Staff

Mr. Dan Beckering

Head of School

B.S Secondary Education, US and World History, Minor in Phy.Ed., Dordt College, IA
M.A., Educational Leadership, St. Mary's University, MN
Teaching License
Coaching Endorsement

Mr. Beckering grew up on a farm in Southwestern Minnesota and went to the other high school in the state named Southwest Christian. He attended Dordt College in Sioux Center Iowa, majoring in history and secondary education. While at Dordt he played three years of college basketball, received his coaching endorsement, and married his wife Laura.

After graduating from Dordt with a BA in Secondary Education, the Beckerings moved to the Twin Cities and he began teaching at Southwest. During his first four years at Southwest, he taught history and Bible classes and coached boys basketball. In 2005 he took on the position of Dean of Students along with teaching AP US History and coaching the boys varsity basketball team. In 2007 Mr. Beckering became Principal of SWCHS.

The Beckerings have 4 children: twin boys Bennet and Caleb, Kylie, and Avery. Mr. Beckering enjoys playing a variety of sports, fishing and hunting, and spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. Sue Beuning

Director of Admission

B.A., Bemidji State University
M.A., Theological Studies, Bethel Seminary

Sue Beuning has served at SWCHS since 2005. Mrs. Beuning spent 4 years serving in youth ministry in Missouri and then 11 years in a variety of roles in non-profit ministry administration and marketing. She also served occasionally as a trainer in ministry leadership skills. Mrs. Beuning lives in Bloomington with her husband, David. An ideal day for her is when the phone rings off the hook with prospective families interested in Southwest, she finds some time to continue reading in one of the 12 books she's started, and she can get outdoors with her husband (walking, biking, gardening, or playing tennis.)

Ms. Michele Bargmann

Business Manager

B.A., Business Administration & Bible, Crown College

Ms. Bargmann worked many years in the corporate world, starting at Control Data as a computer programmer for 13 years, 2 years at Fingerhut, and another 2 years at Gelco before joining the staff at SWCHS in 2000. She finds working as the Business Manager at SWCHS to be much more enjoyable work and hopes to make a difference for His Kingdom. Ms. Bargmann graduated from Crown College in 2009 with a degree in Business Management & Ethics and minored in Biblical Studies.

She is a proud mother of three sons, one daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. She takes great pleasure in being a grandma, Twins baseball, learning about Israel, and studying God's Word.

Mrs. Cindy Eidem

Accounting Manager

B.S., Mathematics, Hope College
M.B.A., Michigan State University

Mrs. Cindy Eidem is the parent of two SW graduates, Michael and Elisabeth, and current SW senior Matthew. Prior to starting at SWCHS, she spent 15 years in corporate finance. She and her husband Michael live in the Excelsior area.

Mr. Mark Bell

Facility Manager

Mr. Bell graduated from Roosevelt High School and served four years in the US Army. He has been married to his wife, Mary, for 27 years. He has four children, one son-in-law and two grandsons and loves to hunt and fish.

Mrs. Celeste Coy

Receptionist

Mrs. Celeste Coy is a home school parent of 8 years and substitute receptionist at her church. She is a graduate of Northwestern College with an Associate Degree in Secretarial Science. Celeste and her husband, Sean, live in Burnsville and have an adult daughter, Haley (Fort Dodge, IA), and son Ted, a 2012 graduate of SWCHS. She enjoys her spare time volunteering at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, Bible study, playing piano and visiting family.

Mr. Mike Eidem

Director of Development

B.S., Finance, University of MN
M.B.A., University of MN

After 20 years in financial services and five as a small business owner, Mike joined the Southwest staff in spring 2009 as the Director of Development. Mike has a passion for Christian education having served on several school boards over the years, led several capital campaigns for schools and been an active volunteer parent. He and his wife, Cindy, reside in Shorewood where they raised their three children, all of whom were brought up through the Christian school system. Mike and Cindy’s two oldest children graduated from SWCHS and are currently in college. Their third child is currently a student at Southwest.

