Staff & Administration

  • Rev. Craig Harris

    Founder/Head Master

    Craig was born and raised in Sunnyside, WA. He attended Seminary at Covenant Theological Seminary in Saint Louis, MO. He and his wife have four children (all of which currently attend Immanuel). Helping start Immanuel was born out of a conviction that all of education is discipleship and part of the role of the church. Although his role is mostly behind the scenes now, he can still occasionally be found playing nerf gun battles with some of the younger students in the lunch room.

  • Mrs. Lianna Sackmann

    Academic Dean

    Lianna graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Education in Special Education, an Endorsement in Elementary Education, and a Master of Arts in School Counseling. She taught public education for 13 years in both general and special education classrooms at several different levels before joining Immanuel. She loves serving Immanuel in the role of Academic Dean, supporting teachers in the mission to "shape our students' love for God and His world through robust, objective based Classical Education." She is married and has three lively children, all who attend Immanuel.

  • Mrs. Erin Betancourt

    Primary Prep

    “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” - Charlotte Mason

    Erin is delighted to be walking alongside, and training up, the Primary Prep students this year. Her aim is to magnify the LORD in their studies and provide students opportunity for godly growth in their habit formation. Prior to Immanuel, she was at home with her two daughters and previously had worn a variety of hats, ranging from Vision Therapist, Camp Program Director, to pre-K/kinder teacher in both behavioral education and standard classrooms, to working with dogs. Erin graduated from Trinity Western University with a BA in Intercultural Religious Studies and a minor in Political Science. She and her husband and daughters moved back to Yakima after a 5 year stint of mountain living.

  • Miss Abigail Bosshardt

    Primary A

    Abigail grew up in Minneapolis, MN and then moved west to attend Seattle Pacific University. She graduated with a degree in Child Development and Family Studies. She has spent years working with kids of all ages in schools, early childhood education centers, and in-home care. Miss Bosshardt enjoys coaching volleyball, reading, and drawing. She is excited to help equip her students to carry the gospel to the corners of our cities, homes, and hearts!

  • Mrs. Rebecca Loredo

    Primary B

    Rebecca Laredo grew up in Southern California and moved to Yakima in 2016 with her husband and two daughters. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California Polytechnic State University Pomona. She truly enjoys working with children and some of her current and past roles include homeschooling her children, serving in the youth ministry at church, tutoring for Classical Conversations, and substitute teaching at local school districts in the Yakima Valley. She is honored to serve her students by teaching a Christ-centered, classical education at Immanuel.

  • Mr. T.J. Fries

    Primary C

  • Mrs. Emma Whitworth

    Primary D

    Emma is married to her best friend, Nehemiah Whitworth. She loves playing board games and reading. She has lived in Yakima nearly all her life and loves what Immanuel offers for the community. She was classically educated most of her school years and has a deep passion for this style of education. She loves literature and art the most and is excited about bringing a God-centered worldview into every subject. She started as a teacher assistant at Immanuel, helping out in many different capacities. She is very grateful for Immanuel and the opportunities it brings for teachers and students to explore God's creation together.

  • Mrs. Shala Elsworth

    Primary E

  • Mrs. Stephanie Nolan

    Secondary Prep

    Stephanie feels incredibly blessed to be able to be a part of the Immanuel Classical Family. She is excited to see her students grow in wisdom, knowledge, and love for the Lord and others around them. Stephanie is a busy mom to three sweet boys, Diallo, Ezekiel and Isaiah and married to the bearded love of her life, Jared. Before being on staff at Immanuel, Stephanie homeschooled two of her three children. She was a part of the West Valley Classical Conversations community for 8 years and served as a tutor for the Masters foundation (approx. 6th grade) for the 2021/22 school year. “I had no idea that the Lord was preparing me to teach at Immanuel.” In her free time, Stephanie loves to study the Bible, listen to podcasts, read suspense novels, weight-lift, travel with her family, and cook. Stephanie and her family attend Sun Valley Church.

  • Mrs. Shannon Gaskell

    Secondary 1

    Shannon grew up in Selah, where she met her husband Bean in high school. She went to college at Central Washington University where she received a B.A. in Psychology with minors in Art Studio and Creative Writing. She later received her M.A. in Counseling from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Before coming to Immanuel, Shannon worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with kids, teens and adults, with a particular passion for working with trauma. Shannon lives in Selah with her husband and three children: Teddy, AnnaLee and Elora---all who attend Immanuel. She loves being with her family, reading, writing, traveling, playing games and spending time outdoors. Shannon has loved teaching and the discipleship involved in it-- learning together to see the world through God's truths.

