McNicholas welcomes new faculty and staff

Please join us in welcoming new faculty and staff members to the McNicholas family, many of whom are filling new positions in our growing community.

Principal David Mueller said, "Our new faculty and staff members make our strong team of Catholic educators even stronger by virtue of their impressive academic credentials, diverse backgrounds and interests, and faith witness.  The mix of veteran and new members of our school community, along with our mix of traditional and new student programs, promises an exciting and blessed 2022-23!"

Front Row: Mrs. Chrystel Blosser Wells, Mrs. Ellen Bungenstock, Mrs. Leslie Baum. Second Row: Mr. Thomas Mangione, Mrs. Sarah Nestheide, Back Row: Ms. Lauren Tibbs, Mrs. Melissa Gomez. Not Pictured: Mrs. Karen Games, Mr. Eric Hickman, Mrs. Indigo Hudephol, Ms. Lauren Mezher.

Mrs. Leslie Baum – Theater Teacher and Director
B.F.A. in Drama, New York University

Broadway veteran Mrs. Baum is excited to return to McNicholas as a full-time Theatre Director after having assisted with the musical for the past two years. She knew she wanted to pursue a career in theatre after being cast as Cinderella in her high school’s spring musical. When she’s not in the theatre, Mrs. Baum enjoys swimming, reading, and coloring with her kids.

Mrs. Ellen Bungenstock – French Teacher
B.A. in French Literature, University of Chicago; B.A. in Political Science, University of Chicago

Mrs. Bungenstock sings Soprano 1 in a women's choir that is committed to peace and social justice. In high school, she was the field commander for her marching band who performed jazz numbers, Star-Wars-themed music, and revved up the fans, despite what the football team was doing on the field. She is looking forward to helping students appreciate francophone cultures around the world. “When I’m done,” she said, “they’ll have not only a well-developed sense of wanderlust, but the linguistic tools to make traveling abroad a reality.”

Mrs. Karen Games – Spanish Teacher
B.S. in Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati

Mrs. Games is a Pickleball Ambassador who loves to spend her time playing, teaching, and growing the sport. She loves throwing frisbees and going on hikes with her dog, Lupe, named for her favorite saint, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her two sons, Stefan and Connor, are graduates of McNicholas and she hopes that her students enjoy their experiences at McNick as much as her boys did.

Mrs. Melissa Gomez – Health and Wellness Counselor
B.S. in Community and Public Health, University of Cincinnati; M.S.W. in Social Work, University of Cincinnati; School Social Work Certification, The Ohio State University

Mrs. Gomez loves spending time with her one-year-old son at the zoo and the children's museum and taking weekend trips to the beach to visit her family in Florida and Georgia. She is looking forward to supporting every student who feels they need an extra bit of love and support at school.  She never wants any student to feel alone or anxious when they are in the school environment, but if they do, she is here to help. 
 

Mr. Eric Hickman – Science Teacher
B.S. in Earth Science, Morehead State University; B.A. in Journalism, Morehead State University

Mr. Hickman is a recently retired science teacher from Cincinnati Public Schools who is excited to join the McNicholas community. He is a certified EMT and has accompanied youth on several disaster relief mission trips. He also serves as the director of the Partners in Compassion outreach organization.

Mrs. Indigo Hudepohl – Visual Arts Teacher
B.F.A. in Art Education, University of Dayton.

Mrs. Hudepohl just returned from a belated honeymoon in Ireland.  She loves to travel, play guitar, read, watch movies, and snuggle with her two cats, Sybil and Eve.  In high school, art and theatre were her two main interests and she is really excited to add her creative twist to the McNicholas Art Department. 

Mr. Thomas Mangione – Math Teacher
B.A. in Media Communications, Asbury University

When Mr. Mangione is not teaching math or working on his M.Ed at Xavier University, you can find him taking film photos of his cat or playing music with his band. He is excited to help students not only “absolutely crush their math exams,” but also learn to think logically so they can successfully order their thoughts and arguments.
 

Ms. Lauren Mezher – Principles of Business Teacher
B.B.A in Accounting and Information Systems, University of Cincinnati

Ms. Mezher was a Klodozik Business Scholar at the University of Cincinnati Linder College of Business.  After graduation, she earned her CPA and is currently working as a financial analyst for Cengage. She fondly remembers Mr. Rosenbaum who taught her in McMath, our honor math program for eighth graders.

Mrs. Sarah Nestheide – Visual Arts Teacher
B.A. in Art Education, Northern Kentucky University; M.A.A.E. in Multimedia, University of Cincinnati DAAP

Mrs. Nestheide loves all things art, reading to the point of exhaustion, kayaking, and exploring historic places with her family.  Her favorite memory from her high school days was a trip she took to New York City with her Drama Club. She met Tony award winner George Wolfe, saw multiply Broadway shows, and fell in love with a painting of Joan of Arc at the Met. She says that her senior trip changed the trajectory of her life and ultimately led her to McNicholas as a visual arts teacher.

Ms. Lauren Tibbs – Assistant to the Director of Communications and Marketing
B.A. in Advertising and Graphic Design, Marquette University; M.A. in Media and Communications, Bowling Green State University

Ms. Tibbs is looking forward to working with students on marketing projects and spirt wear designs.  She was the all-time leading scorer and rebounder (of both boys and girls) at her high school in Northern Kentucky and went on to play collegiate basketball at Marquette and Bowling Green Universities.  She loves Harry Potter, Friends, and knitting and can’t wait to take on the seniors in the senior versus faculty basketball game.

Mrs. Chrystel Blosser Wells – Science Teacher
B.A. in Biology, Goshen College; M.S.S.E. in Science Education, Montana State University

Mrs. Wells is returning to McNicholas High School to the same science classroom she taught chemistry in 20 years ago! She is looking forward to exploring the mysteries of science again with the “Nicest Students in Cincinnati.” When she was in high school, Mrs. Wells loved science and played trombone, volleyball, and softball. She is about to become an empty nester as her children Ben and Sara head off to college, but she will keep busy doing DIY projects and playing with her two Boston Terriers, Gershwin and Harper.