Welcoming New Faculty and Staff

September 1, 2020

We are excited to welcome four new faces to the faculty and staff of Cretin-Derham Hall!

Sonja Freeman is a Student Teacher in Biology. She has a Bachelor's in Biology from the University of Minnesota and a Master's in Education from St. Catherine University. After college, she taught English in South Korea for seven years. Her previous job was at The International School of Minnesota, where she was a kindergarten assistant in 2018-19 and worked in administration for the 2019-20 school year.

Sonja enjoys photography, camping, bicycling, dancing, and cooking. She has two cats. 

Greg Hungiville is the Senior JROTC Director. He holds a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice from Concordia University and a Master of Science in Training and Leadership Development from University of Wisconsin - Stout. Greg was in the military for 25 years working at many levels of international diplomacy. 

"I am excited to have the opportunity to teach our young adults about citizenship, leadership, personal responsibility, self-discipline, and service to the school and community," he said.

Read more about Greg.

Sean Van Gemert '96 joins us as Director of Admissions. Sean has a Bachelor's in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management. He has sent the last 15 years working as a Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager for UBS Wealth Management.

Sean's father is Lon Van Gemert '68. His two children attend 4th and 6th grade at Nativity. 

"I'm here as I have a passion for this school and community," he said. "The teachers and staff care deeply about the students and their success, something you don't find at every school. I'm excited to share with others the unique experience that CDH offers young people and their families."

Read more about Sean.

Nick Zahler is our new Band Teacher. He holds a Bachelor in Music Education from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Before teaching at Cretin-Derham Hall, Nick taught 6th-12th grade band at Lakes International Language Academy. Prior to that, he taught 5th-12th grade band and choir at the Willow River Secondary School, and served as the director of athletic bands at Osseo High School. He is a member of the Minnesota Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, and the Minnesota Band Directors Association.

In his free time, Nick plays trombone for the Centennial Community Bank. He also enjoys traveling, with a few favorite places being Yellowstone National Park and the North Shore.

We also have a few returning team members who are taking on new roles:

Katie Carroll - COVID-19 Coordinator (continues to serve as Registrar)
Pat Norusis - Distance Learning Coordinator
Tracy Stepka - Long Term Social Studies Sub