  • Mrs. Cheryl Williamson

    Secondary II

    Cheryl graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Masters In Teaching. She has had the joy of teaching elementary and middle school students in Washington as well as in Japan. Her enthusiasm for classical education began in 1996 while observing classes at Logos School in Moscow, ID and continued while homeschooling her three oldest children. Cheryl was the founding director for Classical Conversations in Whatcom County and now teaches Secondary I students at Immanuel. Her hope is to nourish her students' understanding of the redemptive work of God and to promote a love for and delight in learning. Cheryl enjoys traveling, coffee shops, dabbling in artistic pursuits, and laughing around the dinner table with family and friends. She is married to Pete, pastor and Director of Ascent and Pneuma at Antioch Christian Training School, and they have four children.

  • Mr. Riker Koempel

    High School Humanities & Enrichment Director

    Riker lives in Tieton, Washington, with his wife Torie, and three young children, Edmund, Vivian, and Lydia. He is currently studying at LAMP Theological Seminary with the eventual goal of ordination within the PCA. In his free time, he loves to play chess and dive headfirst into learning about whatever topic currently piques his interest. In his teaching at Immanuel Classical School, Riker is most excited to guide his students through the process of seeing God's glory on display in the whole of general revelation illuminated by the light of the Gospel.

  • Mrs. Megan Boswell

    High School Science

    Megan graduated from Northwest Nazarene University with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. She is a Yakima native with a passion for Christian and Classical education. She has many years experience teaching high school Science and English classes, as well as homeschooling one of her children. Megan is married to Scott, and they have three children, two of whom attend Immanuel. Megan is excited to teach high school, guiding students to explore the incredible work of their Creator through the study of Science!

  • Miss Yesenia Garcia

    Friday Enrichment Teacher

    Yesenia grew up in White Swan, Washington on the Yakama Nation reservation. She is a first-generation college student at Heritage University where she is studying Elementary Education. Miss Garcia is working to establish Young Life at Zillah Middle School and has a passion for seeing young people come to know Christ. She enjoys board games, coffee, and reading. She loves teaching at Immanuel; Yesenia is thankful for the opportunity to share God's love and grace with the children of Yakima. She attends Saint Andrew's Presbyterian and loves her church community dearly.

  • Mrs. Shannon Anderson

    Teaching Assistant

    Shannon was raised in the Yakima Valley. She attended North Idaho College and Central Washington University. She spent many years home educating her children in the classical model. Shannon and her husband Eric have seven children ranging, four of whom attend Immanuel. Shannon is one of the original Immanuel teachers and continues to serve as a teacher assistant. She feels blessed to have this opportunity to teach and share the joy and gift of a classical, Christ-centered education with other children and their families. In her free time, Shannon enjoys spending time outdoors, running and hiking, watching the sun rise and spending time with her family and friends.

  • Mrs. Stefanie Platt

    Teaching Assistant

    Stefanie serves at Immanuel as a teacher assistant. She lives in Moxee with her husband Tyler and three children: Oliver, Presley, and Jocelyn (all who attend Immanuel). She was raised in the Yakima Valley and graduated from YVC. Stefanie and Tyler were married in 2009. She homeschooled her own children prior to joining Immanuel. Stefanie and her family are members of Sun Valley Church, where her husband leads a weekly small group and she helps facilitate behind the scenes. In her free time, she enjoys going on drives, a good cup of coffee, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She’s grateful to be a part of what Immanuel is doing for the community and the opportunities it brings for teachers and students to learn and explore through a God-centered worldview.

  • Ms. Tawna Groves

    Administrative Assistant

    Tawna grew up in Cashmere, WA and has lived in Selah since 2016. She spent 2 years

    homeschooling her son and loves the classical education model. In her free time she enjoys going on adventures with her son and family, gardening and riding her horses. Tawna loves being part of the Immanuel team and putting her organizational skills to good use!

  • Miss Lizzy Scott

    Music Conservatory Director

    Lizzy Scott graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in violin performance. She is also a Suzuki trained teacher and is eager to cultivate every child’s love for music and wonder for their creator through private violin lessons and music appreciation classes. During college, Lizzy worked as a music librarian for the music department and loved the organization it demanded (and the insider info it gave her on future programs). She is originally from Puyallup but has grown to love the mountainless horizon of eastern Washington. Lizzy loves podcasts, taking walks, collaborating with other musicians, and spending precious time with family talking about Jesus.

  • Mrs. Faith Michael

    High School Latin

  • Mrs. Kim Rasmussen

    Teaching Assistant

    Kim is a transplant to the Yakima area. She was born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho before moving to Yakima in 2009. She currently lives near Selah with her husband and two children. She found Immanuel last year and immediately knew she wanted to be part of the school. She feels blessed to be a part of the Christ centered school where her children attend.