Highland Cornerstones Summer 2024 by HighlandAcademy

ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR…..

Shelly Miller

Message from the

Principal

Dear Alumni,

I hope this letter finds you well. It is with great excitement that I share some exciting updates about the latest capital improvement projects going on this summer. Our campus is undergoing significant enhancements that include renovating the library into the new student center and road paving to several areas of campus. We anticipate these improvements will greatly benefit current and future students, faculty and the broader community.

The construction of our new student center is the final project in what has been a three-phase Ad building remodel. Phase one included the new welcome center and updates to the finance office. Phase two included the renovation of our new conference room. And now phase three, the new student center. This space will serve as a central hub for student life, offering a variety of spaces designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and engagement. The new center will include a modern study area with lounge spaces, classroom space, two designated study rooms for meetings or quiet study, and computer workstations. We believe this center will become a vibrant focal point for our students and is a testament to our commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience.

In addition to the new student center, we are also undertaking significant road paving and infrastructure improvements across campus. These upgrades will ensure safer, more efficient, and aesthetically pleasing roadways for everyone who visits or resides on campus. The improved roadways will enhance accessibility and provide a more welcoming environment for everyone.

These projects are made possible by the generous support of alumni and the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference. We are incredibly grateful for your continued dedication and contributions. Your investment in our institution helps us maintain and enhance the high standards of education and community life that define Highland Academy.

Thank you for being an integral part of our community and we invite you to visit the campus and see these exciting improvements firsthand. Together, we are building a brighter future. Your support keeps helping us always moving towards something better.

Blessings,

Chadd Watkins Principal

Shelly Miller

Alumnus of the Year

Our alumnus of the year, Shelly Miller is a 12-year alumnus of Highland Elementary and Academy who graduated with the class of 2004. Upon graduation, it became abundantly clear to those who knew her well that her dream was to return and serve at the school that had greatly influenced her. The place and the people were difference-makers in her life.

When Shelly applied to Southern Adventist University and had to choose a major, all she could think about was how much she loved being at HA, so she decided to become a teacher and come back one day. That dream became a reality in 2008; after she graduated from SAU, an opportunity to serve as a math and science teacher became available. It was everything she had hoped for and represented some of the best memories of her life. It’s hard to pick a favorite memory, Shelly recalls, but she loved all the trips, from seeing Kennedy Space Center as a freshman on a music tour to a senior year mission trip to Honduras. She remembers while waiting for others to

return to the bus, Mr. Ingersoll pulled out a Nerf football and threw it to her. She said,

“We played many games of catch after that, and he made me feel seen and valued.”

In 2016, her own family began to grow, to the point where her new full-time job was to be a mom, and the difficult decision of stepping away was made. Now, after not one, not two, not three, not four, and certainly after miracle baby number 5, no more new additions are expected in the Miller family. As you can imagine, 5 children ages 10,8,6,4 and almost 2 keep everyone busy, but being away from teaching has not prevented our alumnus of the year from remaining involved in Highland and our community.

Shelly serves as bells clinician at our annual KY-TN Conference music festival, helps in various Sabbath School classrooms, directs our Adventurer Club, and is an avid supporter of the many school activities at Highland Academy. Her love for Jesus and Highland Academy oozes out of her, and this is why we are proud to have Shelly Haviland Miller as our 2024 Alumnus of the Year.

Braden Mulford, FOUNDING FATHER

AN INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT DITTES

By Kathy Smith Ross´91

We had another set down with our local Adventist historian, Albert Dittes, to learn more about the humble beginnings of Highland Academy.

We hope you are enjoying reading these articles, and we would love to hear from you with your stories about your time at Highland Academy. We thank Albert Dittes and Kathy Smith Ross for their time and writings to share with others and keep our history alive.

Kathy: It’s nice to sit down with you again and talk about the early years of Highland Academy! Let’s go all the way back to the very beginning and learn about Braden Mulford. As an introduction, tell us who he was in relation to Highland.

Albert: We might call Braden Mulford the founder of what is now the Highland Adventist Community. He had the vision to extend the Seventh-day Adventist mission to the then-underprivileged southeastern United States in an area still recovering from the Civil War ravages. He also had the ability to rally his family and friends around him to help raise money to buy a farm. This was begun as a self-supporting work, by growing their own crops for food, then starting a school. Their collective goal was to reach out to the community, not only through starting an elementary school for kids with no school to go to, but also reach the adults in the community through teaching them better farming methods and, later, meeting health care needs. They were part of a great lay movement in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, missionaries working without conference salaries. Ordained ministers visited them, of course.

