Adelina
Wheaton College
What do you love about Eastern Christian School?
There are so many things I love about the warm, nurturing environment that EC has provided me with for the last 10 years of my life. I love the way that teachers invest in their student’s lives and pray for their futures. I also love the fact that, at EC, you can be involved in as many activities as you want. At other schools it would be nearly impossible to be seriously invested in a music program, student government, and three seasons of sports, but at EC this kind of thing happens all the time.
Describe one of your favorite teachers and tell why he/she is a favorite.
One of my favorite teachers is Mrs. Lindemulder, who teaches Spanish and French. Mrs. Lindemulder is one of the sweetest human beings on the face of the earth. All of her students are known to her as “beloved” and “dearest.” If you are showing any symptoms of a cold, Mrs. Lindemulder has been known to very sweetly and quietly brew you a cup of tea and place it on your desk. As a language teacher, Mrs. Lindemulder encourages students to fully engage in the culture they are studying. Everyone’s favorite way of doing this is by learning to cook traditional Spanish and French meals from one of the world’s best cooks— Mr. Lindemulder. I went on one of her famous spring break trips to France and Italy my junior year had an absolutely marvelous time exploring the world with such a kind and engaging women.
In what ways have you grown in your faith as a result of your experience at Eastern Christian School?
One of my science teachers, Ms. Bazanowski, has been such an example of faith to me over the last several years. She prays with such sincerity and with a beautifully soft, sweet spirit. If during class she feels that tensions have risen or difficult questions have been posed she stops what she is doing, and asks the Lord for His presence to be in the room. Almost every day she prays that we might decrease, and He might increase. I have learned how beautiful a humble, submitted spirit is from Ms. Baszanowski. EC has constantly encouraged me to do all things for the glorify of my maker.
The Eastern Christian tagline is “Engaging. Nurturing. Transforming.” How did you experience an education that is engaging, nurturing and transforming at EC?
I have received a fantastic education at Eastern Christian. In the Humanities program, I have been exposed to some of the greatest literature ever written, and I have been taught to see writing as a reaction to a moment in history. I have been encouraged to explore big ideas, and not hide from difficult questions knowing that the Lord is the source of every answer. I have honestly felt very at home at Eastern Christian. I have been sheltered from harm but never from truth. EC has been completely engaging, entirely nurturing, and altogether transforming.
How do you feel that EC prepared you for graduation, college and life?
EC has prepared me for rest of my life as well as any school could have. I know many kids, who go to excellent colleges, that say that Humanities is harder than many of their college classes. I have been pushed academically so that I feel completely prepared for college. I have had exposure to music and theater which I will be pursuing in college and (hopefully) after college. But most of all I have been exposed to the Lord and to people who love Him. And knowing Him is the ultimate preparation for life.
What would you say to a high school student considering joining Eastern Christian School?
What I would say to a high schooler considering coming to Eastern Christian is simple: do it. Coming to EC is one of the best decisions that my family and I have ever made.
What opportunities did you experience at EC that you don’t think you would have gotten to experience anywhere else?
I’ve always loved music, and I knew that I when I started high school I wanted to be in the musicals. I had an abundance of enthusiasm and some raw skill, but I was lacking any kind of experience. I tried out for Beauty and the Beast my sophomore year and somehow got the part of Belle. Now, I don’t mention this to brag about myself, but rather to brag about EC— a school where an underdeveloped newcomer can get a lead role in a show just by trying out. If I had gone to the public school in my town where everyone had been performing in musicals for years and years I might never have even tried out, and I certainly would not have gotten a significant role so early in my high school life. At EC, teachers and coaches recognize potential even if a student doesn’t have a lot of experience. Since my sophomore year I have been the leads in several more musicals both in school and in New York City. I often look back at that first show and think about all the silly, nervous mistakes I made. But what always makes very grateful is knowing that I had not had the chance to make those silly, nervous mistakes as a sophomore, I wouldn’t be nearly as confident and comfortable on stage as a senior. Being in the EC musicals has changed what I want to do with the rest of my life. I will be entering a vocal performance/ opera program in college which I hope to use in the musical theater world after graduation.
