Director of the High School Counseling Department, Senior, & Dual Enrollment Counselor

As the Director of Enlightium Academy’s High School Counseling Department, Mrs. Yohe collaborates with Enlightium’s Administration Team and other Department Heads to support a Christ-centered high school counseling program that benefits students, parents, teachers, administrators, and Enlightium’s overall learning environment.

Mrs. Yohe has been with Enlightium Academy since 2017. She earned her bachelor's degree in Education from Lewis-Clark State College. While raising eight children, she earned her Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling and graduated cum laude from City University of Seattle. Currently, Mrs. Yohe is earning her Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in eLearning and is currently magna cum laude at Northcentral University. Mrs. Yohe is an ESA and ACSI certified guidance counselor with a Professional Teaching Certificate.

During her spare time, she and her husband enjoy camping, hiking, reading, and spending quality time with their children.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Junior Counselor, Advanced Placement, Concurrent Credit Coordinator, & National Junior Honor Society Lead Advisor

Mrs. Wade obtained her master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Science in School Counseling degree from Capella University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of LA at Monroe. In an effort to increase her knowledge in mental health services, she also earned a Graduate Certification in Contemporary Mental Health Services from Capella University in 2021. Mrs. Wade is ACSI certified.

She is happily married to her husband and together they have four children (3 girls including a set of twins and 1 boy). In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to family entertainment centers, parks, and having family movie nights.

Mrs. Wade has always believed that you can never stop learning and one of the most valuable things to have is an education. Her goal is to reach students “where they are” by advocating for them and providing them with applicable and valuable resources to help them along their academic journey.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Sophomore Counselor and Student Council Lead Advisor

Mrs. Van Egdom graduated with a Master’s of Education in School Counseling from Whitworth University in 2020. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington; during her undergrad, she worked as an Academic Advisor for the college preparatory program TRIO Upward Bound. It was then when her passion for working with high school students grew. She began her career as a school counselor with Enlightium in 2018. She is both Washington State and ACSI Certified.

Mrs. Van Egdom now resides in Central New York. One of the hobbies she and her husband enjoy is exploring their new settings. The relocation to Central New York also allowed them to become fur-parents when rescuing their dog Rachel, a Shepherd-mix.

Growing up, the value of education was instilled in Mrs. Van Egdom, and she wishes to do the same with her students while also building a trusting relationship and sharing the love of Christ with them.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Freshman Counselor, NCAA Coordinator, and National Honor Society Lead Advisor

Ms. Benedict graduated with a Master’s of Science degree in School Counseling in 2019. During her time there, she became invested in working with high school students on social-emotional issues, particularly anxiety, and post-secondary planning. She began working with Enlightium Academy in 2019. She is state and ACSI certified.

Ms. Benedict graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor’s degree majoring in Business Management and minoring in English. While she was in the business world, she began volunteering with the youth program at her church and teaching Junior Achievement classes in local elementary schools. This fostered her passion for encouraging and working with students and led her to attend Eastern Washington University. She believes in fostering nurturing, encouraging relationships with students and parents and loves seeing students grow through cooperation and learning self-advocacy. She is currently working on her ASCA U Specialist Training in Anxiety and Stress Management.

In her free time, Ms. Benedict loves taking long walks with Hank, her golden retriever, reading, spending time with her friends and family, writing, baking, and trying new foods and recipes.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Director of the Elementary and Middle School Counseling Department, Grade 8

Marina has been working with Enlightium Academy since 2009. She earned her bachelor's degree in Social Services from Whitworth University and is certified by ACSI.

Marina was involved in developing the Enlightium counseling and admissions departments and contributed to the expansion of many other areas of our rapidly growing school. Marina oversees the elementary and middle school departments and collaborates with other department heads to ensure that we are working together to achieve our goals of serving others in a Godly way. She is our 8th grade counselor who is working with parents and students focusing on preparing them for high school.

Marina loves spending time with her family. In their free time they love to travel, meet with friends, and be involved at their church where she is involved in the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Grade 7 Counselor

Ms. Blackburn graduated from Trinity Western University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Human Services. After graduating university, she worked in all facets of youth ministry including as the Youth Center Director at Youth For Christ in Spokane, WA, as her church’s Administrator of Ministries, and at a residential treatment center for struggling teens in Texas. She enjoys working with children of all ages.

Ms. Blackburn began her professional journey with Enlightium as the elementary and middle school assistant counselor in 2020. Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, she began serving grade 7 students and their families. She is ACSI certified.

Family is very important to Ms. Blackburn. She and her husband are licensed foster parents in the State of Washington. She enjoys spending time with family, running around with her three kids, and drinking coffee. She has a passion for helping others and serving God in whatever capacity He has called her to.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

5-6th Grade Counselor

Mrs. Wolters graduated from Whitworth University with a B.A. in Religion and minors in Sociology and Philosophy. She is currently working on her Masters in School Counseling through Indiana Wesleyan University. Through the years she has continued to work with children and youth in various capacities such as camp ministry, before and after school care, youth and children's ministry, and working and volunteering in public classrooms.

