christian framework.

Kristi Underhill

I grew up in Oak Park and attended Grace Lutheran School for 6th-8th grade (alumni from the class of '87). After graduating from OPRF and attending Calvin College (majoring in education and math with a minor in physics), I got married, moved to Atlanta and started a family. Our next big life jump as a family of 5 was a move to Maryland. After 12 years in Maryland, we moved back to the Chicagoland area in 2012. I began teaching at Grace in 2017.  I started as the PE and jr. high small group math teacher and continued in these roles for 3 years. Then I taught 6^th grade for 3 years (there's definitely a 3-year pattern going here). This is my 7^th school year working at Grace. For the '23-'24 school year I’ll be teaching math in the morning again and taking on Assistant Principal duties in the afternoon. I’ll be picking up some more sports coaching this year as well. I’m most excited about serving the Grace community in a new capacity while still having the opportunity to directly work with students in the classroom and on the court. Some of my personal passions include baking, sports, any kind of physical movement (not great at Zumba 😉), and encouraging students to try new things.

Karla Koehne

Grace has been home to me for my entire life, so it is a true blessing to be here as an educator working in the same halls that I walked as a student. I am very excited to be the Special Education Coordinator here at Grace, supporting students with their learning in the classroom or in small group sessions.

I received my Elementary Education degree from Valparaiso University and my Master’s degree in Reading from Concordia University. Throughout my years of teaching, I have taught 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade and then I became the Reading Specialist and ESL teacher in the River Forest Public Schools for 16 years. My husband, Bill, and I adopted three amazing boys from South Korea and I decided to hang up my hat from teaching to enjoy raising our boys at home. After 10 years, the urge to teach came back. I joined the staff at St. Andrews as a resource teacher and then pursued an endorsement in Special Education. Later, I was hired in Forest Park Public Schools as their Resource Teacher. Each of these wonderful positions have added to my experience, but Grace has given me the opportunity to share my faith and my love for Jesus Christ.

In my free time, I am spending time with all the boys in my life traveling, hiking, playing games, gardening and cooking!

Keary Bramwell

My Dad and Step-Mom are both librarians, and my Mom is an English teacher so I grew up around books. It seemed natural for me to combine the two and become a children’s librarian. After getting my Master’s degree in Library Sciences, I worked at the Mount Prospect Public Library for 11 years as the Youth Collection Librarian. I then took some time off working to be a stay home mom once I had my daughter, but I have stayed active in the field through committee work, including through my current work on the Newbery Committee and joined Grace Lutheran School in 2021.

I think of the library as a place to support students both in and out of the classroom. This means that in addition to strong research skills, students need to have access to a diverse collection. Books can be windows or mirrors and children need both to grow.

When I'm not working, I'm probably spending time with my husband and daughter or reading. I also love spending time outside, working on craft projects, and baking.

Johanna Johnson

I have a music education degree from Indiana University Bloomington.  I have spent many years teaching classroom music and private lessons, and joined Grace Lutheran School as the music teacher in 2021.  I have been a member of the Grace Parish Choir for about 5 years, and also play the French horn and piano.  I am blessed to have three musical children, all of whom attended Grace.

When I am not working, I enjoy reading, going to concerts, spending time with friends, and watching movies with my cats, Bono, and Charlie. I love spending time with my children, and also enjoy traveling.

Sarah McCabe

After 21 years at Oak Park River Forest High School, including six years of teaching and 21 years of coaching, and another 10 years at Westview Hills Middle School, I was thrilled to join the Grace teaching team and get to work with the children of Grace Lutheran School. This wonderful place is the foundation of my educational journey. High School years at Oak Park River Forest, a degree from St. Olaf College, and classes and student teaching through Concordia University Chicago all contributed to developing my sense of calling to work with children. My husband Mark and our daughters Grace and Catie are excited for me as I eagerly embrace the opportunity to cheer on our Grace students. I am so grateful that God has led me back to Grace!

Erika Lyle

I studied German at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. After I graduated, I traveled to Martin, Slovakia to teach English to first-graders. After that amazing year, I returned to the States and accepted a position teaching German at Oshkosh North High School in Wisconsin. I taught there for three years, after which my husband and I moved to sunny South Carolina. During our seven years there I spent my time substitute teaching and eventually became a stay-at-home mom when our three children were born. My family and I moved to Oak Park in 2015 when my husband, Dave, accepted the call to be Grace’s Senior Pastor. We enjoy being back in the Midwest and love being part of the Grace Lutheran Church and School family.

