Engage - Winter 2024 by Lakeland Christian School

Engage WINTER

Soaring in Spite of Turbulence P. 8

Lakeland Christian School Lakeland, Florida

Shepherding Hearts. Sharpening Minds.

HEAD OF SCHOOL WELCOME

his issue of Engage highlights three LCS graduates: Cameron Row, Taylor Tippel, and Anna Canady. We are “proud parents” because these graduates have demonstrated a level of grit and determination which is nothing less than extraordinary. Their stories are ones of serious physical and medical challenges. Yet in each case, these graduates demonstrated remarkable resilience which is “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences…the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties.” It is the kind of determination and courage we hope to cultivate in our students. I developed a reverence for people who demonstrated this type of courage and resilience in times of great trial during my years as a history student and teacher. When I first encountered Abraham Lincoln in depth in my AP US History class, I discovered a leader who continually manifested resilience in the face of personal loss and a nation ripped apart by civil war. Despite his failed 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign, just two years later, Lincoln was the Republican Party’s nominee for president. The Southern states displayed their displeasure by not placing Lincoln on the ballot in ten states. We know the story: Lincoln would win the presidential election with just 39.8% of the popular vote, and the nation soon plunged into The Civil War. During his tenure as president, Lincoln lost his beloved son William in February of 1862. Eleven days later, he witnessed the Confederate States of

America inaugurate Jefferson Davis as their first president, and he experienced the repeated defeat of his Army of the Potomac in the first two years of the war. By the war’s end, 650,000 Americans had lost their lives—a number greater than the total number of American casualties in all other wars combined. In the face of so much suffering and tribulation across four years of conflict, President Lincoln possessed the resilience and grace to implore the American people to move forward as a nation, “with malice toward none with charity for all…we are to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan.” In my studies I also encountered a 26-year-old pastor and civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1955, he accepted the pastoral call to Ebenezer Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama—a pastoral call that would first propel him into leadership of the Montgomery, Bus Boycott and later into leadership of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Civil Rights Movement. From this vantage point, he led a community to respond to the injustices of the Jim Crow Era with the unconditional love of Jesus, not to vanquish the proponents of Jim Crow but to win them over to Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God—what Dr. King described as “the beloved community”—despite death threats, multiple arrests, and the bombings of churches and the burning of buses carrying the Freedom Riders. Dr. King possessed such resilience, such vision for the manifestation of God’s unconditional love in the face of such opposition. On a personal level, I learned that two weeks after my grandfather sent a telegram from San Diego to my grandmother in Virginia with a marriage proposal to which she replied, “Yes, I am coming.” He sent another telegram to inform her that he had been diagnosed with terminal lymphoma. Yet, she still boarded a train in Richmond and traveled cross country to marry her dying fiancée. Miraculously, he survived. Fifty years later I was riding shotgun with my grandfather in his 1966 Ford F100 and walking the fields in search of Native American artifacts with my grandmother. For me, they were hope, resilience, and courage, incarnated. Our tendency as parents is to protect our children from adversity and hardship. We want our kids to be happy, to know peace instead of conflict, while following Jesus. Yet, Jesus promises that if we follow him, we should expect to suffer and to experience persecution, just as He did. Thus, if we are to train our children to follow Jesus wherever He leads, we need to cultivate resilience, grit, courage, and hope. We celebrate the example set by Cameron, Taylor, and Anna. They are resilience, grit, courage, and hope personified. May you be inspired by their stories, and may we as an institution honor their example. Coram Deo,

Bryant Black Head of School

IN THIS ISSUE

Soaring in Spite of Turbulence

Engage Magazine Editor Sandy Johnson Director of Marketing & Communications Creative Design Lakelander Creative Cover Photography Provided by Cameron Row

LEADERSHIP TEAM:

8. Soaring in Spite of Turbulence

A water skiing accident almost claimed Cameron Row’s life, but it ended up being a catalyst to him living a more purposeful one.