Mrs. Wolters joined Enlightium Academy’s counseling team in summer of 2021 and serves students in grades 5 through 6. She is ACSI certified.

Mrs. Wolters loves spending time with her husband and two children, along with extended family and friends. She enjoys doing puzzles, reading, and spending time outdoors hiking, walking, boating, and camping. She wants to use her passion for helping others to further God's kingdom and show them His unending love.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

3rd-4th Grade Counselor

Mrs. Crisp joined Enlightium Academy in 2018. She received a B.A in Psychology with a minor in Sociology, a certificate in Leadership and a Master of Social Work Degree from Eastern Washington University. She is ACSI certified.

Mrs. Crisp enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys reading, photography, and exploring nearby cities. She has a passion for helping others and telling people about Jesus.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Bronze Program Coordinator (Grades 3-10)

Mrs. Thompson has a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Business Administration. She has been a teacher since 1999. Mrs. Thompson is passionate about helping children succeed and believes that every child has a God-given talent. She sees beauty in the different skills and competencies that God gifted every human being. She enjoys building lasting relationships with students while serving families and assisting students in growing in their faith. She is ACSI certified.

Mrs. Thompson was born in Romania, and she is ethnic Hungarian. She and her husband love Hungarian and Romanian folk music and dancing. She enjoys swimming, walking in nature, and taking pictures of trees, flowers, and the sky. Mrs. Thompson is passionate about showing her children, Norman and Hanna, the beauty of her country, Romania, and the importance of faith in life.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Primary School Program Counselor (PreK-2)

Ms. Ustimenko earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Whitworth University. She is state and ACSI certified. Prior to joining the Enlightium team, Ms. Ustimenko worked as a teacher in a private school and taught a wide range of classes there. She also volunteered at her local church as the Sunday School Coordinator for many years. Mrs. Ustimenko is ACSI certified.

During her spare time, she and her husband enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, playing volleyball, and spending time with friends and family. She is ambitious and strives to encourage student enthusiasm for learning. She enjoys getting to know the primary school students and parents.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Co-Op Counselor (Grades 3-12)

Ms. Allen has been with Enlightium since 2015. She grew up in Seattle, Washington and attended a Christian school through 12th grade. She received her bachelor's degree in Social Work at Washington State University. While raising three children, she also became passionate about education, college, and career planning. Ms. Allen returned to school and received her Master’s degree in School Counseling K-12 from Gonzaga University.

During her spare time, she and her husband enjoy playing volleyball, reading, and spending time with friends and her three adult children. Spending time with family usually includes traveling, which Ms. Allen also loves to do. It is her desire to get to know all of her students, and her hope is to build a trusting relationship so her students can come to her with any issue, no matter how big or small it may seem. She especially likes helping students explore their own goals and passions for life beyond high school.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Co-Op Counselor (Grades 3-12)

Mrs. Towner received a Masters in Education with an emphasis in School Counseling from Heritage University. She graduated from Northwest University with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Pastoral Care. She joined the Enlightium Academy team in 2014 and works as the co-op and micro school counselor. She is state and ACSI certified.

Prior to joining the Enlightium team, Mrs. Towner worked as a high school counselor in a public school in Central Washington State. She also volunteered as a registered therapeutic riding instructor through the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (now known as PATH International).

Mrs. Towner volunteers at her kid’s church. In her free time, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their two children, and horse, Aspen.

Not yet enrolled and would like to speak with a counselor? Schedule a counselor consultation session.

Gifted & Higher-Level Learner (GHLL) Coordinator and Teacher

Mrs. Lopez earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Cognitive, Educational, and Developmental Psychology from the University of Hawaii. Additionally, she studied the Hawaiian language. She is ACSI certified.

Mrs. Lopez is the Gifted and Higher-Level Learner Program (GHLL) Coordinator and Primary Mentor/Teacher at Enlightium Academy since 2017. She has experience teaching at learning centers, online, and in students’ homes since 2011. She mentored gifted students and students with disabilities. To meet the needs of these children, she designed specialized learning programs and intervention methods.

Mrs. Lopez focuses on creating educational opportunities for every unique learner so that all students can succeed. She strives to encourage student enthusiasm for learning, and eagerness to pursue and achieve individual goals. Mrs. Lopez is motivated to help students become independent so that they can learn beyond her instruction. Her teaching philosophy is based on the principle: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

English Language Learner (ELL) Coordinator

Ms. Griffing holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and Writing from Whitworth University and a Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Northern Arizona University. She is ACSI certified.

Ms. Griffing started teaching English abroad in 2011, before returning to the United States to start her master’s program, which she completed in 2015. While completing her coursework, she worked as a teaching assistant, teaching Freshman Composition at Northern Arizona University. She started teaching for Enlightium Academy in 2015, before returning to teach abroad for the 2016-2017 school year. Since returning to Enlightium Academy in 2017, Ms. Griffing has taught a variety of courses and worked to write specialized English courses to meet student needs. She particularly loves to teach writing because this is a chance for students to express themselves and learn a skill they will use for the rest of their lives.