My name is Michelle Thanstrom and I teach the 1st/2nd grade class. I have been at Cornerstone since it opened. This is a ministry that is close to my heart and while I have only been at Cornerstone for the last 8 years I have been teaching for 24 years. I was born and raised in southern California. I met and married my husband, Rick, in 1993 and we have two adult children and one daughter-in-law. We moved to Grangeville in 2005 and we have been blessed to live and raise our kids here ever since. I attended community college in both California and Arizona. I homeschooled both of our kids from Kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. Both of our kids went on to attend Northwest Nazarene University and graduated with their Bachelors of Science degrees in Nursing.

 I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1996 and He has always been by my side through everything this life has thrown at us, both good and difficult. All I ask each morning is that He lead me and help to do His will so that one day I will hear Him say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

 When I am not at school teaching, I love to go kayaking with Rick, spending time with family, enjoying my horses and dog, reading, and music. 

Kristin Hauger, Lead Teacher. Kristin Hauger began teaching at Cornerstone in 2017, and this will be the 31st year of her teaching career. She is currently teaching the 6-8 grade class, but has worked with grades K-12 throughout her time teaching. Kristin is married to Mike and has 3 children; Katie, Marie, and Kevin. She enjoys singing, reading, baking, and watching her students grow in their biblical knowledge and faith.  

 After serving in the military for six years directly out of high school, I pursued the final few years of my bachelor’s degree before graduating Spring of 2023.  While I was in the military, I also pursued a 120-hour certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, which supplemented the experience I had gained both as a private Mandarin and English tutor and my time as a swimming instructor at the Grangeville City Pool in high school.  Now, having the opportunity to teach at a Christian school like Cornerstone is an exciting chance for me to pursue education in a Christian environment.  I accepted Christ as my Savior at a young age and rededicated myself as a freshman in high school.  My faith was challenged and strengthened through my experience in the military, and that experience as a whole deepened my faith greatly. An aunt, also a teacher, always remarked at how much joy and fulfillment she got out of teaching at Christian schools, so when the opportunity came to teach at Cornerstone I felt doubly led to apply. Now, I am eager to see where the year takes me, Cornerstone, and the kids!

My name is Liz Jackson and I am currently the Kindergarten teacher here at Cornerstone. I am married to a local pastor and we have 2 children of our own. I have had the privilege to teach for over 20 years.  When I was 18,  I moved out of the country and served as a missionary in Belize,  Central America and taught at a Private Christian School as a Preschool and Kindergarten teacher. Teaching has been such an honor God has blessed me with.  What a privilege it is to be entrusted with the responsibility to help student grow in their education and knowledge but also to share the good news and the love of God with the next generation of leaders.  It is humbling and rewarding to know know that I play a small part in the incredible plan that God has for each of them. I look forward to continuing this journey and working with each family as a partner in developing each child in their education and and their life for Christ.

Alexandra Bowers, Preschool/Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Alexandra Bowers was born in Glendale, Arizona, and grew up in Los Angeles, California. She recently moved to Grangeville where her soon-to-be husband resides. Alexandra graduated from Biola University with her BA in Liberal Studies, Elementary Education, and a minor in Early Childhood Development. She enjoys painting, cooking, baking, and spending time with her family and friends. Alexandra hopes to positively influence her students’ walk with God. She prays that she will not only leave an impact upon their head knowledge but to leave a lasting
imprint upon their hearts eternally.

Pete DeSantis is Cornerstone’s volunteer Administrator. I accepted Christ as my Savior as a teenager and rededicated my life through Baptism in 2015. I have served on Nazarene Church boards for 13 years as Trustee and/or Secretary of the Board. I have made four Work and Witness and/or Medical Mission trips to Ukraine and the Philippines with the Nazarene Church. I also served as Work and Witness coordinator for Ukraine and Moldova for a year and a half. Over the past 42 years I have served 37 years on Boards and Commissions overseeing everything from volunteer fire departments to statewide apprenticeship commissions.

I retired in 2011 after working twenty-five years with the California’s Department of Corrections. I began my career as a Correctional Officer, promoted to Correctional Sergeant after 9 years, promoted to Correctional Lieutenant after four years, and retired after 12 years. I cross trained as a Correctional Counselor, served as a Commissioner for the Commission on Correctional Peace Officer Standards and Training (CPOST), and served as Chair of CPOST’s Curriculum Review Committee, which was responsible for approval of all adult and youth departmental correctional peace officer training lesson plans. I served on CPOST’s Education Committee and assisted in the development and implementation of an Advanced Education program for the correctional peace officer apprenticeship program. I have obtained two-hundred and fifty-four college units, to include an Associate of Science in Welding, an Associate of Science in Firearms Repair, an Associate of Science in General Gunsmithing, thirty units in Correctional Science classes, three units in Criterion Referenced Instruction, three units in Fire Science Command and emergency care, and six units in general Business.

Serving our Father at Cornerstone has shown me how He plans our lives for how He plans to use us in the future. All of my work and educational background has assisted me in helping oversee Cornerstone, the children that attend there, and all the wonderful staff He has teaching there. Cornerstone’s focus is providing a quality education and sharing His plan of salvation. It is a privilege that I have thoroughly enjoyed since He called me to Cornerstone.

Dixie Schwartz is one of the CCLC oversight members. She is married and is the mother of two daughters and 6 grandchildren. Two of them attend CCLC. Dixie has a BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Reading K-12. She taught school for 30 years focusing on 2nd grade and remedial reading for grades K-12. Dixie and her husband attend Grangeville Church of the Nazarene and teach an adult Sunday school class. She has been a SDMI board member and involved in the nursery ministry. She accepted the Lord into her heart at a young age and rededicated her life to the Lord in her teens. Dixie has a passion for the Lord, children and education. 

Dean Allen started his professional career working as a childcare therapist in Boise in an adolescent treatment center and began a career in Secondary Education by teaching in Meridian Jr. High School while finishing his bachelor’s degree. After completing his master’s degree in education with an emphasis in general counseling, Dean moved to Cottonwood and has served as a clinician in private practice counseling for over 37 years and as a part time employee of St. Mary’s Hospital. Dean has led the development of clinical programs in substance abuse; the “Rider Program,” an alternative to long term incarceration; a work camp for those preparing for release from prison in Orofino; a Therapeutic Treatment program. He also served in other interventions during his 27-year career in Idaho’s Department of Adult Corrections, serving as a clinician and deputy warden. His second 14-year career was training clinicians in substance abuse across Idaho and monitoring contract compliance as a Clinical Coordinator for BPA Health. Dean was instrumental in starting the tele-psychiatry program at five regional hospitals in North Central Idaho. He has served as chairperson on the Regional Mental Health Board, is an advocate for telehealth training in Idaho, and has helped facilitate 2 major telehealth trainings in recent years. Dean is past telehealth subcommittee chairperson for Idaho’s Region 2 Behavioral Health Board, member of the American Counseling Association; member and past board member of the Idaho Counseling Association; member and past board member of the Idaho Mental Health Counseling Association; member of the Idaho Association for Counselor Education and Supervision; member of Idaho Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling; and a member of the Idaho Society of Individual Psychology; past chairperson for Region 2 Mental Health Board; and a member of NAADAC.   

Dean has attended the Grangeville Church of the Nazarene since 1979. He is currently on the church’s board and appointed as church treasure. Dean is a member of the CCLC oversight committee. Dean accepted God as his savior at age 10 and has been active in serving in many roles since that time. He continues to seek to learn how to serve and express God’s love.