14. The Hard Yet Beautiful Lessons of Pain

MattE Diaz Chief of Institutional Advancement Julie Rice Director of Enrollment

20. Building Dedication

Luci O’Byrne Head of Lower School & Elementary Principal

24. Picking Up the Torch: Taylor Tippel’s Miraculous Story

Every day that Taylor Tippel practices law, she reflects on her own story to inform how she approaches her clients.

32. Six Things: Luis Ramos

The Hard Yet Beautiful Lessons of Pain

Matt Green Chief Financial Officer

Anna Canady loves adventures, she has learned how to be present in experiencing all that life has to offer, including the unwelcome.

Sights and details on the monumental opening of the Mike & Mary Sligh High School Building.

Bryant Black Head of School

Jonathan Harvey Middle School Principal Jason Roloff High School Principal Mike Zavada Director of Upper School Academics

Six Things You Need to Know About Resource Officer Luis Ramos

Heather Rhoden Director of Upper School Student Life

36. Alumni Updates

Todd Radford Athletic Director

Graduations, weddings, babies and more!

Wendy Carl Director of Performing & Fine Arts Jennifer Canady Director of the RISE Institute

Engage magazine is published by Lakeland Christian School and is distributed free of charge to parents, grandparents, alumni and friends of the school. Send correspondence to: Lakeland Christian School Attn: Sandy Johnson 1111 Forest Park Street Lakeland, FL 33803 You may send emails to sjohnson@lcsonline.org.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Kevin Knowlton Chairman Payton Albritton, Heather Bryant, Dan DeLange, Shannon Donley, Dan Green, Holland Henderson, Scott MacDonald, David Miller, Cory Petcoff, Steve Sligh, John Tucker

SPRING 2023

Letter from the Editor We’re more than a month into 2024; how are those New Year’s resolutions coming? Maybe you’re not a resolutions person, but I find it helpful to set some reasonable goals at the beginning of each new year. Among my resolutions this year, I intend to read a minimum of two books each month, to do at least 10 push ups every day, to continue writing down three things I’m thankful for each day (a habit I adopted in 2023), and to complete a year-long reading plan through the entire Bible. Being resolute means being “marked by firm determination.” It’s boldness in the face of adversity, and steadiness when met with uncertainty.

The Bible is full of the accounts of men and women who were resolute through trials. One of my favorite accounts can be found in 2 Kings 6, when the King of Syria sent his army to capture the prophet Elisha: “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Please strike this people with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-18) Elisha had unwavering trust in God and therefore wasn’t afraid when the situation seemed dire. He knew that God would protect him from the enemy. Within these pages you will find the stories of three alumni who have faced very difficult challenges. Some people would have given up on their dreams when faced with similar circumstances, but Cameron Row, Anna Canady and Taylor Tippel all remained resolute as they trusted God with their futures. I hope you find their stories inspiring and that you enjoy this issue of Engage.

Sandy Johnson

Director of Marketing & Communications

Why Engage?

The mission of Lakeland Christian School is to educate students in the light of God’s Word to equip them for a lifetime of learning, leadership, service and worship.

engage (v.) to commit; to involve intensely; to begin action The title for the LCS magazine describes—in one word—a great deal about our passion for Christian schooling and the effectual results. This active verb reflects our commitment to fostering lives of vibrant faith, active learning and intentional influence. Teachers engage students, students engage in their studies and co-curricular activities, and children and young people are prepared to engage their culture for the Kingdom. Engage will share encouraging stories of commitments to Christ, engagement in learning and active applications of faith for a lifetime.

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M A I N F E AT U R E

SOARING IN SPITE OF TURBULENCE Written by RJ Walters

Cameron Row and his dad prepared to walk out of the hospital after a long and harrowing day that involved a water skiing accident where Cameron took a terrifying fall and had to be administered CPR, one of the medical professionals made a suggestion that they do just one more scan. What they saw in the scan prompted an intensive emergency surgery which Cameron says he had about a 50-50 chance of surviving. “[The accident] shattered my skull into a bunch of pieces,” he recalls, “and [the doctor] said, if one of the fragments had gone a 10th of a millimeter further, it would’ve killed me.” Additional tests later revealed Row also had suffered two broken vertebrae and torn the majority of his oblique muscles. Row, a 2013 graduate of LCS, had just finished his first year of studies at Liberty

