St. Ambrose Academy welcomes Mrs. Michelle Nilsson to our faculty as a religion teacher!
Michelle brings a wealth amount of experience in catechesis and evangelization to our school, having been engaged in parish, Diocesan, and Catholic apostolate work since the early 2000s. Born and raised in Ohio, Michelle experienced Catholic grade school (also called St. Ambrose!) before earning degrees in Education and Psychology from Ohio University. She served one year with NET Ministries and taught at a Catholic grade school before attending Franciscan University where she studied both Counseling and Theology & Catechetics.
“For most of my adult life I have enjoyed working with individuals who are seeking the RCIA process at the parish,” she said, noting that “I am passionate about accompanying people on their journey to the sacraments and becoming Catholic.”
In addition to her professional and volunteer apostolate work with adults, Michelle has also served as a catechist in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program at her parish for the past several years, working with kindergarten and first grade students.
Michelle resides in Waunakee with her husband Matt and four children, Luke, Joshua, Annalise, Alaina, and their dog Cooper. She and her husband have two biological children and two adoptive children and are passionate about sharing their adoption story “as an encouragement to other families who are seeking a word of hope”.
When enjoying downtime, she loves traveling to new places (give her a warm locale on a coastal beach any day), spending time with friends and family, and upcycling to “give new life to old furniture and [her] old house!” Michelle also excels at party planning and hospitality and it’s no coincidence that so much of her professional and personal pursuits make use of this God-given gift to build relationships with others.
Michelle’s many gifts are a tremendous asset to the mission of St. Ambrose Academy: “I welcome and treasure the opportunity to share my gifts as an instructor and catechist whenever possible!” She particularly expressed how she also looks “forward to the opportunity to support our young people in their call to discipleship.”
We are grateful to have strong, faith-filled leaders like Michelle in the classroom as models for all our young St. Ambrose Guardians as they grow and mature. Thank you for your witness, Michelle!
