{ SUMMER 2014 }
I N S I D E feature >
LCS INSPIRES A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Erica Suares Advises Policy for Senate Republican Leader on Capitol Hill
ON THE HORIZON Is it enough for a learner to master a body of knowledge? Does being a “lifetime learner” merely infer that you know more facts than others? The apostle Paul described some diligent but misguided learners when he wrote that they were “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7). Since we live in the alleged “Information Age” we are continually bombarded with a fire-hydrant-like rush of data on about every possible topic. But raw data is not the key to effective living. The Scriptures call us to move beyond the factual to understanding and, ultimately, to wisdom. The believer is to avoid foolishness and understand the will of God (Ephesians 5:17), to take on God’s ways and learn of Him (Matthew 11:29), and to recognize the reverential awe of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). It has been said that wisdom is the skill for living. A former colleague who was an avid auto mechanic explained it this way. Knowledge is recognizing a water pump on the auto parts store shelf. Understanding is grasping the function and purpose of the water pump. Wisdom is being able to properly diagnose when your car needs a new one and having the skill to install it properly. It takes wisdom to get the car back on the road and to live life effectively. Our feature stories in this edition of Engage share accounts of LCS alumni and staff who demonstrate a lifetime of learning in the fullest sense of the word. They are using their knowledge, understanding and wisdom to glorify God and to serve others in some remarkable ways. I hope they inspire us all to keep learning.
DR. MIKE SLIGH, Headmaster
MAGAZINE Editor Sandy Johnson, Communications Specialist
WHY Engage ?
Creative Design Clark/Nikdel/Powell
engage v. to commit; to involve intensely; to begin action
Cover Photography Katie Barnes
The title for the LCS magazine describes – in one word – a
ADMINISTRATORS: Dr. Mike Sligh | Headmaster Steve Wilson | Director of Advancement Luci O’Byrne | Elementary Principal Nancy Bradley | Assistant Elementary Principal Wayne Shimko | Secondary Principal Darren Copeland | Assistant High School Principal Keith Overholt | Assistant Middle School Principal
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.
Julie Rice | Director of Enrollment Matt Green | Chief Financial Officer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Kevin Knowlton – Chairman Jim Wilbanks – Vice-Chairman Beth Patteson – Secretary
IN THIS ISSUE:
Payton Albritton Kristen Bolter Dan DeLange
Feature: Erica Suares { 6 } Side Feature: Miriam White { 12 }
Dan Green David Miller
Campusclamor@LCS { 14 }
Jay Mueller Bill Mutz Dean Nederveld Cory Petcoff Steve Sligh
Expressions@LCS { 18 } Alumni@LCS { 20 } Faculty Feature: Chuck Fulton { 22 }
John Tucker
magazine is published by Lakeland Christian School and is distributed free of charge to parents, grandparents,
Staff Scoop & Fun Stuff { 24 & 25 } Fine Arts Feature: Chelsea Bolter { 26 }
alumni and friends of the school.
Sportszone@LCS { 28 }
Send correspondence to:
Cheerfulgivers@LCS { 30 }
Lakeland Christian School Attn: Sandy Johnson 1111 Forest Park Street Lakeland, FL 33803 You may send emails to sjohnson@lcsonline.org. This magazine is printed by Area Litho, Lakeland, FL.
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 1111 Forest Park Street, Lakeland, Florida 33803 | Phone 863-688-2771 Fax 863-682-5637 | www.lcsonline.org | Facebook: www.facebook.com/LCSVikings | Twitter: www.twitter.com/LkldChristian
THE MISSION OF L AKEL AND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
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is to educate students in the light of God’s word to equip them for a lifetime of learning, leadership, service and worship.
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F E AT U R E
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ERICA SUARES
Helping to Shape Our Country’s Policy in Washington, D.C. Erica Suares has assembled quite an impressive resume since she graduated from Lakeland Christian School in 1998. The education portion boasts of degrees from Auburn University (B.S. in International Business/Economics), Vanderbilt University (M.Ed. in Secondary Education) and Harvard University (M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management). { 7 }
E N G A G E F E AT U R E continued
Her employment experiences include working
said. “In many ways, I think the class was one of
for Governor Riley of Alabama, for President
the first moments that sparked a true interest in
George W. Bush during his time in the White House,
both history and politics. I still remember we had a
The Heritage Foundation (a policy think tank) and on
mock trial of Lee Harvey Oswald for the assassination
Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. Currently, Erica
of President Kennedy, and I played the role of
is serving as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the
Mrs. Kennedy and ‘took the stand’ during the trial.”
Republican Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell. Erica’s resume would not be complete without
and present – had such passion for her craft and made
mention of her time at LCS: her years at Lakeland
the subjects come alive.”
Christian were instrumental in developing her focus on faith and character – two components that are key as Erica works in the challenging environment of Capitol Hill. HER FOUNDATION AT LCS
In addition to her parents, who continue to be two of her greatest mentors, Erica credits these teachers and members of the LCS administration for the impact they had on her life. “Dr. Sligh, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Douglass – these men of
Erica didn’t grow up dreaming of a job in politics.
character and of faith and family – had more of an
Instead, her career goals during her high school
influence on me than I may have noticed at the time.
years progressed from fashion to news reporting
Looking back, the values that the administration and
and finally to business – which ended up being her
teachers at LCS lived out daily continue to stay in my
undergraduate major. Though she didn’t recognize
mind and heart.”
it at the time, Erica can look back on her ninth grade year as a particularly influential one in terms of her future career.
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“Mrs. Shriver, like so many teachers at LCS – former
“Other influencers were coaches – specifically, I remember Elizabeth Madden who was my tennis coach for a time. She truly poured into my life
“Mrs. Shriver taught 20th Century History, and that
and mentored me. Also, the parents of my friends
was a defining class for me in terms of figuring out
stand out – the Strawbridges, Speeds, Oates, Balls,
my interests both academically and personally,” Erica
Greshams, Douglasses, Schliessers – I know I am
“This is not a confidence rooted in your own abilities, but knowing that God has prepared you for whatever task you’re given. This foundation has been critical in helping me in so many settings. missing so many! They all stand out in my mind as
LCS on living out your faith, versus something esoteric
individuals who have such a deep faith, live it out daily,
you may think about occasionally, prepared me for
and seek to instill those values in their children and
difficult jobs and even grad school. In many of those
their friends.”
settings where you may be called to live out your faith –
Another key area where LCS prepared Erica was in her confidence. “This is not a confidence rooted in your own abilities,
even when those around you aren’t – it is easier to do if it’s part of you and the foundation of your life.” STARTING HER CAREER
but knowing that God has prepared you for whatever
After graduating with a degree in international business
task you’re given. This foundation has been critical in
and economics from Auburn University, Erica started
helping me in so many settings. I’ve been called on at
a marketing internship for Coastal Living magazine in
times, without notice, to speak in front of senators or
Birmingham. When no full-time job opened up there,
large audiences, and without this type of preparation,
Erica started volunteering on a campaign for Bob Riley
it would be difficult not to be nervous or unsure of one-
in the Alabama governor’s race. When Governor Riley
self. I’m thankful that spirit permeates LCS and is seen
won, Erica moved to Montgomery to work for him.
in so many of its students and graduates.”
“After working for Governor Riley in Alabama for a
But Erica’s time at LCS gave her more than a direction
couple of years, I was very sure that I liked policy and
for her future career; it gave her a foundation of faith
politics,” Erica said. “I initially worked on Homeland
and character.
