Kadance’s Artistic Odyssey — ICS Senior Arts Student Highlight

Kadance’s Artistic Odyssey — ICS Senior Arts Student Highlight

Senior Kadance Eagle has been attending Intermountain Christian School since her freshman year of high school. She has been interested in art for most of her life, going back to elementary school. Kadance enjoys using various mediums, but her favorites are acrylic painting and digital art. While creating using these mediums, she finds that mistakes are easier to fix. 

Pictured: Kadance and Mrs. Lee

Kadance has taken every art class available to her since she started attending ICS. While in Mrs. Lee’s art room, Kadance has been challenged to do projects she wouldn’t consider on her own. The assignments have pushed her out of her comfort zone. She and a classmate worked together to create a cardboard animal head mount. She never would’ve taken on that challenge outside of Mrs. Lee’s prompting. Once completed, she took pride in her cardboard sheep!

Painting titled: Icy Ridges

Kadance’s favorite year of art was her junior year. All of the projects were her choice, and she was able to be creative and unrestrained. Her favorite project was the completion of her dragon sculpture, which used multiple mediums, including clay, fabric, and paint. The other project she was most proud of was a digital piece with a setting in Southern Utah and the inclusion of griffins. It was an effort to get the piece printed out and stretched onto canvas, but the final outcome was very satisfying!

Painting titles: Borzoi

The art department at ICS exists to encourage students wherever they are in their capacity and skill to express their God-given creativity. Kadance has goals of working in animation and hopes to attend the University of Utah, majoring in general arts and minoring in film studies with an emphasis in animation. Kadance credits Mrs. Lee with encouraging her through ups and downs in her pursuit of art. 

Many students who have gone through Mrs. Lee’s art program came out not only with more skill and understanding, but an appreciation of who God made them to be and how to give Him glory through art. The ICS community looks forward to seeing what’s next for Kadance!

Meet Mrs. Saullo!

What's your new ICS title and position? Part-time Pre-K Teacher

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? For the last 20 years my husband has been in the navy. As a result, I have followed him around the country, moving 13 times! I would still consider TN home though, even though I haven't lived there in over 20 years. It is where I went to middle school, high school and college. It's also where my family still lives!

Where do you go to Church? We only moved to UT two months ago, but we have attended Salt Lake Evangelical Free Church several times and so far it feels like where we are meant to be.

Tell us about your family! My husband is in a residency program at the University of Utah for occupational medicine. He is one of the most hard working and dedicated men I've ever known. We have three loving and adventurous boys. Our oldest, Nate, is almost 10. He is a voracious reader and has an overall love of learning. Our middle son, Dean, is seven. He is an excellent playmate with his older brother as well as his younger brother. I love watching him transition from one to the other! He excels in building, design, and overall creativity. Our youngest, Gabe, is five. Gabe loves nothing more than spending time with his brothers. Concrete facts are his strength! His knowledge of our world, especially geography, is mind blowing!

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I love to design cut flowers. It is a skill I picked up almost 15 years ago and something that brings me such joy.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? I look forward to the chance to get back into the classroom after taking some time off to be home with my boys. The opportunity to work where they will be attending school is an experience I have always dreamed of. Teaching at such a Christ-centered school is such a blessing to me. I'm excited to instill in my class God's love for them!

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? This opportunity to teach again at ICS was 100% God's will for my life! I've never had so many doors fly wide open for any other experience, job, or decision that I've been faced with. God is good!

Welcome to ICS, Mrs. Saullo! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Meet Coach Sherrill!

What's your new ICS title and position? Head Baseball Coach

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? Memphis, TN. I met my wife while in AAA and due to a long baseball schedule every year, we decided to be near her family in the off-season in UT.

Where do you go to Church? Hope Church in Sandy

Tell us about your family! My son Dalton is 9. He's into Harry Potter and Legos. My daughter Bridget is 7. She's into kitties, unicorns, and horses. My son Brock is 5. He's into sports and monster trucks. M wife Lindsay is __ years old. She's into Hallmark Channel and IDnetwork!

