Katie Abbring
B.A. Art Education, Calvin College
M.A. Education, Hamline University
House Veritas

Katie Abbring is the Photography Teacher at SWCHS. She went to Calvin College for her BA in Art Education and Hamline University for her MA in Education.

Katie has almost two decades of experience teaching art at Avail Academy. She helps students to look at God’s creation with an artist’s eye, develop their creative gifts in photography, and create art that glorifies God.

Katie grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a family of six. Her father is an avid photographer and took the family on trips to the National Parks to enjoy and photograph the wonderful world that God made. Katie remembers being spiritually moved by the beauty of a sunset on Jackson Lake in the Grand Tetons at age 12. After graduating from college, Katie moved to the Twin Cities to teach art and married her husband, Steve.

Steve and Katie live in Eden Prairie and have three children, Levi, Joel and Hazel. Katie enjoys being out in nature. She loves to garden and is part of the Master Gardener volunteer program. Katie likes hiking, biking, and running around the Twin Cities. Following in her father’s footsteps, Katie’s family also travels to National Parks and other beautiful places. She enjoys creative pursuits like photography and working with the worship team on visuals at her church. Katie’s favorite artist is Georgia O’Keeffe because of her vibrant paintings and shared love of nature.

Kit Avery
Business/Strength & Conditioning Faculty
B.A. Marketing, Ethics, Drake University Business School
ACSI Certified
First year at SWCHS: 2010
House Fide

Kit Avery is the chair of the Business Department and coaches strength and conditioning at Southwest Christian High School. He grew up in Deephaven, Minnesota, and he and his sister, Annika, are proud alumni of SWCHS. Kit is a cancer survivor and Eagle Scout. He owned and operated a family business in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area prior to teaching at SWCHS. He was one of Southwest Christian’s top athletes and played Division I basketball at Drake University where he had the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament.

Kit married his wife, Anna, in 2014, and the couple has two sons, Elias and Ezra whom both attend Chapel Hill Academy. Kit and Anna are both active in Bible Study Fellowship where he has the privilege to teach in the children’s program. A couple of traditions the Avery family enjoys include Taco Tuesday, sunset waterskiing and adventure hikes. Mr. Avery enjoys being physically active, waterskiing, spending time in wooden boats with his wife and sons, working on home renovation projects with his father, and spending time on the lake at their family cabin. The Averys live in Excelsior and attend Excelsior Covenant Church.

I have been a middle school teacher at Minnehaha Academy for the past 7 years. I teach upper level math courses at SWCHS.
House: Fortitudo

I teach at SWCHS because believe in the mission of Christian schools and am excited to partner with the school in helping to disciple high school students in their relationship with Jesus.

Matt Berka
English Faculty
B.A. Communication Arts & Literature Education 5-12: Bethel University
M.A. English, Ohio University
ACSI Certified, State Teaching License
First year at SWCHS: 2016
House Fortitudo

Matt Berka joined the faculty at Southwest Christian in 2016 and teaches junior English. He’s originally from Wisconsin but moved to Minnesota to attend Bethel University. While Wisconsin still plays an important role in his life, he’s happy to call Minnesota home. After graduating with a degree in English education, Mr. Berka earned a master’s degree in English from Ohio University. Mr. Berka and his wife, Rachel have two young children (Lucy and Micah) and are members at Westwood Community Church. Outside of school responsibilities, Mr. Berka enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing sports, reading, and talking about The Beatles.

Dr. Thor Benson
Science Faculty
Ph.D. Science Education, University of Minnesota
M.A. Educational Leadership, Bethel University
B.S. Kinesiology, Wheaton College
ACSI Certified, State Teaching License
First year at SWCHS: 2015
House Sapientia

Dr. Thor Benson seeks to cultivate an engaging teaching and learning environment for our students and faculty. He also
teaches a variety of science courses (biology, physics, and Earth & Space science) and has been the head coach for the boys lacrosse program since its inception. He also facilitates the Leadership Academy for students who feel called to serve and lead the SWCHS
community.

Since starting his teaching career in 2002, Dr. Benson has held a variety of roles as a teacher in K-8 physical education, middle school and high school science, and as a college professor.

During his 10-years in higher education, he was a professor of science education and the director of the college’s honors program. Throughout his teaching experience, Dr. Benson has taught every grade from kindergarten to graduate students and has had the privilege of teaching a few students during their elementary, high school, and college careers.

Dr. Benson also serves as a Teaching for Transformation school designer with the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education, helping schools engage in distinctively Christian
learning.

Dr. Benson and his wife, Kettie, live in Chanhassen and have three children, Molly, Lily, and Soren. They attend Grace Church. As an extreme extrovert and mediocre athlete, Dr. Benson can be found playing a sport or lawn game if he is not mountain biking or hanging with family.

Julie has been teaching for over 20 years. This is her first year at SWCHS where she teaches biology.

