Small class sizes allow Routt faculty and staff to mentor, challenge and support each student and get to know them on a personal level.
Our faculty have careers spanning decades, and often possess doctorate degrees in their subjects.
THEOLOGY
Kevin Aldrich, MA
Mr. Aldrich has taught English and Theology courses at Routt since 2015. He has previous experience teaching a wide range of students – from first graders at St. Louis School in Nokomis (where he was principal of the school) to college students at University of Missouri-Columbia, Lincoln College, and Lincoln Land Community College. In addition, he has experience in school administration as well as experience in curriculum writing for English, Theology and virtues courses.
Mr. Aldrich graduated from Sequioa High School in Redwood City, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music from San Francisco State University, where he also earned his master’s degree in English Literature, as well as his teaching certification. His master’s thesis was titled, “Tolkien’s Moral Vision in The Lord of the Rings.” He received administrative certification at the University of Illinois Springfield. Mr. Aldrich earned his second master’s degree in Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary. His summa cum laude thesis was, “Friendship in the Gospel of St. John.”
Mr. Aldrich is a singer-songwriter who has performed his own music at numerous venues in central Illinois. He is also the author of several screenplays and books, including Benjamin and the Paradise Project (YA novel) and the sequel Benjamin at SEA, and a book on critical reading and effective writing called Reading, Writing about, and Writing Fiction and Non-Fiction (all are available on Amazon.com).
Courses at Routt: Composition, English II, Theology I
Mark Rood, MA
Department Chair
Mr. Rood joined the Routt faculty in 2010. He previously taught Theology courses at Benedictine High School in Cleveland, IL.
Mr. Rood graduated from Triad High School in 1990. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and his master’s degree in Theology from Saint John’s School of Theology at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN. He possesses a degree-level catechesis certification from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
Mr. Rood performs musical selections during contemporary church services at the Church of Our Saviour. Outside of the classroom and the chapel, Mr. Rood enjoys playing guitar, writing music, watching classic horror films (a Peter Cushing fan, Mr. Rood’s favorite films are The Flesh and the Fiends, The Revenge of Frankenstein, and The Curse of Frankenstein), listening to biographies and autobiographies and spending time with his wife, Valerie, and their cats, Hambone and Willie.
“I believe in tempering justice with mercy,” Mr. Rood says of his teaching philosophy, in which he strives to take a serious approach to his subject matter using a light-hearted presentation.
Courses at Routt: Theology II, Theology III, Theology IV
LANGUAGE ARTS (English and Spanish)
Emily Adams, PhD
Dr. Adams, who has served as assistant professor of Global Studies at Illinois College since 2012, began teaching at Routt in 2023. She graduated from Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1997. She earned her bachelor’s degree in French and Political Science from Tulane University in New Orleans. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in French from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also received a graduate certificate in Women’s Studies. She studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Lyon, France, where she earned a Visiting International Student certificate. She attended the Bread Loaf Translators Workshop at Middlebury College (Vermont), where she also completed the Middlebury Language Schools – School of Spanish immersion program, and where she is currently working on earning a second master’s degree in Spanish.
Dr. Adams enjoys creative writing, literary translation, choral music, theater and international travel. Her teaching philosophy involves pushing students “slightly” outside of their comfort zones, where she believes students’ worldviews can expand and the most meaningful learning can happen.
Courses at Routt: Spanish I, II, III, IV
Bernd Estabrook
Dr. Bernd Estabrook arrives at Routt to teach Junior and Senior honors English courses for the
2025-2026 academic year. He comes to us from Illinois College, where he taught that institution’s freshman seminar for more than two decades, preparing new students for the rigors and expectations of a college education. His teaching focuses on the development of the intellectual and academic skills of writing, analysis of texts, and classroom discussion, equipping students to participate activelyin an ever more complex and sophisticated professional world. His courses include readings from traditional novels and essays exploring our cultural heritage and traditions, as well as careful analysis of contemporaryarticles and multimedia sources that deal with current issues and problems.
Dr. Estabrook grew up in Sacramento, California, and his first encounter with Catholic education was at Jesuit High School in that city. He graduated from Whitman College in Washington state in 1984, with degrees in Dramatic Art and German Language and Literature. He went on to acquire his Masters and PhD degrees in German language and literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and was subsequently hired at Jacksonville’s local liberal arts college, Illinois College, where he taught for 30 years, with courses in both German language and literature and in a wide range of courses in the traditional humanities. He retired from Illinois College last year and is looking forward preparing Routt students for the intellectual and academic challenges that they will meet as they prepare for their adult lives.
