Junior High & High School Teachers & Staff
Senior Administrator, Junior High & High School Principal – Mr. Matthew Moeller has served as the Principal of Illinois Lutheran Junior High and High School since July of 2024. Mr. Moeller was born in Crete and baptized and confirmed at Zion. He had the privilege of learning from great educators and pastors at Zion and as part of the second graduating class of Illinois Lutheran High School. He graduated from Martin Luther College in 1996 with degrees in education and mathematics.
His first teaching assignment was to be the principal and grades five to eight teacher at Peridot Lutheran Elementary School on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. The Moellers then accepted a call to serve as science and math teacher and soccer coach at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson, Wisconsin. He earned his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University Wisconsin in 2006. He also served as curriculum coordinator for the KML Federation and the KMLHS director of instruction. Matt has served as an adjunct professor of education at Wisconsin Lutheran College and is a mentor in the WELS New Teacher Induction Program.
Mr. Moeller has been blessed to be married to Amy and raise three children together. He enjoys cycling, running, reading, and watching sports.
Dean of Students – Mr. Jeff Rick grew up in La Valle, WI, and graduated from Martin Luther College in 2017 with a degree in Elementary Education and Secondary Social Studies Education. Mr. Rick teaches different levels of social studies, math, and religion in the junior high and high school and is the Dean of Students. He also coaches the varsity boys’ basketball team and assists with junior high baseball.
When asked what he enjoys most about teaching, Mr. Rick said, “I love seeing the ‘aha’ moments when students understand difficult topics and questions.”
Mr. Rick was married to his wife, Lisa, in July 2017. She taught preschool at Illinois Lutheran Elementary School but is now staying home with their first child, Hudson. Mr. Rick enjoys playing and watching sports (mostly football and basketball). He also enjoys hiking and traveling with his family.
Mr. Rick teaches Social Studies, Religion, and Math
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 121 – Email: jrick@illinoislutheran.org
Dean of Academics – Mrs. Katty Van Arnold grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from Martin Luther College in 2018 with a degree in Elementary Education and Secondary Mathematics Education. Before coming to ILHS, she taught math and was a dorm supervisor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary. In summer of 2023 she got married to Mr. Noah Van Arnold, who is the 5th grade teacher at the elementary campus.
Mrs. Van Arnold enjoys most every activity outside including hiking, running, hammocking, camping, rollerblading, etc. She also likes playing board games, traveling to new places, and visiting friends and family.
Mrs. Van Arnold is a Math Teacher, Guidance Counselor, and Registrar
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 110 – Email: kvanarnold@ilhs.org
Dean of Spiritual Life – Mr. Tim Rimpel is a 1978 Graduate of Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. He holds a Masters of Social Sciences from Governor’s State University and a Masters of Arts in Religion from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI. Mr. Rimpel has been teaching in Crete for over 35 years. He currently teaches Junior and Senior Religion. As Dean of Spiritual Life, Mr. Rimpel is responsible for all aspects of spiritual life and oversees all worship opportunities for our students.
Mr. Rimpel says, “Illinois Lutheran provides a Christ-centered education that promotes a Biblical mindset to live out what has been learned.”
Mr. Rimpel teaches Religion
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 107 – Email: trimpel@ilhs.org
Mrs. Kelly Henning received her Illinois teaching license from Governors State University in 2008. She has taught grades 3-8 in public education and was the principal at Zion Lutheran School in Beecher, Illinois. She has also received her WELS accreditation from Martin Luther College. She is very excited to be part of the ILS family.
Mrs. Henning married her husband, Scott, in April 2010. They are raising two girls, Abigail and Grace, who attend ILS. In her free time she enjoys photography, swimming, technology, and exploring the great outdoors.
Mrs. Henning teaches English and 8th Grade Homeroom
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 113 – Email: khenning@illinoislutheran.org
Mr. Conor Kopp was born in Milwaukee, WI and has also lived in Laport, IN, Plainfield, IL, Grand Rapids, MI, Fort Myers, FL, Saginaw, MI, and Appleton, WI. He attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary for high school and graduated from Martin Luther College in 2023. His parents are Brian and Cheryl Kopp and he has three younger siblings – Liam, Elise, and Greta.
