Mrs. Hamstra has spent her whole life teaching children. Even when she was an elementary student she enjoyed helping her teachers in any way possible. She knew how hard teachers have to work and still wanted to become a teacher herself.
She graduated from Union College with a BS in elementary education. She has taught many different grades and subjects and was principal for one year in Adventist schools across the northern tier of the US from coast to coast. She joined the Rivergate staff in 2000 as their full day every day kindergarten teacher. She says that she "loves teaching other people's grandchildren."
Mr. Hamstra is a retired electrical engineer. Mrs Hamstra spent many years home schooling their three sons so they could travel together as a family to the different places that Mr. Hamstra worked. Those sons are now grown and married. The Hamstra's have four grandsons and two granddaughters. It is a great delight to go and visit them during vacation time as none of their family lives in Oregon.
Besides traveling to see family, Mrs. Hamstra enjoys going to the beach, cooking, and gardening. It's especially fun to visit the spectacular flower gardens in the Northwest.
As a teacher Mrs. Hamstra says "You're always learning. I'm learning more about Jesus, or about technology, or new strategies for teaching young children. It's fun to learn together with my class as they teach me things too."