Eastern Christian High School is more than a school. It is more than a place to get involved with sports. It is a home. Since the opening of Eastern Christian, it has been a home to thousands of students and will continue to be for years to come.
- Amanda
- Class of 2020
Amanda
Class of 2020
Eastern Christian High School is more than a school. It is more than a place to get involved with sports. It is a home. Since the opening of Eastern Christian, it has been a home to thousands of students and will continue to be for years to come.
If you were to say this to me four years ago, I would have responded with, “Are you crazy?” Now, as a senior, looking back on my time at Eastern Christian, I can confidently say that this school has become my second home. I often make myself laugh when I think about how I was when I started high school and how I am now, finally graduating.
Four years ago, when I was told that I was attending Eastern Christian, I was nothing less than angry and disappointed. I was feeling these emotions because my friends from my eighth grade class were attending other schools. Attending Eastern Christian meant a new start, new building, new people, new teachers, and an entirely different experience. My whole life, up until that point, was comfortable; I had attended my town public schools which meant the same friends, classmates, and experiences for years. I was not ready to give that up and attend a school where I knew only a few people, including my older brother and his friends. Little did I know that God had a plan for my time at Eastern Christian. A plan that I would have never imagined or thought for myself.
The first few weeks of my freshman year were rough. I felt uncomfortable in the halls and in the classrooms. I remember being in Mr. Dykstra’s writing class and thinking to myself, “Don’t worry, in a few weeks everything will be different. Just hang on to that”. At the time, I couldn’t latch onto that idea, but as time went on my words slowly became true. As the year continued, I made more friends, joined many different clubs and sports teams, created amazing relationships with teachers, and built the foundation for my relationship with Christ. By the end of the year, I was disappointed that summer had come so soon! Throughout that summer, I waited patiently and eagerly for the start of another year at Eastern Christian.
Sophomore year was nothing less than amazing and filled with many opportunities, including my first mission trip to Kansas City, Missouri. It was on that mission trip, that I absolutely fell in love with missionary work. Now, I realize that if I attended the same schools as my friends, I would have never been able to go on mission trips and my relationship with Christ would have remained weak.
Junior year was something special. I was challenged in the classroom, supported in the beginning of the college process, and encouraged to travel abroad. In September of junior year, we were introduced to the new locations of the mission trips. Immediately, I was drawn to Tanzania. My family supported my decision and all of my teachers encouraged me throughout the fundraising process. Without Eastern Christian, I would have never been able to travel to Africa. A place that I now hold so dear to my heart. A place that I plan to go back to after I get my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
Lastly, senior year. A year that was long anticipated for, but turned out completely different. In the beginning of this year, my class and I could not wait for the end of the year. Why? Because Eastern Christian always celebrates seniors in the most special ways; those include senior breakfasts, senior celebration night, graduation, senior prom, and so on. Although, the year of 2020 had other plans for us. Being quarantined and confined to online school has shown me that Eastern Christian means more to me than I ever realized. This time has always shown me how much can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Although this experience is not how I imagined my senior year to end, I am still so incredibly thankful for the efforts of this school to celebrate my class and I. I will forever love this school more than I could ever express. Thank you Eastern Christian, for the best four years of my life. I will miss you.
Eastern Christian High School is more than a school. It is more than a place to get involved with sports. It is a home. Since the opening of Eastern Christian, it has been a home to thousands of students and will continue to be for years to come.
If you were to say this to me four years ago, I would have responded with, “Are you crazy?” Now, as a senior, looking back on my time at Eastern Christian, I can confidently say that this school has become my second home. I often make myself laugh when I think about how I was when I started high school and how I am now, finally graduating.
Four years ago, when I was told that I was attending Eastern Christian, I was nothing less than angry and disappointed. I was feeling these emotions because my friends from my eighth grade class were attending other schools. Attending Eastern Christian meant a new start, new building, new people, new teachers, and an entirely different experience. My whole life, up until that point, was comfortable; I had attended my town public schools which meant the same friends, classmates, and experiences for years. I was not ready to give that up and attend a school where I knew only a few people, including my older brother and his friends. Little did I know that God had a plan for my time at Eastern Christian. A plan that I would have never imagined or thought for myself.
The first few weeks of my freshman year were rough. I felt uncomfortable in the halls and in the classrooms. I remember being in Mr. Dykstra’s writing class and thinking to myself, “Don’t worry, in a few weeks everything will be different. Just hang on to that”. At the time, I couldn’t latch onto that idea, but as time went on my words slowly became true. As the year continued, I made more friends, joined many different clubs and sports teams, created amazing relationships with teachers, and built the foundation for my relationship with Christ. By the end of the year, I was disappointed that summer had come so soon! Throughout that summer, I waited patiently and eagerly for the start of another year at Eastern Christian.
Sophomore year was nothing less than amazing and filled with many opportunities, including my first mission trip to Kansas City, Missouri. It was on that mission trip, that I absolutely fell in love with missionary work. Now, I realize that if I attended the same schools as my friends, I would have never been able to go on mission trips and my relationship with Christ would have remained weak.
Junior year was something special. I was challenged in the classroom, supported in the beginning of the college process, and encouraged to travel abroad. In September of junior year, we were introduced to the new locations of the mission trips. Immediately, I was drawn to Tanzania. My family supported my decision and all of my teachers encouraged me throughout the fundraising process. Without Eastern Christian, I would have never been able to travel to Africa. A place that I now hold so dear to my heart. A place that I plan to go back to after I get my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
Lastly, senior year. A year that was long anticipated for, but turned out completely different. In the beginning of this year, my class and I could not wait for the end of the year. Why? Because Eastern Christian always celebrates seniors in the most special ways; those include senior breakfasts, senior celebration night, graduation, senior prom, and so on. Although, the year of 2020 had other plans for us. Being quarantined and confined to online school has shown me that Eastern Christian means more to me than I ever realized. This time has always shown me how much can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Although this experience is not how I imagined my senior year to end, I am still so incredibly thankful for the efforts of this school to celebrate my class and I. I will forever love this school more than I could ever express. Thank you Eastern Christian, for the best four years of my life. I will miss you.