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I love movies. The Godfather is probably my #1.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? Progress. I'm looking forward to seeing the fellas get better as players and start to become young men!

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? I played 9 years in the MLB. God has blessed me at every turn in my life. My folks, my brother, my career, my wife, my kids and now, my new career. He's always been there for me and He'll always be there for you, too.

Welcome to ICS, Coach Sherrill! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Meet Mr. Rodriguez!

What's your new ICS title and position? Instrumental Music Teacher and Bus Driver

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? I’m from San Antonio Texas. My wife came to help her sister through her pregnancy and she loved it here. She asked me to move to UT so we did a few months later (July 2019).

Where do you go to Church? New Creation Church

Tell us about your family! I love my wife Monique, son Eli (6 years old) and step-daughter Isabel (19).

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I really like to laugh and draw. I’m not a artist but learning is always good. I’m passionate about the presence of God, meaning I love serving Him through music, fellowship & community. 

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? I love teaching music and seeing the students discover new things and the sounds of music. 

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? I’m honored to teach at a Christian school! God is awesome, and I’m looking forward to the new things that God has for us at ICS. 

Welcome to ICS, Mr. Rodriguez! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Welcome Back to ICS, Mr. Parker!

What's your new ICS title and position? Middle School Bible Teacher

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? I’m from New Hampshire originally, but moved to Utah 4 years ago to help with a church revitalization, after spending time pastoring in Indiana and Colorado.

Where do you go to Church? We love sharing out where our community goes to church in the valley. It's always a neat connecting point. Gospel Hope Church in Riverton. We love the valley (especially the SW corner) and are thankful for what God is doing in our community and our church family.

Tell us about your family! My wife Colleen is a pretty amazing wife & mom, definitely my better half. We've been married 17 years and have a 5 year old son Timothy. He's a creative, full of life and emotion, red-head. We enjoy serving God together, hiking, camping, and visiting state & national parks.

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about?  I'm passionate about taking on challenges and helping people & organizations grow. Most people assume I love reading theology books, but I actually really enjoy books on psychology, business mindset & strategy. A few of my favorites are “Good to Great” (Jim Cramer), “One Minute Manager” (Ken Blanchard), and “Blink” (Malcolm Gladwell). I'm currently reading “Effortless” (Greg McKeown). I also relax by playing & watching all kinds of sports, including some obscure ones like cricket & competitive darts. Currently, I'm playing quite a bit of golf on courses all over the valley and loving that.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? Middle school is one of my favorite ages of life. Life is changing so much, and there are so many good and important questions middle schoolers are asking. I love how the Bible simply and honestly answers those questions. And I'm looking forward to wrestling through and laughing with them as we explore God's Word.

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? The team of people (admin, ops, & faculty) God has brought together at ICS is truly remarkable. They love God, love the students, and serve with all their hearts, well beyond what is normal. It's a privilege and honor to teach alongside this incredible team.

Welcome back to ICS, Mr. Parker! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community once again!

Meet Mrs. MacAvoy!

What's your new ICS title and position? I am going to be the new second grade teacher at ICS.

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? I’m originally from Virginia but currently live in Sugarhouse. My family and I moved to Utah in 2013 to be a part of church planting around Salt Lake City.

Where do you go to Church? I attend Gospel Grace Church, where my husband is a bi-vocational pastor.

Tell us about your family! I have been married to Josh for 15 years; we have three energetic boys. We like to go hiking, spend time outside, and play board games together. We also have a cute labradoodle named Chase!

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I am passionate about teaching kids, so I pursued an undergraduate degree in elementary education, taught in three different states, and have always taught kids at my church.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? I am so excited to get into the classroom with eager learners. I have always taught in a public school and am looking forward to teaching within a Christian context, where I can help the kids understand the Bible.

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? When I am not teaching, I love reading, running, and watching Hallmark movies.

Welcome to ICS, Mrs. MacAvoy! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Meet Mrs. Hafemann!

What's your new ICS title and position? Music Teacher: I will be instructing HS Ensemble, HS & MS Bells and 4th & 5th Grade General Music.

