The winding path to Concordia

Crystal Castleman: science

By Haley Wade ’18
From the Spring 2016 Cadets Magazine

Crystal Castleman, a beloved teacher of 13 years, can credit her time at Concordia to her now-husband, Dean. 

After meeting him at a friend’s wedding, she moved from Ohio to Fort Wayne to be closer to him, received a call to Concordia in 2002, and the rest is history.

Castleman received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University, River Forest (Chicago) and attended The Ohio State University for her master’s degree in biotechnology.

Throughout her years here at CLHS, she has worked in the science field and has transitioned from biology and chemistry to anatomy and AP biology.

“I decided to become a Lutheran school teacher in sixth grade,” she said. “I watched a video on what it meant to be a called teacher, and I just thought that’s what I was going to do. ... I never questioned it.”

From this experience, she directed all of her efforts toward that goal, and has greatly enjoyed her time at Concordia.

She has three boys, a loving husband, and two goldfish to go home to in Monroeville every day. 

In her free time she likes crafty hobbies, especially scrapbooking and creative projects. Because of her Ohio background, she is an avid Ohio State fan. Her future plans are to retire around age 62 to 65 and travel with her husband while scrapbooking with all of her free time.