Security issues for him, which I liked, but decided if I
“I learned that living out your faith means that it permeates your life,” Erica said. “I think this focus at
were to stay in policy, I would need to work on an area I felt more passionate about, which led me to grad { 9 }
ENGAGE FEATURE continued
school and teaching to focus on K-12 education
“I specifically work with conservative policy and
policy issues such as school choice, etc.”
advocacy organizations,” Erica said. “My main job
After leaving Alabama, Erica moved to Washington, D.C. where her first job was working for President George W. Bush in the White House.
the Senate in a given week and to listen to their positions on those issues. I spend most of my days answering questions about bills when they come
“I’d say this was the second turning point that
up for a vote and working through policy topics that
made me realize I enjoyed politics and wanted
may be debated in the future.”
to stay in it,” Erica said. “The job was so intense though; I almost thought I had made a big mistake.”
“I see the topics we are discussing and analyzing every day as issues that truly impact every American.
Following her work for President Bush, Erica started
It is an honor and responsibility to get to work
working at a policy think tank organization called
on policy at the federal level, and I try to never
The Heritage Foundation, which confirmed her
forget that. The ability citizens have to petition
desire to work full time in policy. She went on from
their government is one of the most important,
there to work on Capitol Hill and later on Romney’s
fundamental aspects of our democracy, so I find it
presidential campaign as his liaison to the Senate.
very fulfilling to be a part of the important work the
ADVISING FOR SENATOR MCCONNELL Erica now serves as a policy advisor to Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican Leader – a job that is both challenging and rewarding and that comes with much responsibility. She spends her days analyzing legislation, meeting with constituents, advising Senator McConnell on how to vote on a bill and also handling outreach and coalitions for the senator.
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is to inform them of what is being debated in
founders of our nation designed so masterfully.” Working with people is one of Erica’s favorite parts of her job, and she gets to do a lot of it, whether it is the people she works with in the office or the groups she speaks to when explaining policy proposals. And working alongside people has given Erica an opportunity to share her faith as well.
“I do have many opportunities to talk about
“Because my parents immigrated to the United
my faith but, just as important, there are
States and love America so much, they ingrained
opportunities to advocate for legislation that faith
these truths in me from an early age. I feel lucky to
often influences. I have seen this as we push for
live out and preserve America’s foundational truths
votes on pro-life legislation or First Amendment
in a job like this every day,” Erica said.
issues that impact religious liberty. I have the opportunity to work alongside many faith-based groups working on policy, which is rewarding. This past year one of the most important issues we worked on was shining a light on the practices of the infamous abortionist Kermit Gosnell – being a part of bringing that sad, horrific situation into the public consciousness was critical and a great responsibility.” OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD Erica has had the opportunity to be involved at
“LCS has prepared me for a lifetime of work, fun, leadership, faith and family, and so much more. The focus during those critical, formative years in terms of faith and academics has prepared me in so many ways I wouldn’t have imagined at the time. I continue to draw on the foundational truths many at LCS instilled in my classmates and me. In a fast-paced environment this becomes even more critical, because what you believe and how you live it out is tested daily. In an ever-changing world I am able to lean on those truths.”
various levels of the political field in her years since college: for the executive and legislative branches, at a think tank and even in academia. She has given “after hours” tours of the Oval Office, accompanied bosses as they spoke around our nation’s capital
» Quick Facts:
and had the opportunity to work on gubernatorial
FULL NAME:
and presidential campaigns. Erica even received
Erica Ann Suares
the “Capitol Hill Staffer of the Year” award from the
FAVORITE TEACHER FROM LCS:
groups with whom she works.
I just can’t answer this. I loved everyone!
She plans to continue her career in policy and
FAVORITE CLASS:
politics, but would also like to return to the field of
20th Century History
academia and teach at the university level. CLASS YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE TAKEN: “There are many valuable experiences after years
French II or Latin II
of working in Washington, D.C., and I’d like to apply those to teaching political science or doing academic
BEST LCS MEMORY:
research on a topic I’ve become interested in – the
Cheerleading trips and away games
role of outside interest groups in shaping legislation,
CLOSEST FRIEND FROM LCS:
as well as influencing Congressional leaders and
Kari (Schliesser) Holley
our institutions.” DREAM JOB: As a student at LCS, Erica didn’t know that her future
Editor of Vogue or a Travel Correspondent
would involve helping to shape the policies of the
for the New York Times
United States, but she has a love for her country and a strong foundation of faith that will help her succeed in her current and future endeavors.
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SI DE F EATU R E
WORKING AROUND THE WORLD: Miriam White Uses Occupational Therapy to Serve and Teach LCS alum Miriam White was busy during her years at Lakeland Christian School. In addition to a rigorous academic schedule, she was on the swim and track teams, a member of the Student Council and Key Club, active in the piano program and also took various dance classes at the Highlands School of Dance. When Miriam graduated in 2003, she left LCS with a love for science that would guide her through college, graduate and doctoral school and into her current career an occupational therapist. “Mr. Musick and Mr. Edgar had the greatest impact on me during my time at LCS,” said Miriam. “With Mr. Edgar, I felt like everything was a teachable moment. In his classes, he not only covered the academics but also created space to ask difficult questions and facilitated those discussions with incredible grace. As a class, we learned that our own choices and actions influence those around us, for better or for worse.” “Mr. Musick drew out my love for learning. I think I spent half my day in his classroom during my junior year. He identified my intellectual, academic and
athletic strengths before I knew them. Between the two of them, I learned to embrace my love of science and how or why we do what we do. This skill of knowing the why behind actions is critical to the work I do now.” After graduating from LCS, Miriam went to the University of Florida where she received a B.S. in Recreation. From there, she pursued a Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy (2010) and her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (2011) from the University of Southern California. “I had dreams of working as an MD in an ER or a children’s specialty hospital,” Miriam said. “During my last semester at University of Florida, I was required to do a full-time, 12-week internship in Recreational Therapy. My supervisor encouraged me to spend time shadowing occupational and physical therapists. After a few days of shadowing the stroke and spinal cord teams, I knew. I watched an OT work with a young man who sustained a spinal cord injury due to gang-related violence (gunshot wound). His OT worked with him and his family in a way that I had not seen previously. During my day of shadowing, he fed himself for the first time in
“God has taken me hundreds of thousands of miles outside of my comfort zone to serve some of the most destitute and marginalized men, women and children of the world. We frequently do not speak the same language and have drastically different life experiences and cultures, but the love, serenity and generosity these individuals share with me is the greatest testament to the God we serve.” { 12 }
four months. His mother cried and hugged her son and the OT, thanking her repeatedly. In that moment, I knew I’d found the perfect career for me. It was a profession that would allow me to blend medicine, art and building relationships with others.”
disability. As a whole, the country is transitioning from viewing the disability as a curse. This has made such a difference in the way people with disabilities are treated and their ability to access education, employment and be members of a community.”
For most of the year, Miriam works with children who have both developmental and acquired disabilities. She helps to identify causes and then works together with the doctors, families and teachers to help accommodate each child’s specific needs. She helps parents make modifications to the home for improved accessibility and works with teachers to help increase the child’s success in the classroom.
