Staff & Faculty Directory

I am blessed to serve as the principal of Hope School since fall 2010. I am a people person and appreciate the supportive relationships we form at Hope between students, families, and staff, which are crucial to helping each student reach their potential as a learner and also as a member of society. I am a lifetime learner, completing a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Seattle Pacific University in June 2019 to compliment a master’s degree in Teaching also from SPU, and a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Washington. I have been married to my wonderful husband Scott since 1994. We have four sons who all graduated from Hope, with two currently in college and two who have graduated college. I love traveling, reading (particularly science fiction and young adult literature), and playing board games, particularly with family and friends. Along with our boys, we also have two fun dogs, Jasmine and Hiro.

Born and raised in Sherwood, OR, I am a country girl at heart. I followed in my father and grandfather’s footsteps when I graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor of arts degree in English, and it was also where I met my husband of 29 years. I spent my early years working as a production coordinator for several companies in San Francisco and Seattle in the printing industry before I becoming a mom of three, all of whom have a strong connection to Hope Lutheran School. My daughter has graduated from Seattle Lutheran High School and my middle son is attending West Seattle High School while my youngest son is a eighth grader at Hope. As a young mom, I spent 10 years serving in leadership in the international nonprofit Christian group, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) which not only supported me socially and spiritually in motherhood, but also allowed me to rediscover my leadership skills and prepare me for serving at Hope Lutheran School. Supporting and building relationships between families, students, and staff that form this amazing school family is one of my favorite things about job, and I’m blessed to be able to serve God in this way.

I am thrilled to be a part of the Hope Lutheran community as office manager. I have found it to be a very warm and welcoming environment. Preschoolers are so energetic and fun! I grew up in the PNW and attended Washington State University, where I studied Child & Family Studies, with an emphasis in Child Development. I spent 10 years as a preschool teacher at Childhaven, a therapeutic child care center for young children who have experienced trauma. When we had our own two children, I came home to raise them. Our children attended preschool at Hope, and then were homeschooled until high school. Our daughter has graduated college, and our son attends Washington State University. Throughout the homeschooling years, I worked as a preschool teacher, a reading specialist, a homeschool teacher, and was actively involved in our kid’s activities. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 23 years. We enjoy traveling (anywhere & everywhere!), barbequing with friends, adventures with our kids, and daily walks along Alki Beach.

Hello! I have been a member of Hope Lutheran Church since 1994 and was also a parent at Hope Lutheran School from 1994 to 2003. After my children attended Hope and Seattle Lutheran, they graduated from WSU—go Cougs—and both are enjoying successful jobs and careers. My experience as a parent, combined with my previous work in business customer service with Bank of America, has given me the tools I need to understand and perform my tasks as your tuition billing contact. When I’m not working I enjoy walks with my husband and our dog Callie. I also love spending time with my family, which now includes 5 grandchildren, and time at our vacation home in Eastern Washington.

I am the preschool 3s “Sea Star” teacher as well as the Director of our preschool program and Extended Care program. I attended Hope Lutheran School, Seattle Lutheran High School, and have been a member of Hope Lutheran Church my whole life. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with an emphasis on early childhood education. After graduating from the University of Washington (UW), I worked in a lab at UW studying children’s eye movements. Research studies were fascinating, but my true passion was teaching young children. I worked for a learning center by Greenlake for eight and a half years, which gave me a rich source of knowledge about respecting children as individuals, and honoring the family unit. Some of my hobbies are reading, walking my dog, gardening, camping, boating, learning about foreign cultures, and spending time with my family. I am blessed with a wonderful husband (married 26 years) and we have three awesome grown kids. Being a mom has taught me a lot about understanding other parents, and how we all just want our children to succeed. This is my goal as a preschool teacher—working together to help children feel confident about learning, while having fun!

