PersPective - Southfield Christian School

the
Perspective
1
Dear Friends of SCS
save the date
retractable basketball baskets. As a ministry of Highland Park Baptist
Church, we are excited to see and experience the impact that these
renovations will have in furthering the church’s mission of “growing
disciples, worshipping God, and transforming our world.”
Southfield Christian School maintains
the pursuit of excellence in all areas
and this year has been no exception.
Enrollment continues to rise and
a collegiate partnership with
Cornerstone University was formed.
Through this joint venture, SCS
students were able to earn highly
transferable college credit in College
Composition and College Algebra.
SCS Instructors, Mrs. Diane Allen and
Mr. Peter Ward, have been vetted by Cornerstone University to ensure
that they have the educational credentials and teaching experience
to deliver college-level content within the walls of Southfield Christian
School. SCS seniors were eligible to take these courses which are
worth 3 college credits each—with no out of pocket cost to the
students or families. It is clear, the mission of Southfield Christian
School is being accomplished!
home
Another change brings mixed emotions of happiness and sadness.
After a lifetime at SCS, two members of the SCS family are retiring and
although we are happy for them they will be greatly missed! Dr. Phil
Ackley is completing his 39th and final year at SCS. He served seven
years as a classroom teacher, eight years as the Dean of Students for
grades 7-12, and 18 years as Principal in the High School. These
last six years he served as the MS Dean of Students. Mrs. Judy Wilson
also announced her retirement. Mrs. Wilson is completing her 34th
year at SCS having spent most of her time in first grade but also a few
years in kindergarten and third grade during her tenure.
“Doc” and Judy were both honored at the end of year faculty/staff
luncheon, but it is difficult to express the impact they have had on this
school as well as individual students’ lives. It is with sincere gratitude
that we thank Dr. Ackley and Mrs. Wilson for their many years of
service to SCS.
Although the mission remains unchanged, some changes have
developed during the 2015-2016 school year. Since SCS opened
its doors on September 9, 1970, construction and renovation have
been a theme. During the first year, students in grades K-8 met in
the educational wing of HPBC. In 1972, the high school building
was erected and in the fall of 1991, construction of the elementary
gym and kindergarten classrooms were completed. The “connector
building” that houses the middle school and administration offices
was added in 2000. The current construction project involves
a renovation of the HPBC Worship Center. SCS uses the HPBC
Worship Center for a variety of activities including spiritual life week,
concerts, and commencement.
coming
enrollment continues to rise and a collegiate
partnership with Cornerstone University was formed.
Through this joint venture, SCS students were able
to earn highly transferable college credit in College
Composition and College Algebra.
As this school year concludes, I would like to thank the teachers,
staff, administrators and parents of Southfield Christian School for
their dedication to pass on a godly heritage to the next generation.
It is a privilege to partner together for His glory.
Construction began on the Worship Center on April 4 and will
continue until November 18 when the lights, sound, seating, stage,
furnace, air conditioning, and more is completely rebuilt. Some
renovations in the gym have occurred simultaneously, with the
addition of a new heating and air conditioning unit as well as new
2016
In His service,
Sue Hoffenbacher
Superintendent
6Anwering the call
10the Barnabas award
14the dual athlete
23Senior Project
Michelle Doran
The Middle School
Elementary
Mini Carnival
3:10 pm @ SCS
SCS Varsity Soccer vs
Lenawee Christian
4pm @ SCS
FREE Tailgate
4:30pm @ SCS
2
SCS Varsity Football
vs Lutheran Northwest
7pm @ DCD
Saturday, Oct 8
5k Fun Run/Walk
& Pancake Breakfast
@ SCS
By Tim Donnan
3
Commencement.......................... 4
School News .............................. 8
Staff News................................ 11
Athletics.................................... 14
Alumni..................................... 16
Contributors: Tim Donnan, Alisa Ruffin, Mary Ellen Alfredson,
Carrie Fair, and Sue Hoffenbacher. Writer: Carri Hammers,
Graphic Designer: Janis Ray, Photography: Abby Veldman,
Heather Fracassi, and Lynn Duffy. Proofreader: Sharon Gilson
2015
Class President and Salutatorian, Ben Guerra, opened
the 2016 commencement by noting the paradox of
graduating from SCS, although not at SCS. Southfield
Christian School’s 42nd annual commencement
ceremony was held at Groves High School due to
renovations taking place in the Highland Park Baptist
Church sanctuary. Although in a different location,
the celebration honored the students and their
family’s dedication and hard work and reminded all
in attendance of the value of choosing a school that is
committed to excellence for the Glory of God.
Ben Guerra took time to thank the teachers who
poured into their lives and for teaching classes from
a Christian world view. He referenced Philippians 3
and encouraged his classmates to press on for what
is ahead, not to be stagnant in the past, but to use
the lessons they have learned to be successful in the
future. Following Ben’s introduction, Summer Aldred,
Valedictorian, reminisced special times that the class
shared and reminded her classmates that as they leave
SCS, their foundation is firm and that they can impact
others to further God’s kingdom. Accompanied by
sophomore, Asher LaTurno, senior, Matt Williams led
the community in worship as he sang “Our God,” by
Chris Tomlin.
The senior class invited Dr. Ken Hall and Mr. Brian
Atkins (SCS Class of ’97) to deliver the commencement
address. Both men played special roles in the lives of
the class of 2016. In addition to the honor of being
grandfather to two of the class members, Dr. Hall
served as the Middle School Principal while the class
was in 8th grade. Currently the Campus Pastor at
4
Life Church in Wellington, Florida, Mr. Atkins was the
Director of Student Ministries at Highland Park Baptist
Church through much of this class’s middle and high
school years.
Mr. Atkins challenged the class to live and write a
story that is worth reading. He spoke that, until now,
the students have shared authorship of their story.
Now, as adults, they are becoming the sole writer.
He reminded them that every chapter of their life is
important and each chapter builds upon the last. He
encouraged them to choose the characters in their
story wisely and to take the time to write God into their
story each day.
Dr. Hall encouraged the class to, “Get on the right
bus!” Sharing issues each student will face no matter
what school they go to or where they land in life, he
described three busses not to get on. Wrong bus
number one – “Everything that is bigger is always
better.” Wrong bus number two – “Go with the flow.”
Wrong bus number three – “Me first.” Rather, he
persuaded the students to get on the bus marked,
“Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus
the author of abundant life, Jesus the author of joy,
satisfaction and blessing,” and to never get off.
As Mrs. Allen ended each class period with these
students, we now end their time at SCS with the same
blessing, “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may
he make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to
you; may he lift up His countenance to you, and give
you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26) Congratulations,
Class of 2016!
Pursuing excellence
Summer Louise AldredClass of 2016 Valedictorian
Summer will attend Denison University
in the fall and is considering majoring
in environmental science or biology
with a concentration in pre-veterinary
medicine. Summer describes Hebrews 2:10-11 as her
favorite Bible verse, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom
are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing
many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation
perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and
those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which
reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” What
a joy that it is to know that Jesus is bringing us to glory,
and that He is not ashamed of us His brothers.” Summer
identifies Mr. Faust and Captain Horlings as teachers who
have had an impact on her at SCS. Summer says, “Mr.
Faust taught me that failure was not to be something that
crushed me, but it was to be something that helped me
learn and understand. Somehow, Captain managed to be
my teacher and my friend, and for that I am truly thankful.” Benjamin James Guerra-Class of
2016 President and Salutatorian
Ben will attend Liberty University in
the fall to study either education or
nursing. During challenging times Ben
finds encouragement in James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials
of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your
faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its
work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything.” This verse reminds Ben that God gives us
strength to persevere and, through that perseverance, we
will become better. Ben identifies two teachers, Captain
Horlings and Coach Satterfield, who have had tremendous
impact on him during his time at SCS. He writes, “Captain
has always encouraged me to strive for greatness, in not
just writing but also in life. Coach S has taught me how
to have a servant’s heart, to show kindness to everyone,
and that there is more to life than just baseball...but only
a little bit.” Sydney Fracassi-Vice President
Sydney will be attending Kalamazoo
College in the fall to study biology,
biochemistry, or pre-med in the hopes
of becoming an anesthesiologist.
