Meet the Team
Bekah Knobeloch
Founder and Director of Feminine Genius Ministries,
Certified Marquette Model Instructor
I’m Bekah, a Catholic mama of five and wife to an incredible man from the glorious mountain state of Colorado. We are just doing our best to raise these tiny rambunctious saints while keeping our levels of coffee and wine therapeutic and praying for an abundance of grace daily.
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I am proud to be a mother who is also an educated, professional woman. I am a registered nurse with a passion for women and children’s health as I maintain a national certification in pediatric nursing. I felt a calling to become a natural family planning instructor when I realized how many of my friends had NO idea how their bodies naturally worked. We have done generations of women a disservice in lack of education, and it's time to change that!
I chose to study the Marquette Model because of their emphasis on NFP as healthcare. Only licensed healthcare professionals (nurses, PAs/NPs, doctors) can teach the Marquette Model, which is based out of the College of Nursing at Marquette University. The focus on research, respect within the medical community at large, and utilizing the newest technology spoke to everything I wanted to see for the future of NFP.
For couples, Natural Family Planning provides an opportunity for a wealth of benefits. Fertility becomes a shared responsibility as it should be. With mutual respect and healthy communication, marriages become stronger.
I’d be honored to help you understand your unique biology, your gift of fertility, and the truth of the feminine genius alive in you.
Megan McDermott
Certified Marquette
Model Instructor
Hi! I’m Megan and I am a Catholic wife, mother, and registered nurse. My husband Zach and I live in Lincoln, Nebraska and we have three beautiful, energetic and at times (well, most of the time) crazy little girls- and a baby boy on the way. I absolutely love being a stay-at-home mom who is also able to put my nurse hat on to teach the method of Natural Family Planning that I love.
I became interested in the Marquette model after taking Bekah’s class and right away I absolutely loved the research, science and objectivity behind the method. Once we began using the method, my husband and I felt a level of confidence we had never had before with NFP. Marquette has brought a new joy to our marriage, allowing us to feel like active participants in the discernment of family planning. Zach and I met while serving as FOCUS missionaries, and we want our number one desire to be to do God’s will. For us, that means that at times we are called to be totally open to life, and at other times we are called to strengthen the muscle of temperance and abstain for reasons that we have discerned through our relationship with Jesus.
The last piece that led me to teach Marquette is my passion for empowering women. Ever since God called me to FOCUS, I have had it on my heart to try and lead women to discover their true identity as daughters of God, completely worthy of unconditional love. Now, I get to teach women and empower them through knowledge of their bodies, to become the woman that God created them to be, free and fully alive.
Evie Howell
Certified Marquette
Model Instructor
Hi there! I am Evie Howell, and I live in Lincoln, NE with my amazing husband of three years! We met right before college and grew in our faith and our love for one another at the University of Nebraska Lincoln's Newman Center, where we also got married in October 2018. We now have one daughter and one son! I am an registered nurse and have worked on a hospital's medical/surgical/oncology floor, have worked in a wound clinic, and now work at a family practice office. I have an affinity to the geriatric population, wound care, and women’s health! What a combo!
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I fell in love with the Marquette Model of Natural Family Planning when I was only a few months into practicing mucus-only methods of natural family planning during my engagement, and said to myself "there HAS to be something better!" My nursing mind loved the objectivity and up-to-date scientific technology that the Marquette Model offered. After an introductory session with Bekah, I was sure I wanted to learn more and bring this technology to my region of Nebraska! I desire to teach women about the beauty of their bodies and how to embrace the way God created us, rather than our culture’s answer of covering up the gift of fertility, as well as helping couples to learn to discern God’s will for them and their family through prayer, knowledge, communication, and being co-creators of life!
Jessica Ahern
Certified Marquette
Model Instructor
I’m Jessica, a Catholic mother of three beautiful girls and wife to a wonderful husband since 2008. AJ and I live on a farm southeast Nebraska where our girls can enjoy God’s beauty as fast as they can run. I started my career as a registered nurse on a medical surgical floor and worked in ER and OB, as well. I am a Certified Breastfeeding Educator, and I currently work in an Outpatient Clinic and have found the hours give me much more time to spend with our girls!
I became interested in teaching the Marquette Model because of the technology behind the method along with the continuous advanced research. I wanted to bring this model to our community and into as many homes as I could. It really can provide an opportunity for respect and a healthier communication in marriage which can in turn open your hearts to discern what is best for your family.
While working with women earlier in my career, I came to realize that many fell short of their fertility awareness. I want to improve access and education on women’s health and teach women how to embrace and know their bodies in the way God created us to.