This summer, Miriam is back in Ecuador working at the Fundacion Hermano Miguel, a renowned rehabilitation center in Quito, Ecuador. She will serve as a volunteer, teacher and mentor during her time there. She will work with adults and children who have had traumatic brain injuries and neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Miriam’s work has also given her the opportunity to serve children with disabilities in other parts of the world each year. “Initially, my intentions were to work with adults with spinal cord injuries at Rancho Los Amigos. I stumbled into the realm of pediatrics and have been here for the majority of my career. During my second year of OT school, my primary goal was to ‘serve the marginalized men, women and children of the world through the lens of occupational therapy.’ At the time, ‘the world’ equated to Los Angeles. I had no idea my career would take me to Ghana, West Africa and Quito, Ecuador annually or provide me with opportunities to teach and mentor therapists both here and abroad.” “In 2009, I went to Ghana as part of a clinical rotation and fell in love with the children and Ghanaian culture instantly. It was unlike any other clinical because we had no previous medical history or chart to guide our assessment and subsequent planning and evaluation. My clinical instructor at the time said, ‘Go based on what you see and feel. Use your knowledge from your classes to make informed clinical decisions.’ My partner and I did just that. We grew in leaps and bounds in so many areas of life – clinically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Before the end of the trip, we promised one another that we’d return ... and this past March was our fourth trip together.”
Miriam’s love for science is not the only result of her LCS education. Her time at Lakeland Christian School taught her a lot about relationships. “LCS is where I learned to develop intentional relationships with others, some of whom I still am closely connected with today. Within my relationships, there is freedom and space for vulnerability, authenticity and encouragement to pursue our own paths. These friendships breathe life into me and challenge me to live simply in faith, to be known by love and to be a voice of hope. I think that in order to intentionally pursue a life of learning, leadership, service and worship, I need to know myself. How has God created me? What gifts, talents and interests have been grafted into my spirit? And how do I invest in those? Once I began to understand those better and embrace my idiosyncrasies, it was much easier to pursue the life God created me to live.” “God has taken me hundreds of thousands of miles outside of my comfort zone to serve some of the most destitute and marginalized men, women and children of the world. We frequently do not speak the same language and have drastically different life experiences and cultures, but the love, serenity and generosity these individuals share with me is the greatest testament to the God we serve.” Miriam White is living and working in Portland, Oregon. You can connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/miriam.k.white
Much of Miriam’s work in Ghana has been at the Mephibosheth Training Center, a boarding school exclusively for children with disabilities. She has also had the opportunity to lecture and mentor other OT students working in the country. The Ghanaian culture has historically been unaccepting of people with disabilities, but Miriam has seen a shift in how these children are being treated. “We are now seeing more people and young children with disabilities in the community accepted to vocational programs or trade schools. Fewer families are going into hiding after delivering a child with a { 13 }
{ campusclamor@lcs } The Young Naturalist Awards is a research-based science competition for students in grades 7-12 to promote participation and communication in science. You can read about the Young Naturalist Award here: http://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/ young-naturalist-awards. Congratulations to the Class of 2014! The 94-member class celebrated baccalaureate on Sunday, June 1, and commencement on Monday, June 2. At baccalaureate, Christian Leadership Award winner Charlotte Varnum and Pastor Stan McMahan (of Trinity Presbyterian Church) both challenged the class from the Scriptures. The following evening, valedictorian Hope Dodd and salutatorian Josie Koretchko encouraged their classmates by sharing memories, advice and personal thoughts with their classmates. The class chose Mr. Erik Thomas, a member of the secondary faculty, to give the commencement address. The evening concluded with each senior receiving a diploma from Dr. Mike Sligh, Headmaster.
Julia was also selected to attend the University of Florida’s Science Quest this summer. Science Quest immerses rising 10th grade students in various science disciplines. Students will live in a campus dorm for one week, attend a variety of lectures and demonstrations, visit research laboratories and other facilities, and perform multiple science experiments.
This April, senior Maria Baker was awarded a coveted Silver Garland Award, presented by The Ledger. She has been active in the community through tutoring, editing research papers and playing an instrument in her church orchestra. Maria initiated the Special Buddies program that helps the visually impaired with reading. This was the 38th year for the awards. The Silver Garland Awards recognized seniors who volunteer at their schools and in the community. Awards are given out in 11 categories including art, athletics, citizenship, journalism and music. Maria, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Baker, plans to attend The University of the South, Sewanee in the fall.
For the second year in a row, freshman Julia Canady has been awarded the Young Naturalist Award from New York’s American Museum of Natural History for her work with allelopathy – the natural chemical defenses of plants. This year she discovered that chemical compounds in air potato, an invasive weed found in Faith’s Forest, suppress the growth of other invasive plants. Julia traveled to New York in May to accept the honor, which included a 1,000 cash award. Victoria Benson was also a national finalist.
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Senior Emily Carl was a 2014 recipient of the Bailey Family Foundation Scholarship. She was honored at a banquet held in Tampa on Saturday, May 17. Emily will receive $20,000 over four years. Each recipient was also given a new Lenovo Yoga 2 laptop. Emily will attend Southeastern University to major in Nursing. She plans to become a nurse practitioner. Emily is the daughter of Mike and Wendy Carl (both LCS faculty members).
{ campusclamor@lcs } Senior Charlotte Varnum was selected by her peers as the winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) award. This award is given to one senior student who exhibits dependability, leadership, service and patriotism. Charlotte, the daughter of Conrad and Sherry Varnum, was honored at the DAR George Washington Tea in February. Each year, the American Legion recognizes students in fifth, eighth and twelfth grades who demonstrate the character qualities of courage, honor, patriotism, leadership, service and scholarship. Congratulations to the following students who were selected as American Legion Award recipients:
Thirty-six LCS students traveled to St. Pete to compete in the annual Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) Math Olympics in late April. Twenty students placed at the event, and of those 20, three earned a medal for scoring 85% or higher. Congratulations to these students!
Fifth Grade:
Grade 3
• Distinguished Achievement Award: Presley Philpot, Brock Copeland
• Sean Cardosi – 1st place with medal in Computation
• Honorable Mention: Lucy Bolter, Levi McDonald
• Alyssa Stahl – 4th place in Reasoning
Eighth Grade:
Grade 4
• Distinguished Achievement Award: Tacy Snyder, Reese Overholt
• Breanna Newburg – 2nd place in Computation
• Honorable Mention: Mary Peace, Matthew McDow Twelfth Grade: (pictured above) • Distinguished Achievement Award: Rebekah Firmin, Luke Cabrera • Honorable Mention: Emily Carl, Darius Green
• Neil Dave – 2nd place in Reasoning
• Tucker O’Brien – 4th place in Computation • Will Aplin – 5th place in Computation • Hunter Hitchcock – 2nd place in Reasoning • Peyton Miller – 5th place in Reasoning Grade 5 • Sam Mercer – 4th place in Reasoning
Congratulations to LCS seniors Bryce Schiebel and Ashlyne Wells on being recipients of the Elk’s Club Most Valuable Student Scholarships. Ashlyne also won first place in the Lakeland South Rotary Speech Contest. Bryce is the son of Jeanne Schiebel and Russ Schiebel. Ashlyne is the daughter of Eric and Stacey Wells.
• Lauren Cardosi – 5th place in Reasoning Grade 6 • Kaelin Acken – 5th place in Computation • Christian Herman – 1st place with a medal in Reasoning • Hannah Miller – 4th place in Reasoning • Jordan Brown – 5th place in Reasoning Grade 7 • Kacey Mewborn – 1st place with a medal in Computation
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{ campusclamor@lcs } • Avery Saunders – 5th place in Computation • Alex Skladanek – 5th place in Reasoning Grade 8 • Emily McKinney – 5th place in Computation • Logan Mason – 1st place in Reasoning • Wilson Grooms – 2nd place in Reasoning Congratulations to the three teams who represented Lakeland Christian School at the State Odyssey of the Mind tournament in Orlando on April 12. The middle school team competed in the Grades 6-8 Division 2 category. The team was coached by Sherry Herman and Belinda Mines and included Christian Herman, Sean Stoltz, Emily Branham, Mary Bayless, Sarah Lowe, Aden Mines and Hunter Patteson. Their problem was to design and build an 18-gram structure of balsa wood and glue in separate stackable pieces. The structure was tested to balance and support weights, and the team had to integrate an artistic representation of Earth while adding weights to test it. The team finished fifth out of 18.