Sydney finds comfort in 2 Timothy 1:7,
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love
and self-control.” She finds comfort in this verse because
through God she has no need for fear because God is with
her every step of the way. Sydney names Madame Wood
and Ms. Allen as teachers who have made a significant
impact on her life. Sydney values the way Madame brings
Christ into the language classroom and makes learning
fun! Sydney is grateful for Ms. Allen’s impact as well.
While working together for the past three years in student
government, Ms. Allen has helped Sydney navigate life’s
ups and downs throughout high school.
William Wilkinson-Vice President
Will plans on attending Hope College.
He is interested in studying business
management or marketing, and
would like to eventually start his own
business. A verse that is significant to
Will is James 1:23, which says, “Anyone who listens to the
word but does not do what it says is like someone who
looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself,
goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
It’s an important reminder to not forget the commands of
God. Will identifies Mrs. Allen and Coach Satterfield as
two teachers who have personally impacted his life at SCS.
To Mrs. Allen Will writes, “Mrs. Allen, thank you so much
for expecting more out of me than I expect of myself. You
improved my writing skills drastically, and I'm so grateful
for all you did to help me.” Will writes of Mr. Satterfield,
“Not only is he interested in teaching and baseball, but he
is also passionate about seeing me and everyone grow
spiritually.”
Katelyn Beaghan-Secretary
Katelyn will be attending Wheaton
College, where she is interested in
studying business, biblical studies
or global missions. Psalm 29:11 is
a scripture of meaning for Katelyn,
“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses
his people with peace.” This verse reminds Katelyn of the
presence of the Lord in her life. Katelyn names Ms. Mazur
and Madame Wood as teachers of influence. To Ms. Mazur
she writes, “Thank you for our countless conversations after
school or on the bus to and from volleyball games. Your
advice and jokes has helped me survive senior year.” And
to Madame Wood, “Thank you for inspiring me to love
French! You were like my mother on the France and Spain
trip! I looked forward to going to French class every day
and laughing with you in two different languages!” Andre McGee-Treasurer
Andre plans on attending Baylor
University to major in accounting
with the hopes of eventually taking
the CPA exam and pursuing a
career with a major accounting
firm. Hebrews 13:1-2 has been a
source of encouragement for Andre, “Keep on loving
one another as brothers and sisters.Do not forget to show
hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have
shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Two
teachers who have had an impact on Andre are Mrs.
Horlings and Mr. Lurvey. Of Mrs. Horlings, Andre writes,
“She always pushed me to improve my writing despite
my protests. That helped me to become a better writer
and I will always be thankful for her.” Of Mr. Lurvey,
Andre says, “His ability to relate to his students resonated
with me. On the field he always pushed me past my
comfort zone.” 5
class of 2016
quick facts
3,349,398+
in Scholarship Awards
31
ACT Score
SCS Top 10%
25
SCS Average
ACT score
States where 2016 SCS
graduates will attend colleges
and universities
100%
College acceptance
rate to a college
of choice
Graduates will attend
25
Public
20
Private
universities
universities
80%
Received
Scholarships
73%
Completed
Advanced Placement
Coursework
anwering
Currently a missionary with Samaritan’s Purse/World Medical Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
much of Michelle Doran’s journey began as a third grader at Southfield Christian School. Michelle was sitting in the
high school gym listening to stories of a couple who were missionaries in Africa. It was then that she felt the “calling”
to live and work in Africa. As Michelle grew in her faith in Jesus, she realized that she wanted to do something practical
when working overseas and decided to become a doctor. Michelle graduated from SCS in 2000, received her B.A. in
Biology and Spanish in 2003 from Grace College (IN), and received her Doctorate of Medicine in Osteopathy (D.O.)
from Michigan State University in 2009. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology training at Genesys Regional
Medical Center in 2014.
After 23 years of knowing that God had called her to medical mission work and receiving incredible support and encouragement from her family, Michelle moved to the DRC in May 2015. “It’s not about just going to go and to do good
things, but it is taking a step of obedience to follow a God who loved me enough to sacrifice everything,” says Michelle.
“It is about offering the hope and healing Jesus gives to a lost and dying world. Who wouldn’t want that mission and
privilege? It changes people. It gives life.”
The people of the DRC have seen extreme devastation and life is extremely challenging. Ten years ago a rebel group
from the DRC, and likely Rwanda, decimated the town and hospital. The rebels killed patients in their beds and hunted
down hospital staff that hid in the rafters of the buildings. Many fled. Slowly and hesitantly, people have begun returning to the area. Today, there is a pediatric malnutrition ward where children who are starving are brought by destitute
mothers with the hopes that someone can help. There are, on average, 30 children on that ward.
What is striking to Michelle is the level of apathy and fatalism that people accept. They accept death and suffering as a
normal part of life. She shares, “This attitude is what drives actions. As an Ob/Gyn, it is clear to me that this view often
leads to poor care and unnecessary death. But, there is little motivation to change.”
“I often react to these circumstances with anger, frustration, impatience, and, sometimes, hopelessness. And, it
reminds me of the story of the servant who went to the
master to beg forgiveness for his unpayable debt. He is
granted forgiveness but then turns around and harasses
and punishes a fellow servant for a paltry sum of money.
It makes me reflect on my own attitude and actions. Do I
demonstrate love and compassion like Jesus did to people who are harassed and helpless and hopeless? Or, do
I vent my anger and frustration on fellow servants who
deserve better treatment?”
Most people in the DRC call themselves believers, but
there are few who follow Jesus. “The decision to follow
Jesus seems more culturally expected than a personal
decision on recognizing one’s sinfulness and seeking
forgiveness and reconciliation,” Michelle shares. “Most
people here believe and act on the belief that they are
not loved by God, that they must earn his favor (which
is seen in wealth), and that following Jesus means following what the church teaches, right or wrong. It’s devastating because it’s not true and because it is propagated as truth by the churches that people so religiously
follow.”
tion. Thanks to the help of others, my mom’s dedication
to our education, and a summer job, I was able to stay
at SCS. Being at SCS was one of the constants in an
ever-changing and somewhat challenging home life.”
“I think one of the biggest impacts that I have made is
in dispelling these long-held beliefs,” acknowledges Michelle. “My neighbor and I have
a Bible study for young women
who live and work at the hospital once a week. When they
discover the truth of God’s word
and promises when they read it
for themselves, it changes how
they view themselves and others. This, in turn, influences their
actions. They have become truly
excited to study and know who
Jesus is even though they’ve attended church all their lives.”
While there were several teachers that Michelle is
thankful for, one teacher and coach, Rochelle Fakes,
was a strong guiding force for her
while at SCS. “I was a high-energy
kid with difficulties focusing. She
helped in mellowing me out by being patient and by directing a lot
of that energy into sports. She also
was a great example of a Christian
trying to be obedient to what God
had asked her to do. I think part
of the reason that I respected her
so much was that she was genuine.
She didn’t hide struggles or frustrations, but tried to live in a way that
honored God. She also was one of
the rare people that had the courage to apologize. She cared and it
showed.”
“What made the difference were the teachers. The level
of education and the reputation of the school helped
in pursuing higher education, but, on a personal level,
it was the consistency and compassion of the teachers
that helped me to overcome a lot of my own personal
struggles and to truly seek after God. I was able to grow
up and mature in a protected environment.”
“I believe that what is needed
more than general education
about health, sanitation, agriculture and other subjects is the
truth about the gospel of Jesus
Christ. It’s not to say that everything will get better. Jesus never promised that. It will be
difficult, people won’t like you and you will have to make
hard decisions. But he lived it and understands what we
live. He promised he’d be with us through those times.”
