Educating for Eternity

Pastor Nichols joined the staff at First Baptist Church in 2005 as the Administrative Pastor. His responsibilities include the business aspects of the church as well as serving as the Administrator of Land O’ Lakes Christian School. Pastor Nichols has been in pastoral and educational ministries since 1989. He has graduate degrees in Bible and Education from Pensacola Christian College and Bob Jones University.

Pastor Chad Martin was raised in Wichita, Kansas. He attended Pensacola Christian College where he received a Pastoral B.S. and a Master’s in Educational Leadership. Prior to his position as Secondary Principal at LOLCS he spent several years as both Athletic Director and teacher at a school in Baltimore, Maryland and one year as the Principal of a Christian school in Grand Cayman.

Mr. Travis Hartsfield is now our new Middle Grades (4th-8th) Principal.

Miss Rebekah Hanks comes to us with 24 years of experience from the icy northern state of Minnesota. Miss Hanks has earned degrees in education from Crown College and Maranatha Baptist University and will be acting as Lower Elementary Principal, and teacher of 7th Grade English and ATC English.

Rev. Rick Avriett is a life-long resident of Land O’ Lakes. After graduating from Pasco High School, he attended Florida State University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing in 1978. After several years in the business world, Pastor Avriett attended Tampa Bay Bible College and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor degree in Biblical Studies.

Miss Emma Becker is a Teachers Assistant.

Mrs. Jamie Becker grew up in Michigan and was saved at an early age. She attended Michigan State University where she received her BS in Finance. She worked several years as a bookkeeper, church secretary, and coach in Michigan until her family moved to Land O’ Lakes in 2015. She then joined LOLCS’s athletic department as the JV girls volleyball and basketball coach. In 2018 she came on as support staff in the billing department.

Mrs. Lauren Bockisch is originally from Maryland. She has a B.S. in Food Science and a certificate in Biblical Studies. She has experience assisting in both K4 and 2nd grade, and currently teaches 3rd grade at LOLCS. Mrs. Bockisch has four children, several of whom currently attend Land O’ Lakes Christian School.

Miss Karena Branham was born and raised in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. She graduated from Pensacola Christian College with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. She joined staff in 2023. Miss Branham is a former student of LOLCS and has grown up at FBCLOL.

Mrs. Lori Buker was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She also lived in both Texas and Israel while her parents were missionaries. She attended Miami Christian College where she earned her BS degree in Psychology/Counseling. Over the years, she has worked in counseling, accounting and teaching. Mrs. Buker has taught K-4 at LOLCS since 2002.

Mrs. Yolanda Cecere was born and raised in Bothaville, South Africa. She immigrated to the USA with her family at the age of 18. Mrs. Cecere graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Christian Counseling from Trinity College of Florida. Before joining LOLCS staff, Mrs. Cecere worked as a website/graphic designer and database administrator. Mrs. Cecere and her husband have two girls that attend LOLCS.

Miss Olivia de la Rosa attended Pensacola Christian College where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. After graduation, she remained at PCC where she taught 2nd grade at Pensacola Christian Academy while earning her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Miss de la Rosa is a former student and graduate of LOLCS.

Mrs. Jessica DeStefano grew up in Merrimack, New Hampshire where she attended a church that her grandpa helped build. She accepted Jesus as her Savior in Sunday school when she was 6 years old. Mrs. DeStefano attended Wheelock College in Boston, MA and graduated with a BS in Human Development. She worked for 10 years as a Child Life Specialist and has been on staff at LOLCS since 2017.

Miss Quiana Ferguson was born and raised in Tampa, FL. She graduated from Pensacola Christian College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. Miss Ferguson joined the staff at LOLCS in 2019. She has taught both 4th and 5th grades as well as Yearbook in our secondary program.

Mr. Dan Fralic was born in Cleveland, OH where he lived for twenty years, before moving to Houston, TX. Mr. Fralic graduated from Pensacola Christian College with a B.S. in History and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction with a History emphasis. Mr. Fralic is married to Mrs. Andrea Fralic who is also on staff at LOLCS.

Mrs. Debbie Frazier was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Tampa Bay Bible College in 1983. Mrs. Frazier taught first and second grades at Suncoast Christian School in Clearwater for 10 years and homeschooled her own daughters for 3 years. She and her husband, Tom Frazier, both began teaching at LOLCS in 2007. They have two daughters, Katie and Vickie, both of whom graduated from LOLCS.

