Whitefield Academy Fall 2023: A Family Tradition

A Family Tradition

A look at alumni who choose to bring their children to Whitefield Academy and make the WolfPack a family tradition.

THE FAWCETT FAMILY: WILL(‘05), CARTER(‘06), JACK (‘34), WESLEY (‘36)

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your history with Whitefield Academy?

I (Carter) started at Whitefield in 1999, the third year Whitefield was establiahed, at the old campus when I was in 6th grade. I remember riding over to the new campus on the double decker bus for the ground breaking! That panorama picture is hanging in the administration office now. Will started in 8th grade, the first year at the new campus. Founders Hall was finished half way through his freshman year.

I graduated in 2006 and my siblings graduated in 2008, 2011, and 2013. I came back to teach at Whitefield in the fall of 2013 and have been here ever since! That means there has been a Chambliss on campus since the third year of Whitefield! In fact, my dad, Sam Chambliss, has also been involved with Whitefield since the beginning in 1997. He did some of the legal paperwork getting Whitefield started, and he is still involved with Men’s Fraternity on Friday mornings.

Tell us a little bit about yourself now.

Will is a lawyer who does wills, trusts, estate, and business planning. He also spends a good bit of his week at home with our littlest children. I, (Carter), teach fifth grade at Whitefield.

Tell us about Jack & Wesley.

Jack is enthusiastic and loves coming to Whitefield to play with his friends (soccer on the playground!) and singing the chapel songs. Wesley has been looking forward to at tending Whitefield ever since Jack started and has counted down the days until this past August when he started PreK at Whitefield.

Give us some insight as to your decision-making process when choosing a school for Jack & Wesley. What was important to you?

We selected Whitefield because of its Christ-centered mission. We want our children to get a true biblical perspective in their education because that is the full truth and to sell that short is to not fully educate them well. The White field community is an added bonus and so beneficial to our family.

What ultimately led you to send Jack & Wesley to Whitefield?

We looked at some Christian hybrid homeschool pro grams or university-style schools, but ended up deciding on Whitefield because we wanted them to have the full experience with chapels, specials, extracurriculars, and recess. It’s really the Whitefield community that draws us to this place.

What has surprised you the most about Whitefield as a parent?

The most surprising thing to me as a Whitefield parent is getting to experience the sweet Lower School at White field. Having lunch with Jack for his birthday when he wants to show me off to his friends or his, “aww, mom, can’t I stay at Cub Care longer?!” look when I pick him up. The teachers know and love Jack so well.

Tell us about someone at Whitefield (past or present) who has influenced you and what impact they had on your life.

Steve Hellier took the time to get to know both me and Will. I have loved getting to teach two of his sons. I have also been greatly impacted by Becky Johnson last year as she really knew and loved Jack, and he loved coming to school every day because he was seen and encouraged by her. She made me want to be a better teacher. I have also been greatly impacted by recently retired Jeanne Thon and Libby Miltner for the personal relationship they walk daily with our Father and encourage me to walk closer with Jesus. Rebecca Brown encouraged me a lot when I was a student at Whitefield as well.

The Whitefield mission statement adheres to three values: passion for learning, for others ahead of self, and for the living and active Jesus. Can you give us some insight on how those values learned at Whitefield are carried out in you and your sons' lives today?

David McBride really set a great theological foundation for both Will and me that we referred back to all through college and beyond, which was a great foundation for passion for learning about the living and active Jesus. Jack and Wesley love singing the chapel songs about Jesus and a favorite one is “My Lighthouse.” Jack also loves telling us his Bible verses, and we talk about them at dinner and what they mean.//