Cross Of Hope School Staff

I am beyond blessed to be entrusted with the role of Director of Cross of Hope School Ministry. I moved to Albuquerque in the middle of the pandemic and ‘found’ Cross of Hope while on a walk to the park from my nearby apartment. I am a licensed teacher in the state of New Mexico, with a bachelor’s degree in human communication, and a master’s degree in education, and 20+ years of  teaching experience. Inspiring others through curiosity in a classroom comes second only to raising my two sons; Aaron, 32, who lives in Colorado with his dog and two cats, and Jake, 34, who lives here in Albuquerque with his wife, Jess, and my grandkids. Spending as much time as possible wrapped up in their sweet, loving arms is my greatest joy. In my spare time, I belong to a hiking group, a women’s bible study, a community group, and a sorority of women educators, DKG. I am so thankful for all the love, support, and the encouragement received from our school and the church community.

I have been at Cross of Hope preschool since August 2015.  My educational background is a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Multicultural Education, and a Master’s degree in education. My teaching experience is with children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years old, for more than 15 years.

The preschool means a lot to me and I want to continue building the program, as well as keeping the aspects that make the school special. Because of this school, I have grown not only as a person, but spiritually, and professionally.  Through my experience, I want to give back everything I can, in order to advance  the goals and traditions the preschool has to offer.  I am excited to travel through this journey with the amazing families and staff and continuing the legacy, integrity and excellence the preschool is known for.

My name is Nancy Lacher. I’m a retired educator who volunteers in a variety of capacities at Cross of Hope School. My history in education includes being a general education teacher, a Special Education teacher, and a principal. I served in the Albuquerque Public Schools for 35 years. I love being able to stay connected
with kids in an educational capacity. I enjoy their energy and sense of wonder. They help me stay young at heart.

I first came to Cross of Hope as a young mother in MOPS in 1993.  At that time my second child was four and I was happy to be able to put her in the four year old preschool program. My youngest child was able to attend Cross of Hope Preschool for two years.  I was totally in love with the preschool! I was asked if I would be interested in being a substitute teacher. In 2005 I was asked if I would be interested in applying for the educational assistant position that was opening up in the three year old program the following school year. The following year I was so blessed by the Lord to be asked to become the lead teacher for the three year old program. The Lord gave me a new song in my hear to teach! I love what I do and I feel very blessed to be just a little part of these children’s lives!!

My name is Lori Braunhardt and I have the honor of being the teacher in the 4/5 year old preschool classroom.  This is my 16th year working at Cross of Hope Lutheran Schools.  I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico.  I also have a 2 year Child Development Certificate from Central New Mexico College.  I am a certified yoga instructor.  I love my job and these beautiful children that God has blessed us with here at Cross of Hope!

God truly has a plan and purpose for my life by sending me to this wonderful preschool to be a teacher when I was ready to go back to work after being a stay at home mom raising my two sons. While attending church and strengthening my faith, I walk in His grace. I love sowing seeds into the families and sharing God’s great love with these children and preparing them for kindergarten. I enjoy working with my colleagues because they are so much fun. I thank God for this ministry he gave me.

Hi, I’m Jade Gilmore and I will be the new EA for the Ladybug class this year. I am so excited to get to know the students and work with all of the wonderful staff at Cross of Hope School. Being able to help your children grow and learn and have a great experience while doing so is so important to me- especially being a mama myself! I am a New Mexico native and have been with my husband, Cameron for 18 years. We have two beautiful children- Jack (10) and Lola (6) and our dog, Nelson. I love to read, travel, cook and watch my children play sports. I know this is going to be such a great school year and I look forward to meeting everyone!

I graduated from University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University taking  educational courses for my degrees in Education and Bilingual Education.  I speak English and Spanish.  Teaching from K-8th grade, bilingual classes, at APS for the last 24 years was a great experience.  Love music, dance, art, cooking, and caring for pups are some of my interests.  Getting to know NM is also an interesting experience as there are so many places to visit. 

Hi! I’m Linda Aragón. I was born and raised in Albuquerque with a long line of ancestors who made their homes in northern NM and east of the Manzano mountains.  I’m a ranch girl at heart.  I have been married to my husband for 38 years, and we have raised three wonderful children and have been blessed with two more children through marriage. Our two eldest children have given us 5 grandchildren, under the age of 5!   Our family gatherings are full of fun and laughter, and we absolutely love it!  I began my teaching career in 2001, on the Santo Domingo Pueblo, and I have taught in other parts of NM, but most of my experience has been in Albuquerque, ranging from preschool through 3rd grade.  My husband and I bought our first home in the neighborhood behind our school, and we lived there for 16 years! This area will always be home to us.  I am honored to be a part of the Cross of Hope family and I’m excited about where God has led me.  I look forward to guiding children in a loving, nurturing learning environment to thrive in, using God as my foundation and guide.

Hello! My name is Natasha N. Van Scyoc. I used to go by the name Natasha Natewa but I got married on July 19, 2024 so now I am Van Scyoc. One of my students said my maiden name is easier to pronounce, but I married a man (Justin Van Scyoc) with a Dutch last name. Justin is a novelist but is actively pursuing a career in IT, preferably network administration. He is always willing to help me in the classroom. He has already been helping my students with their writing.

