Katelyn Benes

Miss B graduated from Taylor University in Indiana. This will be her first year teaching at NPC!  She enjoys mentoring students and encouraging them to reach their full potential. She lives with her family in Hudsonville! In her free time, you can often find her swimming, baking sourdough bread, sewing, or playing games with her family.

One of my earliest memories in my spiritual journey began with a program called Bible Study Fellowship, where I learned about the value of praying for specific things. My family and I had been hoping for a baby for as long as I can remember. I specifically started praying for a baby! After 3 years, we adopted my brother. I was beyond thrilled!! God answered our prayer. Throughout high school and college, I helped out in children’s ministry at church, tutored students, and volunteered in various classroom settings.   

These opportunities deepened my desire to fulfill the Lord’s greatest commandment, which says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind’… and the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40). This Love Mandate can be applied in and out of the classroom. I will do my best to ensure that students feel loved through modeling and teaching student compassion.   

I will expose students to various missional opportunities, per the Mission Mandate. Many people believe that missions must be a big commitment of travel and sacrifice to other countries. I will show students how to be “on mission” to the community around them!  This includes praying for others, encouraging classmates, and serving those in our community. 

The Image Mandate teaches that all things are created by, through, and in the image of God. This is important to recognize in the classroom, through social interactions, scientific studies, and historical conversations. I will show students that God created these people, animals, and creatures with a purpose!  “God created man in his own image” (Gen. 1:27). Therefore, we are all worthy of honor because we are made in the image of God. It is my joy to raise students up in the truth of the gospel. This is helpful to teach them how to reflect these values in dark places.  This is not a natural skill, but a taught principle. I hope to show the light of Christ to my students and to encourage them to shine their light as well.