Staff Spotlight: Mariah Butenschoen is Helping Students Achieve Dreams

This post is part of the Lynden Schools Staff Spotlight series

Lynden High School teacher Mariah Butenschoen plays many roles, but they all focus on one thing: helping students. And that’s enough to keep her motivated and excited about the future. 

The Role

For over a decade Butenschoen has taught in the English department at Lynden High School, but this year’s workload has taken on a fresh mix of responsibility. She’s teaching creative writing, advanced placement literature and composition, yearbook, leadership and for the first time is serving as the ASB/activities director. 

Throughout a week she can be busy planning, instructing, assessing student writing, preparing students for an AP exam, directing her yearbook “staff” as they meet deadlines, planning ASB activities and events, helping students run ASB officer meetings and managing the ASB budget. 

It’s all worth it. “I love the students,” she says. “It’s the coolest job in the world to help young people learn the skills they need to achieve their dreams. That sounds cheesy, but it’s really true. I have hope for the future of mankind because I work with amazing young people. It keeps me from being cynical and jaded.” 

Getting to Know Mariah

Despite the busyness of her job, Butenschoen keeps working when she gets home. Along with her husband, they own and operate two businesses: Breckenridge Blueberries and Probably Shouldn’t Distillery. The work keeps her active but also embedded in the east county community. The couple also has two sons, both attending Nooksack Valley High School. 

“It’s fun to have kids the same ages as my students, and it’s been fun to see friendships established between my kids and my students,” she says. “It’s a good place to be.”