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? My husband, Enrique and I have lived in UT for almost 5 years! I am originally from Des Moines, IA but most recently Billings, MT. Enrique and I moved to UT so he could complete a very temporary apprenticeship. As the story usually goes, God was leading us somewhere we never imagined. We fell in love with our church and this city and plan to be here long term.

Where do you go to Church? We are apart of Ridgeline Church. We have been apart of Ridgeline since they planted in 2018 and I have recently become their worship director.

Tell us about your family! Hafemann party of two! Or three if you count our beagle Marley.

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I am highly passionate about normalizing mental health. To neglect how Jesus has used my mental health struggles, would be to neglect the most miraculous and beautiful parts of how he has drawn me unto himself.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? How do I even answer this?! Top Three: 1. Getting to know all my students! 2. Being apart of such a unique & diverse faith community.  3. And of course, making music everyday!

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? I started playing piano at 4! I also have several years of experience as an accountant. Put the two together and you have a giant music theory nerd.

Welcome to ICS, Mrs. Hafemann! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Meet Mrs. Gorka!

What's your new ICS title and position? Middle School Science Teacher 

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? I'm from Phoenix, AZ. My family was drawn to Utah for the mountains. We came because I felt called. 

Where do you go to Church? I go to Capital Church. 

Tell us about your family! I've been married 9 years, and I'm a boy mom. I have an almost 4 year old and a 6 year old. They are wonderful and opposite from one another in every way. 

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about spending time outdoors. I love everything from gardening to rock climbing. 

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? In my new role I'm most looking forward to all the fun activities and labs I will get to do and getting to know the students.

Welcome to ICS, Mrs. Gorka! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Meet Mrs. Banta!

What's your new ICS title and position? I’m excited to be the new Kindergarten teacher!

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? I grew up in Kansas as part of a large family. My six siblings and I were raised by strong and faithful Christian parents. While living in Kansas, I met my husband who was from Oklahoma. Because of his job we have had the great opportunity to live all over the United States and see incredible things and meet amazing people along the way. We have lived in Texas, Arkansas, West Virginia, Washington, and Utah. We originally came here because of work, but then fell in love with the people and the mission field and the mountains.

Where do you go to Church? We go to Hope Church. We have attended since 2014 and absolutely love it! I get to serve with the children regularly and my husband is a deacon. We have a great community group that is like our family.

Tell us about your family! My husband and I have been married for 17 years and have 6 kids. Our oldest is 16 and our youngest is 6. We have been fostering our six year for almost a year. We love to do things together as a family whether it be board games, hiking, or sporting events. We love learning the history of places and seeing the beauty of God’s creation. I’ve had the pleasure of homeschooling our children at different ages and we have loved watching our children grow into amazing young people. We love to open our home to people and share food, laughter, and games. 

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? My true passion is Biblical archeology and history. I love reading, listening to music and sharing what I know with those around me. I’m a very competitive game player and am passionate about winning. I’ve been known to throw a shoe or two if I lose… ;) I am also a big KU fan (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!) and my husband and I get a bit crazy during college basketball season.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? I’m excited to be in an environment that allows me to glorify God in everything I do. I love teaching and I’m so happy to be working with such a fun age group. This age loves to be silly but they are so excited to learn as well.

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? I can be fun but I am also serious about teaching. Being able to share truth and watch as young people grasp concepts that they had not thought of before gives me a lot of joy. I am passionate about my Savior and my faith and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in the Valley alongside fellow believers. 

Welcome to ICS, Mrs. Banta! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Meet Athletic Director Ryan Behmer!

Meet ICS’ New Athletic Director Ryan Behmer

What's your new ICS title and position?  Athletic Director

Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? Growing up we often moved and never really settled in one location. I ended up living all over the US and enjoyed living in many places. Chicago is where I consider home when asked. God has led me to many places throughout life and brought my wife and I to UT in 2019 after living in Shanghai for a few years.

 Where do you go to Church? My wife and I are members of Gospel Hope Church in Riverton, UT.