Mr. Tom Frazier was born and raised in Pinellas County, Florida. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Florida, in 1978. Tom taught 5th grade for 15 years at Suncoast Christian School in Clearwater, Florida. During his time at Suncoast, he also pastored Tampa Shores Baptist Church in Oldsmar for nine years. After pastoring at Calvary Bible Church in Inverness for four years, Tom joined the staff at LOLCS in 2007.

Mrs. Celinda Hartsfield was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from college in 2004 with her Nursing degree and has been working in Christian ministry since 2008. She has taught in multiple grade levels and has assisted in a variety of areas in administration. Mrs. Hartsfield and her husband, Mr. Travis Hartsfield, joined the staff at LOLCS in 2023. Together they have two daughters and two sons.

Mrs. Christy Hoynoski was born in Danville, Kentucky. She grew up in a Christian home and trusted Christ as her Savior at the age of 12. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University. After graduating college, she met her husband, Cris. They married in 1996 and moved to FL shortly afterwards. They have two children that are LOLCS graduates.

Mrs. Stacy Ironside is a Elementary Art Teacher.

Mr. Ray Klein was born and raised in New Jersey, and moved to Land O’ Lakes in 2018. He was saved at the age of seventeen at a Word of Life basketball marathon. He has 3 adult children and 11 grandchildren. For more than 30 years, Mr. Klein has “had the pleasure” of coaching boys basketball at Christian schools in NJ, PA, NY, and now here at LOLCS. In addition to coaching, Mr. Klein is also a part of the custodial staff at LOLCS.

Mrs. Pam Kravitz earned her degree in English Education from Bob Jones University. She has taught English and reading in previous years, but is currently our school librarian. She and Pastor Kravitz have three boys, all of whom graduated from LOLCS.

Miss Jovaneli Lagares was born in Connecticut and moved to Florida when she was 5 years old. She grew up in a Christian home and attended Florida Baptist College where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She has taught Kindergarten for the past several years and has also helped in afterschool programs. Miss Lagares joined LOLCS in 2022 as one of our first grade teachers.

Mrs. Debby Lenox teaches PK3 and 7th Grade English.

Mr. Scott Long was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He trusted in Christ at 8 years old in his Sunday school class. Mr. Long received his B.A. in Elementary Education from St. Petersburg College and has ten years of teaching experience. Mr. Long and his wife, Kim, have a daughter, Brooke, who graduated from Land O’ Lakes Christian School.

Mrs. Lorena Maass has a Bachelors in education from Spurgeon Baptist Bible College and a Master’s in education from Pensacola Christian College. Mrs. Maass has taught for over 18 years in Christian Education and has been with LOLCS since 2018. She loves both the classroom teaching and the one on one working with students. She has 4 children who currently attend LOLCS.

Mrs. Heather Mason was born and raised in Ohio. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Pensacola Christian College. After teaching in Connecticut for several years, she moved to Florida to be near family. Mrs. Mason and her husband, Joe, have two daughters, Abigail and Emily. Prior to teaching at LOLCS, Mrs. Mason taught 2nd grade at Shores Christian Academy and 1st grade at Hillsdale Christian Academy.

Mrs. Krista Mengel was born and raised in Bushnell, Florida. She trusted in Christ as her Savior at the age of 11 in her church, First Baptist Church of Bushnell. Mrs. Mengel received her AA degree from Lake Sumter Community College and her BA in Business Administration from the University of South Florida. She began teaching at Land O’ Lakes Christian School in 2011 and serves as the school and church bookkeeper.

Dr. Shannon Morse has attended First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes since 1996. In 2008, she earned a Master’s Degree in nursing education and family health nursing, and then in 2016, she earned her PhD. She combined her passion for teaching and nursing by teaching CPR classes, childbirth classes, and by serving as staff development nurse educator. Dr. Morse adopted her daughter, Caroline Grace, who will attend LOLCS in a few years.

Mrs. Mindy Newsome and her husband, Tim, retired from the Army in 2015 after 30 years of service, and in 2016, she joined the staff of Land O’ Lakes Christian School. Mrs. Newsome serves as a part of our administrative office staff. Mrs. Newsome and her husband have one son, Chance, who graduated from LOLCS.

Miss Jamie Nichols attended Pensacola Christian College where she received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education. While attending PCC, she worked as an Elementary Choir and Piano teacher. Miss Nichols is a graduate of LOLCS.

Mr. Jim Peifer received his Bachelor of Science degree from Belmont University and spent a year studying Math Education at Middle Tennessee State University Graduate School. In 2005, he was called to service as a Math teacher at Land O’ Lakes Christian School, and has been teaching secondary mathematics for over 45 years. Mr. Peifer and his wife, Whithers, have six grown children and six grandchildren.

