Picture of faculty and staff at Hillsdale conference

Faculty and Staff

Called to serve.

Our Team

Our teachers, administrators, and staff are at the heart of our mission to engage students to acquire wisdom, cultivate virtue, and pursue rigorous academic study within a Christian worldview. They have all successfully completed a rigorous evaluation process in order to be selected for our team. They serve as stewards of a great legacy in classical Christian education.

  • Kelley Peterson Bio Headshot

    Mrs. Kelley Peterson

    Director of Operations

    Kelley Peterson lives in Fargo with her husband, Dave. Together they have raised three children, who are all living their young adult lives. They enjoy cooking, playing games, watching movies, and going to the lake together. For Kelley, however, serving kids of all ages continues to be her passion. In her personal life and her career, she has always been dedicated to service, learning, and caring for young people.

    Kelley comes to us from Oak Grove Lutheran School, where she directed the lunch program at the North Campus and was known for her delicious and nutritious home-cooked meals and loving service to her students. She served her children through homeschooling for 10 years prior to that. She is excited about serving as a founding staff member for Capstone because she feels that the vision and culture of the academy are Spirit-filled. She is eager to see growth and joy in students as they are blessed by the model of classical Christian education.

    Kelley serves as an operations and logistics coordinator for facilities maintenance, the acquisition of supplies, equipment and furnishings, and the lunch program and supports the rest of the administrative team in various areas of need. Her prayer for Capstone is that Jesus would have center stage and that we would be defined by joy as we build up the family of believers.

  • Simon Ell

    Mr. Simon Ell

    Facility and Maintenance Manager

    Simon was born and raised in Fergus Falls, Minnesota before enlisting to serve in the Air Force. His time in service took him across the country and across the world. He was stationed in California and Virginia, deployed to Afghanistan, then ultimately landed here in Fargo as part of the North Dakota Air National Guard. After 8 years in the military, Simon felt God tell him it was time for a change, and transitioned to civilian life.

    Only a few months into this new life, he became connected with Capstone through friends and family. After volunteering to help the school move into their brand new campus, leadership took notice of him and offered him a job. "It was definitely the Lord who led me to Capstone. From my first time drafting up a resume and cover letter, to the smooth sailing through the interview process, I could tell that it was just all meant to be."

    As facilities and maintenance manager, Simon's goal here at Capstone is that in 30 years this beautiful building still looks as new and cared-for as it does today. By working diligently behind the scenes, he hopes to support everyone else in what they do directly for the students and families.

    Simon attends Northview Church here in Fargo, and in his free time enjoys fishing, golf, video games, and fixing up cars.

  • Thorson Headshot

    Mrs. Annie Thorson

    Admissions Tours

    Annie Thorson graduated from NDSU with a nursing degree and worked in the Emergency Department for nine years before staying home with her three daughters. She is excited to serve families as they begin the Admissions process at Capstone. She is enamored with the joyful learning, curiosity, and wonder that classical education introduces to children as it teaches them what is Good, True, and Beautiful from a biblical worldview. Annie and her family attend Bethel Evangelical Free Church, where Annie is involved with VBS and teaching elementary Sunday School. In her spare time, she enjoys camping in the mountains, spending time at the lake, hiking, downhill skiing, baking, and cooking.

  • Photo Coming Soon

    Ms. Julia Besonen

    Kitchen Staff

    Biography coming soon!

  • sarah stanton

    Mrs. Sarah Stanton

    Culinary Director

    Sarah holds a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis and has nearly 25 year of experience in the food service & hospitality industry, ranging from hotel banquets, college dining centers & restaurants.  

    She is so excited to have the privilege to step into the kitchen here at Capstone. Being a farm kid from a small town, she only knew the love of home meals, and now she wants to bring that feeling to the students and staff. 

    Sarah has been married to her husband, Trent, since 2007.  Together they have one daughter, Helena and they live in West Fargo. They attend Lutheran Church of the Cross, when she has been an active member in the christian education program and is also a member of the choir.  When she’s not in her own kitchen, Sarah can often be found working on a quilt or reading a book.

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