Tell us about your family! God has blessed me with a beautiful wife who was born and raised in Hong Kong. She is a very talented musician and worked as a teacher in Shanghai.  Together we have two beautiful children. Our little girl Juliet is around 18 months old and her little brother Moses is around 3 months old.

What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I have a passion for leading others to grow in their talents God has given them. It really brings me joy to see and help others serve the Lord with their gifts.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? It is very exciting to be back in Christian education where we have the opportunity to help students see the world from a biblical perspective. Sports gives us a great opportunity to grow in our Christian character and I look forward to helping create a culture of Christian excellence within ICS Athletics.

What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? My wife and I look forward to becoming a part of the ICS community and are thankful for the support we have experienced since I started here!

Welcome to ICS, Ryan! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!

Mrs. Lee's Lion Story

How did you decide you wanted to work at ICS?

My sister encouraged me to apply for the elementary art position opening. I started at ICS part-time teaching elementary art. God opened the door for working at ICS at the same time our oldest son was starting Middle School. A preschool enrichment position opened and I added that to my job. Then I became a lead preschool teacher as well as art. The last 3 years I have had the privilege of teaching all levels of art and dance. It has been a blessing to teach my passions. 

How long have you been working at ICS?

11 years

What is your role at ICS?

Art and Dance Instructor

What do you look forward to the most about coming to work everyday?

I love the opportunity to share Christ through the arts with the students in my classes. Being able to direct them to worship the Lord through visual arts and dance is a privilege. I thank God every day for being able to openly talk about and direct students to Jesus. For me it is a ministry and a heart call. I love it! I get paid to draw and dance and talk about Jesus!

What do you like to do when you're not hard at work?

I love morning walks, hiking in the mountains and working in my flowerbeds. I especially enjoy hiking in the mountains with my boys and my husband.

What is one thing your students and/or coworkers may not know about you?

I hunt and fish!

Mrs. Stoddard's Lion Story

How did you decide you wanted to work at ICS?

I was still homeschooling our younger 4 while our oldest was enrolled here at ICS. It became a community I desired to be a bigger part of. I decided to apply for a substitute position to get my toes in the water. The Lord had other plans and I began working full time immersed in the office shortly after that!

How long have you been working at ICS?

I am currently in my 5th year!

What is your role at ICS?

I've recently stepped into the Operations Administrative Assistant role which has me wearing many hats.

What do you look forward to the most about coming to work everyday?

The students! The best part of my job is my small groups. It feeds my soul to connect with the students and to do life with them.

What do you like to do when you're not hard at work?

Anything to do with water from swimming and boating to just seeing a view of the water! I also love watching my kids play sports! I hope to travel one day with my husband.

What is one thing your students and/or coworkers may not know about you?

My food aversions are based on texture. Furry, Slimy, Poppable, Chewy are the categories I filter through.  I like carbs.

Mrs. Lin's Lion Story

How did you decide you wanted to work at ICS?

The community at ICS won me over right away. The staff is welcoming and chummy and students are engaged and witty. I am glad to work in such a great community.

How long have you been working at ICS?

This is my second year.

What is your role at ICS?

I teach high school world history and geography.

What do you look forward to the most about coming to work everyday?

I have the best students! It is a joy to discuss social sciences with my classes and get to know each other more each day.

What do you like to do when you're not hard at work?

I like to hike, bake, read, and make our baby girl smile.

What is one thing your students and/or coworkers may not know about you?

I make amazing challah bread!

Mrs. Jones' Lion Story

How did you decide you wanted to work at ICS?

When we found out that we were moving to Utah from California, God gave me a connection to ICS through a former board member. I knew I wanted to send Brayden to ICS for school and was leaving a job at a Christian school in California. So, God had a plan long  before I even knew about ICS!

How long have you been working at ICS?

6 years!

What is your role at ICS?

Academic Administrative Assistant

What do you look forward to the most about coming to work everyday?

Seeing and connecting with the students and showing them God’s love.

What do you like to do when you're not hard at work?

Decorate, drink coffee, and read.

What is one thing your students and/or coworkers may not know about you?

I am an open book....I think :)