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University, and he had wrapped up an impromptu spell working at Eagle Rock, a Christian camp in Tennessee. He admits that having titanium mesh plated onto his skull and spending weeks at home on bedrest was a wakeup call of transformative proportions. He said he had focused on having fun and exploring the newfound freedom of being a college student and had been going through the motions of his faith for a while. This accident changed all of that. “I wasn’t living the life I should have, even though I knew I believed it,” he says. “When I was on bedrest I was like, ‘Alright, God, I was on the brink of paying you a visit. I better get my life back in order at this point’.” To get his life back in any sort of order, he had to patiently and faithfully lean on God in an entirely new way.

“WHEN I WAS ON BEDREST I WAS LIKE, ‘ALRIGHT, GOD, I WAS ON THE BRINK OF PAYING YOU A VISIT. I BETTER GET MY LIFE BACK IN ORDER AT THIS POINT’.”

As a testament to Row’s determination and maybe even a little stubbornness—as he acknowledges he wasn’t ready to just “sit around the house and be in pain”— he managed to get back on campus at Liberty just a week late for the fall semester. One of Cameron’s favorite professors shared with him how he had been praying fervently for him, and he also posed a question that served as a sort of shock to the system for the returning sophomore. He mentioned, “You realize this is gonna be a big fight to be able to fly again, right?” To boil down a complex set of conditions that would lead the Federal Aviation Administration to have serious concerns about Cameron operating an aircraft, Row was at a heightened likelihood of seizures which would make him a flight risk. Cameron said his dad was a champ, advocating for him to the FAA and sending them stacks of medical records, but at the end of an almost year-long process, the FAA ruled that he could not fly. For an adventure-seeking, free-spirited 19-year old who was trying to fast-track his way to a career as a commercial pilot, his flight had been grounded indefinitely. What could have been devastating was truthfully not, Cameron said, because God granted him a peace beyond all comprehension. “Obviously God put this dream on my heart, but it’s just been ripped out from under me. I should be mad about this, I

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should be upset…but never once was I mad, and I couldn’t even get myself to be mad,” he says with a chuckle. “It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced in my life, just the peace, I guess.” Crazy enough, during the fall semester of his junior year, he ended up securing an internship with Delta working in flight operations at their world headquarters in Atlanta. Naturally, he expected it could be torturous to be around pilots in uniform all the time, but remarkably he calls it “probably the best four months of his life,” and that chapter included being part of a Delta commercial and doing almost everything he could imagine—except training to be a pilot and preparing to fly. When he arrived back at Liberty, he consulted with leaders in the aviation department to see if they had an aviation management program, but they did not. What they did have, though, is a Dean of Aviation who was willing to work with Cameron to design the curriculum to create such a degree. In 2017—after countless hours meeting with professors in a handful of departments to develop and ultimately get the university’s stamp of approval on the new curriculum—he wrapped up his senior capstone project and walked across a stage as the first-ever aviation management degree recipient in the history of the now 53-year-old school. By this point, Cameron had seen the supernatural hand of God guide him in so many ways, including: - The doctor at the hospital who suggested he get one more scan before leaving - Getting back to school barely a month after undergoing life saving surgery - The fact that just minutes before his water skiing accident, the driver of the boat had picked up a friend from the dock; that young lady was a certified lifeguard who had special training to deal with back and neck injuries, and she actually administered CPR to Cameron on the boat because he had taken in so much water So it was just the next step in faith in his journey when Cameron accepted a position at

“...NEVER ONCE WAS I MAD AND I COULDN’T EVEN GET MYSELF TO BE MAD... IT WAS ONE OF THE WEIRDEST THINGS I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE, JUST THE PEACE, I GUESS.” 11