Mr. Andrew Moss

Guidance Counselor

B.S., emphasis in Physical Science, Biola University
M.A., emphasis in Spiritual Formation, Talbot Seminary

Though born in Shakopee and graduated from Eagan High School, Andrew spent most of his life outside of Minnesota. As an army brat, he grew up in places like Indiana, Arizona, and Virginia. He also spent several years living oversees in South Korea and Italy as well. After attending Biola University and Talbot Seminary out in Southern California, he got hired as a Bible teacher and Director of Student Ministries at an international Christian school in Bangkok, Thailand. There he met his wife (who's from Michigan) before moving to Ohio. He came back to the Twin Cities and started at Southwest in 2008 as a science teacher. In 2010 he transitioned into the guidance department and has really enjoyed the move. Andrew is passionate about discipleship and helping students discover God's calling on their life. He recently was blessed with a son and daughter, whom he loves dearly.

Ms. Heide Ferris

Discovery Therapist

B.S. Education and Bible, Columbia International University, Columbia, SC
Certified Educational Therapist, National Institute for Learning Development (NILD)
Teacher License
ACSI Certified

Born in Chicago and raised in South Carolina, Miss Ferris has more than 10 years of experience in the educational field. She served as a missionary in Budapest, Hungary for four years, three of those teaching junior high and elementary grades at an MK school. Since moving to Minnesota in 2000, she has taught at Southwest as an Educational Therapist along with other roles and teaching responsibilities throughout the years. In addition, she has the opportunity to organize and coordinate the Senior Class Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic each year. Miss Ferris enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially her four nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Kristie Gusa

District 112 Nurse

Kristie Gusa has been the school nurse for ten years. Being a school nurse has always been her dream job as she loves working with teenagers! Prior to this, she was a public health nurse and spent 10 years working at Rochester Methodist Hospital of the Mayo Clinic. While in Rochester, her favorite job was working with teens and families on the Adolescent Chemical Dependency Unit. She also worked in Obstetrics and on post surgical floors.

Mrs. Gusa lives in Eden Prairie with her husband Steve, and two teens, Nicole (a college student) and Jacob (a Southwest student). In her free time she loves to volunteer, spend time with family and friends and attend her kids sport events.

Mr. Austin Petersen

Facility Manager

B.S., Business Administration, Crown College

Austin is a 2008 SWCHS graduate and received his degree in business from Crown College in 2012. While at Crown, he participated in four varsity sports: basketball, baseball, golf, and soccer. His hobbies include sports, sports, and more sports.

Mrs. Kathy Simanek

District 112 Nurse

Kathy Simanek has received General Education credits at University of WI-Oshkosh and graduated Fox Valley Technical College Appleton WI LPN program. She has previous experience in Hemodialysis/Acute Care Nursing and School Nursing. She lives with her fabulous husband of 29 years Mark and son Andrew who is a current SW student. Her daughter, Emily, is married and also attended SW. She enjoys spending time with family, friends and reading and sewing.

Mrs. Vicki Olson

Receptionist

B.A., Music Education, Central College, IA

After teaching elementary music in Sigourney, Iowa, Mrs. Olson felt that her music abilities would be better used in music ministry. She traveled with The Continental Singers, crossing the southern United States and performing concerts in Israel, Austria and Yugoslavia. Two years later she began a two year tour with Covenant Heart Song, a music/drama ministry team with the Evangelical Covenant Church of America. It was during this tour that she met her future husband, Al. Vicki and Al live in Excelsior and have raised two children: Valerie (’07 SW grad) and Charlie (‘10 graduate of Minnetonka High School). Besides being the first voice heard at Southwest, Vicki has been an occasional substitute music teacher and is the music director for the spring musicals at SW. She has served at SWCHS since 2005.

Mr. Rob Wassenaar

Dean of Students, New Testament Bible Teacher

B.A in Economics, Stanford University
Partial completion of M.A.T.S., Bethel Seminary

Rob grew up in the Twin Cities. He graduated from Edina H.S. where he competed in baseball, basketball and football and was his class’ commencement speaker at graduation. He went on to study at Stanford University and was a four-year letter winner and a member of the 1987 NCAA College World Series Champions. Following college, he spent 7 seasons playing professional baseball before moving into the business world as a healthcare consultant.

Prior to coming to SWCHS, Rob was on staff at Grace Church in Eden Prairie for the previous 14+ years in a variety of roles. After spending many years in the Missions and Outreach department, Mr. Wassenaar spent his final years at Grace as the Pastor of Spiritual Development.

Rob and his wife Cathy live in Eden Prairie, have been married almost 20 years. Both came to Christ at the age of 16 through the influence of friends and FCA. They have 3 children: Josh, Ashley and Drew.