“My journey hasn’t always been
easy. I’ve made bad decisions, I’ve
struggled with God and my faith, I considered staying in
the U.S. and making a lot of money, but my family was
always there to help remind me of the commitment that
I made to help others. I’m very thankful for their continued support and encouragement while I work and live
in a very difficult place.”
“Most people think that missionaries are these great
people who do great things for God in another country.
I will assure you that this perception is not reality. God
chooses to love messed up people and uses them to
try and help other messed up people to see who God
really is.”
When asked what advice she would give SCS students,
Michelle said, “Figure out what you believe and why
you believe it. And, if you find it to be true, then live with
conviction. You will soon find yourself out of the protective environment of school, church and home. You
will have to make difficult decisions with no one else
to answer for them except yourself. When you leave for
college, which will be the expected course for most of
you, you will have to make the choice of whether you
really believe the Bible is true. If you do believe, then
live in such a way that reflects that.”
At the time when Michelle was at SCS she felt like she
was living a double life. “On the outside, I was smart
enough and involved enough that most people didn’t
know that life was a daily struggle. I grew up with my
mom and my two older sisters, often at or below the
poverty line. This was at a time when I can remember, at
most, one or two other students being in a similar situa6
7
school
school
news
news
2016 Art Show
New 5th Grade Trip
Each spring the senior class celebrates graduation with a
trip to Florida, the eighth grade learns about our nation by
traveling to Washington D.C., the seventh grade visits the
Creation Museum in Kentucky and the fifth grade celebrates
the completion of elementary school with a trip. Traditionally,
the fifth grade trip has been to Chicago, but this spring, SCS
began a new tradition by going to various destinations in Ohio.
project linus
The class of 2023 began their trip with breakfast at Chickfil-A in Toledo. Students enjoyed breakfast, meeting the
“Eat Mor Chikin” Cow, and a behind the scenes tour before
spending the remainder
of the morning at the
Imagination Station. The
students had a blast riding
the BoYo (a human yo-yo)
and the high wire cycle
at the hands-on science
museum. Students then
explored the Toledo Zoo
during the afternoon. After
a quick trip to Sandusky,
the group arrived at Great
Wolf Lodge and spent the
evening swimming in the water park. The culmination of the
trip was spending the next day at Cedar Point!
The elementary students put their faith into action in March to
make warm fleece blankets for Project Linus. Project Linus is
a non-profit organization that provides blankets for children
hospitalized locally. Students in kindergarten through 5th grade
buddied up with parent volunteers, teachers, and members
of our high school Crew team to make cut-and-tie fleece
blankets. Even our preschool students participated! For their
first ever service project, they practiced their fine motor skills
by tying knots on two Frozen blankets. In total, SCS was able to
donate 51 blankets to the Oakland County chapter of Project
Linus. Though our students did not know the names of the
sick children who would receive the blankets, they spent time
in prayer for them. Their prayer was that God’s love would
be communicated to each child through the gift of warmth
and comfort during a difficult time. In addition, many students
chose to take home squares of fabric from their blankets as a
reminder to continue praying in the future. We were thrilled
to see even the youngest SCS students giving back to the
community and blessing others.
Students, parents and teachers had a great time, got to know
one another better and made lifelong memories. Future fifth
graders have an amazing trip to look forward to!
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The February 11, 2016 art show turned out to be a huge
success! Nearly 100 pieces were on display showcasing
student work from 6th to12th grade. Thirty awards were handed
out, first-third place ribbons were awarded in a variety of
categories. This is the first art show SCS has put on in four
years and it was great to see the quality and variety of student
work on display. Thank you to all of the students who entered
work and to everyone who came to view the show.
SCS Theater Production of How
the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas stole the audiences hearts
as the 2015/16 theatre production and the first SCS musical
in many years. Under the direction of Ms. Hostetter and Mrs.
Fair, the cast consisted of students in third through twelfth
grades. High school senior, Peter Allan, made his theatrical
debut as none other than the grizzly Grinch himself. His hidden
talent exploded on stage as he stole the Whos’ gifts and then
their hearts. “It was one of the coolest experiences of my life,”
said Peter, about his time on stage. Little Cindy Lou was played
by third grader, Katherine Baligian, who also acted on stage
for the first time. Her sweet smile and mature abilities for an
eight-year-old truly lit up the stage. Fourth grader, CJ Pitt, left
the audience in a roar of cheers after gracing the stage with
his excellent performance of the song, “You’re A Mean One
Mr. Grinch.” It was obvious that careful thought went into the
casting process, as each cast member seemed to be perfectly
suited for their role in the show. Although it was many of
the cast members’ first experience performing in a musical,
no one would’ve known based on how their voices blended
beautifully.
High School top award winners:
Riley Hart: Ceramic House
Jonathan Sullivan: Ceramic Whistle
Claire Smith: Graphic Design-Verse Typography
Sydni Brown: Drawing-Still Life
Libby Sanders: Painting-Landscape
Kaelin Ray: Photography-Landscape
Middle School top award winners:
Eden Comer: Graphic Design-Business Cards
Luke Skaff: Construction paper collage
Aniyah Stokes: Painting-Portrait & Sculpture-Plaster Mask
Grace Hammers, Rosie Harrington, and Ian Hanafee:
Sculpture-Giant Donut
Faculty Accolades
Wolverine Pathways
Scholarship Program
Karen Bosch, SCS Technology Teacher,
has been selected as one of ten K-12
educators from across the country as a
Dremel Idea Builder Ambassadors
for the 2016/17 school year. As an
ambassador, Ms. Bosch will receive a
3-D Printer and filament to use in
classes at Southfield Christian School.
The Idea Builder Ambassador Program
provides educators with an outlet to discuss a new and rapid
growing technology in education. Congratulations, Ms. Bosch!
Congratulations to the twelve SCS students in the 7th and 10th
grades who have been selected by the University of Michigan
for the Wolverine Pathways Scholarship Program. Wolverine
Pathways selects up to 60 7th- and 10th-grade students
from within the boundaries of Southfield Public or Ypsilanti
Community school districts to participate in the program.
Once admitted, scholars take part in the intensive program
every year through 12th grade. Each Wolverine Scholar
who successfully completes the program and applies to the
University of Michigan and is admitted will receive a full,
four-year tuition scholarship to the University of Michigan!
9
staff
news
Welcome to SCS
Andrea Hockenbrocht – Fifth Grade Teacher
After a brief “season” away, we once again welcome
Andrea Hockenbrocht back to SCS and we couldn’t
be more grateful. Previously serving as a Language
Arts/Social Studies/Bible teacher in the Middle School
for several years, Andrea will be returning, this time to
the Elementary School, as the fifth Grade Teacher of
Language Arts and Social Studies. Andrea’s passion
for teaching both reading and writing with excellence has equipped and
prepared our students for success in future grades. Whether delving into
famous works of literature or exploring world events, Andrea masterfully
intertwines Biblical Truth that challenge students to go deeper in their
understanding of their Creator. Andrea is a Taylor University graduate
and is a wife and mother to two SCS graduates. Welcome back, Andrea!
Dan Baughman – High School Bible Teacher
Dan Baughman has a passion for three things that
will enable him to be an amazing HS Bible Teacher: A
passion for God’s Word, a passion for students and a
passion for communicating God’s Word to students!
Dan is a graduate of SCS and Moody Bible Institute where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s
in Theological Studies. For the past 11 years, Dan
has served as Youth Pastor at Bell Creek Community Church where he
shepherded middle school, high school and college students as they
pursued Jesus Christ. Dan’s unique style and unabashed love for God’s
Word will both challenge and refresh students in his class. Students will
be blessed by his example of strong trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Dan
is a husband and father of four. It is with great excitement and gratitude
that we welcome Dan back to his alma mater – SCS!
The
barnabas
award
Scott Sansom – Middle School Principal
Scott Sansom has the distinction of being our longest
distance recruit – ever! That’s because he is returning to the United States from Nairobi, Kenya, after
teaching Math at the Rosslyn Academy for 3 years.
Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with
a Minor in Physical Science from Central Michigan
and a Master of Public Administration from University
of Michigan - Flint. Before setting out with his family on a Nairobi adventure, Scott taught Middle School Math for 3 years and High School
Math and Science for 8 years. Scott is no stranger to Michigan though.
He was raised in Greenville. He is a husband and father to two little
girls. We stand amazed at the goodness of God and His “boundaryless” vision as He brings Scott state-side to serve in our Middle School.
Please take some time to welcome Scott and his family to the SCS family!
Anna Brink – High School Math & Computer
Science Teacher
One of Anna’s references wrote of her: “With her
intellect and talent, she could do anything she sets
her mind to, so we are pleased that she has a heart
for teaching students.” How grateful we are that
Anna has decided to share her love and intellect for
Math and Computers with students of SCS! Anna
is a 2016 graduate of Calvin College, with Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Mathematics and a Minor in Computer Science. An accomplished
flutist, Anna is traveling overseas this summer to participate in a Wind
Ensemble in Germany and the Netherlands. Anna is looking forward
to using her “God-given talents” to encourage students in their studies. We are humbled by God’s provision of Anna and are grateful to
have her join our HS Mathematics Department. Welcome Anna!
The Barnabas Award is a long-standing tradition in the middle school that
recognizes students who represent the character qualities of Barnabas.
The award is named after a man mentioned several places throughout
the book of Acts who taught and ministered alongside Paul. Although his
given name was Joseph, the Apostles called him Barnabas, which means
“son of encouragement.” Each year, a boy and girl from each middle
school grade (6th, 7th and 8th) are chosen for this honor.
What is unique in the selection process of this award is that students are
nominated by their peers in their grade only and individuals may not
nominate themselves. The character qualities that Barnabas personified
and students were nominated for include compassion and the willingness
to share (Acts 4:36-37), being non-judgmental and one who avoids
rumors (Acts 9:27), faithfulness and encouragement (Acts 11:23-24),
trustworthiness (Acts 11:29-30), and being set apart for God (Acts 13:2).
Following are the 2015-2016 Barnabas Award winners as well as a few
reasons given by peers as to why they were chosen:
Auditions
Toni Topp, 6th grade. “She doesn’t listen to rumors and she deals with
stuff one-on-one; she is a forgiver; she puts others first; she comforts you;
she defends God no matter what.”
Tyler Kowalski, 6th grade. “He helps you and has humor;
he has the most faith of our grade; he is respectable; he is friendly; he
doesn’t judge others; he works with a kind heart.”
Middle School
& High School
Madison Roberts, 7th grade. “She thinks of others before
herself; she loves to share; she is so sweet; I’ve never heard her
say anything mean about anyone; she welcomes everyone.”
Monday, August 29
Luke Skaff, 7th grade. “He’s quiet and that’s the best form of respect;
he’s full of faith; he’s like a saint; he never talks badly about anyone; he
is super-duper polite and he shares his pencils.”
Elem (3-5th grade)
3:15pm
Tuesday, August 30
Caroline Keating, 8th grade. “She shares everything she has...
her happy heart, her kind words, her brain and yes, even her pencils;
she’s on the right path and draws you there, too.”
3:13pm
Call backs
Ian Hanafee, 8th grade. “A nice gentleman who avoids the junk; he’s
a good friend to have and he is willing to be one to anyone; he’s never
rude; he is willing to be set apart.”
Wednesday, August 31
SCS is proud of these students and the many others that exemplify these
qualities. 50% of all middle school students were nominated this year.
The fact that so many students are known by these qualities makes SCS
an environment that is set apart, and we hope, pleasing to God.
3:15pm
10
Jill Wright – First Grade Teacher
If you’ve spent any time at SCS in the past three years,
chances are you’ve seen Jill in our hallways either as
a sub for one of our teachers or faithfully serving at
one of our staff functions. This fall, she will be returning to serve us once again, as our new First Grade
Teacher! Jill has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in Language Arts
from Oakland University and an Associate Degree in Early Childhood
Education. Once deciding to major in education, her desire has always
been to teach in a Christian environment so that she can share her heart
for Jesus with children. As an SCS Alumna herself, Jill has always wished
to return to SCS - stating that “the wonderful students, loving community and amazing staff are all reasons that I want to be back at SCS to
teach.” Welcome back to SCS, Jill!
Elizabeth Foote – High School Biology &
Anatomy Teacher
Elizabeth “Liz” Foote is a familiar name to SCS. That’s
because Liz has been both a High School and Middle
School Science teacher at SCS before she took time
off to be mom (3 students now in the Elementary) to
her growing family. Liz uses Biblical truth as a platform to explain God’s handiwork and structured order in His creation. One of her goals as a teacher is to train Christian
students to become “thinkers” in whatever field they pursue so that there
is a loud, godly and educated voice in the world’s debate of scientific
process. Liz is a graduate of Taylor University where she received a
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology. We are so thankful that
the Lord has allowed Liz to return to teaching here at SCS. Welcome
back, Liz!
Retirement
Judy Wilson – Retiring after 34 Years!
It seems impossible to believe, but after 34 amazing
years of shepherding our young children’s hearts and
lovingly teaching in our elementary school, Judy has
decided to retire and spend more time at home with
her husband Glenn and her family. Judy has served
as a firm foundation in our school, as a Kindergarten
Teacher, a Third Grade Teacher and for the better
part of her time with us, as a First Grade Teacher. Those who have been
privileged to call her their teacher know that she has taught both with
expertise and excellence. Thank you, Judy. You have been an educator
for 34 years and to us, you will be an Eagle for life! The students, families and staff at SCS wish you all of the best. And Glenn, thanks for
sharing Judy with us all of this time. We are grateful.
Phil “Doc” Ackley – Retiring after 39 Years!
We can’t imagine Phil not being at SCS, so although
he is officially retiring, he has agreed to return part
time to continue teaching 8th grade Bible! Phil has
been integral in making SCS a strong Christ centered
and academic school. Throughout his time at SCS
Phil has been a teacher, science department chair,
dean of secondary students, secondary school principal, high school principal, and middle school dean of students. Phil,
your faith, humor, wisdom and guidance, have positively impacted so
many lives at SCS! We thank you! While we don’t want to let you go
completely, we wish you a wonderful retirement filled with Starbucks
and family.
11
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2015 2016
Photo
review
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1. Homecoming carnival 2. Homecoming football 3. Homecoming carnival 4. Homecoming soccer 5. Homecoming court 6. Homecoming 5K 7. Homecoming dinner
signs with LTU 14. Fall Retreat 15. Math Pentathlon 16. Science Fair 17. Owl pellet dissection 18. 3rd grade wax museum 19. Volleyball wins MIAC Championship
quet 27. DeShawn Moore signs with Kalamazoo College 28. Senior trip to Florida
12
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8. Marlo Brown scores 1K Points & 1K Rebounds 9. Washington D.C. 10. Homecoming cheerleaders 11. MS Girls Soccer 12. Bands Alive Concert 13. Brittany Taber
20. 2nd grade fishing field trip 21. School play 22. El Christmas concert 23. Playground ribbon cutting 24. Senior Recognition 25. Creation museum 26. Jr./Sr. Ban13
for football and soccer. This year’s football and soccer dual sport
athletes met greater challenges than some of those who have done
this before. You see, past dual-sport athletes have played soccer
and simply kicked for the football team. Senior Josh Guerra and
Junior Seth Denison completed their second year of being dualsport athletes in the fall. They were both all district soccer players
while Guerra played linebacker and fullback and Denison was a
defensive back and kicker. This commitment led to a busy week
with soccer games on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a football game
on the weekend, not to mention multiple practices in between. Not to be outdone, Junior Grace Allan chose a unique and
difficult double schedule, adding cross country to her volleyball
schedule. Allan tackled this intense schedule head on, attending
daily practices for both teams. Her schedule usually started right
after school by heading to cross country practice at 3:00 and then
rushing over to a two-hour volleyball practice just after at 4:30. On two occasions, Allan traveled with her cross country team and
ran a 5:00 race and when she finished, she kept running right to
the car to make it to the start of her 6:30 volleyball match. This
schedule, along with academic demands and other commitments,
is enough for anyone to hit a wall, but I was able to see Grace not
only push through that wall, but shatter it. That was evident in her
final weekend of the fall season when she help lead the volleyball
program, as the team’s libero, to their first district title in six years
on Friday night and then driving to Jackson, Michigan, afterward to
join up with the cross country program running in the MHSAA state
meet for the first time in over seven years. Allan consistently ran
in 2nd or 3rd among the Eagles runners all season, but at Michigan
International Speedway she was the top Eagle runner, running a
personal best 22:18.