With 137 points, the LCS A-Team took fourth place in the 31st Annual Polk County High School Academic Tournament on February 20. Harrison School for the Arts took first place with 217 points. The LCS team, coached by Mr. Steve Livesay, is made up of Christian Bedwell, Lee Wall, Kara Stacy, Amanda Fulton, Nehemiah McIntosh and Derek Andersen. Amanda Fulton was one of eight students named to the 2014 All-County team and represented Polk County at the 2014 Commissioner’s Academic Challenge which was held at Walt Disney World. She is the youngest LCS student ever to represent Polk County at the state tournament.
The fifth grade team competed in the Grades 3-5 Division 1 category. Their problem was to design and build a vehicle driven by a student character taking a driver’s test. The vehicle was a hovercraft powered by handheld leaf blowers. The team placed fourth out of 17 teams. The students on this team were Kacey Hutto, Avery Crosby, Hannah Jackson, Brock Copeland, Carlton Howard, Matt Nelson and Henry Nelson. They were coached by Ken and Cindy Hutto. The primary team was in a non-competitive division but was invited to perform at the tournament. The problem they chose was to create the “World’s First Art Festival.” The team created artwork and presented the pieces as part of a play. The primary team was coached by Pam Jackson. The team included Wesley Rogers, Hailey Jackson, Lauren Jones, Grace Rodda, Hope Hill, Hyatt Galbraith and Jacob Crosby.
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Congratulations to the ten RISE Institute students who represented the Polk Region in the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida in early April. All ten of them received awards at the state’s largest academic competition, with more than 900 students from around the state presenting their independent research projects at the Lakeland Center. (Awards next page).
{ campusclamor@lcs }
Junior Division: • Emily Branham – 2nd place Jr. Environmental Science: “Ant Attack: Investigating Ecological Dominance in School Habitats.” Nominated for Broadcom MASTERS • Evan McLoughlin – 2nd place Jr. Biochemistry: “Neural Firing Range Year II: Determining and Comparing the Effect of Methylphenidate and Dextroamphetamine on Cricket Neuron Action Potentials.” Nominated for Broadcom MASTERS • Kacey Mewborn – 4th place Jr. Zoology: “Larvae Lunacy: Investigating the Effect of Humidity on Zophobas morio Pupation Rate to Predict a Potential Invasive Species”
Junior Matthew Henderson won “Grand Champion State of Florida” for having the highest score of any male in the state. His score of 291 also earned him first place in the high school male division.
• Taylor O’Byrne, Jacquelyn Moseley, Victoria Benson – 2nd place Jr. Microbiology: “Fight for Flight: Investigating Opryocystis Elektroscirrha, Year II.” Nominated for Broadcom MASTERS. Won Special Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
With 286 points, eighth grader Morgan Radford won “Grand Champion State of Florida” for the female division. She also won the middle school female division. Fifth grader Maci Brown scored the second highest score in the state for all females with a score of 283. Her score gave her first place female in the elementary division.
• Trey Russell – 3rd place Biochemistry, Special Award from the Florida Jr. Academy of Science: “More than Meets the Eye: Discovering the Effect of Various Wavelengths of Light on Hydra littoralis”
The elementary boys went 1-2-3. Fifth grader Cameron O’Byrne won first with 278 points. Fifth grader Jacob Oxendine was second with 270 points, and fifth grader Jack Sparkman won third place with 267 points.
Senior Division:
In the elementary female division, Cylee Wilson finished in second place with 262 points.
• Julia Canady – 3rd place Botany: “Weed Warfare: Investigating Allelopathy Year IV.” Won special award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture • Kaitlin Smith – American Psychological Association Award for Outstanding Research: “Autism: Investigating the Most Effective Way to Hold Attention” • Cheyenne Stonick – Special Award and Recognition Award: “Fatal Attraction? Investigating the Effects of Soil-Applied Neonicotinoids on Monarch Caterpillars”
Congratulations to the LCS archery team for winning State of Florida Grand Champion at the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) state tournament on February 22. With a team score of 3,309 points, the LCS team set a record for having the highest score ever in the state.
The elementary team won first place in the state with a combined score of 2,974 points. The high school team won first with 3,309 points. Coach James Moore competed in the Coaches Cup tournament, placing first with 285 points. The team went on to compete at the national tournament in Louisville, Kentucky in May. The high school team placed 21st out of 164 teams and posted their highest score of 3,335 points. With 295 points, junior Matthew Henderson finished sixth out of 1,684 boys in the high school division and seventh in the nation out of 5,734 boys (all divisions). He made the US NASP All-Star National Team.
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{ expressions@lcs }
Sophomore Farid Khamitov won third place in the
On Saturday, February 1, LCS art students Rebekah
Creative Youth Exhibit art contest sponsored by U.S.
Firmin and Haley Miles volunteered at the 3rd Annual
Representative Dennis Ross and on display at the
Chalk for Charity Festival in Downtown Lakeland.
Polk Museum of Art. Farid’s award-winning piece:
The exhibitions were located on Kentucky and
Untitled I – is an ink project. He received $50. The
Tennessee Avenues. The girls created a square
exhibit features 91 pieces of art from 450 submissions
for Just Dance studio.
by students in the 15th Congressional District. These pieces of art were on display at the Polk Museum of Art this spring.
Congratulations to junior Kara Stacy for receiving an award from the Ridge Music Teachers Association for having the highest scores for Levels 7-9 at the annual Student Day.
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{ expressions@lcs }
Left to Right: Sarah Kettelkamp, Spencer Abramson, Vaviel Verner, Robert Verner and Emily Carl.
Congratulations to the high school vocalists who
Congratulations to the following musicians who
competed in the State Solo & Ensemble Festival at
all earned superior ratings at the competition:
Palm Beach Atlantic University on April 4.
• Kacee Strickland and Marybeth Boulerice
Superior with Honors Recital Performance: • Duet: Emily Carl and Amanda Fulton • Trio: Kristen Davis, Sophia Hafner and Vaviel Verner • Chamber Ensemble: Emily Carl, Kristen Davis,
– flute duet • Ashley Middleton, Amanda Fulton, Chris Greene, Charlotte Varnum and Jonathan Murray – brass quintet • Maria Baker – flute solo
Amanda Fulton, Sophia Hafner, Sarah Kettelkamp,
• Jonathan Murray – trumpet solo
Kara Stacy, Vaviel Verner, Spencer Abramson,
In March, a “Clean Sweep” was achieved as the Sixth
Christian Bedwell, Josh Collins, Gage Frier,
Grade Band (ACSI Band Festival), Middle School
Nehemiah McIntosh, Carter Overholt,
Band (Florida Bandmasters Association District Music
Robert Verner
Performance Assessment), and Symphonic Winds
Excellent Ratings: • Duet: Abigail Garrard and Cole Singer
High School Band (Florida Bandmasters Association District Music Performance Assessment) received superior ratings from all eleven judges! The superior
• Duet: Kara Stacy and Christian Bedwell
rating qualified the Symphonic Winds for the State
• Duet: Vaviel Verner and Kara Stacy
competition, which was held in early May. The band
• Quartet: Sarah Kettelkamp, Spencer Abramson,
received straight Superiors at this competition as well.
Carter Overholt and Robert Verner
Congratulations to band directors Chuck Fulton and Kathy Johnson, as well as all of the LCS band students,
Several members of the high school band performed
on an outstanding year!
at the State Band Solo & Ensemble Assessment in late March.