Kathy: What was Braden Mulford doing with his life before he felt God’s call to missionary work in the rural South?

Albert: Brother Mulford came from the Midwest, being born near Essex, Iowa, on Oct. 26, 1880. He started as a merchant but later said he wanted a classical education in higher mathematics and science. Having just become an Adventist, he went to Berrien Springs (Michigan) with that in mind, and enrolled at Emmanuel Missionary College, which had just moved into a rural part of the state from world-famous Battle Creek. I will quote him describing his experience there: “I was surprised on reaching there to find the dean of the school in high boots with a pick and shovel, and the president was taking a lively interest in the dairy and farm. I began to see another side of education.”

He then went to Madison in the fall of 1904, following educators Edward A. Sutherland and Percy T. Magan after they resigned as president and dean of Emmanuel Missionary College. They made agriculture (or a farm) part of the educational curriculum and also wanted to have a sanitarium on campus, something the board did not allow them to do in Berrien Springs.

Mulford continues “Later, I came to Madison, where I found a school on a 400-acre farm. I was still looking forward to a college education but found it was not an ordinary college. I

found in operation a plan that God has wonderfully blessed, for here were college men and women teaching young people by precept and example to make an old farm blossom as a rose. It is the experience of those days that has held me all these years.”

Kathy: That’s quite a testimony! He went to Berrien Springs and Madison looking for one type of education, but then recognized God’s design for true education and embraced it. And then God used him to replicate it! If he arrived in Madison in 1904, it sounds like he was a charter member of what would become Madison College?

Albert: Yes, He arrived as one of the first students. The teachers and students alike lived plainly and simply on the rundown farm, which is the current site of Madison Academy. Some people lived in former slave quarters known as Probation Hall until housing could be built. He spent two years there, learning about agricultural practices, industry, and health reform, among other valuable lessons.

Kathy: Two years doesn’t seem like very long. I like the practical learning combined with studies implemented in the Sutherland and Magan education method rather than just theoretical learning. Two years didn’t seem very long, but he had gathered enough knowledge and experience to leave Madison and start his own “mission.” How did Mr. Mulford decide where to begin his school? What were his criteria for an ideal location?

Albert: He was one of the first Madison students to go out and start a “unit” based on the Madison model. He and another student--Charles Alden--started a school on Bethel Road near Millersville. (I discovered it by looking through a cemetery directory and spotted the name Alden Cemetery. It is a bit overgrown, but you can see it on Bethel Road as you drive from State Route 31W to I-65.) The neighbors didn’t think these Adventists had anything to offer them, but then Alden and Mulford showed them how to grow crops productively.

A year later, he decided to go out on his own and looked for a farm by renting a horse and buggy in Gallatin. At the end of two or three days, he always wound up at a farm for sale near Fountain Head. Neighborhood children telling him they “ain’t got no school to go to” clinched his decision to buy it.

Kathy: Once Mr. Mulford began his work at Fountain Head/ Highland, what was Phase 1, so to speak, of the operation?

Albert: One of the first things he did was to marry his sweetheart, Miss Pearl West, then teaching at an Adventist college in South Africa. Her brother, Forrest West, and his wife, Lula Mulford, Braden’s sister, also joined the group, along with a few others. The first order of business was to grow their food on the farm, Mr. West taking charge of this operation. (An old timer once told me that Mr. West was a great farmer that others in the community came to for advice.) The earliest mention of the Fountain Head enterprise in the Southern Union newsletter mentioned Pearl Mulford conducting a living room school for children of the staff. Other neighborhood kids heard about it and then joined, and that was the origin of what is now Highland Elementary and Academy. They put up a building and organized themselves into a church in 1909. Then, medical needs in the community inspired them to start the first sanitarium of its kind in Sumner County. The daughter of the Wests told me that came along in 1913, but the nearest official announcement I could find was in a 1916 Southern Union paper.

Kathy: Once all that was established, what was the next phase?

How did Mr. Mulford get acquainted and mingle with the Portland community?

Albert: He and Mrs. Mulford returned to Madison and retooled as nurses and connected with the community through the sanitarium and agricultural meetings. They also accepted a few boarding students, but they worked hard to be part of the community. I once saw a letter exchange between Mr. Mulford and one of the community leaders regarding the construction of State Highway 109.

