Faculty & Staff

I am the principal of Our Shepherd Lutheran School for the 2022-23 school year. I bring a broad range of experiences (45 years worth) to the school, having served at all building levels as well as the central office. While most of my educational background has been in the public sector, I have trusted Christ for my salvation and the Holy Spirit to be my guide in doing God’s work. My wife and I will celebrate our fiftieth anniversary this December. We have three children, two sons and a daughter and two granddaughters. One of my favorite Bible verses is John 6:29 and, having been an English teacher, one of my favorite poems is “Ozymandias”. I look forward to this new adventure in leading Our Shepherd and this staff in the education of our students.

I am a 1987 graduate of Bowling Green State University.  I began teaching at Our Shepherd in 1989 and am currently in my 33rd year of teaching.  My experience includes teaching kindergarten for 28 years and second grade for 4 years.  My passion is teaching the little ones in our school to learn to read, write and know Jesus’ love for them.   My husband and I live in Painesville with our dog, Daisy, and attend St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Painesville.  We have two daughters and one son.  In my spare time, I enjoy walking, reading and exploring our Metroparks. 

This will be my first year at Our Shepherd, but I am excited to be here! Prior to working at OSL, I taught preschool with Orange City schools and Title with South Euclid Lyndhurst. I currently reside in Kirtland with my husband and our two boys.  We love to go camping, hiking, and swimming with our two dogs. I look forward to having a wonderful school year!     

I have a John Carroll University undergraduate degree in Communications and a Lake Erie College Graduate/Masters Early Childhood Teaching License with a concentration in Literacy.

I began my career at St. Mary Painesville and have taught both at the elementary and secondary level. I tutor specializing in ACT/SAT and college preparation. I think 2nd graders are amazing, and I'm thankful to be their teacher!

I love English riding and Dressage and spending time in nature walking, hiking and adventuring. I also work in Special Event Music Production in Talent Management.

Hi, my name is Kristin Miller.  I have been teaching Third Grade at OSL since 1990.  I was born and raised in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. GO BLUE!  I am a graduate of Concordia University in Chicago.  I am a member of Zion Lutheran Church.  I have two children; Nate and Madelyn.  I direct the K-2 and Grades 3-5 choirs.  It is my joy to share the love and saving message of Jesus Christ in this special community of Our Shepherd Lutheran School.

I'm excited about starting my third year at OSLS  as the 4th grade teacher.  My wife, Jamie, and I have four children, three of whom attend Our Shepherd. I can't wait to share my love of  Christ with the students of OSLS.  It is my goal that my students understand that God loves them, I love them and maybe share a little about my love for Star Wars. 

My name is Mrs. Cynthia Holste.  I am excited to be at Our Shepherd Lutheran School!  This is the fourth Lutheran School that I have taught at in my life.  I especially like teaching when I see that students are understanding something new to them.  I have loved school since the first summer that my sister and I took new school books to each teacher's classroom in our little red wagon.  I grew up in a small town in California, went to college at Concordia College (now Concordia University) in Seward, NE, and began my teaching career at Trinity Lutheran School in Springfield, IL.  I met my husband at Concordia. My husband and I attend Zion Lutheran Church in Painesville where I also play the organ and accompany the choir.  We have one teenage son who loves cars. I love to read books, scrapbook, watch movies, and when I was in high school I was able to work on the Pasadena Rose Parade floats.

I graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin in 1996 with my degree in K-6 Elementary Education and 6-9 Language Arts. I went on to get my certification from East Carolina University in K-12 Academically Gifted Education.  I have been teaching for 20 years in both the public and Lutheran school setting.  I have taught Kindergarten, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th as well as having been a school librarian.  I also enjoy coaching volleyball. I came to Our Shepherd in 2013; I teach 6th grade homeroom and 6th-8th Language Arts.  In my spare time I enjoy reading, laying in the warm sun, and traveling.

I am starting my fourth year as the middle school Social Studies and Science teacher here at Our Shepherd.  I have been in education for over 30 years.  I hold a BS degree in Elementary Education from St. Joseph’s College and a Masters in Education from Indiana Wesleyan.  Before coming to Our Shepherd, I taught in Hammond, Indiana and St. Paul, Minnesota.

My husband, Joe and I live in Mentor.  We are members of Advent Lutheran Church.  We enjoy hiking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

I am Jennifer Drake. I graduated from Concordia University - River Forest in 1992 with a degree in teaching grades 7-12 mathematics. I started teaching at Our Shepherd that same year. I am the 8th grade homeroom teacher and I teach 6-8 math and religion. I am the Athletic Director for OSL as well. I coach girls' volleyball and have also coached the basketball teams. 

My husband is retired from the United States Coast Guard  and is currently working for the VFW.  We love sports of almost any kind (I am a Detroit/Michigan fan and he is a Cleveland/Ohio St fan - interesting times at our house!) We enjoy camping in the summers. We are active members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Painesville.

This is my 3rd year teaching at OSLS. I have grown up in Painesville and am an HHS graduate. I attended Grace College and obtained a BS in Elementary Education in May 2010. I have been in the education field for about 12 years, first working as a substitute teacher in Lake and Geauga County Schools.   Since then, I have grown as an educator filling various roles as Building Substitute, Reading Tutor, PK-5 STEAM Educator at McKinley Elementary in Fairport Harbor, Ohio; I have also taught 4th grade at Hopkins Elementary as a full year long-term substitute. I am very passionate about inquiry-based learning and teaching students how to think critically to solve real world problems. 

My husband and I like to spend time with our Cavachon, Vienna,  and our cat, Donut. We are members of Lakeside Baptist Church in Painesville where my father has been pastor for the past 35+years.

I have had the privilege of serving God’s children for over twenty-two years. I started my ministry as a classroom teacher in one of our sister Lutheran schools. OSLS welcomed me in the role of remedial teacher in 2016. I have a Bachelors of Science in education from Cleveland State University. I completed my graduate work at Lake Erie college. I hold a K-12 Reading Endorsement and a K-12 Mild/Moderate Intervention Specialist license. I work with students who struggle in reading or who need specIally designed instruction in a small group setting. My students are awesome! My husband and I have an adult daughter and one grandson. In my free time I enjoy reading and gardening.