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{ alumni@lcs } 2000s
Ian Thomas (’08) married Molly Wojcik on December 29, 2013. The Scott Benton (’13) just completed
couple resides in Lakeland. Ian
his freshman year at the University
recently finished his first year
of Central Florida. During the year,
teaching Bible at Lakeland Christian.
he was elected to the UCF Student
Molly is currently working as a patient care assistant at
Body Senate and represents the
Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
College of Undergraduate Studies. Scott was also chosen to be in UCF’s prestigious LEAD Scholar program and is a
Cierra (Bates) Downs (’07) and
brother of the Theta Chi fraternity.
husband Nathan welcomed daughter Zoey Lovat Downs on
Bethany Green (’10) graduated from Cedarville
March 3, 2014. She weighed 5 lbs.,
University on May 3, 2014, with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She is currently living in Lakeland.
1 oz. and was 19 inches long. Nathan and Cierra reside in Lakeland.
Jordan Bellar (’09) graduated from Samford University
Ian O’Neill (’07)
in 2013 with a B.S. in Business Administration as a
is currently
Marketing and Entrepreneurship double major. During
serving in
his college career, Jordan had the opportunity to intern
Afghanistan. Ian
with the PGA of America, NASCAR and Indy Car. Upon
graduated from Florida Southern College with a B.A. in
graduation, he took a job as Marketing & Sales Associate
history and also graduated from the U.S. Army Aviation
at Family First/All Pro Dad in Tampa, FL.
School in 2013. Ian flies UH60 Blackhawks and C12 fixed wing aircrafts.
Ashley (Attaway) Cheek (‘08) married Coady Cheek on
Melody (Barnes) Metzger (‘06)
April 26, 2014. The couple
and husband Justin welcomed son
resides in Lakeland.
Landon Marshall on September 25, 2013. He weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz. Justin and Melody live in Wesley Chapel, Florida. Melody recently left her job at the bank to be a stay-at-home
Isaac Mendoza (‘08) married
mom, and Justin works at USAA in Tampa.
Charisse Colon on August 3, 2013. The couple is expecting their first child, due November 29, 2014. Isaac and Charisse reside in Lakeland.
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Bridget Charlton (’06) is currently living in New York City and working in the fashion industry.
{ alumni@lcs } Megan (Frost) Kuhn (‘06) and her
Nathan (‘00) and Lauren
husband Michael welcomed son
(Knowlton) Patterson (‘06) have
Luke Stephen, who arrived four
4 children: Lucas (6), Riley (4),
weeks earlier than expected on
Embry (2) and Annisten, who was
June 11, 2014. Luke is welcomed
born on July 5, 2013. She weighed
by big sister, Emma, who just turned two.
6 lbs., 7 oz. Nathan and Lauren reside in Lakeland, and Nathan works for Lanier Upshaw.
Kaley (Latter) Ogren (’06) married Jeff Ogren on August 31, 2013.
Jason Williams (‘00) and wife
This past April, Kaley passed the
Jenny welcomed son Brooks
Alabama Bar Exam. Kaley and Jeff
Matthew on September 17, 2013.
reside in Birmingham, Alabama.
He weighed 6 lbs., 13 oz. Jason
They are expecting their first child
and Jenny reside in Lakeland.
– a daughter to be named Ellianna Jane – in August.
1990s Kathryn Kimball (’05) has recently accepted a position
Ben Johnson (’99) and his wife
in the Criminal Tax Division of the Department of
Sandy welcomed daughter Norah
Justice beginning October 2014. She is currently
Susanne on October 4, 2013, at
clerking in Birmingham for Judge William H. Pryor, Jr., of
5:59 PM. Norah weighed 7 lbs., 15
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, having clerked last year in Tampa for Judge James. S. Moody, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the District of Florida.
oz. Both work at Lakeland Christian, Ben as the IT Assistant and Sandy as the Communication Specialist and editor of the Engage Magazine.
Marivic Tagala (’04) graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with a B.A. in Public Communications and a B.S. in Business Administration, specialization in Marketing in 2008. In 2012, Marivic moved to New York City to work in fashion public relations, working two seasons at New York Fashion Week, before landing at her current job at The Pekoe Group, which handles theatrical marketing and advertising.
The class of 1994 will be holding its 20-year reunion during Labor Day weekend – August 29-31, 2014. The weekend will be family friendly and will include various events, so there will be something for everyone! Please send your current contact info to lcsco94@gmail.com so that you can be updated on the plans. Please make every effort to attend, as your former classmates want to see you!
Neil Purcell (’03) and his wife Sarah welcomed son Samson James on October 12, 2013. Samson weighed 4 lbs., 11 oz. and was 17 3/4 inches long. They live in Lakeland. Neil works as a Programmer at Summit Consulting, and Sarah is staying at home with Samson.
» We love to hear from you. News about you is important to us and to your former classmates. Please email Claudia Powell at cpowell@lcsonline.org. Planning your class reunion? Claudia can also arrange for use of facilities and will offer other helpful tips.
To view even more alumni updates, please visit www.lcsonline.org/alumni/alum-notes/ { 21 }
FACULTY FEATURE
A DELAYED CALLING:
Band Director Chuck Fulton Studied Engineering Before Music There’s a good chance that anyone who has attended an event at Lakeland Christian School has seen Chuck Fulton. He’s on the front row of home football games and on the sideline of the gym during pep rallies and basketball games. He marches through downtown Lakeland during the Christmas parade, is on stage at the Christmas musical and stands at the front of the auditorium during commencement.
As the Director of Bands at Lakeland Christian, Chuck Fulton prepares his students in the classroom to provide the soundtrack for all of these events that take place out of the classroom. And he’s really good at it; his award-winning bands return home from competitions with superior ratings year after year. So it might be surprising to find out that Chuck never planned on being a band director. In fact, he graduated with degree in aerospace engineering. “After my junior year in high school, I got a job working at the Stuart Airport fueling planes, moving them around … lots of fun stuff,” Chuck said. “I began flying and really fell in love with airplanes. I had always found math and physics to be easy and enjoyable, so it (studying aerospace engineering) just made sense.” With an engineering career in mind, Chuck started off at a junior college before transferring to the University of Florida. “I have played trombone since the 4th grade,” Chuck said. “In high school I played in band, orchestras, doing musical theater and a dance band. The junior college in Fort Pierce, Florida, gave me a full scholarship to come { 22 }
to their school and play trombone. So I did and played in three different performing ensembles while studying a pre-engineering tract. I loved playing trombone, but when I got to Florida, I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time. I didn’t play again until my last semester when I played in the Gator Band. I think if I would have played my first year in Gainesville, I would have changed majors to music.” Two weeks before graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor in Engineering Science (aerospace) degree, Chuck realized that his love of airplanes did not mean he wanted to spend his life working with them. “I remember exactly where it happened on campus in Gainesville,” Chuck said. “I was walking between the old engineering science building by the water plant and the Reitz Union. God was telling me, ‘You might like this, but it’s not your gift.’ I finished the last two weeks and graduated because it seemed like a better option than calling my father.” Chuck returned home after graduation and began substitute teaching. After six weeks, the principal of Martin County High School in Stuart recognized that
Chuck was good with the students and suggested that he should consider a career in teaching. “’Teach what?’ was the question,” Chuck said. “She responded that they needed someone to teach math and computers. Now, the only computer I had ever been on (remember this was 1983) was the large mainframe computers at UF. They wanted me to teach the students to use a TRS-80 (Radio Shack microcomputer). I had never turned one on, but I could program in FORTRAN and APL. So I kind of learned on the fly. I taught myself BASIC, COBOL and where the on/off button was. I was ready to go.” While Chuck was teaching math and computers at the high school, the band director suggested that he help with the marching band after school. “I did this for about a half a year and then it happened: during one of my planning periods, I walked into the band room while the band was rehearsing a piece from the Brahms German Requiem Mass entitled ‘Blessed Are They.’ The text is from Matthew 5:4 that says ‘Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ Brahms had begun his Requiem Mass non-traditionally with a song quoting this verse honoring his mother who had recently passed away. “I walked into a group of high school kids who were playing wonderfully and experiencing and expressing emotions that I did not know 16-year-olds could. I watched a sophomore bass clarinet play the last few notes of Brahms’ farewell to his mother with tears streaming down her face. This is when I knew God had given me gifts for music and teaching. I had been called.” Chuck served as the assistant band director at Martin County High school for eight years during which he completed a lot of course work and certifications. From there, he went to graduate school at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He earned his Master of Music (in conducting) and met his wife Kathy. He spent four years as director of bands at Kathleen High School and five years at George Jenkins before coming to LCS in 2002. “We decided to enroll Amanda (his daughter) in kindergarten at LCS in February 2002. In June of that year, Kathy Johnson called me and told me that Joe DeRosa was going to retire. He had been ill for quite some time. She asked if I knew of anyone who was interested. It had not occurred to me until that moment to leave Jenkins, but as soon as she asked the question, I knew that’s where I was being called.” “When I was at Jenkins, Joe DeRosa came and visited me. He sat down in my office and I casually asked him, ‘How are things?’ He said, ‘I can’t tell you how great it is to teach where I do and what it has meant for my walk with Jesus.’ I didn’t quite get what Joe was saying until I got here.
