Jessica Baird comes to Hanover from her hometown of Lowell, IN. She will be teaching 7th-grade math at Hanover Central Middle School. She graduated from Lowell High School and later received her Bachelor’s degree in secondary math education from Purdue University Calumet. Mrs. Baird also got her Master’s degree in education administration from the same university. After teaching for the past 14 years at Munster High School, she has a variety of courses under her belt. Mrs. Baird has been married to her husband, Andy, for 10 years and has 2 children, Hunter, 7, and Brooks, 2. She enjoys camping, traveling, working with animals, and spending time with her family. She loves anything on Netflix and enjoys country and rock music. Mrs. Baird is very excited to join the Hanover family and looks forward to the change of working in a middle school. “I hope to connect with my students in many ways and get them to work hard, collaborate, have fun, play games, do projects, and learn math!”
Amanda Boersma joins the Hanover team from Centerville, IN. She will teach music for kindergarten through 2nd grade at Jane Ball Elementary. She graduated from Centerville High School, received her Bachelor’s in music education from Indiana State University, and later got her Master’s in education from Indiana Wesleyan. She also has the Orff Schulwerk Certification at VanderCook College of Music. Mrs. Boersma has been married to her husband, Bill, for 18 years. Together they have 3 cats, Ali’ikai is 17 years old and Coltrane and Ellington are 7 years old. She enjoys traveling to Disney parks, cross-stitching, and hanging out with friends and family, especially outdoors. “I am looking forward to singing, saying, playing, and dancing with the students of Jane Ball Elementary.”
Shanna Creech is excited to be back in a 5th-grade classroom at Red Cedars Elementary School teaching English/ language arts and social studies. She graduated from her hometown high school, Oak Lawn Community High School. She got her Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and then got her Master’s from St. Xavier University. She taught physical education for a semester and then for 11 years she taught 5th-grade, both at Midlothian School District. Mr.s Creech has been married to her husband, Tom, for 15 years. Together they have 3 daughters, Ava, 9, and twins Callie and Shay, 6. They spent most of their summer at the softball fields and at their family cottage on Lake Tippecanoe. The couple has known each other since 6th grade. She loves watching her girls play softball and basketball. When she has time to herself, she enjoys reading, weight lifting, and exercise, and listening to country or 90’s alternative music. “There’s nothing I love more than watching my students realize there are tools and strategies out there to help them comprehend what they are reading. It is so enjoyable watching their reading stamina increase and seeing them develop a love for reading.”
Bailey Eaton comes from Crown Point, IN to teach choir/ general music at Hanover Central Middle School. After graduating from Crown Point High School, she went to Indiana State University to get her Bachelor’s degree. Ms. Eaton has a 4-year-old, black cat named Delilah. Mrs. Eaton enjoys reading books, all kinds of music, and hiking. Over the summer, she was able to visit the Redwoods to hike. She is very excited to start her first year of teaching at Hanover. “I hope to encourage students’ love of music and teach them to be better musicians.”
Elizabeth Evans joins the Hanover family from Calumet Township, IN. She will be teaching 8th-grade English at Hanover Central Middle School. She graduated from Calumet High School and got her Bachelor’s degree at Purdue University Northwest. She taught 7th and 8th-grade literature and language arts at Whiting Middle School for 10 years. Mrs. Evans has been married to her high school sweetheart, Bill, for 8 years, but they have been together for 16 years. They have a Yorkie mix named Liberty Belle (Libby for short). She is the oldest of 3 siblings, Anthony, Bianca, and Jordan. She is fortunate to be an aunt to 7 nieces and nephews. Mrs. Evans loves to read young adult novels, play video games, spend time with friends and family, watch anime, try new restaurants and coffee houses, and listen to all music types. She also has been a Zumba instructor for almost 7 years. “I am excited to work with students and parents in a community that I have been a part of since I was 21 years old. I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the Hanover Central community as an educator and professionally growing in the district.”
Hilary Friesema comes from St. John, IN, and graduated from TF South in Lansing, IL. She got her Bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier University in Chicago. She will be teaching physical education at Jane Ball Elementary. Mrs. Friesema has been married to her husband, Jeff, for 16 years. They have 3 kids together, Connor, 13, Emma, 11, and Claire, 7. She comes from a big family with 20 nieces and nephews under the age of 14. Spending time with family is important to her, including going to the pool, long bike rides, and going to sporting events. In her free time, Mrs. Friesema loves crafting, finding good shopping deals, and watching Disney or Adam Sandler movies. She loves to dance around her kitchen to Disney and 90s pop music. “I am so excited to join Hanover School Corporation. With 16 years of experience, I am ready to give back to my community.”