the
athlete
dual
Participating in multiple sport enhances the physical skill
development of an athlete. When I see athletes choose to be a
multi-sport athlete, I watch them shine over and over again in the
sports that are not their specialty. They are allowed to take on
different roles where they can sharpen their skills, making different
sacrifices and being adaptable to new experiences. Watching
the student fill these roles is where I learn the most about their
character and them as an athlete, and I am able to see if they are
unconditionally committed or not. Being a great teammate is not
easy. It takes time to build trust and to learn how to appreciate
the value of each member of your team, but these multisport
athletes are very important to the success of our teams at
Southfield Christian.
By Tim Donnan
A
s the athletic director at Southfield Christian School, I am able
to witness the development of our student-athletes first hand. I am often times impressed by the commitment and performances
of our athletes and teams as they strive to reach their potential. This past fall, I was able to witness many great performances, but
there were three athletes that stood out because their impact was
multiplied by being dual-sport athletes.
athletics
Baseball
11-15 (5-3), 2nd Place in Conference
All District: Seth Denison, Ben Guerra, Jake Devine & Will Wilkinson
All District-Academic: Ben Guerra, Seth Denison, Jake Devine
MIAC All Conference 1st Team:
Seth Denison, Will Wilkinson & Ben Guerra
MIAC All Conference 2nd Team: Jake Devine & Zach Johnson
Golf
MIAC All Conference 2nd Team: Peter Allan
Pursuing Excellence
for the
Glory of God
with our talents
Lady Eagle Soccer
5-8-1 (1-5) 4th Place in Conference
All District: Shannon Jones & Taylor Barry
All MIAC Conference 1st Team: Taylor Barry & Jessica Hanson
All MIAC Conference 2nd Team:
Shannon Jones & Katelyn Beaghan
Softball
18-5 (9-1), Co-MIAC Champs & District Champs
All State Honorable Mention: Emma Paryaski
All Regional: Grace Gilson & Emma Paryaski
All District: Grace Gilson, Emma Paryaski, Tiara Francisco,
Megan Labiano, Taylor Caldwell & Maranda Sailor
All MIAC Conference 1st Team: Emma Paryaski, Grace Gilson,
Tiara Francisco & Taylor Caldwell
All MIAC Conference 2nd Team: Megan Labiano,
Rachel Johnson & Maranda Sailor
Boy’s Track & Field
All-State:
Bryce Washington (High Jump, 1st), Donald Keating (4 x 4, 6th),
David Robinson (4 x 4, 6th), Jon Sullivan (4 x 4, 6th)
& Roger Johnson (4 x 4, 6th).
Spring Sports Recap
Academic All-State:
Donald Keating, Jon Sullivan & Bryce Washington
The Eagles had many teams that excelled on the field this spring.
MIAC All Conference:
Bryce Washington, Roger Johnson & David Robinson
The girls track team won the school’s 25th MIAC conference
title in program history and their first since 2010 in route to an 8th
athletes to the state meet and had nine all state athletes. The
Girl’s Track & Field
All State:
Chika Amene (200 Meter, 3rd, 400 Meter, 6th & 4 x 4, 5th),
Shelby Goodson (4 x 4, 5th), Grace McFerrin (4 x 4, 5th)
& Kaelin Ray (100 Hurdles, 5th, 300 Hurdles, 3rd & 4 x 4, 5th).
softball team captured their 1st MIAC conference title since 2009
MIAC All Conference: Chika Amene & Kaelin Ray
and their first district title since 2011 on their way to an 18-5 record
MIAC Conference MVP: Kaelin Ray
before falling in the regional finals. The baseball team won their
MIAC Coach of the Year: Todd Crouch
place finish at the state meet. The 8th place finish is the girl’s best
finish since 2007. Overall, the boys and girls track teams sent 20
Southfield Christian Year End Awards:
most games in a season this year since 2010 by winning 11 con-
Freshman Athletes of the Year:
Madelin Chau & Zach Johnson
tests, including an upset win in the district semifinals over Shrine
This year’s student athlete leadership group has developed a
mission for our athletes and community to “DO WORK through
humble UNITY.” Seeing the efforts, teachability, and unconditional
support that our teams are striving to improve, I am witnessing
teams that are striving to reach their potential and athletes trying
to be better teammates for life. It is not uncommon during fall athletics for athletes to play both
football and soccer. The seasons match up fairly well, allowing
an athlete to play for the soccer team and then suit up on Friday
night on the gridiron. There is also a need, being a small school of
just under two hundred students, to fill the larger rosters required
14
Catholic in extra innings. The golf team saw Senior Peter Allan
Sophomore Athletes of the Year:
MaKayla Davenport & Bryce Washington
qualify for the regional meet for the 3 straight year as he finished
rd
Junior Athletes of the Year:
Tiara Francisco & Seth Denison
a strong prep career.
Senior Athletes of the Year:
Maurgan Lee & Richard Feagin
For information regarding all SCS sports, please visit the athletics
web page, www.southfieldchristianeagles.com.
15
1
5
8
3
4
2
alumni
1987cont.
Tim and Heather (Kobernik ‘89) Fracassi’s daughter,
Sydney, graduated from SCS this year and will be attending
Kalamazoo College in the fall while their younger daughter,
Emma, will begin her senior year at SCS! Tim is the Athletic
Trainer at SCS and Heather works in the Youth Office at
Highland Park Baptist Church. 2
1989
Charles Rousseaux is enjoying a full life, living and working
in Washington D.C. Since moving near the Capitol in 2000,
he has been an editorial writer for The Washington Times,
a speechwriter for a variety of senior officials including the
Deputy Administrator of NASA, the President of Georgetown
University, the Secretary of the Department of the Interior
and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services. Charles is now Senior Communications Specialist
(Comms Director) for the Department of Energy's (DOE's)
Office of Technology Transitions. Charles’ daily runs up
the Mall are interrupted by occasional ultramarathons (why
stop at 26.2 miles if you're having 'fun'?), and he also enjoys
accidental adventures in places like Japan and Alaska. 3
notes
1987
Henry Tong lives in Hong Kong with wife, Yvonne, 14 yearold son Harris and 11 year-old daughter Athena. Harris
is now taller than Henry and is the center for his school’s
handball team. Athena likes to draw. As a family they enjoy
hiking, bicycling, jogging, playing basketball, and watching
super heroes’ movies. Henry works in the manufacturing
and trading of toys and baby products primarily in the China
market. Additionally, Henry spends time in the education
system in Hong Kong and the management for secondary
schools, primary schools, and kindergartens as an advisor
to the Education Bureau of Hong Kong. Henry also shares
that the education he received at SCS gave him a strong
foundation for what he is able to do today. 1
7
6
1995
Marisa Misty (Boese) Cronk is teaching Honors English 10
and English 12 at Walled Lake Central High School, where she
has taught for the past fifteen years. She is also the sponsor
for the Social Justice League, a student organization that
addresses social justice issues in the school and community.