It’s never been all about the music. That’s a huge part of it, but the music is the creation. Teaching band, you get to be around students for multiple years, so it’s rewarding to watch and help students grow in stature and spirit. Being around students as they experience the awesomeness and beauty of our creator God is a gift that reminds me, day to day, what a magnificent God we worship.” Directing the band gives Chuck and his co-director Kathy Johnson several opportunities to advance the mission of Lakeland Christian School both through their instruction and by being personal examples. Chuck explained how each of the four aspects (learning, leadership, service and worship) of the LCS mission statement play out in his classroom: LEARNING “We have a retired band director, David Fultz, who comes in and works with us as we work with the students. We are making sure the students understand how blessed we are to have friends who we can count on to tell us the truth about what is happening in the classroom and how important that is for them to find. They need to have a mentor.” LEADERSHIP “Through my involvement with the Florida Bandmasters’ Association (state past-president, current adjudicator chairman), I try to demonstrate the importance of being a mentor and of godly leadership.” SERVICE “We require the students to serve our school, since many of the activities we do are not about us, but about others (pep band, Christmas musicals, Tri-M service).” WORSHIP “Every note we play, we play to God’s glory. Several years ago, the Fine Arts Department adopted the Latin phrase Soli Deo Gloria – to God Alone goes the Glory. Everything we do is and should be worship.”
Chuck has served as the band director at Lakeland Christian School for 12 years. He was born and raised in Stuart, Florida, and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He also holds a Master of Music degree from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. Chuck and his wife Kathy have been married for 20 years, and their daughter Amanda will be a senior at LCS in the fall. The family is actively involved in various capacities at All Saints Episcopal Church in downtown Lakeland. If you would like to contact Chuck Fulton, feel free to email him at cfulton@lcsonline.org
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{ staffscoop@lcs } We are excited to announce that Matt Green (LCS Class of 2001) has accepted the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for LCS. Matt received a BA in Accounting from Cedarville University and an MBA from the University of Dayton. He is a CPA and comes to LCS with experience in a variety of accounting and business settings including a strong background in operations. Matt has a After 40 years of service to Lakeland Christian
deep love for Christian schooling at LCS and looks
School, John Douglass is retiring from his role as
forward to serving the school community in this
Business Manager. We are deeply appreciative of
important role. Matt and his wife, Kelly, worship at
his faithful service and his love for LCS.
Heritage Baptist Church. They have two children,
John attended Lakeland Christian School until 1961. There was no high school at the time. He came back to LCS in 1974. “Dr. Walter Sligh – Dr. Mike Sligh’s father and LCS board member – wrote me while I was completing my tour in the Navy and said there was a need for someone to give guidance to the Business Office,” John said. “I had been praying for God’s direction and saw this as an opportunity to serve the Lord in a place that had impacted my life.” John served one year as the Development Director before starting his role as Business Manager. In addition to the finances of the school, John oversaw the buses and transportation, maintenance, food service and custodial services. The staff and board of directors celebrated with John and his family on April 21. As part of his retirement celebration, John was honored by the city of Lakeland and April 21 has been proclaimed as “John Robert Douglass Day.”
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Emma (going into 1st grade at LCS) and Jackson (going into K4).
{ funstuff@lcs } We asked members of the LCS family to tell us what superpower they wish they possessed. Here are some of the favorite responses: » “I would want to be able to move things and control people with my mind and be able to read their minds.” – Jessica Hopper, 8th Grade
“I would want to be like Mary Poppins and just say “spit spot” so everything would go to its place.” – Judy Oncu, High School English
“I would want the ability to fly.” – Brandon Starling, 9th Grade
“I would like to have ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ eyes so I could blink to open the electric door near me. – Pennye McCormick, Receptionist
“I wish I could control teachers’ minds and make them not give me homework!” – Taylor Anderson, 9th Grade “I would like to be invisible.” – Will Kellogg, 7th Grade “I would want to be able to fly and be invisible!” – Claressa Peck, 8th Grade “I would like the ability to be invisible!” – Abby Riley, 9th Grade “I would like the ability to pause the world so that I could play elaborate pranks on people.” – Lee Wall, 10th Grade “I would like to fly and be invisible.” – Carter Chaplin, 7th Grade
“Fly. It would be really convenient.” – Darren Copeland, Assistant High School Principal “To be invisible.” – Todd Radford, Advancement Associate “I would want the ability to discern when teenagers are telling the truth or lying.” – Lynn Pruim, Administrative Assistant for Secondary Office “I would want the ability to make my baby girl sleep all night long.” – Sandy Johnson, Communication Specialist “I would want the ability to be a time traveler.” – Abby Rice, LCS Alum, Class of 2014
“I would want the ability to run a marathon without training for it.” – Julie Rice, Director of Enrollment
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FINE ARTS FEATURE
PURSUING THE ARTS:
Chelsea Bolter’s Passion for Vocal Performance Began at LCS Preparing students for a lifetime of learning goes beyond teaching them to solve math problems and conjugate verbs. Students at LCS can take advantage of opportunities to find and use their God-given talents through numerous elective and fine-arts courses. While some of our students do graduate and go on to become doctors, teachers and pastors, others take a different path into music and art. For 2010 alum Chelsea Bolter, she knew early on that she wanted to study vocal performance. Her time at LCS gave her a solid academic foundation and experience in the arts that helped prepare her for college. She graduated from Florida State University this past May with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. This fall, she will head to the New England Conservatory in Boston to pursue her Master of Music in Vocal Performance. Q: Do you have any memories of your time at LCS that stand out? A: The earliest memory I have of LCS is one of my fondest. My family moved to Lakeland in October of my third-grade year. We had been driving all over town on a Saturday afternoon looking at schools and houses and some other things. We came across LCS and decided to walk around the campus and explore a little. As soon as we got out of the car, we were met by a spirited band director who had been at the empty school that afternoon organizing his classroom and unloading some instruments. Mr. DeRosa immediately stopped what he was doing and greeted us with a huge smile. He asked my parents if they had any questions about the school and then offered to give us the grand tour because he had all the keys, of course. We spent about an hour or so going in and out of classrooms, the library, the gym and anywhere else we wanted to go. That one afternoon ended our exhausting and lengthy school search. Mr. DeRosa has since gone to be with Jesus, but our family will always be thankful for his kindness that day and him leading us to choose Lakeland Christian School. Q: What opportunities did LCS give you to pursue your passion for music and vocal performance? A: I began my journey in the LCS fine arts department taking piano lessons. I learned how to read music in { 26 }
