“I love being a student at Trinity because of the wonderful faculty members. Each individual and unique class I take is paired with an equally individual and unique teacher. The passion they have for their subjects influences me every day. They inspire me to work harder and show me the beauty in all areas of study. Their enthusiasm for learning is contagious, and I am grateful for every single one of them!”

Trinity Student

Featured Faculty Member

Where are you from?
Brooklyn Center, MN

Hobbies:
I enjoy road trips, DIY projects and watching my four boys (15, 12, 8 and 5) in their activities.

How did you first learn about Trinity School at River Ridge?
I am a Trinity graduate from the Class of 1999.

What do you love most about teaching at Trinity?
Being a faculty member at Trinity means being part of a community of other faculty together with students collectively engaged in the pursuit of truth, beauty and goodness. I love the freedom that this environment provides and the opportunities to witness curiosity inspire wonder and further inquiry.

Describe a moment of significant intellectual awakening in your life.
I had the opportunity to spend the final semester of my junior year at St. Olaf College traveling throughout Australia on an Environmental Studies program. Being so far away from everything familiar gave me incredible opportunities to grow in self-knowledge and independence, as well as exposure to completely new organisms and environments. It was one thing to learn that species adapt to their specific environment. To be able to witness that firsthand and begin to discover patterns took this adventure to a whole new level. My appreciation and understanding of the beauty and organization of God’s creation had only just begun!

Steve Hendrickson

Head of School

B.A. Mathematics, Indiana University at South Bend, 1992. Trinity School at River Ridge, 1993-1996, 1998-present.

Ellen Peters

Associate Head of School and Dean of Girls

B.A. Political Science, Davidson College, 2014. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2016-present.

Patrick Murphy

Associate Head of School

Ed.S. Educational Administration, University of St. Thomas, 1992; M.A. Educational Administration, University of St. Thomas, 1985; B.A. Education, Central Florida University, 1975; Faculty: St. Raphael School, 1979-1983; Principal; St. Bridget's School, 1984-1990. National Endowment for the Humanities Grant to study Machiavelli, 1993. Trinity School at River Ridge, 1990-present.

Jakob Olson '04

Dean of Boys

B.A. Mathematics, Secondary Education, Carthage College, 2008. Burnsville Alternative High School, 2008-2011; Trinity School at River Ridge 2011-present.

Suzanne Berntson

Assistant to the Dean of Girls

B.A. Latin, Hillsdale College, 2019. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2019-present.

Christopher Adderley

B.A. Classics and Drama, Franciscan University of Steubenville, 2013. Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School, 2013-2015; Aspen Academy, 2015-2016; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2016-present.

Matthew Axvig

B.A. Philosophy, Calvin College, 2001. Blacksburg New School, 2001-2002; Peace Corp Moldova, 2002-2004; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2006-2011; St. John’s Orthodox Academy, San Francisco, 2011-2012; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2013-present.

Alexander Baum '17

B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2021. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2021-present.

Jon Beane

Ph.D. Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, 1993; B.A. Philosophy, Roosevelt Universtiy, 1986. Trinity School at River Ridge 1997-2007, Rhodora J. Donahue Academy of Ave Maria, Ave Maria, FL, 2007-2015, Chesterton Academy of the Holy Family, Downers Grove, IL, 2015-2017, Kingswood Academy, Darien IL, 2017-2018; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2018-present.

Margaret Berns

B.S. English, French minor, Moorhead State University, 1994. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2021-present.

Jessica Bowden '99

B.A. Biology, St. Olaf College, 2003. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2003-2007, 2021-present.

Henry Brink '16

B.A. English, Hillsdale College, 2020. Fulbright English Teaching Assitant, East Kazakhstan Technical University, 2021-22, Trinity School at River Ridge, 2020-21, 2022-present.

Dominic Bulger '17

B.A. Music, Hillsdale College, 2021. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2021-present.

Marcella Brylski '16

B.A. English, Hillsdale College, 2020. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2020-present.

Andrew Carr '10

B.A. Philosophy, English, University of St. Thomas, 2014. The Art Academy, 2006-2016; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2016-present.

Caleb Dahl '13

Graduate studies, Mathematics, Park City Mathematics Institute, 2016; B.S. Mathematics, Union University, 2016. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2017-present.

Sarah Flynn '09

M.Ed. University of Notre Dame, 2016; B.A. Catholic Studies, Literature and Philosophy, University of St. Thomas, 2014. Incarnate Word Academy, 2014-2016; Saint Agnes School, 2016-2020; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2020-present.

Andrew Gaylord '98

M.A. Systematic Theology, St. John’s University, 2008; A.B. Fundamentals: Issues and Texts, University of Chicago, 2002. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2002-2013; Taktse International School, Sikkim, India, 2013; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2017-present.

Beth Gothmann

B.A. Music Education, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, 1984. Richfield Public Schools, 1987-1988; Morristown Public Schools, 1985-1987; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2017-present.

Mikaela Herndon

B.A. English, Hillsdale College, 2020. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2020-present.

Tyler Herndon

M.T.S. History of Christianity, University of Notre Dame, 2020; B.A. English, Hillsdale College, 2014. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2015-2018 and 2020-present.

Bradley Lindberg

B.A. Latin, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2006. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2010-present.

Graham Pardun

 B.A. Philosophy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005. Northwest Passage, 2013-2015; Metro Schools, 2015-2016, Trinity School at River Ridge, 2016-present.

Anna Payne '16

B.A. English, Hillsdale College, 2020. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2020-present.

Jonathan Peasley

B.A. Classics, English, Gustavus Adolphus College, 2008. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2010-present.

Kevin Peters

M.S. Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014; B.S. Chemistry, Davidson College, 2012. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2015-present

Vincent Petruccelli

B.A. English, Minor in Philosophy and Classics, Benedictine College, 2015. The Avalon School, 2018-19; Chesterton Academy, 2019-22; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2022-present.

Jennifer Pintozzi

B.A. Mathematics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 1989. Trinity School at Greenlawn, 1990-1996; Trinity School River Ridge, 1996-present.

J. Wesley Rohrer

B.A. Liberal Arts, St. John's College, 2012. Grand Lake School, 2000-2004; Stirling School, 2004-2006; Central School, 2012-2014; Trinity School at River Ridge, 2015-present.

Claire Rubio (Trinity School at Meadow View '16)

B.A. Applied Mathematics, University of St. Thomas, 2020. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2020-present.

John Seipp

Faculty and Director of College Guidance

M.A. Curriculum & Instruction with Certificate in Learning Technology, University of St. Thomas, 2014; B.A. German, History, Theater, Concordia College-Moorhead, 1989. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2012-Present.

John Stauble '98

Director of IT

B.A. Catholic Studies and Philosophy, University of St. Thomas, 2002. Trinity School at River Ridge, 2002-present.