Kathy: He was willing to mingle with people for their good, just like our Example, Jesus. That is truly inspiring for us today!

Once Mr. Mulford was well acquainted with the community, did that open up further doors of opportunity to share truth and healthy living?

Albert: Yes, it did. The locals appreciated the sanitarium and admired their farming methods.

“I went into a backwoods section and took the poorest farm in the country,” Mulford wrote. “People pitied us and said we had made a mistake, for nothing could be grown on that old farm. Today, we are raising peaches equal to those that grow in California. We have luxuriant alfalfa and soybeans that grow shoulder-high. Our barns are filled with hay. When I started for Fountain Head, the station agent at Madison told me I was going there to starve to death. He knew I did not eat pork or use tobacco. My weight is normal. I have lived nearly a quarter

century on the hill and have neither eaten meat, raised tobacco, nor made whiskey. “It is a wonderful thing to be an evangelist and preach the Word. Let us, with the same enthusiasm, supplement the work of the pulpit in our rural homes and sanitariums and in the cultivation of the soil of our farms.”

Kathy: Wow! This is such a testimony to what God’s power can do through a willing person. He modeled deliberate mingling with the people for their good. Thank you so much for sharing Braden Mulford’s story with us and the beginnings of our beloved Highland! Is there anything else you’d like to add about Mr. Mulford?

Albert: Braden and Pearl Mulford directed the Fountain Head Rural School for 30 years but never recovered from a 1935 fire destroying the sanitarium, which had become their financial base. They left their beloved institution in 1937, but their successors could not restore it to stability. The KentuckyTennessee Conference assumed operation of it in 1945 and changed the name of everything on campus to Highland. The focus changed to attracting students from the churches within the conference territory.

Kathy: It sounds like there are a lot more Highland stories to explore! I look forward to next time!

By Stephanie Rufo

On the early morning of Wednesday, February 14, 2024, a group of seven students, two Highland staff members, and one parent boarded a 7:10 am flight to BaltimoreWashington to attend the Washington Adventist University Musicfest (WAU) for the first time. Once we arrived, we collected all the students and headed to luggage pickup where one of the flight attendants found us to give us items left on the plane. Once all items were collected and put away, we headed to the car rental area. We managed to squeeze everyone and everything into a van and headed to the hotel that WAU had arranged for us about 30 minutes away. Because our flight was scheduled so early, Mr. Alvarez, the Highland Academy music teacher, arranged for the group to tour the Museum of Air and Space. We saw the Capital Building Washington Monument as we drove around the city trying to find parking and saw a few other little sites along the way. We had a few laughs as we tried to enter a parking garage that looked too small for our passenger van height and had to back out. Some of the students decided to try their hand at motorized scooters and bikes, riding around the museum block with some success and some not as much overall, it was a fun afternoon.

The musicians hit the ground running once we arrived that evening at WAU for registration! The school faculty were well organized and had a few mixer games to start the evening. The professional conductors/ instructors broke students into groups such as choir or strings, and our seven students headed to the band rehearsal area. Throughout the week, students could sign up for private and group sessions. Some of our students participated in the scholarship auditions, and others enjoyed the group breakouts. Bailey Darrell, a senior, loved meeting new people and said it was worth the travel simply for the experience. She enjoyed stretching her musical abilities by working alongside experienced people. Darrell found the campus welcoming and very inclusive. She believes everyone should take advantage of attending the event and learning.

Sam Fernandes, a senior, was still determining where he would attend college. WAU was added to his list when he received a musical scholarship of $40,000. The scholarship, combined with

other academic scholarships and the experience of being on campus and interacting with the musical staff were reasons Sam decided to attend Washington Adventist University this coming fall. Fernandes said the experience was like no other and that anyone who loves music should participate in a music fest.

Another student, Shara Juanita Cabrales, also a senior, was surprised with a scholarship of $28,000. Shara auditioned with Dr. Clark, the band director, playing her clarinet, but her talents don’t end there: she also plays violin, piano and guitar. Cabrales says of her experience, “It was amazing! It was great! The clinics and practices helped me to grow my music skills.” She enjoyed being around others who love music as much as

visiting the Washington DC area and WAU. She plans to attend WAU because of everything it has to offer her as a musician.