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American Airlines as a pilot recruiter and development analyst. He was getting paid by one of the world’s biggest airlines to talk to people every day who had the same drive to be a pilot as he did but had the medical clearance to fly that he still did not. Cameron said his boss was a strong Christian and a huge cheerleader for him, and the job gave him the opportunity to share his testimony time and again. As he settled into the role, nothing happened, in the best sense of the word. He was healthy and seizure free. He didn’t let himself get too far down the road of “What if…” about potentially getting cleared to fly again, but he had some neurological and cognitive testing done and submitted required paperwork to the FAA for consideration. He expected to wait a few months for a phone call or letter in the mail for a ruling. Instead, he received a call three days later with a verdict: he was cleared to fly again. He left American Airlines in late 2019 and by the end of the following summer he had become a certified flight instructor. He eventually was hired on by Envoy,

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a subsidiary of American Airlines, and in November 2021 he piloted his first commercial flight. If that was the end of his story, it would be miraculous, but it wasn’t. Cameron said he always dreamed of flying for Delta, and sure enough, after almost two years of flying for Envoy he was offered a position to become a pilot for Delta. On October 16, 2023, for Flight 2685 from Boston to Chicago, the passengers were flown to their destination by a young man who less than a decade earlier was forced to surrender his dreams to God and had to learn to be grateful just to be alive. The energetic 28-year-old said there are three reasons why he would allow this experience into his life again if had the choice to remove it from his past: the people he met, the experiences he had and the lessons he learned. “Even in the dark times, God has a plan,” he says. “I would say the biggest thing He has taught me is to just trust the process…and even when you feel like He’s not there, He is. Just hone into Him for the comfort you are seeking.”

The Hard, Yet Beautiful Lessons of Pain

igh school is hard. It’s especially hard when you’re dealing with unexplained illness, chronic pain, and fatigue. For Anna Canady, high school was characterized by all of these things — but also by the support, faith, and freedom she found at Lakeland Christian School. When Anna Canady began her freshman year at LCS, her body stopped working normally. She suddenly developed tics — repetitive, uncontrollable muscle spasms — that grew worse as time passed. She began feeling fatigued all the time. Anna’s body was under stress, and no one knew why. Anna would embark on dozens of doctors’ visits and trips across the country to nail down the right diagnosis: EhlersDanlos syndrome. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a disorder where collagen formation is defective in some way. Collagen is crucial to our strength and flexibility — so when something’s not right, it leads to nerve damage and a host of other complications. As a result, she developed chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS). At just 15 years old, her whole body burned with pain in a

Written by Jenna MacFarlane

WINTER 2024

way unimaginable to those of us who have never experienced it. She ended up in a wheelchair and on her way to the Cleveland Clinic in hopes of finding some relief. While Ehlers-Danlos isn’t treatable, CRPS can be managed with spinal cord stimulation — a treatment process that vibrates the spinal cord, distracts the nerves, and lessens the pain. At the Cleveland Clinic, Anna underwent six weeks of this treatment, spending half her time in the hospital and half her time as an outpatient at the Ronald McDonald House. Relief from the treatment came slowly. Anna was still spending all day, every day, in bed, so she began knitting hats for the other kids in the Ronald McDonald House. Every time students and teachers at LCS would mail her a new batch of yarn, she got to work. “I needed to use my time for something meaningful,” she said. “Living like that doesn’t leave a lot of room for you to feel sorry for yourself. Everything just hurt. Making hats was a way to tell the other kids, ‘This is terrible, but we’re in it together.’” And of course, through all this, Anna had to finish high school. LCS made her experience a whole lot easier — and a whole

“LIVING LIKE THAT DOESN’T LEAVE A LOT OF ROOM FOR YOU TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF...”

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lot more fulfilling. LCS made it possible for Anna to study in a hybrid format. Her teachers helped her develop a class schedule that allowed her to get her credits while taking only three classes a day. When she had the energy, she could study in class and stay home when she didn’t. Anna attributes a lot of her ability to heal to LCS. The school allowed her the flexibility she needed, and it gave her mom — a teacher at LCS — the time off she needed to travel with Anna to all of her appointments and treatments. If there’s one thing that’s never changed about Anna, it’s her desire to prove herself, her conviction to let nothing stand in the way of her goals. Growing up, she’d imagined hiking, seeing the world, going out west and exploring. While her body won’t allow her to do this in the traditional way today, she made her own way: in her Hyundai Sonata. In 2020, she took a solo road trip all the way out to California and back. She spent more than six months on the road, camping

