Staff
Administrative Assistant | Mrs. Griffin
Mrs. Griffin serves as Liberty’s administrative assistant. She has been a part of the Liberty family for the last three years with her kids attending. She has 23 year of experience in office administration and ministry. She last served at Blue Mountain Community Church as the Children’s Ministry Director where her family attends. Mrs. Griffin is a bright spot in the office as she helps students, families and staff each and everyday. We are blessed to have her on the team.
Finance and Development Coordinator | Ms. Bafus
Meet Liberty Christian School’s finance and development coordinator, Ms. Bafus! A Liberty parent and longtime volunteer, she brings both professional expertise and a passion for supporting our school community.
Last year, Ms. Bafus served as the school’s bookkeeper, and this year she is stepping into her new role as the Finance and Development Coordinator. She has over 15 years of experience in banking, working for both large national banks and smaller local credit unions, most recently as a Senior Portfolio Credit Analyst. She recently earned her Accounting Assistance Certificate and holds an AA in Accounting and Business Management from Walla Walla Community College. Her family attends Lightbearers Sanctuary. In her free time, she enjoys growing flowers, cooking, and spending quality time with her children - whether riding horses, camping, or enjoying outdoor adventures together.
We are thrilled to have Ms. Bafus on our team, strengthening Liberty’s financial operations and development efforts.
Teachers
Preschool | Mrs. Barnett
Welcome back Mrs. Barnett! I am so excited to announce her return. Mrs. Barnett will be teaching preK for Liberty. She took a ten year break from teaching to focus on their growing family.
Mrs. Barnett earned her bachelor of science from George Fox University in Early Childhood Education. Her family attends Life Church where she met her husband. She serves in the PreK/ Kindergarten classroom there.
She loves cooking for friends and family. Her husband introduced her to Food Network before they were married and she was forever hooked. She bakes or cooks anytime she can with her girls. Memories in the kitchen and around the table are a core value in the Barnett household. She also loves playing board games and might be slightly competitive.
Kindergarten | Mrs. Walter
Mrs. Walter is well known and loved at her church, First Assembly of God, here in Walla Walla. She serves as our kindergarten teacher. She holds a certificate in Early Childhood Education from WWCC. She also holds a certificate from Bethel School of Ministry. Most recently she has been an administrative assistant substitute for Walla Walla Public Schools. She has volunteered at Mustard Seed as well over the years. Her two kids attend Liberty. We are excited to have her love for Jesus and children at the school.
1st Grade | Mrs. Lesko
You may remember her as Ms. Pitzer our PE teacher from last year. We are so lucky to have her back in the Liberty family. Mrs. Lesko holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Eastern Washington University with a minor in early childhood special education.
Mrs. Lesko serves as the Worship Director at First Assembly. She graduated in 2023 after completing her student teaching and education practicum at Windsor Elementary School in Cheney, WA. Her passion for Jesus shines in her classroom.
2nd Grade | Mrs. Hutchison *2024 / 2025 Teacher of the Year
Mrs. Hutchison has been educating others for the last 18 years in different capacities. Most recently she has been teaching at College Place School District. She has done several long term positions at Sager Middle School and Davis Elementary.
Mrs. Hutchison and her family attend Life Church. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education from Western Governors University in 2023. In 2006 she earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Wellness from Eastern Washington University. She blesses our 2nd grade student with her natural teaching ability.
3rd Grade | Ms. Thompson
Liberty Christian’s 3rd grade class is set for success this year. Ms. Thompson has a passion for Christian education and the next generation. In 2022 she graduated from Central Washington with her bachelors in elementary education with an endorsement in special education. She graduated with honors and served her school in many ways. She was most recently assisting at St. Basil; before this she completed her student teaching at Cottonwood Elementary School in Kennewick, WA. Her practicum was done at Lincoln Elementary and Ida Nason Aronica Elementary in Ellensburg, WA. She has 3rd grade learning and loving school.
4th Grade | Mrs. Ruiz
Mrs. Ruiz has been teaching in different classrooms since 2018. She taught Pre-school and Kindergarten at Cascade Christian School in Puyallup, WA. In 2019 she decided to go back to school and receive her Bachelor's degree and teaching certificate. Mrs. Ruiz proudly graduated from WGU in 2023. Mrs. Ruiz and her family moved to Walla Walla in 2021 where she started working as a tutor for students in Pre-K through 6th grade. She fell in love with the students, families, and culture of Liberty and began teaching full time in 2nd grade the following school year. She taught second grade for two years, and is now in her first year as the fourth-grade teacher. Mrs. Ruiz also serves as Liberty's athletic director and volleyball coach. She loves the Lord and attends Life Church.
5th | Mrs. Miller
Liberty Christian School is pleased to welcome Mackenzie Miller as this year’s fifth-grade teacher. Mackenzie brings a strong academic background, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Central Washington University, along with two minors—one in Teaching Highly Capable students and the other in Interdisciplinary Studies through the Douglas Honors College.
