Rev. Christensen was born in Oak Harbor, WA and grew up in a Navy family. After spending time with his family in Washington, Florida, California, and Japan, he finally moved to Northern Virginia, where his family still resides. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School in Woodbridge for middle school and went on to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria (2002). He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2006 with majors in Philosophy and Japanese language, and was commissioned as a Naval Officer through the NROTC Program. From 2006 to 2008, he served on the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) in Yokosuka, Japan as a Surface Warfare Officer. In 2008, he entered seminary for the Diocese of Arlington and spent 6 years at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. Since his priestly ordination in June 2014, he has served at 3 parishes as Parochial Vicar – John the Apostle, Leesburg (June 2014 – Nov 2015), the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Arlington (Nov 2015 – June 2020), and St. Leo the Great, Fairfax (June 2020 – June 2021). He arrived at St. Rita in June 2021. It is his first assignment as Pastor, and he is loving every minute of it!

Rev. Schierer was born in Fairfax, VA, the third of 4 boys of Ann Schierer and the late Daniel Schierer. Raised in Herndon, VA, he went to St. Joseph’s Elementary School and Paul VI Catholic High School (2005). He studied at the University of Mary Washington (2009) where he double majored in History and Religion. After graduation, Fr. Schierer worked for three years in the special events industry, as well as a long term substitute teacher and home care giver to his great Aunt. He entered seminary in 2012. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA for Pre-Theology and attended the North American College for Theology. Fr. Schierer was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ on June 9, 2018. He served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Hope from 2018-2020. He has been the parochial vicar at St. Rita’s since October 2020.

Mrs. Busekrus was born and raised in Hawaii, where she first discovered her passion for education. After earning a B.S. in Elementary Education, she spent ten years teaching in both public and Catholic schools in Hawaii. She also homeschooled her children using a classical approach.In 2013, Mrs. Busekrus and her husband moved with their six children to Northern Virginia. She then spent a decade teaching at St. Thomas More Cathedral School.

As principal of Saint Rita School, Mrs. Busekrus is thrilled to lead and serve this vibrant community. She recently earned a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision from Marymount University and is deeply committed to the principles of classical education. Her goal is to foster a joyful and spiritually rich environment where students can thrive.Mrs. Busekrus’s personal faith journey deeply influences her approach to education. She is dedicated to integrating Catholic values into every aspect of school life and is excited to be part of the Saint Rita family.

She enjoys spending her free time with her four grandchildren (with a fifth on the way) and looks forward to getting to know you and your children in the year ahead.

Mrs. Ciatti received a B.A. in English and a M.Ed. in Counselor Education from the Pennsylvania State University. Post degrees, she enjoyed career coaching and alumni relations roles at Loyola College in Maryland, Georgetown University, and the University of Maryland. She especially appreciates the simple pleasures of baking, being outdoors biking and walking, and laughter at the family dinner table. She and her husband and their three children, who are students at St. Rita’s School, live in Alexandria. Continuous growth in the Catholic faith is an integral part of her life that she looks forward to bringing to the classroom daily.

Mrs. Rockwell has taught preschool for over seventeen years in Alexandria, and has been part of Saint Rita Catholic Preschool for over a decade. She is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and worked as a news producer for both PBS and NBC before starting a family and switching gears to focus on early childhood development. 

While at Saint Rita, she has helped to develop the program’s curriculum and offerings, including the preschool’s Angels classrooms and the program’s after-preschool Lunch Bunch extension. She loves the excitement that comes with being the Director of the Saint Rita Catholic Preschool community — shepherding these little souls as they blossom into little saints! 

When not on campus, she enjoys visiting Upstate NY to see her parents in Ithaca and her two college-aged children at Colgate and RIT. When home, she enjoys tennis, reading and volunteering. She lives in Rosemont with her husband and two rambunctious Goldendoodles.

Mrs. Bethencourt is the School Secretary and grandmother of several St. Rita students. Helping young people and their families achieve academic, personal and Catholic faith development has been the focus of her passion and career for the past 30 years, starting with her own family of 9 children and soon to be 11 grandchildren. She worked as a parent liaison between students and faculty at a private school in Caracas, Venezuela for many years. After immigrating to the United States in 2008, she began her own mediation-coaching business for families. She is fluent in both English and Spanish and is so excited to be the face and voice of the school, supporting and interacting with our staff, students, and families.