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in her car, seeing everything she’d dreamed of seeing — mountain peaks, valleys, and canyons. “I just needed to prove to myself that I could do it,” she said. “And I did.” High schoolers today are under a lot of stress and pressure to perform. We don’t give our teens much room to fail. In spite of their developing brains needing sleep, they’re on the bus in the wee hours of the morning heading off to first period; they stay at school after hours for band or sports practice; in the evenings they’re studying for AP exams and standardized tests; all while navigating the tumultuous waters of American adolescence. But at LCS, Anna’s classmates and teachers met her where she was. She was on the robotics team — a high point of her high school career — and she credits it to helping her succeed. “There were moments I wasn’t very helpful, but they were just happy for me to be there,” she said. “I could just be, I could just exist in whatever state I was in. I could fail and that would still be okay.”

“I COULD JUST BE, I COULD JUST EXIST IN WHATEVER STATE I WAS IN. I COULD FAIL AND THAT WOULD STILL BE OKAY.”

Anna recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in English Literature and is working in grant writing. While Ehlers-Danlos is something she’ll likely deal with her whole life, she’s learning new ways to manage it every day. She’s walking and able to lead a normal life — she just needs to rest a little more often than others. When you go through something so lifealtering, you can’t help but see things differently. Anna’s dream for the future is to get back out on the road in her Sonata and see the world. “If I could go back and do it again, I’m not sure I’d choose life without my illness — well, actually, I think I would,” she laughed. “It’s hard to say. All I know is that pain teaches us things. It teaches us empathy. It’s so fundamentally human.” LCS helped Anna strike a balance between embracing her humanity and finding the faith it takes to heal. “My faith reminds me that, even though the things we go through change us, they change us in ways we were meant to be changed.”

“IT’S HARD TO SAY. ALL I KNOW IS THAT PAIN TEACHES US THINGS. IT TEACHES US EMPATHY. IT’S SO FUNDAMENTALLY HUMAN.”

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B U I L D I N G D E D I C AT I O N

Building Dedication After years of planning and months of construction, the Mike & Mary Sligh High School Building at Lakeland Christian School was officially opened and dedicated on Friday, August 11, 2024. Named for longtime Head of School Dr. Mike Sligh who retired in June after 51 years at LCS, and his wife Mary, who served as a teacher for many years, this three-story, 42,000-square-foot facility houses 26 classrooms, the Upper School Offices, a Guidance Suite, teacher’s workspace and a Student Life Suite. The first floor features two flex space classrooms. On the third floor, the Mike Musick, Sr. Science Wing features stateof-the-art science labs and a memorial wall to honor the longtime science teacher and coach who passed away in 2021. The $19.1 million facility was funded through the Forging a Firm Foundation capital campaign. Lakeland City Commissioner Mike Musick Jr. spoke on behalf of the city and the Musick family. Board chairman Kevin Knowlton (Peterson & Myers, P.A.), along with current Head of School Bryant Black and Chief of Advancement MattE Diaz also spoke. The building was designed by Jon Kirk (StraughnTrout Architects) and built by Rodda Construction.

SUMMER 2023

hough Taylor Tippel attended LCS from Kindergarten through 12th grade, the remarkable influence of the school on her life and work exceeds even the excellent education she received there. Her story is really the most inspiring kind, replete with the love of family, the help of old friends and Divine orchestration. Off to Samford University after graduating LCS in 2013, Taylor experienced the common feelings of indecision about her future. “My family encouraged me to be a lawyer but I wanted to do work with families and interpersonal relationships. I’m so thankful that a professor told me how I could pair those two interests,” she says. She pursued a six-year program that would culminate in a bachelor’s degree in family science and a law degree. But the headaches started in 2018 near the end of law school. “Although,” Taylor says, “I hated calling them headaches because it felt like a fullbody pain experience.”