Dr. Estabrook has dedicated himself to researching how the traditional skills of the humanities – critical thinking, the examination of our values, and a meaningful understanding of our common cultural heritage – can serve students in negotiating the demands of a complex and often confusing technological society. He participates actively in local and professional educational circles, promoting discussions of how to make the study of the humanities relevant to the needs of today’s young people – which includes his podcast, Edumeasure (available on Itunes and other Internet podcast sources). His work is designed to open up dialogues between students, teachers, and parents by asking what it takes to create a transformational classroom. Dr. Estabrook is a long time member of the oldest literary society in Jacksonville, a board member of the West Central World Affairs Council, a Boy Scout leader for 18 years, a member of the local Audubon society, and an amateur astronomer. His wife Heidi works at the Jacksonville Library, and both of his sons Thomas and Jacob were raised in Jacksonville. He is both an eighth-generation and first-generation American, with family in Germany and the United States, and is fluent in German, with competence in ancient Greek and French.
Courses at Routt: Junior and Senior English, Junior and Senior Honors English.
Janet Chipman, MA
Department Chair
Mrs. Chipman has taught part-time at Routt since 2012. She has worked in the field of education for several decades; first, at Triopia School District 27, then as a piano instructor, and then in Jacksonville School District 117, where she taught middle school students for 24 years and served as language arts department chair.
Mrs. Chipman graduated from Triopia High School in 1971. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Illinois College and her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois Springfield. Well-known and active for many decades in the Jacksonville community with her husband, Bob, Mrs. Chipman is a Prairieland United Way board member and past campaign chair; and an elder at First Presbyterian Church, where she has taught Bible study classes for more than 40 years. She is co-chair of the Illinois College Society, and a member of the Ladies Education Society, Delta Kappa Gamma (women educators), The Wednesday Class (literary group), the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the Jacksonville Area Museum, the Art Association of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Symphony Society, Illinois College Fine Arts and the Illinois College Varsity Club. Mrs. Chipman enjoys yoga, playing piano, gardening, traveling and hosting international students.
Mrs. Chipman believes learning is a partnership between student and teacher and she strives to develop meaningful relationships with her students in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Courses at Routt: English I, General Studies Tutor
MATHEMATICS
Margaret Stinson
Department Chair
Mrs. Stinson has taught mathematics at Routt since 2020. She began her teaching career at Bluffs High School and then at Riverton High School. She taught as an adjunct professor in mathematics at MacMurray College before she joined the faculty at Routt.
Mrs. Stinson graduated from Triopia High School in 2002. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education with a minor in Liberal Arts from MacMurray College in 2007. She possesses teaching certifications in Secondary Mathematics Education and PreK-Age 21 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education.
Mrs. Stinson serves as the secretary for Green Pastures Christian Retreat Center Board and is a director of the group’s Christian Performing Arts Camp, held each June. Her hobbies include sewing her own clothing, reading fantasy stories and playing video games with her husband – she prefers role-playing games with open world maps and strong character development and story (some favorites are Hogwarts Legacy, Skyrim and Champions of Norrath).
As an educator, Mrs. Stinson strives to not only teach her students to become proficient in her subject matter; she hopes to guide them as they grow in empathy, curiosity, critical thinking skills and ability to cooperate with others.
Courses at Routt: Statistics, Algebra I, Algebra II
SCIENCE
Scott Maruna
Physics, Chemistry and Math
COMPUTER SCIENCE/BUSINESS
Sarah Cors, MBA
Mrs. Cors has taught computer science and business courses at Routt since the spring of 2024. Prior to that, she served as a senior audit manager in the Illinois Office of the Auditor General for 23 years.
Mrs. Cors graduated from Routt with the class of 1995. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and business administration from Eastern Illinois University. She attended graduate school at University of Missouri, and earned a master’s degree in public administration from University of Illinois Springfield. She has teaching certification in Business Education and General Computers for grades 5-12.