As the music director of Highland Academy, Haroldo Alvarez was pleasantly surprised and thought it was an excellent opportunity for our students to work under capable instructors with much higher levels of instruction than students will ever do in high school. It just took them to the next level of learning. The event was well organized, and he was delighted with the performance level of the final concert. Highland Academy will again attend the WAU music festival if the schedule permits giving students more opportunities to grow musically. We look forward to a new group of students experiencing a college-level MusicFest.

After being at Highland for three weeks, I stood in line to use the wall pay phone in the girl’s dorm to call home. I first dialed 0, then the number for a collect call. My mom answered and accepted the call. Nowadays, we can say, “Hey Siri, call mom!” How things have changed. I told her, “Mom, I want to come home. I am homesick, and I miss you, and I love you!” She said, “Teresa, this is the best place for you!” I am so glad my mom encouraged me to stay because now, 44 years later, I can say she was right: Highland was the best place for me!

I was 13 when I moved to the Highland Academy campus in 1980. My dear, sweet little mom directed me to attend, and as members of the Owensboro church, we knew some students who had previously attended and were happy with the school. We visited the campus before school started to see where I’d be living. When it was time for school to start, my mom and sister moved me into my room to get settled. After they drove off, I remember walking into the administration building, Ray Hall, looking at all the graduates from 1950 and 1951, and thinking, “Wow, that was a long time ago.” I now wonder what the 2024 graduates would say about the class of 1984. I met with Ms. Proctor (librarian and PE teacher) to help me start my job on campus in the library. I also worked at Wilks Publications to help pay for my tuition. During the summers, I cleaned houses, worked at a fast-food restaurant and worked at my dad’s car lot for my tuition deposits.

I want to say that I am grateful to God for His love, forgiveness, mercy and grace because my father drank heavily throughout my first 14 years of life, which caused us to run and hide on many occasions from fear of being hurt by him. One memory that stands out is the summer after my freshman year when we were almost killed by him at gunpoint. After my mom was finally able to get the key in the ignition of the car after several attempts in the heat of the exchange, she drove towards my dad to run him over in survival desperation. By God’s grace, I turned the wheel before she hit him. Highland introduced me to a different life.

I want to honor my mom every day for her faith in God, as this decision changed the trajectory of my life. I also want to share that I am grateful my dad stopped drinking and reconnected to God. I also want to honor all parents who have made the decision to send their children to Highland, as we all share in the love of God. As I look back at my time at Highland, I am grateful for my

lifetime friends and share in the beautiful memories of worship, snow skiing in Colorado, gymnastics tours, intramural sports, banquets, retreats at Indian Creek Camp, game nights in the gym, senior class trip to Washington DC, working at Wilks Publications, plays, getting to stay up watching Charlie’s Angels our senior year, our chant “1984 forevermore” and mainly developing love for one another through God.

After graduation, my career path led me to graduate from Southern Adventist University, known back then as Southern College. Then I went to the University of Tennessee in 1989, obtaining a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology, then to Loma Linda University, finishing a Master of Physical Therapy Degree in 1995. I wanted to learn advanced physical therapy skills, so I went to the University of South Australia and finished another Master’s degree called Manipulative Physiotherapy. I continued my education and completed the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2005 at Loma Linda University. With God’s direction, I opened a physical therapy practice in Redlands, CA, with a colleague in 2003. There, I can share Jesus’ love with my patients every day.

I want to thank the past, present and future teachers, and staff and all the deep lives that make this academy help us run the race. To past, present, and future students with many background stories about how God helped them, as we are connected by God, and our belief in Jesus. No matter where I go, one thing is for sure: my mom’s faith in God and placing me at Highland opened the door for a lifetime of learning and an eternal connection to Jesus. My dear, sweet little mom finished the race on July 30, 2023.

I watched her fight the good fight for 22 years with Parkinson’s syndrome, and she kept the faith. I feel God granted me the abilities as a PT to help her all those years. She also lived with me in California for six years, which I feel made up for the time lost when I was away getting my education. God allowed me to help her cross the finish line at the end of her earthly life, and now she is resting in Jesus, awaiting God’s trumpet to sound. A reunion beyond our imagination.

After she died, I had the same feeling of being separated from her after moving to Highland Academy at the beginning of my freshman year in 1980. I stood in line at the wall pay phone and dialed 0, a collect call to God. He answered and accepted my call. I told Him I was homesick for mom, and I miss her, and I love her. He said, “Teresa, this is the best place for her.”