PICKING UP THE TORCH: Taylor Tippel’s Miraculous Story Written by Adam Spafford

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While she struggled to study and function, her concerns were dismissed by four physicians over the course of six months. “Doctors told me I was just anxious due to the pressure of law school.” No doctor ordered blood work or imaging to rule out something more serious. Her condition progressively worsened through early 2019. She could only stay awake for a couple of hours at a time, and the pain was excruciating. At her law school graduation in May, Taylor’s parents became gravely concerned because their daughter was clearly suffering. With her parents’ help, Taylor found a doctor to perform an MRI. The grim results quickly came back: she had a massive brain tumor that required surgery. Though it was benign, it was putting pressure on both her optic nerve and pituitary gland. Devastated by the diagnosis but hopeful something could be done, Taylor and her family sought a neurosurgeon to perform the delicate operation. Frustratingly, the first two neurosurgeons declined the procedure, stating it could be too risky, and potentially cause blindness, and even death.

“I HATED CALLING THEM HEADACHES BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE A FULL-BODY PAIN EXPERIENCE.”

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This is where Taylor’s LCS family—and God’s remarkable intervention—enter the story. One of Taylor’s best friends from LCS, Christiana Zimmer (formerly Landskroner), messaged her out of the blue to catch up after six years of being out of contact. After relaying the story to her old school friend, Taylor’s life changed course. As it turns out, Christiana’s mom, Glenda Landskroker-Black, was the nurse for another neurosurgeon who agreed to perform the surgery. Taylor made a full recovery and afterward a successful attempt at the bar. And that’s not the only reconnection Taylor made with her first alma mater. She was sworn in by Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady, husband of Jennifer Canady, who taught Taylor at LCS.

“I USE THE TRAUMA OF MY EXPERIENCE IN MY PRACTICE BECAUSE I WORK EXCLUSIVELY IN FAMILY LAW...MY WORK HAS AS MUCH TO DO WITH THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF LIFE AS LEGAL, HELPING FAMILIES COPE WITH TRAUMA.”

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“But I’ve learned God has a purpose for stories like mine,” she reflects. “My story is not even my own—it’s to encourage other people. Many have reached out to me to tell me my story has spurred them to keep going. I can tell them how I felt my life was just getting started and it all came crashing down—but God’s using it to help my clients now.” She said she understands that when Christians pray “Thy will be done” it might include struggles that require perserverance. “On the other side of it, I might see God’s purpose,” she says to encourage others. “I know I’m on this Earth for the purpose of serving the Lord—and that this experience has made me a better attorney, wife, daughter and friend.”

Today, Taylor practices in Panama City Beach with The Virga Law Firm who, she says, has been incredibly supportive professionally and personally. “I use the trauma of my experience in my practice because I work exclusively in family law; representing children, parents, and spouses with legal issues of custody, divorce, child support and such. My work has as much to do with the emotional side of life as legal, helping families cope with trauma,” she says. “I always want to get in the fight alongside people because I know what it’s like to have friends and family pick up the torch when I don’t have the strength, to pray for me, to make sure I wasn’t alone.” Of her experience, Taylor says it’s natural to question God and wonder, “Why is this happening to me?”

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AROUND CAMPUS

Around Campus

BACK TO SCHOOL BASH Families celebrated the new school year at the second annual Back to School Bash on August 11. It was a great evening of fun and fellowship as students of all ages converged in Viking Stadium and enjoyed two dunk tanks, a climbing wall, carnival rides, bounce houses, face paintings, and delicious treats while parents reconnected after a summer apart.

FALL MUSICAL: WIZARD OF OZ In mid-October, the LCS Performing Arts Department delivered another amazing fall musical as they performed the classic favorite, The Wizard of Oz. The cast, comprised of students in grades 3-12, brought the timeless tale to life. From Dorothy's infectious optimism to the Cowardly Lion's endearing courage, the main cast embraced their characters with enthusiasm and gave audiences a delightful journey down the yellow brick road.

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VOYAGES & VICTORIES GALA We are immensely grateful to the LCS community for making the 9th Annual Voyages and Victories Gala at Bonnet Springs Park a tremendous success. With our generous matching gift, we raised over half a million dollars for student financial aid. What a testament to God's provision and your faithfulness! It was an extraordinary evening, and we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing RISE event planners, our Gala committee, the fantastic student entertainment and everyone who donated items for the auctions.