Mr. Kopp enjoys reading, writing, playing electric guitar, playing video games, and watching anime. His favorite part of teaching literature is teaching students how to think critically and analyze a text. He loves seeing them work through deep concepts and ideas as they apply them to their lives.
Mr. Kopp teaches English
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 118 – Email: ckopp@ilhs.org
Mr. Jacob Lash was born and lived his whole life in Racine, WI. He is the oldest of three children of Brian and Kim Lash, who have both lived in the Racine/Kenosha area since childhood as well.
Mr. Lash graduated from Shoreland Lutheran High School in 2013 and immediately went to Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN the following fall. After spending five years there, he graduated from Martin Luther College in the spring of 2018 with a double major in Secondary Mathematics Education and Elementary Education. Just a few hours after graduation, Mr. Lash received an assignment from the WELS assignment committee to teach high school and junior high math at ILS.
Mr. Lash began talking to and met his future wife Kelly in May of 2019. In October of 2020 he proposed and she said yes! They were married on July 17 of 2021. Mrs. Lash is now working as the office manager of Zion Lutheran Church, just across from the high school that Mr. Lash teaches at. Mr. and Mrs. Lash love playing Cribbage and Sequence together as well as going for nice walks in the evenings.
Mr. Lash teaches Math
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 103 – Email: jlash@ilhs.org
Mr. Ty Marohn serves as the Physical Education teacher, Assistant Athletic Director, and instructor for Health and Basic Religion. He graduated from Martin Luther College in 2025 with a degree in Secondary Physical Education and is a 2021 graduate of Manitowoc Lutheran High School.
Originally from Wisconsin, Mr. Marohn grew up in Eau Claire, Lannon, and Sheboygan, and he appreciates the different communities each place had to offer. Mr. Marohn comes from a family of eight, with two brothers and three sisters. His upbringing in a very busy environment has shaped his love for staying active. Outside of sports, Mr. Marohn loves music, cooking, traveling, nature, and spending time with family and friends.
Mr. Marohn will also be coaching high school soccer and 7th-8th grade basketball. He looks forward to creating a positive team culture that fosters a love for competition. In the classroom, He likes to focus on real-life application of knowledge through the lens of faith.
Mr. Marohn enjoys sharing his love for movement with the core belief that our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. He sees physical activity not just as a way to stay fit, but as an opportunity to honor the gifts we’ve been given. Through both teaching and coaching, he hopes to inspire students to care for their bodies, build character through teamwork, and live with gratitude for the lives God has entrusted to them.
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 114 – Email: tmarohn@ilhs.org
Profe Paul serves as our Spanish teacher and brings a passion for language, culture, and faith into the classroom. Originally from Bennett, Colorado, he graduated from Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School and earned his degree from Martin Luther College in 2021. He has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America to deepen his understanding of Spanish and connect with the people who speak it. He has led a Bible School Camp and taught English in Mahahual, Mexico, and has served twice as an assistant for the Martin Luther College Immersion trip program.
Each summer, Profe Paul continues exploring new places in Latin America to grow in language fluency and cultural understanding—because, as he says, “in real life you can’t turn the subtitles on.” He loves encouraging his students to use Spanish to explore the world and to communicate the love of Christ across cultures.
Outside the classroom, Profe Paul enjoys cooking and baking for others, exploring nature, listening to diverse music, and capturing meaningful moments through photography.
Profe Paul teaches Spanish
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 102 – Email: cpaul@ilhs.org
Miss Chloe Robbert grew up in Weyauwega, WI until June 2012 when her father took a call to serve as the pastor for King of Kings Lutheran Church in Wasilla, AK. In October of 2021, her family then returned to the Midwest when her father took a call to serve at St. John’s Lutheran in Goodhue, MN. She attended Luther Preparatory School for high school and graduated in 2018. She graduated from Martin Luther College in 2022 with a degree in Secondary Science Education.
Teaching at Illinois Lutheran is her first call out of Martin Luther College. She is very excited to be sharing her love for Christ and his creation with all her students. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
Miss Robbert teaches Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, 7th Grade Life Science and Junior High Art
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 127 – Email: crobbert@ilhs.org
Miss Beth Schuppe is from Memphis, TN and graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1983. Her first call was to St. John’s Lutheran Elementary School in Two Rivers, WI. She taught 5th grade, 5-6th grade girls PE and current events, 7-8th grade girls PE and current events. She also coached all the girls 5-6th and 7-8th grade sports teams. She has been teaching at Illinois Lutheran since the doors opened in 1987. Miss Schuppe currently teaches in the Social Studies Department for the 8th graders to senior year for both required classes and electives. She publishes the Jr/Sr High bi-weekly student calendar of events and designs updates for the announcement TV’s in the school building on the Jr/Sr High campus.
