Teachers & Staff

Preschool Teacher

The 2021/22 school year was Mrs. Conway’s first year as Pilgrim’s preschool teacher and she is happy to be part of the Pilgrim teaching staff!

Mrs. Conway holds a BA and a MA in Education, plus 11 years of teaching experience. She is licensed to teach special education and early childhood. During the 2020/21 school year she worked as a behavioral therapist, providing therapy and other services to diverse learners. From 2011-2020, she was a lead teacher, assistant director, and interim director of Total Child Preschool in Evanston, IL, where she worked with former Pilgrim principal and PreK teacher, Beth Ruppe.

Mrs. Conway lives in Evanston with her husband Chris, their kids, Atticus and Corinne, and their two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and having dance parties while cooking dinner with her family.

Mrs. Smith received her B.A. in Youth Ministry from Moody Bible Institute and her M.A. in Education from North Park University. Since graduating, she has been involved in early childhood education for over ten years. Before arriving at Pilgrim, she taught pre-k at Salem Christian School in Humboldt Park/Logan Square for seven years. She is excited to be a part of Pilgrim’s play-based program and to see students grow and explore while having fun in the classroom. She especially has a passion for teaching young students and inspiring a life-long love of learning.

When not serving as Pilgrim’s Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Smith enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and her husband, Tom.

Mrs. Stephens received her B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Pennsylvania State University and later received her Masters of Education from DePaul University. Before joining the Pilgrim staff, she was the preschool teacher at Saint Luke Academy in Chicago.

In regards to teaching, Mrs. Stephens is especially passionate about utilizing technology to create an interactive and enhanced learning environment for students. She also wants to pass along her love of reading books to her students in her classroom.

When she is not serving as Pilgrim’s first grade teacher, Mrs. Stephens enjoys leading her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, participating in worship and activities at her church, hiking and fishing with her family, and relaxing at the beach in the summer.

Mrs. Barclay received her B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in English Language Arts from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Mrs. Barclay’s goal is to encourage her students and help them unleash their full potential. She uses varied learning methods and teaching strategies to facilitate the learning of all students.

In her free time, Mrs. Barclay loves baking, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with her family.

6th Grade Teacher

Mrs. Cardo was first drawn to Pilgrim because her husband attended the school and his parents were members of Pilgrim Lutheran Church. She is proud to be part of two generations of her own Pilgrim family as all three of her children are graduates of Pilgrim as well. Mrs. Cardo is excited to share the gift of a Pilgrim education with the current generation of students.

Before coming to Pilgrim, Mrs. Andreen taught at schools in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Houston. During three of her years teaching in Houston, she was the English Department Chair and had the honor of winning Paul Revere’s “Teacher of the Year.”

Mrs. Andreen attended Louisiana State University, where she earned her B.A. in Literature and later obtained her Secondary Education certification. She is married and has two children, Riley and Connor. Both attend and love Pilgrim. She enjoys entertaining, cooking, crafting, reading, and most of all, spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. Raabe is married to another church professional, and a math teacher at that! She is the mother of three independent Christian women. In her spare time (a rarity during the school year), she enjoys walking, working outside, and reading fiction.

Mr. Yearick graduated with a degree in Education from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in Spanish and German. In the classroom, Mr. Yearick is a strong proponent of creativity and adaptability: “Each class has a wide range of abilities and learning styles, so I try to vary the presentation of the material to reach all students. If they’re having fun, my job is easy.”

When not serving as the Spanish, science and music teacher at Pilgrim, Mr. Yearick performs as a folk rock musician and is the frontman for a progressive rock band.

Art Teacher

Mrs. Stewart received an Associate of Science degree in 3D Computer Animation from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. She has taught in the elementary department of Uptown Christian School for 14 years and is now teaching art part-time to the high school at U.C.S. For many years she has been on an art team at her church creating large artworks and installations. She has also taught workshops for children and adults at festivals and women’s events. Mrs. Stewart recently had two solo art shows and her work is currently on display at Baker Miller in Lincoln Square.

He is proud to be following in his father’s footsteps, who was a PE teacher for 40 years. Mr. Hagopian loves fitness, strength, and teamwork!

Originally from Minnesota, He graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN as a Music Major and received his M. Div from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

Before coming to Pilgrim, he served as a youth minister on the north side of Chicago for five years. He has spent significant time learning and serving among Christians in Tanzania, East Africa and El Salvador, Central America. He served his first call at First Lutheran Church/Iglesia Luterana Mi Salvador in Inglewood, CA. During his six years there, he helped the congregation triple in size and start a ministry in Spanish.

Pastor Johnson’s wife, Anna is also an ordained minister in the ELCA. They are blessed with three children, Hope, Emanuel, and Xavier.

And here are photos of Maggy and Johana, but they might not be high-res enough. If not, we’re going to have professional photos taken of both in early October.

Mr. Murphy has a proven track record of success, having previously served as Assistant Principal at Uplift Community High School in Chicago. At Uplift, he played a key role in doubling the school’s enrollment through his exceptional recruitment efforts. With Mr. Murphy’s expertise and passion for education, we’re looking forward to identifying new opportunities for growth at Pilgrim. From working with faculty to cultivate innovative teaching methods to nurturing student development, Mr. Murphy is here to make a positive impact.

A native of Arizona, Mr. Murphy studied at Tulane University in New Orleans, and is currently participating in an Urban Educational Leadership program at University of Illinois Chicago.

Both of Heather’s sons, Will and Henry, are currently students at Pilgrim. Heather has enjoyed serving as a parent volunteer with both the church and school in various capacities over the years. She has also served as the co-chair of the Marketing Committee and as a member of the Parish Life Committee. Heather also plans the annual PilgrimFest block party.

In her free time, Heather loves exploring Chicago with her kids, taking photos, trying new restaurants, and being an extremely competitive member of her pub trivia team.