Mr. Joel Stoltenow

Joel Stoltenow was hired in 2004 as a Language Arts teacher at the middle school level. For the past two years he has taught English I and English III as well as Religion courses. Prior to Lincoln Lutheran, Mr. Stoltenow worked at three schools: Olympic High School in Charlotte, NC; Mayer Lutheran in Mayer, MN; and Concordia Academy Lutheran in St. Paul, MN. He was born in St. Paul, MN, but grew up in a small town called Waterville in southern Minnesota.

Mr. Stoltenow is also the unofficial president of the Lloyd Sommerer fan club and frequently attends “bad movie night” with colleagues.

He has three older sisters and has been around Lutheran education as his father taught in a Lutheran School for about 40 years. Today, his sisters are all married and have children. His parents have eight grandchildren. His sister Sheila lives in Lincoln, NE. His sister Jeanne lives in Kansas City, MO. His sister Amy lives in Houston TX. He married Lindsay Stoltenow in June 2006 and lives in Lincoln, NE. His family is pretty close. He speaks often to them on the phone and they make serious efforts to be with each other as a large family at least once during the summer and once over the holidays. His parents take advantage of being retired and come to visit him often.

Mr. Stoltenow went to Gustavus Adolphus College as a Communications/English major, where he played four years of varsity basketball. After working in public relations for three years in Charlotte, NC, he taught in a public school which led him to complete his teaching licensure at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN for. He said the reason that he became a teacher was “My goal was to teach and coach in a Lutheran setting. Lincoln is a lot like some of my favorite (big) small towns and I’ve loved it here ever since.”

In his free time he enjoys listening to music, taking in live concerts and playing sports. His wife and he love taking road trips, especially if it takes them near a lake. In the past four years he has enjoyed the network of coaches in Nebraska and thrives on meeting with coaches from other programs to “just talk hoops.” His favorite thing about teaching at Lincoln Lutheran is “those moments when I witness young men and women living out their faith. It really works to teach me. It is a great way to feel that my ‘job’ and my faith are so closely connected.”