Hello. My name is Carol Christian. I am so excited to be working as the preschool 3 aid. This will be my seventh year working in the preschool program here at Hope. I started working with Christina Figgins 9 years ago as the preschool aid. I left for a couple years and returned three years ago as the ESC/Sand Dollar club aid. I have lived in West Seattle for 53 years and became a member of Hope when I married my husband Rob 26 years ago. I am the mother of a 20 year daughter who is currently attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. I am looking forward to working with all of the amazing Hope preschool families and staff.

My family and I have been a part of Hope Lutheran School and Church since 1984. I am part of the rather large group of teachers and staff who are Hope Lutheran School alumni. My husband and I have three daughters who have loved being a part of the Hope Lutheran family as well. I am the lead teacher for the Orca Pre-K class. I am honored and looking forward to partnering with you in the growth and education of your child this year. I cannot express the joy that fills my heart in God’s calling on my life. Teaching children about God’s love for them while watching them blossom into a new stage of life is so very fulfilling to me. Guiding my students and watching them thrive while connecting our core curriculum into each day of our academic year will be a lifelong blessing to both your child and me.

I am a graduate of Hope Lutheran School and am excited to return to serve in a staff capacity at the school. I have been teaching since 2021. I started babysitting when I was eleven years old and always knew I wanted to work with kids. I have also worked as a nanny. 

Hello! My name is Kristen Warfield and I am the lead teacher for the Sea Turtles preschool class. This is my first year teaching full-time at Hope and I am thrilled to partner with you and your children as they grow in their faith and learning journey! I am a PNW native who grew up in Portland, earned a bachelor’s degree from PLU in Tacoma, and spent 20+ years working in the tech industry in Seattle. In addition to being a Hope parent myself, and working with Hope students as a substitute teacher this year, I have been blessed to serve in many Christian Education ministry roles throughout my life: as a pre-K teacher for another church and school program, as a Sunday School teacher, a Church Camp counselor, a Christmas pageant leader, and more. I currently live in West Seattle with my husband of 14 years, our two children, and puppy. I love to read, sing, play and watch soccer (Go Sounders!) as well as explore our beautiful world through adventures with family and friends. I truly look forward to getting to know each preschool student and family, and to swim into the new school year together as the Sea Turtles class!

Hi! I’m Taylor Kuhn, but your kids will know me as Miss Taylor. This is my first year as the Sea Turtles aid and my third full year working at Hope. I’ve worked in ECE since 2018 and get so much joy learning from these kids every day. I am a Hope graduate and grew up in the West Seattle/Arbor Heights area. I currently live with my mother, brother, and leopard gecko after studying at Seattle University. In my free time I love to read, go owl hunting at Lincoln Park, and play anything Pokemon related. I’m so excited to meet our class this year and help them grow! 

My name is Samra Tino, and I am excited to be the Transitional Kindergarten teacher this year. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Seattle Pacific University this past school year.  Some of my favorite things include playing pickleball, watching movies, and taking my dog for walks. As a first-year teacher, I look forward to integrating my faith and passion for teaching in the classroom. I am eager to meet you all and grow together this school year!

My name is Rodrigo Elizondo, and I am the new ESC teacher.  I have lived in West Seattle for almost all my life until finishing my 4 years at UW Tacoma. I try to be active outside of work by weightlifting, playing basketball, and going to concerts.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Children’s Studies from Eastern Washington University and I have over a decade of experience working with young children. My teaching style is relaxed and play based. I’m a big believer in outdoor education and I’m looking forward to getting outside with the kids as much as possible! Here’s to a great year ahead!

I am so happy to be part of Hope. I began working with kids at a tutoring center six years ago. I fell in love with the joy, wonder, and life kids are so full of. Since then, I earned my bachelor’s and certification in elementary education, have worked as a nanny and summer camp counselor, continue to tutor in a private and public school setting, and have written/illustrated several children’s books. I hope to use all these experiences to create a warm and engaging place for your child. I cannot wait to see what we can create together in the classroom!