Mrs. Cors and her husband, Brad (’94), have five children. Her position teaching at Routt and her personal life are tightly intertwined – Mrs. Cors and her family have been active supporters of Routt for decades. Several tuition scholarships to help students attend Routt have been established by Mrs. Cors and members of her family. In addition to her strong belief in the value of a faith-based education, Mrs. Cors is a longtime supporter of the local arts, chairing numerous commitees and otherwise supporting the Art Association of Jacksonville and its many fundraisers and events held throughout the year. She also supports the Springfield Angel of Hope NFP, which maintains an Angel of Hope statue in Springfield’s Washington Park Botanical Garden. The statue serves as a place of hope and healing for families who have suffered the loss of a child.
Mrs. Cors’ teaching philosophy involves teaching and interacting with students in a way that is mindful of how she would like to be taught if she were the student.
Courses at Routt: Digital Literacy, Computer Applications, ACT Preparation, Accounting I, Accounting II, Business Law, Consumer Economics, LLCC FYE 101 College Success
HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY
Brian Hall, MA
Mr. Hall has served in the field of education for more than 35 years as a special education teacher and a coach of football, boys’ track, boys’ basketball and wrestling in several public high school settings in Illinois. He has taught Grammar and Research Skills, Government, and Geography courses at Routt since 2021. He also serves as assistant wrestling coach for Illinois United, Routt’s wrestling sports co-op with ISVI and ISD.
Before joining the Routt faculty, Mr. Hall served as a special education teacher for 28 years at Jacksonville High School, where he was also an assistant football coach and the school’s head wrestling coach for many years. Mr. Hall graduated from Yorkwood High School in 1982. He earned his bachelor’s degree in special education from Monmouth College and his master’s degree in special education from Grand Canyon University. He has completed Cooperative Vocational Education (CVE) certification as well as HOUSSE certification by the Illinois State Board of Education in US History, Civics, Geography, Biology, Physical Science, and English.
Mr. Hall is a deacon at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church. He enjoys reading and following current events. True to his decades of experience as a coach, Mr. Hall emphasizes discipline and structure with his students, whether they be in his classroom or on the court, field or mat.
Courses at Routt: Geography, General Studies Tutor
Lisa Hall
Department Chair
Mrs. Hall has taught history and government courses at Routt since 1992. She graduated from Lewistown Community High School, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Western Illinois University.
Mrs. Hall was inspired to become a history teacher by her mother, who was an elementary school teacher, and her father, who served in the Army Air Force Medical Services during WWII. In serving his country, Mrs. Hall’s father carried on an important tradition in her family —members of Mrs. Hall’s family proudly served in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
Mrs. Hall is as interested in the histories and stories of other families as she is in the genealogy of her own. She serves on the board of the Jacksonville Area Museum, where she loves meeting museum patrons and collaborating with others to put together exhibits. Mrs. Hall also serves on the cleaning crew and hospitality committee at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, where she has taught Bible school for more than 20 years.
Mrs. Hall enjoys animals in general, but she has a special love for hummingbirds and squirrels. She has trained the squirrels who visit her yard to take peanuts from the palm of her hand.
As an educator, Mrs. Hall strives to make history come alive for her students. As she helps them explore the past, Mrs. Hall hopes students will come to appreciate that they are making their own history!
Courses at Routt: AP US History, US/World History, Sociology and Psychology, Government
PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH EDUCATION
Dee Arendt
Mrs. Arendt has taught students at Routt since 2004, and has served in the field of education for 42 years. Prior to Routt, she taught science and physical education at Illinois College and MacMurray College. She has also taught elementary school students at Our Saviour School, Olympia CUSD 16 and at schools in Kirksville and Rockwood, Missouri.
Mrs. Arendt graduated from Lafayette High School in northeast Missouri. She is a member of the Athletics committee that serves and makes recommendations to the Routt Catholic High School Board of Directors. She is also an active member in the Our Saviour Parish and the Church of Our Saviour. Mrs. Arendt’s teaching philosophy involves guiding students to be good citizens with desire to understand the world and seek opportunities to serve their communities.
Courses at Routt: Agriculture, Health, Physical Education, Study Skills
STUDIO ART/ART APPRECIATION
Jeff Miller
Courses at Routt: Drawing/Painting, Art Foundation, Art Appreciation
MUSIC
Sean Rose
Classes at Routt: Band, Choir