She is married with two biological sons and three stepchildren. She still loves reading above all else, but she also
enjoys cross-stitching, road trips, and yoga. Her favorite
memory of SCS is being in Mrs. Horlings' English 10 class
during last period—it was the light at the end of the tunnel! 8
Administrator in the North American Parts Operations
division. He has been with Toyota for 20 years. Jeff and his
wife, Laura, currently live in Mission Viejo, CA (south Orange
County) with their kids Kai (11), Cole (11), and Maya (8). They attend Reverence Bible Church in Mission Viejo. The
Schlabach’s have a dog (Cody), a chinchilla (Coconut), and
3 hamsters. Although living in California, Jeff is still a Detroit
Tigers fan through and through! 4
1990
Aron Boag and his family lives in Ferndale and owns and
operates his own locksmith company (Lockout Locksmiths) in
the area.
1998
Evan Koons writes, acts, and produces film while living in
Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Kylene and two daughters:
Noelle (6) and Jori (9). His video "Church Appropriate Dance
Moves" went viral in 2015 and gathered about 6 million
views. He co-wrote and hosted a Christian educational
DVD series called “For the Life of the World” which was
acclaimed the “best treatment of faith and culture put on
screen” (Crouch, Executive Editor, Christianity Today). The SCS
memory that still impacts Evan is Mr. Berthel's advice: "Play
big." Evan says, “Coach Berthel said this a lot during soccer
because I was incredibly scrawny and massively insecure.
Those words continue to shape me as I am still scrawny, but
thankfully only somewhat insecure.” 9
1992
Melynie (Cote) Hall is married to Brad, an Air Force Lt. Col.;
they are currently living near Scott AFB just outside St. Louis in
Illinois with their four daughters (14, 13, 10, and 7). Melynie
earned her MS in Counseling in 2001 which expired due to
their nine moves and four children, but recently she earned
all the necessary CEUs, so she’s again a national certified
counselor. Since moving to Illinois, she helps a real estate
team with staging and social media marketing; this flexible
work evolved into her starting her own side business to help
people list their homes and do open house set up. 5
Cyndi Parker is now Dr. Cyndi Parker; she went to seminary
at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in the Boston area
and then went to Israel to study and specialized in historical
geography. She stayed in Israel for five years where she
taught undergrad classes. Cyndi earned her Ph.D. in England
at the University of Gloucestershire; she wrote on the book
of Deuteronomy, more specifically, the significance of place,
and the biblical view of how people should interact with
each other, with the land, and with God. She still travels to
Israel on a regular basis to teach three-week courses. All of
her students hike around the country with her, pull out maps,
study the terrain, and then read the Bible. Beginning in July,
Cyndi will be teaching at the Biblical Theological Seminary
in Philadelphia. 6
1994
Marty Shea majored in advertising and minored in film
studies at Michigan State. He then started working on film
crews and worked his way up to be a production manager
and producer on films, commercials and music videos. He’s
co-written and directed several short films and co-founded
an international film collaboration that involves over 150
filmmakers from more than 35 countries. It’s interesting to
note that he played Rooster in Annie for our school play. 7
2000
Jamie (Janigian) Haskell is a stay at home mom of two
special needs boys, Levi and Austin. She is happily married
to Allen Haskell lives in Avon, Indiana. Next year Jamie is
coming out of "retirement" from teaching to homeschool her
youngest son. Jamie and her husband help run a low cost
nonprofit camp for one week in the summer for kids from all
over Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. 10
2001
Lauren (Mitchell) Schultz married Jeremy, lived in
Washington D.C. for five years where she spent time as a
writing and literature professor, then moved to the NYC metro
area for five years. They moved back to Michigan just over
seven months ago when Jeremy got a job with Whirlpool in
Benton Harbor as a social psychologist doing research to
understand consumer needs. They are now living in the lovely
little beach town of Saint Joseph, right on Lake Michigan.
Lauren is a nonprofit communications and fundraising
professional who has raised nearly $28 million in government
and private funds as a grant writer. 11
9
10
Jeff Schlabach graduated from Olivet Nazarene University
(Bourbonnais, IL) in 1993 with a B.A. in Art and minor in
Business and attended one year at Savannah College of Art
and Design. Jeff is currently working for Toyota Motor Sales,
USA in Torrance, CA, as a New Model Procurement Planning
Jeff Goudie and his wife, Susan, are living in Charlotte, MI,
just outside of Lansing. Jeff works at Liquid Web. All of their
kids are grown and they have grandchildren now.
16
17
11
alumniNotes\\\\\\\\\\\\\
2001cont.
to school for her masters at U of D Mercy. For the past five
years she has worked as a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner
specializing with heart failure at McLaren Macomb Hospital.
Alissa married her husband, Adam, in 2009 and they live in
Macomb, MI. They are blessed with two amazing children;
Kalya, 3 ½, and Aiden, 7 months old. 15
Michelle (Bergsma) Bain and her husband Brendon live
in Plano, Texas with their two children, Koen and Kailyn.
Michelle teaches sixth grade English and history at Trinity
Christian Academy. Her principal is Scott Berthel. 12
2002
Benjamin Salazar taught middle school and high school
English at a small Christian school in the Flint area for three
years before attending graduate school at Wayne State
University for his master's degree in social work. For the last
three years, he’s been a school social worker at a charter
school on the east side of Flint. His wife, Megan, and he have
two children: Lucy (20 months) and her new little brother,
Liam (1 month). Ben serves on his church’s worship team and
high school youth group. Ben claims that being a husband
and father has challenged him to trust God even more. 13
Jeremy Atkins married Emily Horrigan in July of 2015.
they are living in Farmington Hills. Emily is a social worker
and Jeremy is working at In-House Realty downtown. 14
Nicole Corley received her Bachelor’s in Writing from
GVSU and her Master’s at Savannah College of Art and
Design in Savannah, Georgia. From there, Nicole moved to
Austin, TX, where she was a copywriter at GSD&M, working
on John Deere, Zales, and the U.S. Air Force. While in
Texas, Nicole ate endless tacos, saw a ton of live music, met
a lot of great people, got used to not seeing snow, bought
a vintage motorcycle and a 1970's condo, and pretended
to be Bob Vila on the weekends. After three years there, she
moved to San Francisco, where she is currently a copywriter
at DigitasLbi, working on eBay and Playstation. However,
the real reason she moved to CA was to go hiking, camping
and explore of all of the West Coast’s gorgeous nature.
Nicole gets back to Detroit every chance she gets to visit her
dad, sister, and three awesome nieces. 2003
Matt and Katelyn (’08) Coughenour welcomed their baby
girl, Ainsley Ava Coughenour on June 9, 2016. 16
13
24
27
2004
Alex Martin married Lindsay Aman in June 2015. SCS
alumni in the wedding included Alex’s siblings Rachel ’02,
Matthew ’08, and Betsy ’10, as well as Jon Globke ’04 and
Jeremy Fong ’02. Alex is currently finishing Grad school in
Florida to become a Nurse Anesthetist. Lindsay is a RN
as well. 17
Luke Hutchins and wife Amy are living in Centennial,
Colorado. They have a 2-year-old daughter Ellis, and a son,
Levi James Hutchins, born May 24th, 2016! Amy works as
an assistant children’s director at their church. Luke works for
The Coleman Company (coolers and camping) as a sales
coordinator, supporting six National Account Managers and
about 100 representatives in their Specialty Channel. Luke
enjoys teaching 4th and 5th grade Sunday school, hunting,
fishing, gardening, and bee keeping. 18
20
John & Tracy (Leonard) Frith were married in 2009.
After SCS John graduated from Michigan State with a
microbiology degree and then went on to Medical school
there. He did his Internal medicine residency at Beaumont
Hospital's Botsford campus and is currently doing a
fellowship in allergy & immunology at University Hospital
in Cleveland. They hope to move back to Michigan and
begin practicing allergy & immunology after John finishes his
fellowship. John and Tracy adopted their little one, Elliana
Grace, around 7 months ago. Tracy was practicing physical
therapy but is now enjoying staying home with Elliana. 19
Alissa (Kotsis) Clyne graduated from the University of
Michigan School of Nursing in 2006 and worked as a
nurse at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital while going back
12
23
14
15
16
18
17
18
19
25
22
2005
Julia (Reddick) Scott lives in Marietta, Oklahoma, about
20 miles from the Texas border. Her husband Tom and she
are blessed with their daughter Ali (13 months); they’re
expecting their second daughter in August. Julia’s parents,
Ralph and Meredith Reddick, live just an hour and a half
away. Every day Julia celebrates God’s goodness and her
relationship with Him. 20
2006
Melissa Byl is finishing her fourth year as a French and
English teacher at a middle school in Grosse Pointe. On
a meet-the-family trip to California, Ron Overs, surprised
Melissa with his marriage proposal as they were hiking
Torrey National Park. They’ll be marrying this July and
making their home in the metro Detroit area. 21
Julianne (Cole) Raatikka graduated from Calvin
College where she majored in psychology and minored
in communications; she then attended Wayne State
University Law School. For one year she clerked for Federal
Judge Gershwin Drain in the Eastern District of Michigan.