Maritia Hotovy
Certified Marquette
Model Instructor
I’m Maritia! I love all things lemon flavored and Husker Volleyball. I am a proud wife to a home-renovating Data Scientist, mom of three beautiful virtue-strengthening children and a Family Medicine Registered Nurse here in Omaha, Nebraska. My husband, Nate, and I met on a mission trip through the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s Newman Center and got married two years later. When I’m not chasing after my kids, I’m probably on the trail running or in my kitchen baking.
As a nurse I have always gravitated towards maternal-child healthcare. After graduating, I worked in the NICU but then switched to outpatient care for a more flexible schedule with my family. I have since worked with OBGYN/Infertility and now work part-time at Sancta Familia Medical Apostolate in Omaha.
I was first introduced to NFP as an engaged couple and practiced a mucus-only NFP method for several years. I instantly saw the benefit of NFP but was still unaware of the tremendous impact it could have on a woman's health, marriage and faith. Then through my work as a nurse working with patients charting NFP, I witnessed women suddenly gain a voice in their healthcare team and their own marriages and develop a strengthened resolve in their faith lives. NFP is a beautiful representation of true feminism because it draws attention to- and does not distract from -a woman’s natural physiology.
I became more familiar with the Marquette Model of Natural Family Planning in the wonderful, but complex, postpartum time after my son was born. I was instantly attracted to the objectiveness, research-based protocols, and customization with the Marquette Model. I am excited to guide you on your journey with the Marquette Model and celebrate authentic feminism!
Lindsey Major
Certified Marquette
Model Instructor
Hi! I am Lindsey, a Catholic wife, mom, and nurse. I met my husband, Matt, when I was 6 years old but we got to know each other when we went to high school together. We now have 6 children (3 girls and 3 boys.) I enjoy cheering for (and sometimes coaching) their sports teams, reading books (mostly YA fiction or religious non-fiction), and spending time with family and friends.
As a nurse my background is in medical/surgical acute care and outpatient endoscopy. I have spent a few years as a stay at home mom and am excited to take on this new role as a Marquette Method NFP instructor.
I first learned the Marquette Method at the perfect time in my life, when I was postpartum with my youngest child. I wanted to learn to teach the method right away but decided it would be a good idea to practice it myself first. Marquette NFP has given me so much more confidence because the observations are objective and extremely simple to complete. I have found this form of NFP to be such a blessing for my family and I am excited to share it with others. The world definitely needs more ways to care for and support families and Marquette has so much to offer. I would love to share the many benefits of Marquette Method natural family planning with you.
Kate Chambers
Certified Marquette
Model Instructor
Hello! I’m Kate Chambers, a Catholic wife, mama of two, and registered nurse. I absolutely love coffee, plants and everything about midwest living! My husband, Connor, and I got married in the summer of 2021 and are expecting our second little babe come July. I have a wide range of nursing background from burn/trauma/wound intensive care to family health practice. These areas grew my nursing knowledge immensely, but my true love for this career came as I grew an interest in the Marquette Method of Natural Family Planning as an instructor.
I first fell in love with Marquette during our engagement and from a nursing standpoint, I resonated with the reliability & effectiveness of this method for discerning children. God has truly gifted marriages with our human sexuality & fertility, but the deeper beauty comes when we are able to accept both of these together. Marquette allows couples to discern God’s calling for their family and act accordingly during their fertile window; thus, it can bring about deeper connections as spouses and works as co-creaters with God in our marriages. I am beyond excited to walk with other couples as they come to understand God’s will for them in their own lives.
Anna Speirs
Marquette
Model Instructor
Hey there! My name is Anna, and I am thrilled to be teaching the Marquette Model of NFP. As a registered nurse, I have practiced in surgical and cardiovascular settings, but have found my true passion in women’s health. When learning how to use NFP, I couldn’t believe I had gone so many years without knowing how my cycle truly worked. The more I learned, the more I realized how empowering it is to understand God's design for our natural rhythms of fertility. Our bodies are designed so wonderfully!
I live in Yankton, SD, with my husband Lane, whom I met during our college years at SDSU (Go Jacks!). Together, we have two beautiful daughters; Piper, our spunky toddler, and Sutton, our smiley babe who was born in January. I love spending time with my family, baking, reading, and catching up with friends while our kids destroy the living room.
After the birth of our first child, we discovered the simplicity and effectiveness of Marquette and never looked back. The method was a welcome relief in the midst of our busy lives, allowing me to adhere to church teachings while navigating the transition to motherhood. I believe that NFP is a precious gift, empowering couples to embrace their fertility and grow in their faith. I am deeply honored to guide couples as they learn NFP, embracing the natural functions of their bodies in accordance with God's design.