Guten Tag! My name is Stephanie Gillen. I am over-the-moon excited to be joining Legacy as our new middle school math instructor! I grew up in Hays, KS – in the same area my ancestors immigrated to from Germany in the late 1800s. After graduating high school, I attended Regis University on full scholarship and graduated with a BS in Biology in 1999 – destined to become a physical therapist. As life often does, mine took a turn when I met my amazing husband. We were married in 1999 and are thrilled to be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this September! We are blessed to have four beautiful children – two adult sons and two teenage daughters. In 2015 we moved “down the hill” from Evergreen to Elizabeth, CO, finally finding our dream home with space for all our animals! Our children have all participated in 4H – from fiber sheep to dairy goats to show dogs! When we arrived in Elizabeth and our children were all in school, I finally realized my true calling as a teacher and obtained my teaching license with a dual endorsement in secondary math and science. I have taught these subjects for the past 6 years in a variety of educational settings. My heart for teaching is rooted in rural Colorado, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to join the “family” and teach here at Legacy!

Wildlife/landscape photography, scientific illustration, reading a great book, all-things animal, camping (the RV kind), exploring nature, ancestry research, cheering my children on in all their adventures, and I hope to add international travel soon!