Madeline Griggs joins the Hanover family from Lowell High School. She got her Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University Northwest in elementary education with a concentration in special education. She will be teaching kindergarten at Jane Ball Elementary. She has been at Hanover since 2019 where she started as a part-time instructional aide, then completed her student teaching at Lincoln Elementary, and was finally hired in December of 2021 as a temporary 3rd-grade teacher. Ms. Griggs has been with her boyfriend for almost 4 years. Together they have a dog and a cat. She loves anything and everything Disney-related, she is always planning her next Disney trip. She loves country music, scrapbooking, gardening, and cooking. Ms. Griggs is excited to be officially part of the Hanover family and to be in her dream role as a kindergarten teacher.
Marcy Ishmael is from Lowell, IN, and graduated from Lowell High School to then pursued her plans to become a teacher after graduating from Purdue University with he Bachelor’s degree. She will be teaching at our new preschool, Hanover Learning Academy. Mrs. Ishmael has been in early childhood education for 15+ years and has been an RTI assistant for Hanover since 2020. In 2021, she taught summer school for incoming kindergarten students at Jane Ball and covered a maternity leave position. Mrs. Ishmael has been married to her high school sweetheart, Charles, for 24 years. They have a 12-year-old son, Shaun, and 2 dogs, Mocha a terrier mix, Molly a boxer, and a crested Gecko named Spike.
Michelle Keelan comes to Hanover from Calumet City, IL to be a guidance counselor at Hanover Central Middle School. She graduated from Thornton Fractional North High School, then Eastern Illinois University to get her Bachelor’s in family and consumer science with a concentration in family services, and finally Purdue University Northwest with a Master’s in school counseling. Before this, Mrs. Keelan worked within the Illinois Department of Child and Family Service, Head Start, and Kenwood Elementary School in Hammond. She and her husband, Mike, have seven children ranging in age from 5-15. The family owns a personal training and cryotherapy facility in Schererville. She loves to read, travel, and be active. “I am very happy to call Hanover Middle School my home and look forward to working with and getting to know the students and families I’ll be serving.”
Madison Kelly joins the Hanover family from St. John, where she graduated from Lake Central High School. “I am super excited to be part of the Hanover community and a new 3rd-grade teacher at Red Cedars.” She later went to Indiana University Northwest to receive her Bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education. Before joining us at Hanover, she taught at Kolling Elementary in St. John for a year and a half. Ms. Kelly has lived in St. John her whole life with her parents and her two sisters. She enjoys spending time with her sisters and her boyfriend, TJ. She loves to read books, bake various desserts, fish, watch new shows or movies, and work out.
Jennie Knezevic is from Dolton, IL, and graduated from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago, IL. She then got her Bachelor’s in elementary education from Purdue University Northwest. Although going into her first teaching position, she does have experience through Purdue’s program at the School City of Hammond teaching 2nd grade, Duneland School Corporation teaching 4th grade, and Kankakee Valley Intermediate School teaching 5th grade. Mrs. Knezevic is the youngest and the only girl with 3 older brothers. She and her husband, Luke, have been married for 16 years. Together they have 2 children, Luca, who will be a freshman, and Evelyn, whole will be an 8th grader. They also have a dog named Doc who is the protector of their household. Mrs. Knezevic loves being outdoors with her family including camping, hiking, skiing, and fishing. She also loved to read or listen to her eclectic tastes of music and she loves to craft anything from designing t-shirts to rehabbing old furniture to baking/decorating cakes. She will be teaching 5th grade English/ language arts and social studies at Red Cedars. After working at Jane Ball before getting her teaching degree, “I am so very excited to be back at Hanover School Corporation again with the amazing people in the community, families, and staff/employees. It really has that community feel to it.”
Ashley Lakomek is a graduate of Hanover Central High School after growing up in St. John. She later went to Purdue University Northwest to get her Bachelor’s in education. She is currently getting her Master’s through Valparaiso University. She will be the new Jane Ball art teacher in the coming school year. She currently resides with her parents, her brother, and her dog. She loves to travel, work out, shop at Target, and go for runs. “I am so excited to be at Jane Ball and be a part of the Hanover family!”
Emily Linz is also a Hanover Central High School Graduate from her hometown of Cedar Lake, IN. She will be teaching 3rd grade at Red Cedars Elementary. She attended Indiana University where she got her Bachelor’s degree. She loves painting, drawing, calligraphy, ceramics, and DIY decor. She loves to travel and drink coffee. She is very excited to teach at a brand new school with colleagues that inspired her to teach.