MUSICK SCIENCE WING DEDICATION During Thanksgiving break, members of the Mike Musick Sr. family, along with friends and alumni, gathered on the third floor of the new Mike & Mary Sligh High School Building to dedicate the Mike Musick, Sr. Memorial Science Wing. The wall features tiles dedicated to Mr. Musick, a longtime faculty member and coach who passed away in 2021. You can still honor Mr. Musick by purchasing a tile here: lcsonline.org/mike-musick-wall/

CHRISTMAS MUSICAL More than 270 student-musicians in grades 4-12 presented the annual LCS Christmas Musical, “Christmas Changes Everything,” on Tuesday, December 5. This spectacular performance was held at Family Worship Center and conveyed the truth of Christmas and the message of the gospel. Scan below to watch the replay of the event:

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M A I N I N S TA G R A M

@LCSvikings

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In today’s Chapel, school parent Eric Johnson, shared his experience of being in the Twin Towers on 9/11. We are grateful for his courage, faith, and his inspiring story

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The K4/K5 playground’s grand opening was fantastic today! We are grateful to The Viking Fund donors for making this project possible

Meet the new Homecoming Court royals! (Princess Isa Cano, Prince Joseph Bosetti, Queen Lillian MacDonald, King Cooper Philpot)

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Our students hosted a heartwarming program for the visiting grandparents and grandfriends at LCS today. It was truly a memorable day for everyone involved

Our annual Christmas chapel brought our K4-12 students together to hear an incredible message and worship. It’s always a special moment when our entire school comes together.

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SIX THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RESOURCE OFFICER

LUIS RAMOS

Luis was born in New York City in a family of five. After living in the Bronx for six years, his family moved to Union, New Jersey. Luis participated in football, basketball, and baseball in New Jersey while attending St. Michael Church. After middle school, Luis and his family moved to Haines City, Florida, for the bright and sunny weather. Luis attended Winter Haven High School, where he participated in baseball and was a Hospitably and Tourism Academy member.

After high school, Luis attended Dakota County in Minnesota to play college baseball. After his first year, Luis was a second-team AllAmerican, breaking the school record in stolen bases with 72. Due to injury, Luis returned home and worked various jobs before starting his law enforcement career.

Luis became a Polk County Deputy in 2016 and then transitioned to the City of Lakeland in 2018 to become a Police Officer. Luis has quite the resume! His job experiences include: Polk County Deputy, City of Lakeland Police Officer, member of Crime Suppression Unit through which he assisted with statewide investigations, Field Training Officer, and School Resource Officer. Luis was awarded a Life Saving Medal for capturing a home invasion suspect. The suspect was bleeding due to a large laceration from breaking into the home. Luis placed a tourniquet on the suspect which slowed down the bleeding. Luis enjoys the School Resource Unit because he gets to build relationships with students and staff. The LCS family has motivated Luis to continue his higher education, and he is set to graduate with his bachelor’s in criminal justice in the fall of 2024.

Luis and his wife Maggie met in Winter Haven, FL. Their son, Julian, is almost two years old. He loves going on adventures outside as well as coloring and watching Ms. Rachel.

Luis enjoys being with his family and attending church at Free Life Chapel. Luis still has that competitive side, so he is part of a team of law enforcement agents who travel the country playing in softball tournaments.

Luis is a sneaker enthusiast with approximately 40 pairs of shoes. His love of shoes started at a young age as he watched Derek Jeter and other players wearing Michael Jordan shoes. Luis’s favorite sneaker is the “Bred” Jordan 11s because it is an ionic shoe he wore during his playing days.

AT H L E T I C S I N S TA G R A M

Find more on Instagram!

@LCSvikingsathletics

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Our senior varsity swim team made waves last night, celebrating senior night!