Mrs. Corrine Pemberton was raised in northern Ohio. She is a two-time graduate of Pensacola Christian College. She has taught at LOLCS in various subjects and grades since 2001. Currently she teaches 5th grade. Mrs. Pemberton is married and has four sons, Timothy, Luke, Mark, and Andrew. All are LOLCS alumni and have graduated from college.

Mrs. Susie Perez was born in Havana, Cuba. She received her B.A. in Finance from the University of South Florida. She trusted in Christ at 23 years old during her mother’s baptismal service. Mrs. Perez has two sons, Andrew and Alex. She taught Pre-Kindergarten 3 and High School Spanish at Land O’ Lakes Christian School for over 10 years. Now Mrs. Perez teaches Spanish to both elementary and secondary students and teaches some finance electives.

Miss Sarah Peterson graduated from Clearwater Christian College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education with proficiency in both cello and piano. She has been teaching music at Christian schools in Florida, Hawaii, and California since 2007. She currently teaches handbells, elementary general music classes, preschool music, and provides private lessons (strings, piano).

Pastor Troy Self and wife Teresa both graduated from Christian High Schools. He is a graduate of Massillon Baptist College in Massillon, OH. Prior to moving to Florida in 2016, he served 28 years in ministry in Denver, Colorado. His school choirs have garnered many awards, including first place at AACS Nationals competition. He is a member of the Florida Music Educators Association and the American Choral Directors Association.

Mrs. Maresa Shelburne graduated from a Christian high school and has a B.A. degree from Bob Jones University in Music with an English minor. She teaches high school language arts, choir and piano at Land O’ Lakes Christian School. Mrs. Shelburne has three sons, Zachary, Spencer, and Andrew all of whom graduated from LOLCS, went on to graduate from Christian colleges, and are actively involved in music ministry themselves.

Mr. Hunter Smith was born and raised in Colorado. He attended Pensacola Christian College where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting. Mr. Smith joined the staff at LOLCS teaching elementary and secondary band and strings in 2020. He also started the school’s first drumline in 2021.

Mrs. Christine Sutton was born and raised in Tampa, FL. She attended Florida State University and joined the staff of Land O’ Lakes Christian School in 2007. Mrs. Sutton is married and has two children, one who is currently attending LOLCS and one who has graduated from LOLCS.

Mr. Chuck Swanson was born in Butte, Montana. He attended college in Chicago, Illinois and graduated with a B.A. in mathematics. Mr. Swanson currently teaches math, science, and Bible for one of our 5th grade classes and also teaches math in our secondary program. He and his wife, Mrs. Teri Swanson, joined the staff at LOLCS in 2020.

Mrs. Teri Swanson was born and raised in Indiana. She earned her degrees in Bible and Education at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Minnesota. She has been teaching for over 30 years. Mrs. Swanson and her husband, Mr. Chuck Swanson, joined the staff at LOLCS in 2020.

Mrs. Jackie Taylor was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. In 2017, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education emphasis in Mathematics from Florida Baptist College. Before joining the LOLCS staff, she taught middle and high school math and coached volleyball and basketball for six years. Mrs. Taylor joined the staff at LOLCS in 2022.

Mrs. LeAnne Vincent was born and raised in Illinois. She attended college in Iowa and Florida and graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy. Mrs. Vincent joined the staff at LOLCS in 2021 teaching both secondary science and PE. She and her husband have two children, both of whom are students at LOLCS.

Mrs. Erica Wallace was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, where she attended a Christian elementary school and trusted Christ as her Savior in kindergarten. She joined the LOLCS staff in 2018 and serves as both the school Registrar and Office Manager. Mrs. Wallace and her husband have two sons, both of whom have attended LOLCS.

Mr. Dean Williams coached basketball for the better part of 35 years, I have coached at all levels from College at Clearwater Christian College, to Public schools in Minnesota, and Florida, and then on to Land O' Lakes Christian Coaching the Boys Varsity tean and 1 Year as the JV Girls team.

Mrs. Mari-Ann Williams graduated from Maranatha Baptist University with a BS in Elementary Education and Bible, and a minor in Speech. Mrs. Williams taught Headstart for two years, K4 preschool for two years, and has been teaching Kindergarten for 11 years. She began teaching at Land O’ Lakes Christian School in 2018 and currently holds the Director Credential for our preschool program.