Mrs. Gonzalez is a dedicated wife and happy mother of two, a devout Catholic, who has been a member of St. Rita’s since 2016. She graduated from Dr. Andres Bello University in her native El Salvador with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Judith consistently seeks to expand her knowledge to provide caregiving services and emergency first aid in line with U.S. guidelines. She consistently upholds professional ethics, respect, and confidentiality, Judith actively participated in various community health programs and has been recognized for her commitment to improving public health. In her free time, Judith loves to do activities with her family. She is also passionate about fitness and a healthy lifestyle. She is deeply committed to providing exceptional assistance to the students at our school, procuring their well-being and safety at all times.

Miss Lange teaches kindergarten at St. Rita School and absolutely loves introducing the students to the big school and instilling a lifelong love of learning. Miss Lange is a graduate from George Mason University earning her M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Elementary Education. Miss Lange is a local, having attended Catholic elementary and high school here in the Diocese of Arlington. Before coming to St. Rita’s, Miss Lange previously worked for 10 years as a teacher’s aide and extended day director at St. John Academy. Some things Miss Lange enjoys in her free time are going on hikes, crafting, and spending time with her nine beautiful nieces and nephews. The thing Miss Lange loves most about teaching in a classical Catholic school is that she can integrate Jesus’ life, the lives of saints, and scripture in all academic subject areas she teaches.

Mrs. Coleman is delighted to serve as an aide in our Kindergarten classroom. Mrs. Coleman grew up in Pleasantville, NY in Westchester County and attended Pace University. She previously worked in the Admissions Office at George Mason University and Skidmore College. Mrs. Coleman and her family were blessed to have had the opportunity to live abroad for eight years in Madrid, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal. She currently resides in Alexandria with her husband and three children. She has twins (son and daughter) who attend Catholic universities and a younger daughter attending a Catholic high school in the area. She enjoys traveling, playing golf, and spending time at her children’s many sport events. She feels blessed to be part of Saint Rita!

Miss McLaughlin is excited to begin her third year teaching first grade at St. Rita School. She studied Elementary Education and student taught in first grade at The College of William and Mary. A local of the area, Miss McLaughlin attended diocesan elementary schools before attending and graduating from Oakcrest School.  She enjoys reading good books, singing, and learning more facts about ancient civilizations to share with her students.

Miss Rolla grew up in Scranton, PA and graduated from Christendom College with a B.A. in Philosophy. She trained to become a Catechist of the Good Shepherd for Level I and II Atriums, where she worked at Saint Rita for many years before transitioning to the Second Grade classroom. She loves literature, history, science, music, art and spending time outdoors.

Mrs. Neville has been a member of Saint Rita Parish for more than a decade, and all three of her children attended Saint Rita School, K-8th grade. She loves the commitment every family brings to the school, and the joy with which everyone serves. The Neville family truly enjoys the outdoors in their rustic cabin in West Virginia, especially around the holidays.

Mrs. Hiney is thrilled to continue her journey here at Saint Rita School. This Marks her tenth year teaching fourth grade here. She holds a BA in Economics and English Writing from Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, Indiana, with a minor in Film Studies. Before joining Saint Rita, she gained valuable experience at Saint William of York, the very same school she attended from fourth through eighth grade, and where her mother taught math for many years.

Mrs. Hiney has a deep passion for science fiction and fantasy across books, movies, and television. She enjoys exploring the outdoors and continues to learn through visits to National Parks with her husband. She is an avid creator, indulging in crochet, sewing, and writing projects. Her fashion inspiration stems from the iconic Ms. Frizzle of Magic School Bus fame.

In her teaching, Mrs. Hiney particularly enjoys exploring early development of technologies like radio, film, and the airplane, and their profound impacts on global society

Mr. Fortune is a lifelong Virginian. He was born and raised in Richmond and earned a degree in Government from the College of William & Mary. He earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from the University of Notre Dame. During the 2023-2024 school year, he served as Director of Saint Rita’s Religious Education program. Mr. Fortune is excited to transition into the classroom and begin his teaching career with the 5th grade class. Following the teaching of St. John Paul II, he believes that “the ultimate goal of Catholic education is salvation in Jesus Christ,” and is eager to pursue that end by promoting every facet of his students’ intellectual and moral development.

