Faculty and Staff

Mrs. Michelle Bertsch comes to Capstone from Fargo North, where she has taught math for over 20 years. Mrs. Bertsch earned her B.S. in Secondary Education with majors in Mathematics and Physical Education and a concentration in Computer Science and her M.A. in Teaching Mathematics from Minot State University. She first taught in Cathedral School in Bismarck and has spent the last three decades teaching primarily math courses from Algebra I through AP Calculus. Mrs. Bertsch has also enjoyed teaching through sport, coaching basketball, volleyball, and track.

Mrs. Bertsch is first and foremost committed to each and every one of her students being enchanted with and successful in finding their inner mathematician, but she is also deeply invested in raising up excellent math teachers for the future, sharing her expertise as a U.S. Department of Education Distinguished Teacher and a Presidential Award Winner for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching with aspiring educators. She currently serves as the Concordia College Mathematics Teacher Education Noyce Grant Teacher Leader and teaches the mathematics teaching methods course for future secondary mathematics teachers at NDSU.

Michelle and her husband are members at Northview Church in Fargo, and their faith has always been at the heart of their work in education and in local non-profits.

Michael J. Rozek earned a B.A. in History from Western Michigan University, with minors in Latin, Arabic, and Comparative Religions. He completed an M.A. in History at Eastern Michigan University, focusing on early medieval Christian-Muslim relations. He was awarded a fully funded scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. through H.R.H. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal through the Alwaleed Centre and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Edinburgh. His doctoral work explores Christian-Muslim relations, particularly the development of Christian apologetics and Islamic legal frameworks for non-Muslims in the early medieval Middle East. He is set to submit his doctoral thesis in February 2026, with a defense to follow in the subsequent months. 

Michael has taught at both secondary and university levels, serving as a faculty instructor and department head at Oakdale Academy, a classical school in Michigan, and later tutoring undergraduates in American, Medieval, Renaissance, and early Islamic history. Mr. Rozek brings a deep intellectual and personal commitment to the study of languages and history within the Western tradition. His intellectual investment involves Latin, Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek, and Arabic as well as the history and literature of antiquity and the medieval world. His approach to education is both rigorous and reflective, blending authoritative lecture with a Socratic method that encourages critical inquiry and engagement with historical texts. He seeks to instruct not only the core aspects of Western civilization – its histories, languages, and Christian traditions to see what is “Good, True, and Beautiful."

Michael and his wife is now settling into life in Fargo from Brighton, Michigan. Outside of teaching and research, or “Nerd-ageddon,” he enjoys reading C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, weightlifting, cycling, chess, and music. A lifelong learner, he continues his study of languages and has recently taken up teaching himself Syriac. A devoted Michigander, he follows the Detroit Red Wings, the Lions, and the Michigan Wolverines. 

Mr. Gannaio began teaching after graduating from Duke Divinity School in 2021. During this time, he fell in love with classical Christian education. His academic work in philosophy, history, and theology was consistently dealing with the relationship between faith in Jesus and the theory, history, and practice of education. Becoming a practitioner in classical Christian education allowed him to marry these academic interests with his personal convictions regarding the best way to live out a biblical worldview in education.

He explains the the importance of classical Christian education when he says, "There is little point in believing in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth, the Resurrection, the Virgin Birth, or the whole history of Israel and the promises of the New Jerusalem if it does not affect every square inch of human existence." For his students and his family, classical education best embraces this conviction.

Mr. Gannaio holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and History from the University of South Florida, and graduated summa cum laude from Duke University Divinity School with a Master’s of Theological Studies, and a certificate in Theology & the Arts. Now in his fifth year of teaching, he has taught at Calvary Christian High School in Florida and Sandhills Classical Christian School in North Carolina. He is excited to join Capstone and is drawn to its unique and reflective vision within the broader classical Christian educational landscape. 

When thinking about his experiences as a classical Christian teacher so far, Anthony reflects, "God is faithful to use me to bring a spiritual vitality to whatever position I am in, enabling me to gesture to a coherent and compelling vision of Happiness for the sake of leading our students to accept the offer of free grace that comes from the Father through Jesus Christ, and step into the Kingdom of God for the rest of their lives."

Mr. Gannaio and his wife and children attend River City Church in Fargo. In his free time, he enjoys reading, Judo, being out in nature, and playing Irish folk music. 

Sophia Moyers is originally from southern Iowa. She earned her B.A. in Classics from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. While there she met her husband, Clayton. In April of 2025, Sophia graduated with an M.A. in Medieval Studies from the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University. 

At Capstone, Sophia looks forward to fostering relationships with young students and watching as they learn and grow in faith and knowledge. Her favorite experience is watching as her students find a topic that sparks their interest beyond their class work. 