Many years ago I went to college to be a Biologist. I was three years into my degree when I realized God had a much different plan for me. I switched majors to Early Childhood Education and earned my undergraduate degree in 2002. Over the years I also earned a master’s degree in literacy, a TESL endorsement and a school ministry certification. I find joy in learning and I encourage others to pursue knowledge whenever possible. I taught Kindergarten for 18 years and have been a first grade teacher for the past 4 years. I absolutely love being a teacher and feel blessed to be at a school that centers on Jesus.

When I am not teaching I love to spend time with my family. My husband and I have 4 wonderful children. 3 of our children are grown and our youngest is also here at Hope! I enjoy spending time in nature, reading, traveling and watching my youngest play hockey. As a native Nevadan, I am really looking forward to exploring the Pacific Northwest and being part of the Hope community.

I am thrilled to be teaching second grade at Hope Lutheran School! My connection to Hope started in 2019, first as a volunteer in the art program and then as the K-2 art teacher. I was fortunate to expand that connection in 2021 by becoming the Kindergarten homeroom teacher. I earned a B.A. from Calvin College and received my teaching certificate and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Seattle Pacific University. I hold endorsements in Elementary Education (K-8), French (K-12), and Math (K-12), but have always enjoyed working with children in the primary grades. I’m honored to be part of this academically rigorous and faith-based community, and I look forward to partnering with students and their families in the coming year!

In 1969 my teacher gave my class a writing assignment, to answer the question, “What will you be doing in the year 2001?” I wrote the following two sentences, “I will be a music teacher. I will live at the beach.” Close. I am now teaching third grade and live five minutes from the beach. My teaching career began at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, with a degree in elementary education. I taught at Calvary Lutheran for the next seven years in grades 1 through 4. I then worked as a stay-at-home mom for five years when my two girls were little and then came to teach at Hope. My family has been a member of Hope Lutheran Church since 1993, and I have been teaching at Hope since 1996. Both of my daughters began attending Hope Lutheran School in preschool and continued through the eighth grade. I enjoy spending time at the beach and messing about in boats. I cherish time reading all genres of books with a keen eye to historical and science fiction. The bookstore is a favorite date night in our house. I actually like to run, slowly, and participate in races. Teaching at Hope enables me to live out my faith on a daily basis. I am given the privilege of guiding young hearts to Christ as they begin their walk of faith.

It has been one of my great joys to work with children and their families spreading the love of Christ through education. I began my ministry in Lutheran Schools in 1992. During that time, I have had the honor of teaching Pre-K through 8th grade, serving as an assistant principal and an interim principal, and working in children’s ministry. I have a B.A. in Elementary Education, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and further graduate work in Educational Administration all from Concordia University in Texas. Prior to moving to Seattle in 2010, I taught at Lutheran schools in Houston and Austin, Texas. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, hiking, spending time near the water, and traveling with my family.

We are humbled by your trust in us and will do our best to serve well. I come from a father who was a Baptist minister and a mother who was a reading teacher. I learned early that education is one of the things you earn that no one can take away. I always knew I liked academics and people. Teaching seemed natural and has been my calling all my life. God has been good. I have been in education for over three decades in three states: South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada.  Our family is South Carolinian and Nevadan by birth, and we are coming to the Pacific Northwest to serve the Hope community thereby maintaining our unity as a family.  Outside of work, I am pretty boring. I go to the gym and the grocery store.  Jennifer keeps me less boring. Jennifer is the brainchild of our adventures, whether in London, the Netherlands, the Pacific Ocean, family in Minnesota, or the simple beauty of Zion. We know that we will travel to the beautiful places around us as well. Pray for us as we will pray for you.  