Miss Tillotson is very excited to begin a new school year at St. Rita’s. Having been classically educated herself, Miss Tillotson thrives on inspiring her students to seek what is true, good, and beautiful, and most importantly, to seek the source of truth, goodness, and beauty, which is God. Miss Tillotson majored in theology at Christendom College and double minored in philosophy and in Classical and Early Christian Studies (Latin and Greek). She has a special interest in medieval philosophy and history. Always eager to learn more, Miss Tillotson audits theology and philosophy graduate classes at the Dominican House of Studies in her free time. Miss Tillotson has been a volunteer youth minister, taught high school CCD, and also worked for Mother of Divine Grace School, tutoring high school students in religion, history, literature, paper writing, and Latin. Miss Tillotson holds her Advanced Catechist Certification from the Arlington Diocese and her teaching certification through the Virginia Catholic Education Association. She loves teaching at St. Rita’s because of the faith-filled community, traditional Catholic culture, and Christocentric philosophy of education she finds here!

Miss Hanley holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Connecticut, and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Sacred Heart University. The oldest of six children, she grew up as an unofficial life-long teacher, which ultimately inspired her to pursue education as a career; she has been teaching in various official capacities since 2016. Miss Hanley is lucky enough to speak German fluently (thanks, Mom!), and greatly enjoys reading, creative writing, singing, painting, and indulging in foods that are less than healthy for her. Most of all, though, she finds happiness in fostering joy for learning in her students, and in being able to do so through the most-important lens of her Catholic Faith. Miss Hanley loves teaching at St. Rita, where the classical tradition orients instruction towards Christ and nurtures in students a desire to seek the good, the true, and the beautiful.

Mrs. Warren is a Florida native. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology with minors in Biological Anthropology and Religion from Duke University, and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. She worked in several legal roles in the U.S. and abroad before settling down in Alexandria and becoming a stay at home mom. Mrs. Warren speaks Spanish fluently and enjoys traveling and playing tennis in her free time. She has loved this transition into education at Saint Rita and hopes to instill a love of learning in her students. She has loved the classical approach to teaching that Saint Rita offers, allowing students to logically derive solutions in math class as well as develop reasoning skills as they discuss literary texts.

Mrs. Coleman was born and raised in the Northern Virginia area and was educated in the Arlington Diocese. She attended St. Bernadette’s in Springfield and Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington. She earned her BA in Art Education at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. The following year she did graduate work in special education while teaching at an arts based school in suburban Philadelphia. She later moved back home, and has taught Art at all levels at Saint Rita for the last number of years. Her young children keep her busy at home but when she can, she enjoys working on her own art (her favorites are painting and charcoal), as well as reading and going to trivia with her friends.

Mrs. Lundberg has been delighted to jump into the St. Rita community – a parish and school she has admired and had connections to for many years. As a DePauw University and UVA Law School graduate she practiced law in D.C. for 18 years, until in 2003 she began a new (and better!) career in the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Arlington. She has loved serving as a Librarian, teaching the Great Books program, helping direct musicals, and volunteering as a CCD catechist. Her own children spent 17 years in Arlington Diocesan schools, and she’s had the opportunity to know students who’ve attended many local Catholic schools during the past 23 years. She believes that Saint Rita’s particular academic focus and religious formation puts it in the forefront of important educational trends within the diocese. During the past two years she has enjoyed getting to know the school community and especially all of her students. She looks forward to seeing you in the library!

Mr. Taylor was born in London and has lived in the USA since he was twelve. During his high school years in North Texas, he won national MTNA awards as a pianist and composer, appeared on NPR’s From the Top, and was recognized as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in English, where he also pursued music studies and instruction in composition at New England Conservatory. He is organist for St Luke’s/St Ignatius in Oxon Hill, MD, violinist for American roots band Kentucky Avenue, and freelances as a private teacher, pianist, composer, singer, and choral conductor. He enjoys sharing his great love of music and beauty with the students at Saint Rita and appreciates the opportunity to communicate the great adventure of the Catholic faith through music in the devout and faithful environment of this school.

Mrs. Hexter feels she has found a home at St. Rita where she can live out her faith in Christ, her love for classical education and pedagogy, and her desire to mentor young people. She is inspired daily by the school’s mission to help everyone in the school community get to heaven. Mrs. Hexter has worked at Saint Rita School for 6 years in various capacities. Mrs. Hexter earned her B.A. in Government and her Master’s in Elementary Education from the College of William and Mary in 2014. She has taught reading through the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning, and worked as a reading interventionist at a school for children with dyslexia. Her favorite part of teaching is helping each child to see the strengths that God has given them. Mrs. Hexter’s hobbies include reading, singing, and traveling. She feels blessed to be continuing at Saint Rita School this year and see all the familiar smiles each morning as the kids walk in the door.

