Our Faculty

Lead Pastor

Pastor Pete has been here at Pilgrim since April of 2024. Pete has earned a Bachelor of Arts from Martin Luther College and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. 

Prior to living and serving here in the East Valley, Pete, his wife Melissa, and their family lived in Suamico, WI for 5 years. Pastor Z. served as the pastor of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church and Mel worked full-time at home as they raised their 7 kids and German wirehaired pointer, Max. 

For 7 years prior to Suamico, Pete and Mel lived and served in Laramie, Wyoming. Pete was a mission explorer who had the privilege of planting a new church, and Mel worked as a home visiting nurse. 

At Pilgrim Lutheran School, Pastor Z. teaches the basics of Christian doctrine to all 5th through 8th graders. 

Pastor Z. and his family are excited to live and serve among us! They look forward to continuing to explore Arizona in their 12 passenger van. Pastor Pete looks forward to meeting you soon!

School Principal, 3rd - 4th Grade Teacher

Mr. Scott Stevenson holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Martin Luther College, graduating in 2004. He brings over two decades of dedicated classroom and leadership experience to his role as Principal at Pilgrim.

Throughout his career — spanning teaching and athletic administration across Wisconsin and Arizona —his passion for education has centered on fostering critical thinking, active learning, and healthy physical development. In the classroom, he loves teaching Science and Math, bringing abstract concepts to life through engaging, hands-on instruction while encouraging students to discover how numbers and the natural world connect around them.

Preschool Teacher

Caitlin graduated from Martin Luther College in May 2025 with degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. After serving as a lead teacher in Sahuarita, AZ, she accepted her call to ministry at Pilgrim in 2026.

Caitlin believes that intentional play is vital at this foundational life stage, where emotional growth is just as critical as academic learning. In our program, she ensures preschoolers are active participants in their environment, allowing them to explore at their own pace. Through child-led discovery, children learn to navigate complex feelings, work through problems, and build independence.

Step into her classroom, and you will see children moving, talking, singing, and imagining. These actions do more than entertain; they directly help children regulate emotions, grasp social cues, and understand God’s world. Caitlin looks forward to partnering with your family to nurture your child's heart and mind!

Kindergarten Teacher

Kim graduated from New Mexico State University in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. In 2003, she received her call to ministry at Pilgrim, beginning a journey of serving children and families through education and faith.

Kim spent five years teaching preschool before dedicating the next 16 years to teaching Kindergarten. Throughout her years in education, she has loved watching children grow—not only physically and academically, but also emotionally and, most importantly, spiritually.

While Kim believes in the importance of reading, writing, and arithmetic, her greatest passion is sharing the grace and mercy of God and the love of Jesus with children. She especially enjoys creating an environment where children experience what it means to live as Christians and follow Christ while growing up in a worldly community. For Kim, teaching is more than a profession; it is an opportunity to nurture young hearts, encourage growing minds, and help children develop a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ.

1st - 2nd Grade Teacher

Ellen earned her teaching degree from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. She taught at various places in Wisconsin before joining Pilgrim Lutheran in Mesa, Arizona in 2018.

Ellen has a particular passion for teaching reading and fostering a lifelong love of literature. She believes that strong phonics instruction provides the essential foundation for confident, successful readers. By combining systematic phonics instruction with engaging literature and meaningful reading experiences, she strives to help students develop both the skills and the enthusiasm needed to become lifelong readers. One of her greatest joys as an educator is helping students grow in confidence, discover new interests through literature, and become thoughtful, independent readers!

Music is another important part of Ellen’s life. With years of experience studying piano, organ, and band, she enjoys sharing her musical talents as part of Pilgrim's music program. She considers it a blessing to combine her love of teaching and music while serving the Lord and the students of Pilgrim! 

5th - 8th Grade Teacher

Gary has taught at Pilgrim Lutheran School since 2023. He brings with him 40+ years of teaching experience in the elementary levels of the WELS school system. He currently teaches grades 5-8 in our school. In his classroom, you can expect to be encouraged to take responsibility for your learning by giving your best effort regularly.