Rebecca (Becky) Mazur is from Schererville, IN, and will be teaching 2nd grade at Jane Ball Elementary. She graduated from Lake Central High School in 2012 and later got her Bachelor’s in education from Purdue University Northwest in 2019. She taught kindergarten for the past 3 years at Morocco Elementary School in the North Newton School District. Mrs. Mazur has been with her husband, Joey, for 8 years and just hit their first wedding anniversary. Together, they have two black labs Henry, 5, and Jimmy, 4. She loves country music, especially her favorite artist, Tim McGraw. On the weekends, you can find Becky and Joey dock diving with their dogs. She works at OrangeTheory fitness 4-5 times a week and loves it. She loves visiting the beach when she goes to visit her brother. “I am so excited to start at Jane Ball in August! I can’t wait to have an opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people and surround myself with positive vibes! The staff and community have been so welcoming already and I can’t wait to get started.”
Rebecca McCollam joins the Hanover family from Greenwich, CT. She graduated from Greenwich High School and later got her Bachelor’s from the University of Richmond in Richmond, VA. She will be teaching social-emotional learning at Hanover Central Middle School. Mrs. McCollam has been married to her husband, John, for 8 years. They have 5 children between the two of them. Jordan and Justin are out of school, Drayk is 18 and attending Andrean High School and will attend Notre Dame in January. Dylan is 15 and is starting at Hanover Central High School this year. Dallas is starting at Hanover Central Middle this year at the age of 12. Mrs. McCollam enjoys watching her kids play their many sports and going to Lake Geneva with John. “I am thrilled to be a permanent part of the middle school and work with all of the students.”
Nicky Mohan comes to us from her hometown of St. John, IN. She graduated from Andrean High School and later went to Purdue University West Lafayette to get her Bachelor’s degree in both elementary education and special education. She currently lives at home with her mom and dad. She also has an older brother and a black and white cat named Lola. Her favorite artist is Taylor Swift, her favorite show is Peaky Blinders, her favorite book is It Ends with Us, her favorite movie is Les Miserables, she loves mango, and enjoys playing tennis, bingo, and crafting. “I am so excited to join the Jane Ball Team. This is my first year teaching and I am thankful I’m part of a great school cooperation and school to support me through this year!”
Lisa Mulligan is excited to join the Hanover team from her hometown of Crown Point, IN. She graduated from Merrillville High School and later got her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Indiana University Northwest. She will be teaching 6th-grade science at Hanover Central Middle School. Mrs. Mulligan and her husband, Jeff, have been married for 7 years. Together they have two young boys; Jacob is 4 and Daniel is 2. She has a passion for ballet and has spent many years performing and teaching dance lessons. She enjoys reading to her sons, practicing yoga, visiting new places, eating chocolate, and hiking the Indiana Dunes with her family. “I am very excited to start teaching at Hanover Central Middle School. I have 15 years of experience teaching 6th-grade math and am excited to start teaching 6th-grade science this year.”
Christine Neander joins the Hanover family from Richton Park, IL where she graduated from Rich East High School in Park Forest, IL. She then graduated from Governors State University with a Bachelor’s in elementary education as well as additional education to middle school endorsements for math and language arts. She previously taught 6th-grade math and was an RTI assistant at Jane Ball for the past two years. She also taught during several maternity leaves which included kindergarten and 4th grade. Mrs. Neander has been with her husband, Adam, for 15 years. They have three children, Seth is 12, Shane is 10, and Claire is 8. They also have a black labradoodle named Scooby. They are a very active family, especially at the baseball and softball fields. She loves biking, swimming, walking her dog, board games, or family movie nights. With her previous experiences, she found that she loves teaching kindergarten and is excited to be a part of the Hanover family. “I truly enjoy learning from students and having them learn from each other. I look forward to enriching the lives of my students not only for future academics, but to instill a long-lasting love for learning.”
Jena Orgentz is from Cedar Lake, IN, and graduated with a degree in communications and journalism. She will be the new media center specialist at Jane Ball Elementary. Mrs. Orgentz has been with her husband, Cody, for 7 years. Together they have 2 children, Violet, 8, and Clayton, 5. She loves anything related to Disney and spends her free time baking and crafting. “I can’t wait to share my excitement for reading with the students.”