In January, 2013, she married Brandon Raatikka, a
Minnesotan attorney whom she met through mutual friends;
they are now located in his hometown of Minneapolis
where Julianne worked for a local non-profit organization.
In December 2014, they welcomed their first son, Beckett
James, and she recently transitioned to her true dream job
of staying home with Beckett full time. 22
2007
Corinne (Gettel) Barker married Jacob Barker on August
29, 2016 in Harbor Springs, MI. Other SCS graduates in
the wedding included Erin Gettel (’08) and Brittany (King)
Klenke (’07). Corinne and Jacob live in Chicago, where
Jacob works at Northern Trust as a Senior Investment Analyst
of Mutual Funds. After graduating from Hope College in
2011, Corinne lived in Grand Rapids, MI and worked at
Northpointe Christian School as the Coordinator of the
Elementary Inclusion Program for students with learning
differences. Corinne and Jacob were introduced by Jacob's
21
uncle, who worked at Northpointe Christian with Corinne.
Jacob's uncle tried setting them up for a year and they finally
met Labor Day of 2015 (totally on accident, or by Divine
intervention!). They instantly struck up conversation and
began dating a couple weeks later. The rest is history! 23
Rob and Lindsey (Brand) Rebhan recently moved to
Lathrup Village. Rob works at Digitas LBI as an advertising
copywriter in Detroit. Lindsey is staying at home with their
18 month old son, Hunter, and has a small baking business
called Lindsey's Custom Cakes. 24
2008
Alison Reddick (in blue) is an assistant athletic trainer at
her alma mater Grand Valley State University. Alison works
with women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, and swimming and
diving. All three teams had a lot of success this year, including
a National Championship for soccer! Allison is very involved
with her Grand Rapids church and has been blessed with
opportunities to share with and mentor some of the athletes
at work. Alison is pictured with one of the lacrosse players
after the conference championship. 25
2009
Kristin (Calder) Gavel married Steven Gavel on
November 21, 2015 Birmingham, MI. SCS Alumni in the
wedding included Alex Calder (’03), Madeline (Toma)
Hockenbrocht (’09), Anastasia (Katai) Kelley (’09), Claire
(Cramton) Calero (’09) and Ryan Scheidemantel (attended
SCS until 6th grade). Kristin and Steven live in Rochester
Hills. Kristin works in HR as an engineering recruiter in Troy
and Steven works in web design in automotive marketing at
Shift Digital in Birmingham, MI. 26
Alexandra (Perkins) Christenson married William on
February 20, 2016. They are currently living in Clawson,
Michigan. Alexandra graduated from Liberty University
with a Bachelor of Science in business administration,
specializing in human resource management. During
college, Alexandra spent a semester working at Walt Disney
World in Orlando, FL for a college internship. 27
19
26
alumniNotes\\\\\\\\\\\\\
2009 cont.
Aaron Ball is living in Knoxville, TN and working as a
Commercial Mortgage Analyst at First Southern Mortgage
Corporation of Tennessee (First Southern). Aaron graduated
in May 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Administration at Concordia University - Ann Arbor where
he played baseball for four years and was an All-Conference
(WHAC) player in 2010. He moved to Knoxville in July
2013. 28
2010
Matt Solt lives in Stanford, CA and is a PhD candidate at
Stanford University in the physics department. He has a
few more years to go, but will be an 'experimental particle
physicist' when he graduates. Matt does his research at SLAC
National Accelerator Laboratory—a U.S. Department of
Energy lab operated by Stanford University that's dedicated
to high energy physics. His research is with the Heavy Photon
Search (HPS) collaboration—an international collaboration
where the experiment is done at another DOE laboratory
called Jefferson Laboratory (in Newport News, VA). 29
the world sharing the gospel and sharing how the Word of
God admonishes us to eat, drink, and live to the glory of
God during this time of mass disease and illness. Devon
has been a blessed to see God work in amazing ways for
His people, and is humbled to be privileged to witness and
be a part of such a great work. He has preached in various
places around the U.S. and Canada, and on May 23,
2016, he will be heading to Kenya for six weeks to preach
the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14:6-12. 31
Katie Long is currently in her second year of an MD-PhD
program at the University of Chicago, specializing in
computational neuroscience. Her thesis work is focused on
the neural circuits mediating addiction and aversion. For
fun during the week, Katie climbs at a local gym, and on
weekends she visits friends in Kentucky and climbs in the
Red River Gorge. Katie says, “My time at SCS was very
personal; my whole class formed unforgettable memories
together.” 32
Joe Dresser graduated from Union University 2014
in Jackson, TN with a B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology.
While pursuing a graduate degree in cancer biology, he is
working as a research assistant in a radiation oncology lab
at the University of Michigan on a project to improve the
effectiveness of radiation treatment on GBM brain cancer. 33
2011
Mauree Sullivan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree
in fashion business from Columbia College Chicago. In
May, she moved to southern California and assumed the
position of digital marketing manager for Propel Women,
a women's organization focused upon empowering women
into their God-given purpose and potential. 34
Brook Vosler married Kaitlin Wiles in October 2016. Brook
and Kaitlin met at Grace College in Indiana. Many SCS
alumni participated and attended their wedding. 35
Owen Bame graduated from Calvin College, majored in
business with a finance concentration, earned two awards
from the business department, one student-nominated and
one professor-nominated; they were for “Diligence” and
“Excellence.” His college highlight was a three-week trip to
Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Germany, and
the Czech Republic. Owen now works in Grand Rapids for
Dematic as a financial analyst and is considering his pursuit
of his MBA. He’s no longer running but lifting weights
instead. When he reflects on his SCS years, he fondly
remembers his cross country races and gratefully realizes
that he was well-prepared for college. 30
Devon Bailey currently splits time between Michigan and
Arizona as a traveling gospel medical-missionary evangelist.
He travels to churches, schools, and universities around
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2011 cont.
Sierra Kaufman graduated from Michigan State with an
economics and international relations double major. She now
works in Ann Arbor for a consulting firm, 284 Partners, that
specializes in intellectual property valuation. Sierra is engaged
to Andrew Strom; their wedding date is May 28, 2017. 36
2014
Harding Fears III is a junior at and plays football
for Washington University in St. Louis. Harding had
the tremendous honor of winning the 2015 Executive
Leadership Council Foundation Award for Excellence in
Business Commentary. The Award for Excellence in Business
Commentary is a national essay writing competition that
focuses on exploring business trends, issues, and insights. As the first place winner of the 2015 Award for Excellence
in Business Commentary, Harding earned a substantial
scholarship sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company and had
the opportunity to participate in a week-long recognition
and professional development experience in New York City
and Washington D.C.