Mackenzie and her husband are active members of College Place Presbyterian Church. She is passionate about fostering creativity and curiosity in the classroom, drawing on her love for crafts such as crochet, embroidery, calligraphy, and doodling. An avid rock climber since discovering the sport at a summer church camp as a teenager, she brings enthusiasm, perseverance, and a spirit of adventure to her teaching.
Outside the classroom, Mackenzie enjoys relaxing evenings watching documentaries or climbing competitions with her two cats, Alistair and Aslan. She is excited to partner with families in guiding students toward academic excellence, strong character, and a lifelong love of learning.
6th | Mrs. Amene
Mrs. Amene joined the LCS team in 2022 serving in PreK. She is in her second year teaching 6th grade. She grew up as a missionary kid in W. Africa. Her and her husband pastor the Lightbearers Sanctuary here in Walla Walla, WA. She holds her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Whitworth University since 2021. Liberty is blessed to have her kind heart and teaching expertise. In the classroom she demonstrates excellent teaching strategies to help students to be at their best.
7th | Mr. Breithaupt
Full of energy and a love for the Lord, Mr. Breithaupt’s 7th grade classroom is always full of energy…and lots of learning! You’ll see a huge emphasis on teaching the students discipline and responsibility as they go through their day.
Mr. Breithaupt is from Lewiston, Idaho and Japan. He has a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Lewis-Clark State College. He met and married his wife, Ai, while in Japan and they now have three children, Asa, Eliah, and Zion. When not at school, Mr. Breithaupt enjoys playing games, the guitar and singing. When asked what he loves about his job, he said, “I get to hang out with awesome kids all day as we learn and grow together. What’s not to love?”
8th | Mrs. Congrove
Join me in welcoming Mrs. Congrove as our new 8th grade teacher. Originally from Ridgefield, Washington (Go Spudders!). Her husband and her ministered as Youth Leaders, and with incarcerated teens for several years prior to coming to Walla Walla.
She participated in 4-H with her own children, raising puppies for guide dogs for the blind, and market lambs for fair.
After successfully homeschooling her children, she became a paraprofessional at Dixie Elementary. Over the last several years she have taught art, substituted for grades K-5, and participated in remedial academic efforts. She holds her bachelor’s in Elementary Education from WGU, and attends Heritage Baptist where her husband pastors.
She looks forward to this opportunity and school year with excitement, and is anticipating the opportunity to meet everyone!
Music | Mrs. Panther
Mrs. Panther is a true Liberty Christian lifer as she attended here as a Kindergarten through 8th grade student and then returned as a parent and now music teacher. Mrs. Panther has a passion for music literacy and uses the vehicle of American Folk Music to help every student at Liberty read and write music.
Mrs. Panther has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from St. Olaf College and earned her Master Teacher of the Kodaly Method certification from University of St. Thomas. She is ACSI certified. Her family attends Covenant Presbyterian Church and enjoys spending as much time as possible recreating in the mountains.
Art|Mrs. Green
Mrs. Green is a creative, faith-driven educator with over nine years of experience working with children in both home and ministry settings. She studied at Western Oregon University and, since moving to Walla Walla, has served as a nanny, homeschool educator, Children’s Ministry leader, and substitute teacher at Mustard Seed Preschool.
Now leading the nursery at First Assembly, Mrs. Green brings joy, care, and artistic creativity to every teaching moment. As a homeschooling mother since 2019, she deeply values integrating faith and the arts through hands-on projects like painting, crafting, and exploring various creative mediums.
She is passionate about helping students grow in confidence and creativity while developing their unique gifts as artists made in the image of God. Mrs. Green is excited to nurture young artists in a Christ-centered classroom where faith and imagination flourish together.
P. E. |Mrs. Theyerl
Mrs. Theyerl holds her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Interpersonal Organizations from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Since enrolling her children at Liberty, she has been actively involved in the school for the past five years in a variety of roles.
She has a passion for all sports and living a healthy lifestyle, and she loves encouraging others to “move their bodies.” Her family attends Life Church, where she has faithfully served in many roles over the years—helping people feel connected, seen, and loved. She brings that same heart into the classroom as she teaches students different movement units and how to both fuel and care for their bodies well.
Mrs. Theyerl loves the Liberty community—its students, families, and staff. At home, she enjoys farm life, hiking, camping, shopping, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Librarian |Mrs. Johnson
We are excited to welcome Mrs. Johnson as our volunteer librarian at Liberty Christian! A former Liberty student from the 1980s, she brings a wealth of teaching experience in music, writing, and middle school classrooms. With degrees in Secondary Language Arts Education and English from Western Baptist College (now Corban University), her love for literature and education shines through in everything she does. An avid reader, she especially enjoys reading aloud—whether to senior adults or to students—and loves sparking meaningful discussions about books. Though retirement from teaching came earlier than planned, she is thrilled to return to Liberty in this new role, sharing her passion for reading and helping students discover the joy of great books.