After graduating highschool I attended Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. I had a double major in Theology and Church Ministry Leadership with a minor in Education Studies and Youth Ministry. After graduating in 2015, I started my teaching career at Zuni Christian Mission School. Which is located in Zuni, NM. For the first two and a half years I was a teacher assistant for 1st through 4th grade. While I was an assistant I finished the courses needed to complete the UNM education program. After completing the necessary courses, I taught 5th grade at ZCMS, for five years. Then I moved to Albuquerque and taught Bible, math and literature classes to 5th through 7th graders at Abundant Life Christian School. 

Outside of teaching, I love animals - I have two dogs named Dexter and Luke Skywalker, one black cat named Drogon, and my husband has a black cat named Raven. I have two siblings who are younger than me. My brother, Tyrell Natewa, obtained a Master of Divinity degree, and my sister, Tamara Natewa, is a behavioral technician for students with Autism. My family is small but I love them dearly. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with my family and my career in education.

Hi! My name is Mrs. Elaine Pratt! My husband Jeff and I have been married for 31 years. We met at work when I worked in the semi- conductor industry in NY.  We have no children, unfortunately; but love our 3 Alaskan breed dogs: Tatiana, Oksana, and our rescue, Aspen.  I enjoy traveling, reading, playing with the dogs, and cooking.  This will be my 16th year at Cross of Hope School.

I have a B.S. in Business Administration, double major in information systems and management from Manhattan College.  I worked for 15 years as a computer programmer, tech, and online tech support.  I earned my Master of Education in Special Education from New Mexico Highlands University.  I am dual certified in New Mexico to teach General and Special Ed.

Began her teaching journey in 1996, just a few years out of her Bachelor of Science at UNM. She took a 2-year teaching program and earned a post-baccalaureate in K-8 education. Teaching 5th grade at Inez Elementary, she also started her own family and stayed home to raise her daughter and son. While they attended pre-school at Cross of Hope, she pursued her Master of Education. She has taught 3rd through 8th grade and spent 8 of her 14 years in the classroom at Cross of Hope School; and Pastor Adam has been her own pastor for the past 5 years here at our church.

“I learned to love learning in the experimental classrooms of the 1970s where we had a mini society to learn economics, created, and performed our own commercials to show our learning, were able to move ahead in math or do more practice in small groups, where we sat in reading groups and got to talk about books, and had amazing art lessons in calligraphy and macramé! Mrs. Scavarda and Mr. Bailey were my own 4th and 5th grade teachers who unknowingly shaped my destiny to teach!”

Home and Family:  I am married, and my husband is retired from Sandia Labs. We have a son and a daughter who are both adults. We have three grandchildren and one great grandson. Our four-legged family members consist of two doggies and one kitty cat who keep us entertained and
provide us with lots of love and great companionship. We are native to the Land of Enchantment. We love to eat and cook New Mexican food and love both red and green Chile.

Education: I earned both my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Elementary Education K-8 from UNM. I am a licensed K-8 level IIIA Instructor with endorsements in TESOL and Language Arts. I have taught grades K-3 and held various teaching positions where I taught grades K-5 in small groups. I have experience in teaching multi-age groups and diverse populations. I have 23.5 years of teaching experience mostly in Albuquerque Public Schools. I joined the teaching staff here at Cross of Hope School in January of this year and I am so blessed to be among this community.

My name is Paula Willis.  I am a veteran teacher with a Master's Degree in math.  I am excited to be teaching math intervention at Cross of Hope.  I am joined by my therapy dog, Coal who helps me make math a lot of fun to learn.  In my free time, I love to hike with friends and walk my six dogs. I am President of Warm Hearts Network Therapy Dog Group, and am on the board with Watermelon Ranch. Rescue work is one of my passions along with spending time with my 5 beautiful grandchildren.  

My name is Coal.  I am a therapy dog.  My job is to make people smile.  I am 6 years old and LOVE working with kids.  I enjoy going to do volunteer work around town and I love getting cookies.  I have five, furry siblings at home, but I am the only one who gets to go to work.  I am trained in eliciting giggles, ensuring good moods, and making people happy.  In my spare time, I enjoy going on hikes, taking an occasional swim in the river, riding in the car, and getting a pup cup at Starbucks.

Lynne Bagby is the editor of the Cross of Hope newsletter, Rays of Hope.  She is also a volunteer substitute and works at the Welcome Desk at Cross of Hope.  Lynne loves Cross of Hope Church and School.  It is rewarding to work with people at the church and be able to be a part of the amazing education the children are receiving at Cross of Hope. After teaching for 39 years, Lynne retired.  It wasn’t long before she realized that she needed to be involved, especially with children.  Once a teacher, always a teacher.  Nothing feels better than being a volunteer! 

I was born and raised in Albuquerque. I received my bachelor degree in Criminology from University of New Mexico. My son has attended Cross of Hope school since he was in preschool and is now in 4th grade. I have volunteered at the school and for the past three years I have been a substitute teacher. 

I was born and raised on the Westside of Albuquerque. I even meet my husband of 11 wonderful years at a local Wells Fargo on Coors. We now are blessed to have two
amazing boys. I attended Cibola HS and the Career Enrichment Center (CEC) where I received my License Practical Nurse (LPN) at seventeen years of age. I continued my nursing education at CNM, where I obtained my Associates degree in Nursing. I worked at Lovelace hospital since 2009. I practiced Nursing on their medical surgical/ ICU and step-down units for many years. In early 2016 I found my nursing passion working in pediatrics and mother baby units, which I absolutely loved. After we had our second child, I had the opportunity to be a full-time mom while keeping my Nursing license active. I now have the wonderful opportunity to work at Cross of Hope as the Lunch Manager. I am so blessed to see all the happy children every day.