Dr. Donald Carlson
Bible Faculty
Ph.D. Judaic, Hebraic, and Cognate Studies, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
M.Phil. Hebraic and Cognate Studies, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
B.A. Biblical Studies, University of Northwestern-St. Paul
ACSI Certified
First year at SWCHS: 2015
House Fortitudo

In the summer after his junior year of high school, a younger Mr. Carlson cruised down County Rd 81 (near Osseo MN), going some 62 mph on a pair of rollerblades, holding to the back of van (it was a cool old van, with one of those ‘ladder racks’ on the back, next to the spare tire. Remember those?). This went on for just a couple miles before it had to end. He turned out feeling great, but the skates didn’t make it.

It was in college where he met his true love. Justine Noel said “yes” (!) and they got married in 1999, one week after graduation. They moved to Cincinnati for Donald to work on his doctorate. There they lived until 2015. During that time Mr. Carlson became Dr. Carlson. and the Lord would bless both he and Mrs. Carlson (that’s Justine, from above) with four lovely daughters. They now make their home together here in Chaska.

Dr. Carlson a committed follower-in-practice of King Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God. He and his family are members at Church of the Cross in Hopkins.

He loves being physically active; he loves being in nature. But he also thrives on deep contemplative study, reading old texts written in dead languages to extract their wisdom for living life to the fullest.

That and he rides a 1982 Honda CX-500 Custom

Adam is a professional musician, and this is his first year at SWCHS leading our worship team.

DeVries, Kimberly
Instrumental Director
M.A Choral Conducting, SUNY Stony Brook
B.A Music, Luther College
First year at SWCHS: 2019
House Sapientia

Kimberly DeVries and her husband, Brian, have been married 28 years and recently moved back to Chaska from Virginia, where she taught music, choir, orchestra, and worship at Fresta Valley Christian School. Prior to her move to Virginia, Mrs. DeVries was the music and choir teacher at Calvin Christian School (now Avail Academy) in Edina. She has over 20 years of experience teaching preschool through college, conducting orchestras, bands, choirs, vocal ensembles, opera, musicals and leading worship.

Mrs. DeVries is not new to the SWCHS community, as both her daughters, Elyse (23) and Anna (21), attended SWCHS before moving to Virginia.  Besides her love of music and ability to play multiple instruments, you may also see her pick up a volleyball and/or basketball from time to time, which are two other favorite things she enjoys doing!

Austin Dyck
Math Faculty
B.S. Math Education & Bible, Northwestern University-St. Paul
Summit Ministries Trained
ACSI Certified
First year at SWCHS: 1998
House Fide

Austin Dyck grew up as a missionary kid in the jungles of Indonesia. When he graduated from high school, he moved to Minnesota to attend Northwestern College (now University of Northwestern-St. Paul) where he received a degree in math education. Mr. Dyck (Mr. D) was hired by a tiny school called Southwest Christian High School. He currently teaches the upper level math classes and is a member of House Fide. When he first started, Mr. D was the only full-time math teacher, and he spent many years coaching basketball. Outside of school, he enjoys fitness and athletics. He and his wife, Megan, live in Chaska.

Dr. Dan Ehresmann
Science Faculty
Ph.D. Chemistry, North Dakota State University
B.A. Biology & Chemistry, Augsburg College
ACSI Certified
First year at SWCHS: 2012
House Veritas

Dr. Dan Ehresmann grew up in Minneapolis and attended Augsburg College earning degrees in Biology and Chemistry. He earned his PhD in Chemistry from North Dakota State University, did Post Docteral study at the University of Minnesota, and spent over 20 years working in medical diagnostics at Beckman-Coulter in Chaska in new product development, clinical affairs, and program management.

Dr. Ehresmann has taught PSOS chemistry part time at SWCHS since 2006 and full time since 2013 adding chemistry and physics. His classes model a “workplace environment” where students gain practical workplace experience. His deep hope for himself and his students is to “Train our minds to recognize truth”.

Outside of school, Dr. Ehresmann enjoys playing guitar in worship bands, camping, swimming, biking, home improvement projects, spending time with his grown children, Erik and Anne, and traveling to Gulu, Uganda to encourage the Church, Christian schools, and a children’s home.

M.S. Biology, Clemson University
Graduate Biology Certificate, Indiana Wesleyan University
M.S. Educational Leadership, Bob Jones University
B.S. Biology and Math Education, Pensacola Christian College
ACSI Certified, State Teaching License
First year at SWCHS: 2013
House Sapientia

Mr. Flint spent a number of years in school administration yet recognizes his passion lies in the sciences. His heart’s greatest desire is that his students recognize that life is a unique entity provided by their Creator and that they understand we have the privilege of overseeing the environment as stewards who will help restore creation until it is “…on Earth as it is in heaven…”

Southwest Christian maintains an apiary which Mr. Flint oversees alongside students and volunteers who are also interested in honeybees. He is currently researching and developing a grant proposal for the use of select phytochemicals to reduce the incidence of mite populations in hives.

Accreditation is a valuable process for any educational institution and Mr. Flint helps ensure this process is maintained for Southwest Christian. He has worked with the New England Association of Schools for Colleges (NEASC) for many years and currently works with the accrediting agencies Southwest is partnered with; Cognia, and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).