When asked what she enjoys most about teaching, she said, “Being with the students. I have them for the best part of the day. They bring such joy to my life. Honestly, they are my family here in Crete. I love sharing with them how God directed history to continue his promises and further His plan of salvation since Creation because nobody explained that to me when I was younger.”
When away from school, she is the happiest when she is with dogs whether that is as a dog owner, training them or visiting people who are shut-ins at nursing homes or hospitals. She also enjoys playing her guitar and is looking forward to returning to play in Trinity’s Blended Services.
Miss Schuppe teaches History, Geography, Economics, Government and Civil Rights
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 106 – Email: bschuppe@ilhs.org
Mr. Peter Shi was born and raised in China and is an only child. His Chinese name is Ziwen Shi. When he was 15 years old, God gave him the opportunity to come to the United States to study. He went to Michigan Lutheran Seminary in 2014 and started as a Sophomore, graduating in 2017. He attended Martin Luther College as a staff minister, but later decided that he wanted to be a teacher because he has always loved science and he wanted to help students to be successful. He graduated from MLC in 2022 and is looking forward to his first teaching Call and first classroom.
He believes that all students have the ability to do well in science, and he is willing to help them as much as possible. Mr. Shi said that “Learning science can show how powerful God is to put everything in order and no one else has the power and knowledge to create all these orders.”
When away from school, Mr. Shi enjoys video games, working out, traveling to new places, and playing the piano for fun.
Mr. Shi teaches Chemistry & Physics
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 126 – Email: pshi@ilhs.org
Ms. Monica Swenson grew up in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, and graduated from Martin Luther College in 2000. Upon graduation, she received her first teaching call to Zion Lutheran School in South Milwaukee, WI, where she taught 2nd grade for one year. Over the next 15 years, Ms. Swenson went on to teach in other WELS and public schools in Wisconsin. She also spent some years at home raising her three children: Olivia, Maya, and Isaiah. In 2016, Ms. Swenson moved to Crete with her family. She spent nine years teaching in the Crete-Monee School District before accepting the call to serve at Illinois Lutheran.
Ms. Swenson holds a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus in Trauma and Resiliency, from Concordia University Chicago. She is passionate about supporting students’ social and emotional development as they navigate through the process of growing up as God’s children in our complex world.
Ms. Swenson teaches Study Skills, Current Events, Career Readiness and 7th Grade Homeroom
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 113 – Email: mswenson@ilhs.org
Mr. Jonathan Witte grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin where he attended Faith Lutheran Grade School and graduated from Winnebago Lutheran Academy in 2013. He graduated from Martin Luther College in December of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Music Education. His first five years of ministry were at Luther High School in Onalaska, Wisconsin where he was the grade school and high school band director. Mr. Witte has taught at ILHS since 2023.
At Illinois Lutheran Schools, Mr. Witte serves as music director – leading all choirs and bands and teaching music courses. He loves to share his passion for music with students of all ages! He also serves as the interim technology director.
Jonathan and his wife Carley got married in 2021. They were blessed with their first child in March 2024. Outside of making music, Jonathan enjoys taking photos, making videos, and dreaming of being an astronaut.
Mr. Witte’s favorite bible passage and confirmation verse is Zephaniah 3:17 – “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Mr. Witte teaches Band, Choir and Music
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 108 – Email: jwitte@ilhs.org
Pastor Kendall Cook
Trinity Lutheran Church
Phone: 708.672.8125 – Email: kcook@trintycrete.org
Pastor Michael Schneider
Zion Lutheran Church
Phone: 708.672.8600 – Email: mschneider@zioncrete.org
Jessica Bushey
Administrative Assistant
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 123 – Email: jbushey@ilhs.org
Tonya Danielewicz
Financial Manager
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 124 – Email: financial@illinoislutheran.org
Rik McGathey
Repairs & Maintenance
Phone: 708.672.3262, ext. 116 – Email: rmcgathey@ilhs.org