Gretchen Dolan

I primarily grew up outside of St. Louis, MO and moved to Texas prior to middle school where I lived until college.  By the time I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to be an English teacher.  I graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin in 1998 and taught English at Martin Luther High School and Sheboygan Lutheran HS in WI for several years before moving to St. Louis to teach at Lutheran High School South.  I married Paul and spent a number of years at home raising our two daughters, Noelle and Paige, before returning to teach at St. John's Lutheran School in Corcoran, MN.  At St. John's, I served as a junior high teacher for 11 years and principal for 4 years.  During this time we were blessed with our son, Sawyer, who will be in 4th grade.  Paige is a junior in high school and Noelle is a sophomore in college.   Personally, I enjoy reading, traveling, and cooking.  Professionally, I simply love kids of all ages, and I very much believe they need people in their lives who see them as the individuals God made them to be.  My varied experiences serving as an educator and administrator have given me a wide range of perspectives that I'm excited to put to good use as I serve among you!  I believe that real, open relationships with students, colleagues, and families are the truest way to achieve success.  God has richly blessed me with this new experience to serve at Chaska, and I can't wait to get started!