Robin Radford comes to us from Burbank, IL where she graduated from Reavis High School. She will be the new school social worker for Hanover Central High School. She later got her Bachelor’s in organizational leadership and Masters in social work from Dominican University and is licensed in LSSW (license in school social work) and LCSW (license in clinical social work). She first began her career in finance but volunteered as a CASA for children in foster care. She left for Ghana for 3 months in 2009 and volunteered at two orphanages to work on budgeting for a Canadian sponsor. From there, she knew that social work was her calling. She then worked as a manager at a non-profit boarding school while obtaining her Master’s degree. She worked for Matteson School district as a school social worker and case manager. She then went back to her hometown and worked for Burbank for two years before joining the Hanover family in the spring of 2022. “My passion has always been working with high school students and helping them realize their full potential.”
Mrs. Radford is married to Roman Radford, who is a hospice social worker. They met in graduate school during an internship. They have 5 adopted children Triana, 26, Reyna, 14, Roman, 10, and Reagan, 7. All of the children attend Highland schools and are in band, baseball, and cheerleading. They are very proud of their diverse family in regards to ethnic backgrounds, as well as gifts and talents. She loves to travel and has been fortunate enough to travel to India, Ghana, Italy, Turkey, Mexico, and Egypt. She is in a book club and especially enjoys mystery novels. Her favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption and loves almost any type of music. They also have two dogs and a bird and foster other dogs from time to time.
Emily Reed is from Crown Point, IN, and went through Crown Point public schools. After that, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in music education and minor in trumpet performance from Ball State University in 2021. She was able to gain experience in opera performance throughout college. She will be teaching music at Red Cedars Elementary. She previously taught at Tenth Street Elementary in Anderson, IN, and is excited to start her 2nd year of teaching at Hanover. She has 3 older sisters and two wonderful parents. Her father just retired from teaching after 37 years as the orchestra director at Crown Point High School. Her mother runs an at-home daycare. Her parents also run their own dairy goat business. Over the summers, they spend time tending to the farm and camping as a family. She enjoys fishing, kayaking, camping, and over the winter, figure skating. She listens to a lot of Broadway musical soundtracks and loves the original Jurassic Park trilogy. “I am so excited to continue my teaching career at Red Cedars Elementary. It is my goal, my passion, and my privilege to guide students through the exploration of making music. I cannot wait to dive in!”
Jillian Rowe comes to us from her hometown of Posen, IL where she graduated from Bremen High School in Midlothian, IL. She got her Bachelor’s degree at Trinity Christian College and she is going to be teaching high school Spanish. She is a single mom of 3 girls; Lilly is 16, Ella is 7, and Lea is 5. She enjoys horseback riding, hiking, music, working out, and spending time with her animals. “I am so excited to teach at HCSC and get involved with my community.”
Rachael Spoolstra joins the Hanover family from Park Ridge, IL. She will be teaching 2nd grade at Jane Ball Elementary. She graduated from Lake Central in 2009 and attended college at Indiana University Northwest and transferred to Purdue University where she got her Bachelor’s degree in education. She also has an endorsement to teach special education. She began her teaching career at McCullough Academy in Gary, IN where she taught 3rd grade. For the past two years, she has been working with NISEC teaching special education as an ED (emotional disabilities) teacher in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. Mrs. Spoolstra has been married to her husband, Adam, for 10 years and they have 3 children, Auroara is 13, Faye is 7, and Preston is 6. All of their children attend Crown Point schools. She loves animals and they have three dogs and two cats. She loves to listen to a variety of music, craft, camp, cook, and bake. Her favorite children’s book is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. “I am SUPER excited to be a part of the Hanover Community School Corporation. Jane Ball Elementary School is the school I always dreamed of being at and I cannot be any happier.”
Brianna Tigner comes to us from Crown Point to teach 2nd grade at Jane Ball Elementary. She graduated from Crown Point High School and later graduated from Indiana University Northwest with a Bachelor’s in education and an endorsement in special education. She taught a full-day, 5-day preschool at the Southlake YMCA for a semester after graduating college. She has one brother, Nicholas, who is attending Purdue University Northwest. She also has a white pomeranian dog named Leo that is 10 years old. Miss Tigner loves crafting things with her Cricut machine, especially things for the classroom. She loves taking Leo on walks around the neighborhood or at the Lake County Fairgrounds. “I am so excited to be teaching 2nd grade this year! I am looking forward to meeting my new students and cannot wait to watch them grow throughout the school year.”