the LCS piano department, which is basically the most important musical skill to possess, and I was able to learn critical fundamental music theory skills that would become the building blocks of my entire career. I joined Miss Snyder’s Heart of Joy chorus in 5th and 6th grade and had so much fun learning the basics of singing in a choir and getting to compete in big competitions at the end of each year. I moved to junior high chorus in 7th and 8th grades, taught by Mrs. Jones, who challenged us to learn even more complicated choral music and to start competing with individual solos and duets at the very beginner level. Once I made it to high school, we had a pretty big group so we could do some very demanding pieces, which were so rewarding when they finally came together. Mrs. Carl encouraged us to perform at our most excellent level every day of class, and because we were focused and worked hard, we won a lot of awards. The same was true for the chamber ensemble. It was a smaller, auditioned group, and Mrs. Carl encouraged us to make specific goals and accomplish them through dedication and hours of practice both in class and at home. I also had the opportunity to take my solos that I had been working on in my private lessons and bring them to competitions like FVA Solo & Ensemble and ACSI Competition. LCS also gave me the opportunity to perform in musicals, which is similar to performing in operas so that was helpful. They helped me to develop an even stronger comfort level of being on stage and performing in front of a large audience. One of my favorite things the LCS fine arts program did while I was a student was Musical Harvest. This was especially exciting for me because it focused on opera and other forms of classical singing. I truly appreciated the work that Greg and Christina Sale did in bringing us big names in the opera world, which generated awareness of this style of music in Lakeland and at LCS. This led me to the opportunity of performing with these artists in the ISO’s Winter 2010 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s, Pirates of Penzance, where I sang in the chorus with many of the Florida Southern College voice majors. Q: How do you feel that LCS prepared you for college? A: LCS prepared me for college by providing me with a competitive academic curriculum so I was prepared for
upper-level liberal arts classes when I got to FSU. It was really nice to be able to take AP classes at LCS and then use the test scores to CLEP out of required college classes, which saved me a lot of time and money. My degree was actually a lot more writing-based than you would think because of the musicology aspect of it. I truly appreciated Mrs. Oncu’s English classes because she taught me how to write; while my peers were struggling with draft after draft of 20- and 30-page research papers, I never wrote more than two drafts and always did well. I will always be grateful to her for all that time saved. I was also greatly prepared by Mrs. Jones in my AP music theory class because music theory is extremely difficult and made up about 25 of my 133-credit degree. She used many creative teaching methods to help us learn the material, and I’m pretty sure every student who has ever taken her class has passed the AP exam. She gave me an excellent theory foundation for the work I had to do in college, and I am very grateful for that.
I got to sing in many operas and recitals and travel to Europe twice to perform. This summer, I will be singing the role of Filippyevna in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, as well as some Russian romance recitals, at the Russian Opera Workshop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Almost every person who earns a B.M. in performance (vocal, piano, viola, percussion, etc.) needs to pursue an M.M., because the field is so competitive, and the more years you spend perfecting your instrument, the more successful you will be. I have been awarded about an 85 percent scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston. NEC is the fourth-ranked collegiate opera program in the U.S.
Q: Which teachers had the greatest impact on your and why?
A: Lakeland Christian is special because of its teachers who pour their lives into this school. They lead by example in so many ways. They are highly qualified in their fields and push us to think critically and learn more than we ever thought we were capable of learning. At one point, I remember being in Mrs. Asbridge’s chemistry class and being frustrated because I was not grasping the concept we were doing in class at the time. She stayed after school with me for that week, on her own free time, to teach me the processes in different ways until we found a method that catered to my individual learning style. She could have easily just let me skirt by with a C or a B, but she pushed me to learn the material in as many creative ways as she could develop because she believed that I was capable of earning an A, which I was. The teachers at LCS are true servants. There have been numerous times when I needed to make a recording for an audition or a competition. Mrs. Carl has accompanied me for almost every single one. LCS is a family of servants always willing to help one another. We serve because we are encouraged and shown a living example of service from the teachers at LCS. The LCS faculty encourages us to pursue a lifetime of worship by teaching us to use our gifts to honor Christ and serve others. Whether it is Mr. Livesay inspiring his students to use their mathematical gifts to tutor kids at Parker Street Ministries or Coach Boatwright pushing his basketball team to volunteer at camps for younger players, the LCS faculty is always encouraging students to present their bodies as a living sacrifice (using their gifts), which is their spiritual act of worship. The education I received at LCS has gone much further than just learning facts about history or mathematical formulas. I have been prepared for a lifetime of learning, leadership, service and worship because the LCS faculty has equipped me with invaluable tools and pushed me to pursue the ultimate example of all these things: Christ.
A: I always liked being in Mrs. Livesay’s class. I felt like she genuinely cared about and appreciated classical music. I was in her English and Bible classes in 8th and 9th grades, and even at that age, she always gave us bonus points or some sort of incentive to attend the piano recitals or the band or choir concerts, etc. She and Mr. Livesay were in the front row of almost every single fine arts event, even when their children had graduated and were no longer participating. It is so important to have teachers like the Livesays, outside of the fine arts department, who genuinely support these young artists. Q: When did you know that you wanted to study and make a career of music performance? A: In 8th grade I competed in the ACSI Solo & Ensemble competition with an English art song and did rather well. That’s when I became interested in classical singing as a career. I started taking voice lessons and building my repertoire list and competing in and winning more competitions. At the beginning of my senior year, I sat down with my voice teacher and we made a list of competitive collegiate classical voice programs that she thought I should audition for. I auditioned and was accepted to many schools and picked FSU because it was a Florida school that participated with the Bright Futures Scholarship and because they were the third-largest music program in the country. I’ve competed in dozens of competitions and have been blessed with great success, so that’s probably what keeps me convinced that I’m on the right track. I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and I’m very excited to see where it takes me in the next few years. Q: You’ve earned your bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. What now?
Q: 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. The goal is to prepare students not only during the years they’re at LCS, but for a lifetime. How has that mission played out – and continue to do so – in your life?
A: I just graduated from Florida State University with my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. While at FSU, { 27 }
{ sportszone@lcs } Several Lakeland Christian School athletes have received honors from the National Christian School Athletic Association. Congratulations to the following students: • Madison Pike – SE Super Region Team for volleyball • Brooke Wilsman – 1st Team All-American and SE Super Region Team for volleyball • T. J. Simmons – All-American offense for football and SE Super Region Team In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, announced sophomore Bri Folds of Lakeland Christian School as its 2013-14 Gatorade Florida Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year. Folds is the first Gatorade Florida Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen
• Christian Alexander – SE Super Region Team for football • Brooks Wilson – SE Super Region Team for basketball • Jessie Andrew – SE Super Region Team for basketball • Kristen Schaedel – SE Super Region Team for basketball
from Lakeland Christian School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Folds as Florida’s best high school girls’ soccer player. The five-foot-two sophomore forward scored 56 goals and passed for 41 assists this past season, leading the Vikings (28-1) to the Class 1A state championship game. A two-time Class 1A State Player of the Year, Folds was the 2013 National Christian High Schools National Player of the Year. Ranked as the nation’s No. 63 recruit in the Class of 2016 by TopDrawerSoccer.com, she concluded her sophomore year with 104 goals and 87 assists in her prep soccer career.
