2022: BSM Welcomes New Teachers

This year, BSM kindly welcomes new theology teacher Mr. Nathan Schlepp. With 15 years of teaching experience already, Mr. Schlepp is passionate about theology and excited to channel that passion toward educating the students of BSM. Schlepp previously taught at Holy Family Catholic High School after studying theology for many years. When asked to elaborate on what encouraged him to pursue a career...

Whether on the stage or working as BSM’s new chemical health counselor, Laura Epsing is always up to the challenge of learning something new. When Esping first came to BSM, she was very impressed. “ It's been amazing. I have been so welcomed by the staff, faculty. I'm getting to know the students. There's definitely a culture here that I wasn't aware of… It does seem like it's a very cohesive...

Andy Witchger is a new theology teacher this year, but this isn’t his first experience with the BSM community. As a long-term substitute teacher last spring, Witchger is familiar with the school and looks forward to spending an entire year with students and becoming more involved in the culture of BSM. Witchger has been a teacher for 15 years, working at Holy Family for 12 years and 3 years in...

This year BSM welcomes back Katrina Garcia-Eveloff as a full time theology teacher. After getting to know BSM as a long-term substitute last year, Garcia-Eveloff is excited to join the community full-time. A graduate of Xavier College Preparatory school, an all girls Catholic high school located in Phoenix, Arizona, Garcia-Eveloff was inspired to study theology by classes she took during high school....

Benilde St. Margaret welcomes new math instructor and head girls Varsity basketball coach, Tim Ellefson. Ellefson had first heard of the opportunity to come to BSM when he was on a basketball trip for the AAU (Athletic Amateur Union) team he coached; MN Fury. Junior Olivia Olson had played on Ellefson’s team when her father approached him about a potential basketball coaching position opening at...

This year BSM has gained lots of new teachers. Although BSM saw a lot of teachers and staff depart for other opportunities last fall, it's not all bad news. One of the bright sides is that the school gets to welcome new members to our community, such as the new Director of Technology, Erin Offerdahl, a BSM alum from ‘97. As a BSM alum Offerdahl is now helping some of her old teachers with their...

This year at BSM, Mattson found her place here in the Arts Department. During the first semester, she is teaching Art+Design to ninth graders, as well as in the Junior High with General Art. For the second semester, she is thinking of adding on some other art classes. “And then in the spring, I'll also be adding like the art of craft, a 3d class, you know, whatever they need,” Mattson said. Mattson...

Benilde-St. Margaret's welcomes 19 new teachers into our community. One including the Senior High, native french teacher from the Bordeaux region, Madame. Sandra Nelson. Nelson teaches levels three, four and AP French alongside Madame. Hyde. As Nelson gets settled into BSM, she adjusts to the new class sizes at a private school. “I have never taught at a Catholic school in the past so that was...

This year Dr. Matt Miller has joined BSM as a new computer science teacher. Miller spent 25 years in engineering for medical devices and has extensive experience in computer software. Miller discovered a passion for physics in high school. After high school Miller attended Wisconsin River Falls University during his undergrad. His love of physics and a desire to discover even more about the subject...

This fall, BSM welcomed Ms. Josey Gruba as the new band director. Following former band director Paul Keefe’s retirement and departure from BSM, the position of band director is one of high expectations. The former band director, Paul Keefe, retired from teaching in spring of 2022, leaving the door wide open for both the position as band director, as well as the future of the BSM band. Subsequently,...

While Spanish is a common choice for a world language course at BSM, students may not be familiar with the new Spanish teacher, Tim Frye. He will be bringing his teaching style and ideas into the community of BSM as he teaches Spanish II and III this school year. Frye grew up in St. Paul Minnesota. He went to school at University of Minnesota Duluth, and studied abroad in Chile. “I liked it a...

Benilde-St. Margarets hired a series of new teachers this year. Last year, BSM eliminated intro to physics and intro to chemistry and changed the curriculum to have freshmen take biology at the same time as the sophomores. BSM lost science teachers and were looking for new ones to take their spot. Dr. Moni Berg-Binder has come to BSM and is teaching biology and honors biology. Berg-Binder came from...

This school year has seen the arrival of many new teachers to BSM, and among them is new senior high math teacher, Ms. Annie Smith. Ms. Smith had wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a kid, originally wanting to teach Latin, then later changing her mind to wanting to teach math. “I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little. I used to play school in the basement growing up… I actually...

This year, Benilde-St. Margaret’s welcomes a new learning variations teacher: Katherine Johnson. Johnson has been a teacher for 13 years prior to coming to BSM, and was a special education teacher before she made her transfer from St. Anthony High School. Johnson made her switch to BSM because of the impression that the community left last time she visited. “I think it's just such a great community...

This school year, BSM welcomes new Junior High English teacher Steve Dornbach to the community. He currently teaches primarily seventh graders, and has also taught at almost all grade levels in several different countries. He hopes to bring his unique experiences and positive attitude to the classroom. Dornbach grew up in St. Paul, attending Nativity and what is now Cretin-Derham Hall before getting...

This year, BSM welcomed a new senior high history teacher, Mr. Jeff Cohen. Cohen grew up in the Twin Cities and stayed in the area to continue his education in college. He grew up in a suburb of St. Paul and attended Henry Sibley High school. “Then I went to college and law school in St. Paul. And now I live in Bloomington,” Cohen said. He didn’t realize he wanted to be a teacher till later...

Mr. Justin Knapp has been welcomed as the newest addition to the science department at Benilde-St. Margaret’s this fall. Knapp holds three Bachelors and two Masters which is more than standard for a teacher, yet he is excited to pursue his passion for teaching. Knapp previously taught at Maranatha Christian Academy, only 15 minutes away in Brooklyn Park. “My old school is very small. So I had...

This year, BSM welcomes new teacher Peg Hodapp to the theology department. Hodapp was quite set on teaching as a full time career. She believes that faith is a big part of her life, and is very important to her as a teacher. “I knew that teaching was something that I felt called to. And so I for sure wanted to do that,” Hodapp said. In her life before teaching, Hodapp did undergrad at St....

Former fourth-grade Spanish immersion teacher, Alena Paulson joins the BSM community as she puts her two passions together: teaching and Spanish. Paulson grew up and went to high school in Waconia, Minnesota not straying far from home to attend Gustavus Adolphus College. After spending one year teaching fourth-grade at a Spanish immersion school, she came to BSM to teach senior high Spanish. Her...

This year, BSM welcomes new teacher Charles Dudek as a freshman and sophomore biology teacher. Dudek decided he wanted to teach after doing service for an inner city school in Newark, New Jersey. “I was out of my element. But I loved working with kids and guiding them through the formative years of their life, the 16, 17, and 18 year olds, and so I kind of got stuck into that and then I've been...