“As an ILS teacher, I not only have the privilege of partnering with parents in loco parentis to educate their children; I also have the support and accountability of a Classical Lutheran community as I teach, learn, and grow along with my students and serve in my other vocations every day! The support of this community is what I think of when we pray that “the work of our calling begins anew” each morning.”
We are incredibly proud of our strong, professional faculty—the backbone of our community. Our teachers are skilled, dedicated, and always learning themselves. In the classroom, they emphasize academic excellence, the development of curiosity, consistency, perseverance, and discussion. They serve as mentors, building relationships with students and their families, and they are models for our students, demonstrating intellectual humility and servanthood.
Becca Benson, Aftercare Lead
Brielle Bouknight, Junior Kindergarden Assistant
Anastasiya Camp, Art & Upper School Science, and 6th Grade homeroom
Miss Camp grew up in Russia where her father served as a missionary of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. She is fluent in Russian and earned a double major in Biology and Art from the Concordia University Chicago with a minor in Graphic Arts. Miss Camp is a talented musician, member of her church choir, and enjoys photographing wildlife in her free time.
Diane Curcio, Physical Education
Ms. Curcio has served as Immanuel’s Physical Education teacher for several years, striving to impart to all ILS students a knowledge of sports and of their own bodies’ ability to perform basic athletic movements. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Louisiana Baptist University and is also a certified personal trainer. She has served in schools, camps, and churches for over 30 years.
Natasha DeFeo, Kindergarten Assistant
Genevieve Dewaele, 5th Grade
Mrs. DeWaele grew up in Belgium, where she followed a classical education that nurtured her love for languages, history, and critical thinking. She studied Law and practiced as a lawyer, earning a Master of Law in Belgium before completing a second Master of Law at Georgetown University. She is fluent in French and passionate about lifelong learning—whether through academic study, travel, or meaningful conversations. She also has a soft spot for dogs and loves spending time outdoors with her furry companion.
Semegne Dinku, School Assistant
Ms. Dinku, a parent of two Immanuel alumni, joined the Immanuel staff as a School Assistant in 2016. Before joining Immanuel, Ms. Dinku worked as a preschool teacher and a teacher assistant at The Campagna Center, a non-profit organization. Ms. Dinku also earned a Child Development Associate certificate, and she previously studied Early Childhood Education at University College London. In her free time, Ms. Dinku likes to cook, travel, and spend time with friends and family.
Katherine Dubke, Upper School Lead Teacher, English Literature, Writing
Miss Dubke earned her Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Fine Arts from Concordia University Irvine and her Master of Arts in English Literature and Letters, with an emphasis in Children’s Literature, from Kansas State University. Having previously served as a beloved Kindergarten teacher, Miss Dubke now leads the Upper School. She is a published poet and hymn writer, she plays the flute, and she sings in her church choir. She believes that a classical education offers young people a strong foundation for cultivating their God-given gifts, talents, and abilities to serve His kingdom.
Tabitha Dubke, 1st Grade
Miss Tabitha Dubke graduated from Concordia Nebraska summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She joined the Immanuel faculty in the fall of 2024 after serving in a variety of educational roles over the past 12 years in California and Hawaii. She is thankful to be at a school where she can teach her students about Jesus along with sharing a love for learning about the true, good, and beautiful.
Shawn Duan, 3rd - 8th Latin
Shawn Duan will be our 3rd - 8th grade Latin teacher. Mr. Duan is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in the Classics and minored in History. He is passionate about second language acquisition, and how it specifically applies to ancient languages. A committed Christian, Mr. Duan believes that studying classical culture and its worldview has allowed him to appreciate a deeper, richer understanding of the faith that he hopes to bring out in his life and in his teaching.
Pastor Christopher Esget, Superintendent
Originally from Minnesota, Pastor Esget received his Bachelor’s degree in Music before attending Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he received the Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology degrees there. Pastor Esget has served as Immanuel's Pastor since 2001 and teaches Theology in the Upper School. He and his wife, Kassie, have one son, James.
Jane Frazer, Director of Operations
Mrs. Frazer joined ILS as our Manager of Operations in 2024. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from Smith College. Prior to ILS, she held various senior management positions at a national non-profit and later was a Managing Director at a D.C.-based public affairs firm.
Karen Gorr, 2nd Grade
Mrs. Gorr grew up in Michigan and has served at ILS as both 1st grade and 2nd grade teacher for many years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Russian, then her Master of Arts in Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages. Mrs. Gorr’s excels at teaching students to read and enjoys giving her students a love of learning through the gift of literacy.