As a young child I loved school and I wanted to be a teacher like my parents who were both Lutheran school teachers. Later I had other career ambitions, but I
discovered that I loved teaching when I was a teaching assistant for a biology class at MIT. After graduating from MIT, I completed teacher certification in biology and
chemistry at Wellesley College while teaching in Massachusetts. Later I taught in California and earned a master’s in theological studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Soon after that I returned to Seattle to be close to my family and continue my teaching career at The Bush School where I met my husband, Juan, an artist and art teacher. After teaching science at Bush, I taught middle school science, math, and language arts at Saint Francis of Assisi. I attended Lutheran schools K to 12, graduating from Hope Lutheran and Seattle Lutheran High School. I am excited to teach at Hope and be in Hope North with the middle school. One of my favorite things about teaching middle school science is sharing my love of nature and God’s amazing world with my students. I enjoy reading, journaling, swimming, yoga, hiking, and being in the outdoors. I especially love exploring national parks and being at the ocean or in the mountains.

Hello, Eagles! My name is Stacy Robertson and I find great peace in knowing that I am exactly where God wants me to be. I have been teaching since 2009 and and began teaching 5th grade at Hope School in 2022. I was raised in Central Illinois and discovered my zeal for teaching while helping a friend with her math my senior year of high school. I studied mathematics and education at Illinois College and then began my teaching career in Naperville, Illinois. I’ve taught high school math for several years, served as a math tutor for students for a variety of ages, and worked with elementary students at Seattle Classical Christian School and as a homeschooling parent. I enjoy playing pickleball and going to escape rooms. I have a passion for making math accessible to all learners, and I find tremendous joy in watching student understanding unfold before my eyes. I’m looking forward to a great school year.

Mrs. Alba is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and a minor in Mathematics. Mrs. Alba graduated cum laude, with University Honors and with Distinction in her major. She earned her teaching credential in Elementary Education at California State University, Los Angeles, and later earned a second teaching credential in Secondary Education, Mathematics. Mrs. Alba had recently begun graduate studies at California State University, Northridge before relocating to West Seattle. Mrs. Alba has previously taught high school music and mathematics as well as middle school math and science at private and public charter schools in Los Angeles, California. She most recently taught small group instruction, mathematics and served as Department Chair at a concept charter high school in Los Angeles. Mrs. Alba is excited to be part of the Hope Lutheran family and is pleased to serve the community and Our Lord through education.

I am so excited to be teaching your students art! My path to teaching is a little untraditional, as I’ve spent the last 20+ years in the design industry working on software and hardware products. The pandemic uncovered a love of teaching art and have spent the last few years shifting my career away from tech and back into the studio. When I’m not at Hope Lutheran, I run my own therapeutic art practice, Golden Repair, where I teach and coach clients of all ages how to explore the world through expressive art making. Watercolor is my first love, but I enjoy working with most 2D mediums, from drawing to printmaking, to embroidery to encaustic (painting with wax and fire!). On the weekends, you can find me and my composer husband writing postcards at one of our local coffee shops in the area.

I have always been drawn to working with children, working for many years as a nanny before graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelor of arts degree in English. I went on to pursue a K-8 teaching certificate with graduate coursework in human development through Pacific Oaks College. I took time out to stay at home with my three children and it was through my oldest child that I found my passion in teaching– working one-on-one with children who demonstrate learning differences. Current work with students draws on Slingerland as well as Wired for Reading training. I am an avid linguist and a perpetual student thanks to free online massive open courses. I feel blessed to be working with the students and families here at Hope Lutheran School.

I grew up in South Africa (just in case you were tempted to ask if I’m Australian). I moved to Seattle 18 years ago with my wife Mandy. I have a 8th Grader at Hope. I love technology! I went to the University of Port Elizabeth and studied Computer Science. I thrive on being able to help people with technology (and the associated challenges). I also design and build WebApps, something I get pretty excited about. My goal is to make sure that our students are exposed to all the opportunities that the tech field has to offer, while still being educated about online safety and responsible tech usage. When I have time, I enjoy paddle boarding and camping.