Several LCS athletes were recognized by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association for the winter and spring seasons. Senior Jake Molony was named Class 1A, District 13 Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year. Sophomore
Folds has maintained a 3.07 GPA in the classroom. She
Bri Folds won Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year, and
has volunteered locally as a youth mentor and soccer
senior Josie Koretchko was named to the 1A All-State
coach. She was also named the 2014 Florida Dairy
Academic Team. The mother-daughter duo of Sue and
Farmers Miss Soccer 1A Player of the Year and the Polk
Brooke Wilsman earned the top honors for softball in
County Female Amateur Athlete of the Year.
Class 3A, District 13. Sue was named the Coach of the Year, and Brooke (a senior) was named the Player of the Year.
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{ sportszone@lcs } Congrats to the following LCS athletes who were named to The Ledger’s 2013-14 Winter Sports All-County Teams: Boys’ Basketball: • Third Team: Brooks Wilson • Honorable Mention: Leroy Deshazor, Darius Green, Anthony Howard
University (Football) • Lydia Cagle – University of South Florida (Women’s Soccer) • Bailee Mathers – Valdosta State University (Women’s Soccer) • Sydney Rayborn – Lee University (Women’s Soccer) • Jake Molony – Lee University (Men’s Soccer)
Girls’ Basketball:
• Jessica Fuller – Southeastern University (Cross Country)
• Third Team: Jessie Andrew
• Trent Harris – Palm Beach Atlantic University (Golf )
• Honorable Mention: Kristen Schaedel, Allisan Brown
• Brooke Wilsman – Lee University (Volleyball)
Boys’ Soccer: • Player of the Year: Jake Molony • First Team: Jake Molony • Honorable Mention: Luke Cabrera, Price Cassidy, Chase Turbeville, Reid Reynolds, Taylor Morton Girls’ Soccer: • Player of the Year: Bri Folds • First Team: Bri Folds, Lydia Cagle, Charlie Eaves, Skyler Streets, Sydney Rayborn, Josie Koretchko • Second Team: Bailee Mathers • Honorable Mention: Carly Knox, Ashlyne Wells, Mary Peace, Katie Smith Congratulations to seniors Josie Koretchko, Brooke Wilsman, Cody Averitt and Luke Cabrera, along with junior Tucker Scruggs, on being named this year’s “Mighty in Spirit” award winners. These awards are given out each year by the Athletic Department. Winners are selected by their teammates and recognized for having an exemplary Christian testimony both on and off the playing field.
This spring, nine senior athletes signed letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the college level. • Cody Averitt – Stetson University (Football) • Rafeal Pressley – Southeastern
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{ cheerfulgivers@lcs }
LCS Auction Blesses Families With Financial Need Charity auctions are fun events where winning bidders usually go home with exciting items purchased for what seems to be a good deal. At this spring’s LCS Pizza, Pasta & Paddles auction, winning bidders weren’t the only ones getting the good deal. In fact, the true beneficiaries of this school-wide event are the families who need financial aid support for their children to be students at Lakeland Christian School. Making a Christian education accessible was the emphasis of the evening as more than 350 people gathered in the fellowship hall of Lakeland’s First Presbyterian Church for the exciting annual LCS event. Attendees placed bids on 100 silent auction items before competing for twenty fabulous items in the live auction. School Board member and auctioneer extraordinaire Jay
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Mueller regularly reminded the participants that their bids translated into tuition support for families who struggle financially to keep their children at LCS. Items included fancy baskets chock full of goodies, vacations to exciting locales, hunting trips, cruises, autographed sports memorabilia, and fun adventures with LCS teachers. In addition to the silent and live auctions, guests enjoyed an all-you-can eat buffet, featuring wood-fired pizza, pasta, salad and garlic knots from Lakeland’s Palace Pizza. School parents Joe and Janette O’Brien expressed their appreciation for the value of the Financial Aid Fund for their family, and urged guests to generously support the fund. Proceeds from the evening totaled more than $55,000, all of which will be used for financial aid support. LCS anticipates a need close to $500,000 for the upcoming 2014-15 school year. As in past years, LCS expects the demonstrated need to exceed the available funds, so additional donations to this critical fund are appreciated – especially by students whose LCS futures are in financial jeopardy.
{ cheerfulgivers@lcs } Stewardship Citations Lord, I pray that You would help me to learn how to only spend what flatland currency I need to in order to take care of my family’s important needs and to invest all the rest in Your kingdom, Your eternal treasury. Lord, please deepen my appreciation and understanding that kingdom currency, backed by the Eternal Treasury, is the only medium of exchange recognized by the Son of God whose government will last forever. Amen. – Harden Wiedemann’s “Transformational Prayer” The antidote to the poison of greed is generosity. Jesus lived generosity in His incarnation, His ministry and His death. Paul says, Let this generosity of Jesus soak into your mind and permeate your worldview. Let it transform your selfish and greedy behavior. Be generous like Jesus was generous (Philippians 2:1-11). – Clarence Rempel in “The Generosity of Jesus”
Generosity … is a learned character trait that involves attitude and action – entailing both the inclination and actual practice of giving liberally. Generosity is not a haphazard behavior but a basic orientation to life. It entails not only a moral good expressed but also certain vices rejected, such as selfishness, greed, fear and meanness. Generosity also involves giving not just anything, but rather those things that are good for others. What exactly generosity gives can vary: money, possessions, time, attention, aid, encouragement, emotional availability and more. But it always intends to enhance the true wellbeing of the receiver. – Christian Smith in “What Makes Us Generous” Jesus is the model for sacrificial giving … if you stare long enough at Him, you’ll become a giver, and if you give long enough, you’ll become more like Him. Giving is an act of God’s grace, and it is His Spirit that changes a self-centered man into a grace-centered, joyful giver for the sake of the Gospel. – Randy Alcorn in “The Story Of One Little Book”
Family Crises Jeopardize LCS Education Benevolence To Special Fund Keeps Children In Their School Could there be more of a crisis in the life of a child than to lose a parent? Even in the face of all the trauma, anxiety, stress and adjustment, one critical facet of a child’s world can remain constant – the love and support of the caring LCS family. When a child’s Christian schooling is in jeopardy due to the loss of a parent, how comforting for the family to know their student(s) can remain in their school – with the stability of friends and loving teachers – all because of the open-hearted support of the LCS Families in Crisis Fund. This fund was established to enable children and young people facing these types of tragic circumstances to continue at LCS. A number of students through the years have received tuition assistance through the benevolence of this account, which is funded entirely through contributions.
This critical fund balance is low and is in need of replenishment to provide for needs for the upcoming school year. LCS is already aware of one family that will need this benevolence, and – of course – other situations may occur during the school year. When that happens, it’s encouraging to already have money available in the fund to be able to quickly assure a family that their children’s tuition can be funded. Would you consider an investment in the lives of students who need the continued support of LCS following a family tragedy? Contributions should be designated for the Families in Crisis Fund, and made payable to Lakeland Christian School. Or, you can donate through online giving at www.lcsonline.org. Gifts to this fund are tax deductible.
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Lakeland, FL Permit No. 1
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 1111 Forest Park Street, Lakeland, Florida 33803
Sharpening Minds and Shepherding Hear ts.
2012-13
ANNUAL REPORT
A M E A N I N G F U L PA R T N E R S H I P
with e xceptio nal value. L A K E L A N D
C H R I S T I A N
S C H O O L
The LCS 2012-13 Annual Report is now available online at www.lcsonline.org