Miss Monica Kolf grew up in Rockville, Maryland and is a proud alumna of Oakcrest School. She holds an M.Ed. in Mathematics Education from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, where she focused her studies on the works of Aristotle and Aquinas. She has twelve years’ experience teaching middle school math and mentoring middle school and high school students. She has been both the Assistant Academic Director and the Assistant Character Director for the PALS Summer Program, which fosters academic and leadership skills for girls in Washington, D.C. She has also been the Executive Director of Shades Media Literacy Project, giving workshops to teens and parents regarding the influence of media on human identity and relationships. Miss Kolf is beyond thrilled that God brought her to the Saint Rita’s community! She is passionate about helping each student become happy, healthy, and holy, and she believes the classical and faith-filled education at Saint Rita’s cultivates these characteristics beautifully. Miss Kolf is currently working toward certification as a Youth, Parent, and Family Coach. Here follows one of her favorite quotes: “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest and most precious thing in all thinking.” George MacDonald

Dr. Hickey is thrilled to be supporting Saint Rita students and teachers as a Resource teacher.  She is a graduate of Colby College (B.A. in French), Lesley University (M.Ed. in Elementary Education), and Columbia University (M.A. in International Educational Development; Ed.D. in Education Leadership). Dr. Hickey has worked in independent and international schools in several states and abroad. She first learned about classical education in 1992, when she was a teaching assistant at the St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium in post-Soviet Russia. She is grateful to draw upon these experiences to help students at St. Rita and feels blessed to be part of a school community where one can grow in knowledge and virtue. Dr. Hickey, her husband, and their daughter enjoy playing games, exploring new places, and visiting family in Upstate New York and Connecticut.

Miss Lizano was born and raised in Alexandria, VA. She is currently working towards her BA in Elementary Education with Special Education. She is very excited to share her love and passion for education with St. Rita. Miss Lizano has been a part of the St. Rita Hispanic community for over 18 years now. During her free time, she loves to read, go on walks, and spend time with her son who is currently a student at St. Rita!

Miss Vail is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and has worked in a variety of different positions in several different industries.  Since 2012, she has been working as the sacristan at St. Rita parish, as well as helping to build St. Rita’s Level I and Level II Catechesis of the Shepherd program. She enjoys listening to God together with the children in the Atrium.

Mrs. Oakes has worked at St. Rita School for over a dozen years in many different roles from instructional aide to lead teacher to student support. She is very excited to step into a new role this year as a Level One Catechist in the Atrium after just completing her training. She looks forward to collaborating and sharing the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with students. Mrs. Oakes lives in Arlington with her husband and two young children.

Mrs. Turner is a graduate of the College of Charleston in South Carolina where she studied Theatre and Psychology. She and her husband converted together to Catholicism here at St. Rita Church where they are parishioners and have their three children enrolled in the school and preschool. She enjoys listening to people’s life and faith journeys—in person or through podcasts and memoirs—organizing, and adding too much cream and sugar to her coffee. Jessica is excited and honored to teach in the Angels classroom!

Mrs. Reiss, known in the big school as Mrs. Prabaharan, began her career as a junior architect in Sri Lanka before immigrating to the United States in 2001.

A dedicated member of the St. Rita community, she has been a parishioner ever since her arrival. Mrs. Reiss is also a proud mother of six, five of whom graduated from St. Rita School, while her youngest, John, is currently a 5th grader.

Her passion for working with children was first ignited during her time volunteering at “Daya Niwasa,” a home founded by Mother Teresa in her hometown of Kandy.

Now that her children are becoming more independent, Mrs. Reiss is eager to dedicate her newfound free time to her lifelong passion for working with children. She is excited about the opportunity to contribute to St. Rita School in a new and meaningful way.

Mrs. Coito is excited to join the preschool staff as an Angels Instructional Aide next year. Born into a family of educators, she was taught exclusively in Catholic schools and graduated with a degree in English from Gonzaga University. She then served as a youth minister to U.S. military teens in the United Kingdom before starting her teaching career. She taught grades 5-8 at Catholic schools in her native California before embarking on several military moves with her Coast Guard spouse and raising their children. She providentially enrolled their two oldest at Saint Rita Catholic Preschool during their first tour in D.C. in 2017 and has been an active parishioner and school parent ever since, with all four of her children attending Saint Rita Catholic School in 2025-26. Mrs. Coito has served in various volunteer positions wherever the military has sent her family, including in CCD and RCIA, marriage and family faith formation programs, and at the Mother of Light Center. She has also been a St. Rita School substitute teacher at all grade levels since 2021. Mrs. Coito is blessed to join such a dedicated staff in bringing our littlest students into a deeper awareness of God’s created world and the love He has for each of them.