Denise Varble is from Merrillville, IN, and will be teaching English and language arts in 5th grade at Red Cedars. She graduated from Merrillville High School and later attended Indiana University and Western Governors University. She is the mother of her daughter, Jordyn who is 13 and going into 8th grade at Hanover Central Middle School. They also have a dog named Koda or Koda-bear. Ms. Varble loves attending concerts, going to the beach, reading, and playing sports. Jordyn is in softball, so they are constantly traveling for sports. She loves spending time with family and taking her dog on walks. With experience in teaching 5th and 6th grade, she is very excited to be teaching the student at Hanover. “I have a passion for helping all children reach their potential and love to challenge students to take chances when they are learning.”
Dayna Viehman is from Cedar Lake, IN, and a graduate of Hanover Central High School. She will be the school social worker for Hanover Central Middle School. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and her Master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan. Mrs. Viehman is married to her husband, Jake Viehman who teaches at Hanover Central High School. They have been married for 19 years and they have three children, Jacob, Seth, and Kaitlyn. She enjoys listening to music, being in nature, and bringing awareness to mental health and domestic violence. She is looking forward to bringing her passion and knowledge of social work to our school. “Meeting students where they are in their journey. helping them accept themselves for who they are, and reminding them that it's okay not to be okay at times is something I strive for them to understand.”
Staci Welch comes to Hanover from her hometown of Crown Point, IN where she graduated from Crown Point High School. She later graduated from Purdue University with her Bachelor’s degree in education. She will be teaching math at Red Cedars Elementary where she will use her previous experience of teaching 6th-grade English and math, and 5th-grade distance learning math at Tippecanoe School Corporation. Mrs. Welch and her husband, Robert, have been married for 5 years and have 2 children including Robert who is 4 and Isabelle is 3. She enjoys the outdoors, working out, volleyball, and Disney/Pixar movies. “I am looking forward to taking on a new role at Red Cedars as a math interventionist giving the additional support our learners need and learning more about Cedar Lake's community.”
Candice Wollum joins the Hanover family from Schererville, IN to teach kindergarten at Jane Ball Elementary. She graduated from Lake Central High School and later went to Purdue University West Lafayette where she earned her Bachelor’s in elementary education with an endorsement in reading. She began teaching with Portage Township Schools where she taught for the last 12 years in kindergarten, 1st, and 5th grade. Mrs. Wollum has been married to her husband, Matt, for 2 years. They live in her hometown with their sweet dog, Lola. She loves spending time with her 8-year-old and 1-year-old nephews. The Wollums spend a lot of time on the bike trail near their home either biking together or taking Lola on walks. She loves music and attending concerts. She also enjoys traveling, baseball, Purdue football, reading a good book, and spending time with family and friends. “I am so excited to be teaching in Hanover and building relationships with my students and families. I truly believe there is no profession more rewarding than teaching.”
Kelly York is from Glenwood, IL, and is excited to teach marketing at Hanover Central High School. She has her Bachelor’s degree in secondary English education and is licensed in Indiana to teach English, reading, U.S. and world history, P.E. health, psychology, sociology, and marketing. She has 20 years of teaching experience at Hanover, Crown Point, and Hebron. She also has 7 years of experience as an Information Security Education manager at McDonald’s Global Headquarters and HERE Technologies. She has been married to her husband, Chris, for 27 years and together they have 3 children. Michael and Kayla graduated from Hanover Central in 2015 and Ryan is going into his senior year. She is very active and enjoys running, standing-up paddle boarding, yoga, gardening, fishing, reading, and spending time with family. “After 7 years away from K-12 teaching, I am excited to be back in the classroom and even more excited to teach a new subject.”
Rebecca Zaremba joins us from Crown Point, IN to teach 1st grade at Jane Ball Elementary. She graduated from Lake Central High School and later got her Bachelor’s in education from Purdue University West Lafayette. She also has her high ability endorsement/ gifted and talented license from Indiana University Bloomington. Before coming to Hanover, Mrs. Zaremba taught at Bibich Elementary in Dyer for 11 years. She has been married to Lincoln Elementary principal, Frank Zaremba, for 14 years. Together they have 2 children, Evan and Natalie, and a new miniature American shepherd puppy named Violet. The family spends a lot of quality time together. She loves spending time at the beach, tending to her herb garden and flowers, and cooking while listening to some good music. She likes to exercise and occasionally teaches a cycling class at the Southlake YMCA. The family loves traveling and being outdoors. Mrs. Zaremba is thrilled to be a part of the same district as her husband and excited to be back in the classroom after taking time off to raise her kids. “I look forward to serving the community and my 1st-grade students this year.”