He likes to highlight a growth in organizational skills at the middle school level and promotes digging deeper into concepts as the student progresses from grade to grade. He enjoys teaching children to improve social relationships through daily interactions and a strong foundation in writing and oral communication skills. He hopes to instill a confidence in each of his students to use their God-given talents in reading and mathematics, setting a firm foundation for future years of learning. He wishes each student to gain success at a pace that matches their gifts.

One thing he loves about the multigrade classroom is the value of supportive peer coaching to boost this confidence in younger learners. Most importantly, he will teach all subjects in the light of God’s Word, helping students to appreciate God’s hand in every aspect of the student’s learning.

Art Teacher

Amber earned her teaching degree from Martin Luther College in Minnesota. Throughout various professional roles, she consistently made time to teach art. Since 2022, Amber has served as a full-time, traveling art teacher across multiple WELS schools in the valley, while also hosting adult art workshops and youth summer camps.

In the classroom, her mission is to cultivate art appreciation, introduce diverse mediums, and provide a safe, supportive space for creative expression. Above all, she values nurturing well-rounded students and sharing the love of her Savior. 

Amber and her husband, Kevin, have made their home in the desert since 2013, where they are raising three daughters. Outside the classroom, they enjoy traveling, thrifting, and taking on home renovation projects.

Physical Education Teacher

Zane joined Pilgrim fall 2026 as the physical education teacher. He graduated from NAU in 2015 with a degree in Physical Education. After graduating from NAU, He taught PE, Heath and coached varsity Cross Country and Track and Field in Holbrook, AZ for 9 years. During Zane’s time at HUSD he worked with grades K-12 learning how to mold appropriate lessons and learning experiences for multiple skill levels and grades. 

Zane believes physical education should be a place for students to learn skills and activities that will help them to foster a life long commitment to health and fitness. He believes enjoyment of movement and activities is vital to building a positive relationship with exercise and sport. Sportsmanship is at the root of all of his activities encouraging classmates to support one another. He emphasizes students to give their best effort at all times as a way to glorify God with the abilities that have been given to them. 

Recruitment Director

Katie serves as our Recruitment Director, bringing a wonderful blend of administrative experience, financial expertise, and a deep heart for Christian education to the Pilgrim ministry. She first joined our school office team in early 2024 and is thrilled to now help welcome and guide new families into our school community.

Katie earned her degree in Accounting from Old Dominion University in 2014. Before stepping into school ministry, she spent years working in corporate and small business tax. Because her family moved to several states over the last decade—including Washington, California, and Texas—Katie understands firsthand the mix of excitement and anxiety that comes with searching for a new school. She knows how important it is to find a nurturing environment that meets a family's unique educational, spiritual, and social needs.

When she isn't serving our school families, Katie loves spending time in God’s beautiful creation. You’ll often spot her and her family out in nature, making the most of our beautiful state by camping, hiking, rafting and kayaking together!

School Secretary

Sherryl joined our Pilgrim family in 2025, and you can find her multitasking across campus as our School Secretary and a Preschool Classroom Aide. With her welcoming smile and deep love for Christian education, Sherryl is dedicated to making our school office a smooth, organized, and Christ-centered space for every student, parent, and visitor who walks through the door.

Originally from the Philippines, Sherryl moved to the United States in 1999 and lived in several different regions across the country before making beautiful Arizona her home in 2017. Her ability to adapt and jump in wherever she is needed makes her a wonderful blessing to both our front office all the way to our youngest learners in the preschool classroom!

Sherryl and her husband, love raising their three children here in the desert. She happily balances her ministry work with the joyful, busy rhythms of motherhood. When she isn't helping things run smoothly at Pilgrim, you’ll likely find Sherryl out on the water paddleboarding, traveling to new places with her family, or enthusiastically cheering on her kids from the sidelines at their sports games!