Pastor Theodore Hoham, Assistant Superintendent
A 2011 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he earned his bachelor's degree in German Language and Literature, Pastor Hoham served as a U.S. Army officer on active duty for five years. In 2015, he transitioned from active duty to attend Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2019. Since then, he has served as a campus pastor and theology teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School (CLHS) in Fort Wayne. While at CLHS, he developed a new Biblical Greek course and taught courses in Church History, Apologetics, and Ethics, as well as conducting pastoral counseling. Pastor Hoham continues to serve as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve, deploying to Iraq in 2022 as the chaplain in a military field hospital. Pastor Hoham and his wife, Lizzy, have four children who will be attending ILS.
Laurie Honig, Lower School Lead Teacher, & Junior Kindergarten
Mrs. Honig brings years of experience teaching as well as motherly wisdom (she is the mother of four ILS graduates) to her leadership role at ILS. Truly a model of Christian virtue, Mrs. Honig is noted for her natural warmth and sincere love for her students, their families, and the school faculty—traits she nurtures in her students. She epitomizes the lifelong learner who never stops learning herself as she continues a course of self-study in classical education and continually strives to learn and grow. Mrs. Honig holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting.
Anthony Kimbrough, 4th Grade
Mr. Kimbrough is in his second year as the ILS 4th grade teacher. He previously served as a substitute teacher here for 6 months covering grades 2-8 and was a 6-month permanent substitute P.E. teacher at a PK3-8th school in Florida. Mr. Kimbrough is originally from Southern Illinois and is a retired Air Force officer, having spent 20 years in the financial management career field. He draws heavily on both his military experiences and his family’s extensive travels to bring a unique skillset to relate to and educate students. Mr. Kimbrough instills a sense of independence and fosters teamwork among students as he prepares them to transition from Lower School to Upper School. Mr. Kimbrough earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting) from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master’s Degree in Cost Analysis from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Fiona Lacey, 3rd Grade
Fiona Lacey joined the Immanuel faculty in the spring of 2023 as an Assistant Teacher and serves as Immanuel's 3rd grade teacher. She graduated from Grove City College with degrees in English and Political Science. While attending Grove City, Miss Lacey was involved with both The Collegian newspaper and the school's Cogitare Magazine. Additionally, she served as a Koch Marketing Fellow for the Institute for Faith and Freedom, a communications intern at Judicial Watch, and a summer intern at First Things Magazine. Miss Lacey has written for The American Conservative and Crisis Magazine.
Abby Leithart, Kindergarten
Abby Leithart is from Gahanna, Ohio and joined the Immanuel faculty in the fall of 2020 as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher and now serves as Immanuel's lead kindergarten teacher. She graduated from Wright State University with a BFA in dance and afterwards was a member of dance companies where she was able to travel, teach, and perform throughout the world. She previously taught as lead kindergarten teacher at Peace Lutheran Academy in Sussex, Wisconsin and continues to share her love for dance by choreographing and teaching throughout the area and within the U.S. Miss Leithart is also a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and choir.
Emily Newman, 1st Grade Assistant & Upper School Logic
Mrs. Newman graduated college in 2005 with a collaborative degree in elementary education and special education. She began teaching many grade levels in Alabama and Florida, and she recieved a certificate in teaching science through 8th grade. She also holds a studied through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute and was awarded the title of Professional Life Coach. Mrs. Newman is in her second year of cheerfully serving as a teacher at the school. With a passion for education, a love for learning, and a dedication to training children, she diligently works hard to pour only that which is true, good and beautiful into everyone around her.
Ashley Palmer, On-Call Substitute
Ashley Palmer, our on call substitute, first joined the Immanuel faculty as an Assistant Teacher in 2022. Mrs. Palmer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Eastern University, where she also served as a Teacher's Assistant and interned at a foster family care agency. She was a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate for a number of years, handling energy, environmental, and financial issues.
Joshua Pautz, Acting Headmaster
Mr. Pautz supports our teachers in curriculum, culture, and classroom management while also teaching 3rd–5th grade Latin and assisting in 5th grade Math. Mr. Pautz has been a member of the ILS community for several years now, having previously taught 2nd grade, 6th grade homeroom, 6th–8th grade math and science, and serving as a substitute teacher. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College and a strong classicist with an education in both Greek and Latin.
John Reid, Upper School History
Mr. Reid now serves at ILS after nearly a decade of work in political media and policy, largely focused on values issues and the intersection of Christianity and politics. Prior to his career in D.C., Mr. Reid served in the Marines as a military police officer. In this capacity, he was assigned to a security detail for both President Bush and President Obama, leading security operations stateside and abroad. After the Marines, Mr. Reid studied political science and theology at Biola University. An alumnus of Hillsdale College’s James Madison Fellowship, Mr. Reid values the Socratic method of teaching and learning and hopes that this style may serve to mature all of his students. Mr. Reid also serves on the board of directors for the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center and attends Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
Robert Whearty, Upper School Mathematics
Lauren Wilbor, Before-Care Lead