Mrs. Worth is a committed Saint Rita mom who has spent years working with the littlest souls down in the Preschool! She brings many talents to the classroom including her love of music. Mrs. Worth hails from Athens, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Political Communications. She worked on Capitol Hill for seven years, as a scheduler and office manager for U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich. Currently, Mrs. Worth resides in Arlington with her husband, Brian, and two boys, Thad and Matthew, who have both graduated from St. Rita School. Her past-times include cooking, live music, cheering on her kids’ sports teams and loving her Labradoodle, Mr. Rodney Tumnus.

Mrs. Lowe has been assisting in the St. Rita Preschool program for several years in different classrooms. Mrs. Lowe received her BA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at the College of Charleston. She taught first grade in Fairfax, VA. During this time, she met her husband Christopher, a US Army Officer. It has been a whirlwind ever since! Mrs. Lowe has been married for seventeen years and has lived in five different states and nine different houses. She has two children attending Saint Rita and two have gone on to high school at Bishop Ireton. She has been a substitute teacher or volunteer in every school that her children have attended. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, college sports, spending time with family and friends, and walking her dog.

Mrs. Petrone was born in Massachusetts, and raised in Darien, CT and Potomac Maryland. She now resides in Alexandria with her husband and four year old son. Mrs. Petrone completed studies in Elementary Education, and graduated with a BA in Human Relations from High Point University in North Carolina. She knew her passion was to teach children after graduating, and found preschool to be the perfect fit. For over ten years, Mrs. Petrone has been a Lead Teacher in traditional preschools in both Bethesda and Rockville, MD, as well as a Classroom Assistant in a primary classroom at a Montessori Public Charter School in Washington, DC. Mrs. Petrone loves watching her son grow, traveling with her husband, running and photography. She’s very excited to be leading the Shepherds class this fall! She enjoys helping children cultivate a love for learning, and watching her students become successful both in and outside of the classroom as the best versions of themselves.

Mrs. Tracey is a longtime St Rita’s Parish member, a native Washingtonian, and a mother of three boys. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Marymount University, where she focused her studies on Learning Disabilities, and has a BA from West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is thrilled to support the Sheperds class. 

Mrs. Tracey has extensive experience in the classroom. Before starting at Saint Rita, she was an assistant teacher at St. Patrick’s Episcopal School for ten years before leaving the classroom to raise her sons, who all attended St. Thomas More and Bishop Ireton. She returned to teaching and worked at St. Paul’s Episcopal Preschool for nine years.

Teaching reading and handwriting is her passion. She believes in early intervention and is trained in Orton Gillingham and Handwriting Without Tears, and she loves teaching foundational skills for all children and finding each child’s gift in the classroom. She is excited to be in a Catholic school setting and working with like-minded co-workers who teach and live the Faith.

In her free time, Mrs. Tracey enjoys spending time with her family on the golf course, running, and cross-training.

Mrs. Lynch was born and raised in Alexandria, VA. She attended Blessed Sacrament Grade School and Bishop O’Connell High School before heading to College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA where she received a BA in Economics. She also participated in the Navy ROTC program at Holy Cross and was commissioned into the Navy upon graduation. She resettled back in Alexandria with her husband over 10 years ago where she has raised her three boys, who now all attend Saint Rita. She always wanted to be a teacher and is excited to be working at Saint Rita! In her spare time she loves going on runs, doing puzzles of any kind, watching baseball, and spending time with her large extended family.

Mrs. Keaveny grew up in the Bronx New York. She attended Immaculate Heart of Mary and The Ursuline School in New York before graduating from The Catholic University of America, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education Studies with an emphasis on early childhood development. Prior to joining Saint Rita, she taught at the House of  Representatives Child Care Center for over 14 years. Maggie loves teaching children and one of her daily goals is to foster creativity in the classroom. She believes that creating a welcoming and interactive classroom puts children at ease so that they look forward to coming to class and are better equipped to learn and grow spiritually, academically and physically. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, running, drawing, painting, and baking. She currently lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and their twin boys Conor and Owen who attend Saint Rita.