Iona Bodem

I attended Goldsmiths College in London from 2017-2021 where I received my bachelor's in Fine Arts. I received my master's in 2023 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, specializing in fiber & material studies. Grace Lutheran felt like the perfect place to start back at teaching after a hiatus due to the pandemic - previously leading community center courses for Girl Scouts and teaching painting at my former high school. I am an avid home-movie maker, developing 8mm film in my own home and have a cat named Soda Pop.

Cheldon R. White

I attended Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana and studied music. I am from Bellwood, Illinois, and being a graduate of Walther Lutheran High Schoo (now Walther Christian Academy), I felt it was my calling to come back for an opportunity to make an impact in the area where I grew up. In 2020 I started teaching instrumental lessons  at elementary schools in the area including Grace as part of Walther's band program. Percussion and euphonium/tuba are my principal instruments. I am thankful to my family for teaching me to play percussion as I was growing up.  I got my start in our Baptist church. Outside of music I enjoy sports such as basketball, football and martial arts along with activities in nature. Although I do not have children of my own, I am blessed to have four nephews, one niece and two amazing pet turtles.

Ana Garcia

I am on track to graduate from Dominican University Spring of 2024 and am looking forward to starting my Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. I worked in corporate America for years, but wanted to move into a career I am passionate about. I have always been involved in volunteer work with children or youth, whether that was a youth/children's ministry leader at my church, or an assistant coach to my son's soccer team. I have a passion for providing kids with knowledge, faith, and confidence.

My oldest started attending Grace at age 4. Every year, I became more and more involved at Grace. I now have two children at Grace. My son is a 4th grader this 23-24 school year, and my daughter in 1st grade. I look forward to building more relationships with all of our current and incoming Grace families.

Some of my favorite pastimes, besides having fun with my kids, are learning interesting history facts, learning Polish, and reading.

Betty Lewis

Betty Lewis is an active violinist and violist in the Chicago area performing with groups as diverse as Broadway in Chicago shows and as an extra with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In the summer, she is on the faculty of the Birch Creek Music Performance Center and is a member of the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin. She teaches violin and viola at the Chicago School of Violin Making and runs the Starter Strings program for the Hyde Park Youth Orchestra. Ms. Lewis has performed extensively with the Bach Cantata Vespers ministry at Grace and is thrilled to be teaching at Grace School.

Jean Hatmaker

I grew up in nearby Elmhurst in a musical family; I started playing the cello when I was just shy of my third birthday. Music has always been my calling. I went to Indiana University to get a Bachelors and Masters in Music Performance under the tutelage of Janos Starker. I have been very fortunate to have a robust career as a performer, specializing in chamber music, and can frequently be seen in Grace’s sanctuary either performing with my quartet, the Kontras Quartet, or playing for the Bach Cantata Vespers series. When I’m not at Grace I can be found performing in other venues around the Chicago area, as principal cellist of the Elmhurst Symphony, occasionally on the road on tour with Kontras, or even sometimes at bluegrass festivals with our good friends the Kruger Brothers! 

Teaching is meaningful to me because I love to help others enrich their relationship to music and cultivate a new skill. I have students of all ages, from first grade up through adults in their 80s. Besides teaching at Grace, I am also the cello professor at Elmhurst University, and I see private students in my home in Oak Park. My husband and I have a cat and a retired greyhound dog. We enjoy curling up as a family with a good book or watching TV (when I’m not practicing, that is!).

Caitlin Wilkes

I am excited to be joining the Grace community for the 2023-2024 school year.  I am a licensed speech-language pathologist who earned my Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Learning from Northwestern University.  I have worked primarily with children and adolescents in both school and private practice settings with a focus on articulation and phonological disorders, receptive-expressive language disorders, and augmentative and alternative communication. I understand the importance of working as a team in order to best advance a student's speech and language goals and I am eager to collaborate with students, families, and educators at Grace. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and children, gardening, and exploring the outdoors.

Arteria Puckett

I attended Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Family Community Services. I worked in homeless shelters and emergency services at Catholic charities in Lombard and Villa Park, Illinois. I obtained my master’s degree in social work in 2008. I worked at a Catholic charities domestic violence shelter in Jackson, Mississippi before returning to the Chicagoland area in 2017. Upon my return to Chicago with my son Andrew, I worked at the Salvation Army until 2020. I went back to school to obtain my PEL certification in the 2020-2021 school year. I completed my internship at UIC College Prep in Chicago, Illinois.

I feel grateful to be able to work with the staff and students at Grace Lutheran.

In my free time, I love to travel, listening to gospel music (the likes of Shirley Caesar), and spend time with my son and family.