Sophia was raised in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and she and her husband have attended churches that are part of the LCMS in the various states in which they have lived. Sophia has had the pleasure of being involved in campus ministry both at Truman State and at Western Michigan. 

The Moyers family are excited to experience life in Fargo. In their free time, they enjoy exploring nature and especially watching wildlife. Sophia's favorite solo hobby is garment sewing. 

Steve Trumbauer holds bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Biological Education, along with a master’s degree in Biological Education from North Dakota State University. After thirty years of teaching with Fargo Public Schools, he’s excited to begin a new chapter at Capstone. Over the years, Steve has taught Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry at Discovery Middle School, South Campus II, and Davies High School.

A passionate educator at heart, Steve finds joy in helping students uncover the wonder of science and how it connects to everyday life. He’s especially eager to show students how the intricacies of the natural world reflect the intentional design and creativity of our amazing Creator.

Outside the classroom, Steve enjoys time at the lake with his wife, Lori, and their son, Micah. Whether he's teaching Micah how to fish or simply taking in the beauty of God’s creation, Steve cherishes those quiet moments that remind him of his love for family and his appreciation of science. They attend church at True North Church in Fargo.

Rachel comes to Capstone after teaching for two years in China and then six years in West Fargo. She earned her B.A. with a major in vocal music education from Concordia College. She is excited to serve at Capstone and to share the beauty of our Savior through the beauty of music.

Rachel sees teaching as her calling to love her neighbor as herself as she gives students the tools they will need to go out and serve in their communities. She sees her students as unique image-bearers of God and places a high value on respect and dignity for each student to maximize learning in her classroom. She is excited to teach at Capstone because the music curriculum emphasizes great composers and their masterworks before teaching notation. This makes sense to her, for why should students care about music notation if they have not learned how to listen, to appreciate, and to care about the beauty of music itself? And why care about any music if it can’t point to the beauty and goodness of God?

Rachel’s family attends Lutheran Church of the Cross, where she directs the choir and plays handbells. When she is not making music at school or at church, Rachel enjoys performing in community theatre and rereading her favorite books by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. 

Sean graduated from St. Cloud State University with a double major in Music Education and Social Studies Education with an emphasis in History. He has been a band teacher for the past 10 years, including seven years in West Fargo. He looks forward to building the band program at Capstone and is excited to work at a school where Christ is at the center.

The Rebischke family attends Lutheran Church of the Cross, where Sean also conducts the handbell choir. He enjoys sharing his love of books and music with his young son, future Golden Gryphon, Michael.

Aaron Zinter received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Concordia College in Moorhead. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Illinois State University in Normal, IL. Mr. Zinter taught at Oak Grove Lutheran School for the past 17 years and has been conducting the Master Chorale of Fargo/Moorhead for 10 years.

Mr. Zinter will direct our upper school choir program and teach upper school music theory and appreciation as well as 6th–8th grade math. He is excited to teach at Capstone because Christ is his Cornerstone, and he enjoys sharing the truth of the Gospel through song and encouraging students to understand more fully the power of music for worship and praise.

Aaron and his wife, Brittany, have two children, Lydia and Max. The Zinter family attends Bethel Church in Fargo, where they are active in their choir and small group Bible studies. Aaron conducts the church's choir and orchestra when needed and has been called to compose original music and arrangements on occasion.

Mr. Zinter enjoys a challenge and has many unique talents. He can juggle fire, ride a unicycle, perform yo-yo tricks, and fold origami. He also collects and plays many strategic board and card games with friends and family.

Jacob Drury has undergraduate degrees in both Kinesiology and Biblical Studies from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. As a Phy Ed teacher, he is excited to teach students how to respect and love the bodies that God has blessed them with. 

Jacob attends Ignite Church and is active in a life group there. He and his wife, Raegan, have a 1-year-old golden retriever named Ren. Jacob loves playing golf and basketball, watching any sport that’s on, fishing, and spending time with his family. 

Whitney Friesen graduated with a degree in University Studies and a minor in Art History from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She taught art in a nursing home setting for the past year and has additional experience teaching as part of various VBS programs.

Whitney knows that the Lord uses us to shape others, and she believes she is being called to do that here at Capstone as she leads the art program. She is excited to encourage young learners in their faith journey as well as their love for art. 

The youngest of four children, Whitney is also a twin. She grew up being encouraged in her faith and her curiosity with all things associated with art. Her grandpa was a talented watercolor painter who taught her many things about art and looking through the eyes of the beholder. Whitney is a regular attender at Harvest Plains Church and is active within her life group. In addition to art, Whitney enjoys the outdoors, music, and anything related to winter!