2012
Lance Shipp is living in LA making music everyday! He’s
working with a writing team and a manager, as well as
meeting with publishing companies and record labels. Lance
collaborated with other songwriters in creating the single hit
“No Time For It” recorded by artist Fantasia. 37
35
Rebekah Devine graduated from Western Michigan
University with a major in organizational communication
and a minor in nonprofit leadership and social work. She
hopes to work for a nonprofit agency in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. During her college years, Rebekah volunteered
with Young Life in Kalamazoo, a nonprofit agency based on
caring adults coming alongside kids and introducing them
to a relationship with Jesus. Rebekah is engaged to Casey
Blair; the wedding is August 13. Casey is now working full
time with Young Life in Grand Rapids Southwest. 38
2015
Kellen Smith is attending the University of Michigan’s
College of Engineering and pursuing a degree in
Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry. She
is working for the university in their Naval Engineering
department. Throughout the year, she has also been
involved in the National Society of Black Engineers. 41
Chris Szymczak is attending Wheaton College and is a
member of their swim team. In a mid-season invitational
in December, Chris was the lead-off for two varsity recordbreaking medley relay swims (the 400 and 200 Medley
Relay). At the Conference meet in February, his teams
re-broke the two medley relay records, and he also broke
Wheaton’s varsity record in the individual 100 back. At the
D3 Nationals, his 200 and 400 medley relay teams finished
in 12th and 14th place, respectively. Individually, Chris’
100 backstroke set a new Wheaton varsity record with a
10th place finish, and his 200 backstroke also set a new
record with an All-American 5th place result. Aside from
such successful swimming, Chris has been loved, pushed,
and encouraged in his faith as well as his swimming by an
inspiring team of passionate swimmers and followers of
Christ. 42
August Jenkins graduated this year from MSU and
was chosen as the 2016 recipient of the Richard Lee
Featherstone Endowed Prize. She will continue her education
by pursuing a doctoral degree in human development
and family studies at Pennsylvania State University. Her
future plans are to study family and community prevention
programs for minority populations. 39
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Christian Bryant married Amanda Doty on June 24.
Following their wedding they will be moving to Fort
Worth, Texas, where Christian will begin a job with Fidelity
Investments. Christian graduated from Master's University
with a degree in Business Finance in May 2016. 40
2013
Morgan Bates is in her senior year at Michigan State
University studying supply chain management. She is
currently interning for LEAR Corporation in purchasing,
while last year she interned at General Motors in logistics.
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Senior Project
alumniNotes\\\\\\\\\\\\\
2015 Athletic Hall of
Honor Inductees
Stay
connected
This year’s Hall of Honor
featured one of the finest allround athletes in Southfield
Christian history and also
one of the staples behind
the scenes supporting Eagles
athletics. Tim Bergsma, class
of 2008, earned 14 varsity
letters at Southfield Christian.
A four-sport varsity athlete,
he lettered in soccer, football,
basketball, and baseball
earning all conference recognition in each sport. During
his tenure he helped the Eagles win seven conference titles,
four district titles, and three regional titles. Bergsma played
quarterback for the inaugural football team and scored
the program’s first touchdown. Bergsma was twice named
first team all state in both soccer and baseball and earned
conference MVP for both sports. He went on to play college
soccer at the University of Michigan as a goalkeeper. While
there he was a team captain, a member of the 2010 big Ten
tournament title team, twice named academic all big Ten,
and earned the 2011 big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Staying connected with SCS alumni and
alumni families is important to us.
To share life updates, please email Alumni Association
Coordinators Tim Fracassi (tfracassi@southfieldchristian.org)
or Keith Eckert (keckert@southfieldchristian.org).
To update your current contact information you may also
visit the alumni page on the school website
www.southfieldchristian.org. Additionally, please follow
the school and alumni on a regular basis by liking the
SCS and the SCS Alumni Facebook pages.
Sto experience
outhfield Christian School seniors have an exceptional opportunity
professions that interest them while still in high school.
“Senior project was an unforgettable and rewarding experience;
and, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I was able to interact with
various clients from different walks of life. It was very eye opening
and humbling at the same time. One of my biggest accomplishments
was going to the State Prosecutor and negotiating with him to get a
client’s ticket dismissed; I was successful. At that point, I realized and
appreciated how the Mock Trial program at school and Forensic class
gave me the proper speaking and negotiating skills I needed to get the
ticket dismissed.”
Known as “Senior Project,” students that participate work sixty hours
over three weeks in a field of their choice. The senior project is
designed to recognize and meet the unique needs of seniors who
are ready for a learning experience outside the traditional setting of
the classroom. It emphasizes the importance of planning and goal
setting in the researching and proposing of a project. Projects afford
seniors an alternative type of learning that is more self-directed and
experiential.
Peter Ward has served the Southfield Christian community
not only as a teacher but has worked behind the scenes for
over thirty five years as an announcer, scoreboard operator,
statistician, and wherever else there was a need. With the
support of his wife Allison, who has been by his side working
the score table, coaching elementary basketball, and driving
the team buses, along with his three daughters, Andrea,
Class of ‘98, Christine, Class of ’99 and Emily, Class of
2000, the Ward family has left a lasting mark on Eagles
athletics and Southfield Christian School. Thank you Peter
for being the “Voice of the Eagles” and for your support and
dedication.
2016 Alumni Softball Reunion
alumnifaculty\\\\\\\\\\\\\
“The skills, terminology and knowledge of basic anatomy that I
acquired through my athletic training class and Science Olympiad
gave me an edge when it came to entertaining educated
conversations with the Physical Therapists. I was always proud when
I could follow the terminology that the therapists rapidly threw around
in the office. They did not expect a high schooler to know what a
compression fracture is, or the simple term “extension,” let alone the
names of the joints in the metacarpals. I found that rewarding.”
There is an enormous variety of careers that seniors have explored
over the years. Seniors in the class of 2016 worked in careers in
technology, medicine, education, television broadcasting, professional
sports, Christian ministry, architecture, engineering, business/finance,
and non-profits just to name a few. Some of the companies that
mentored the SCS class of 2016 include the University of Michigan
Hospital, TV 20 Detroit News, San Francisco Giants, Michigan
Neurosurgical Institute, Central Detroit Christian, InForm Studios,
Hoover & Associates Insurance and Financial Services, Ziebart and
the Detroit Tigers. Gary Sinclair recently wrote a book available
on Amazon, titled, Turn Up Or Turn Around
Your Parenting. He now resides in Indianapolis,
IN and provides coaching, leadership training,
speaking and help to families, leaders and
churches. Additionally, Gary does some
marketplace chaplain work part-time.
Jane (Buller) Piotrowski died at the age of
78 on April 4, 2016. Jane taught Home
Economics at SCS in the late 70s and 80s.
Jane’s three children graduated from SCS
—John Buller ‘77, Julie (Buller) Crouch ’80
(married to Adam Crouch ’80), and Jennifer
(Buller) King ‘89.
“One of the most rewarding things during the project was when
I designed my house and saw it in 3-D. When you see what you
have just designed built up, whether on the computer or in an actual
building, it is really cool.”
“We feel that the exposure to the world of work or to study outside of
the classroom or to community service is an appropriate culmination to
students' days at SCS and a valuable transition to the more independent
days ahead,” shares SCS Director of Academic Services, Rachael
Olson. “Senior projects provide a learning experience outside of the
classroom and give students an experience that is valued by colleges
and future employers.”
“I achieved more than just my goals of having fun and gaining
knowledge; I found something I’d love to do for the rest of my life.”
“The entire senior project experience was a reward in and of itself.
From learned business strategies, information obtained about financial
advising, and the opportunity to talk with new people in professional
places every day, I now feel better equipped, more confident, and
prepared not only for college, but for my next job and future career.”
Following are a few examples how students evaluated their senior
project experience:
2016 Alumni & Friends
Eagles Cup Golf Tournament
22
“My senior project was priceless. The experience I had is something
very few people my age are blessed with. I didn’t just fulfill my hours,
I participated in something that benefited me. I enjoyed it so much
that I worked more hours than required; and, I was offered a summer
internship at the company.” 23
SOU T
HF
IELD CHRIS
NON-PROFIT Org.
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Permit No. 152
T I AN
SCHOOL
As a community that knows the value of an
SCS education, please consider showing
your support and gratitude by giving to the
Annual Fund this fall.
Our goal is 100% community participation.
When many give a little, it makes a big
impact!
More information on how to give to the
Annual Fund will be mailed this fall.
Please prayerfully consider supporting
SCS this year.
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