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Viking Girls golf is 3peat District Champs #letsgo

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Big congrats to KJ Straub for signing with the University of South Alabama! We couldn’t be prouder

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The Viking Baseball team celebrated the signing of three talented players Trey Bentley signed with NC State, Colby Brewington signed with Georgia Southern, and Daniel Herrera signed with Barry University. Congratulations to all three of you! We are incredibly proud of your hard work and dedication. #VikingPride #BaseballSignings #StudentAthletes

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The Viking Cross Country competed in The FHSAA State Cross Country Meet this morning in Tallahassee. The girls team placed 12th place out of 32 teams while they were ranked 14th going into the race. Emma Wilkinson earned a state medal by placing 13th. The boys team impressively placed 17th place out of 32 teams while being ranked 22nd before the race. Congratulations to both teams on a very successful season! #vikingpride

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LCS Alumni Updates 1 Seth Rodocker Seth Rodocker (‘17) is currently serving in the U. S. Navy. He is an Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman (AMAN). He is currently deployed on the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. “The Ike” is providing maritime security for the Israel/Hamas conflict.

Melanie (Abbott) Davidson Melanie (Abbott) Davidson (‘16) got married in 2021 to Will Davidson and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is currently teaching second grade at Christ Presbyterian Academy.

3 Aaron Huckery and Torri Harris Aaron Huckery (‘14) and Torri Harris (‘15) were married in March of 2019. Since then, they’ve welcomed a little girl and boy into the world! Aaron and Torri currently own and operate a cattle company, which Aaron started back in 2015. Today, their company has expanded to offer agricultural fencing, hay baling, and other land management services in Central Florida. They hope to continue expanding their services to help landowners and ranchers all across Florida. Aside from being a business owner, Torri is also an elementary teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School.

Brooks Wilson

In late October, Brooks Wilson (‘14) was inducted into the Stetson University Athletics Hall of Fame. Brooks played baseball for Stetson from 20152018, serving as team captain in 2017 and 2018 and racking up a number of impressive awards. Brooks graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Stetson in 2018 and now plays baseball with the Atlanta Braves organization. Brooks and his wife, Sarah, were married in 2021.

5 Taylor (Morton) Rumbley Taylor (Morton) Rumbley (‘11) and her husband Austin welcomed their daughter, Caroline Rae, on August 15, 2023. The family lives in Bartow. Austin works as a financial planner, and Taylor is a vendor manager for Rooms to Go.

Chelsea Bolter

Chelsea Bolter (‘10) was recently named to the Business Observer’s Class of 2023 “40 Under 40” list. After studying vocal performance at Florida State University and performing as an opera singer in New York City, Chelsea moved back to Florida and is now serving as the Senior Director of Operations at Regions Facility Services (RFS).

7 Hannah (Yrastorza) Vaughn Hannah (Yrastorza) Vaughn (‘09) and her husband Matt welcomed their second daughter, Livvy, just over a year ago. She is 16 months old now. Livvy joins big sister, Emma, who will be three years old in March. Hannah is a physician associate in dermatology alongside her father, dermatologist David Yrastorza. Matt is an attorney at Peterson & Myers. The family attends First Presbyterian Church and are active members in the Lakeland community.

Collins (McBride) Zaban

Collins (McBride) Zaban (‘09) and her husband married in 2018. They have three boys: Lane (4, and currently attending LCS K4), James (2), and Bo (1). The family lives in Lakeland and attends Trinity Presbyterian. Mo and Collins own and operate a local fence company, MyFenceCo.

9 Here’s a fun story! Six best friends graduated from Lakeland Christian School in 2016. Since then, the three couples each got married and welcomed babies within a year of each other. Haylee (Mathis) Pugh and Josh Pugh welcomed son Stetson Michael on August 20, 2022. Ahna (Waddell) Falk and Ethan Falk welcomed daughter Koemi Jean on June 19, 2023. Elizabeth (Garrard) Brown and Aaron Brown welcomed daughter Atlas James on June 23, 2023.

Lakeland Christian School 1111 Forest Park Street Lakeland, Florida 33803

In 1962, Dr. Mike Sligh was a student when LCS dedicated the first buildings at our current Forest Park Street campus. At that time, the campus had six classrooms, an office and a cafeteria on three acres of land. This fall, when we dedicated the Mike & Mary Sligh High School Building, a replica of this “Education in the Light of God’s Word” sign served to remind everyone that the school has remained committed to its mission.