By Edith Allen

n the school year of 1945-1946, my hometown friend and I were students at Pine Forest Academy (PFA) in Chunky, Mississippi. My friend had attended the year before as a sophomore, but I never had the privilege of attending a Seventh-Day Adventist academy due to the cost. I learned from her that if I contacted the principal at PFA, there could be a way to start working in the summer and continuing through the school year. Oh, what a delight to have an opportunity and to follow through with it. This contact was made early in 1945, and I have never regretted the blessings of this decision.

In early 1946, we both learned we would not qualify to graduate twelfth grade from PFA because the school was not state-accredited, so we would have to repeat the grade to receive our diploma. We continued to work and pray, making contacts for the 19461947 term. Among those contacts was the announcement that a new academy was opening in the KentuckyTennessee Conference in the Nashville area. We turned in an application and were accepted to be students. As my

we got off the bus at the closest city we could, since there was no transportation directly to Highland. As we waited, not knowing what to do next, we were still determined to find a way to our new school. Fortunately, there was a small pay phone area at the bus station, so we followed the instructions, and after a while, someone from the academy picked us and others up. As we drove up to the school, it was a surprise as we noticed several buildings. Every one of them except for a dining hall, laundry and clinic were used to accommodate the young ladies as a place to live and prepare for school. The young men had a “tent city” for their sleeping place. Their accommodation was in a field near the first part of the construction of the administration building.

By: Maggie Carlson

There were no dormitory accommodations as the brochures had advertised, but you know, as young folk, we were thrilled about the progress so far. We buckled down and ultimately had an excellent start to this new adventure in a new school.

To help with the cost of school, I received the challenge of the

colporteur director to canvass and build a scholarship. I did this faithfully and never regretted the supreme dedication and demand required. The Lord honored me with a scholarship, and I was privileged to graduate from the academy, which was unnamed until after school was underway and a campaign to name it was presented. Gloris Thompson “won” with the name “Highland Academy.”

Because of the vision of the founding fathers and first principal, William Sandborn, I did graduate on June 1, 1947, with my friend and friends that I met along the way. We were the first graduating class of Highland Academy. There is no doubt that challenges were continually happening, but those who believed in Highland stayed with it and now have become a vital piece in our history.

Mr. William Sandborn, staff of the 1946-47 school year, and graduates of the 1946-47 school year, all that have come after you are truly thankful for your willingness to accept new adventures of the first school year, laying the groundwork for everything we now know and love about our Highland Academy.

Chadd Watkins, current Principal at Highland Academy, has been a part of Highland Academy’s staff since 2008. He has influenced the community with his leadership skills through various jobs. Watkins is the father of two children, Camdon and Carson, and the husband of Nikie Watkins. Throughout those 15 years, he has encouraged and influenced countless students.

Watkins graduated from Southern Adventist University in 2002 with a Physical Education, Health and Wellness degree. Before being hired to teach at Highland Academy, he worked for Madison Academy for a few years as a PE teacher. In 2008, Watkins was hired as boys’ dean, Vice Principal, Physical Education/Gymnix, and Health and Wellness teacher. In January of 2014, Watkins transitioned into the position of Principal. This year, 2024, is the tenth anniversary of his leadership as Principal at Highland.

When asked about the transition in January to Principal, Watkins said, “I love my school. We were going through some hard times, and I felt called to step up and do it.” When he stepped into the position, it was on an interim basis: a temporary spot to get them through the end of the school year while they looked for another capable employee. He said, “When the time came to decide whether I was going to remain principal, they asked me to remain, so I chose to keep going in that direction.” He never chose the principal job, but “I can see in the past where God has afforded me leadership opportunities in various areas, whether it be summer camp or teaching. I just felt called to serve.”

Watkins’ favorite memories as Principal are too many to list. He loves the students, the staff, the interaction, and the activities that are part of the academy life each and every day. “My favorite memories always involve the students, just being with them,

building relationships, and having fun together,” he shared. Students are always enthusiastic when greeting him, challenging him, asking him questions, or simply asking how his week has been. The great thing about Watkins is that he responds right back to them with his own challenges and questions.

Watkins’ transitioning into Principal showed him that there was much more work to the job than he was aware. “There’s a lot more things that come across my desk that I never thought would be something that I would have to deal with or address,” he said. One trait that has helped him through his position is being mindful of time and prioritizing his family. He has consistently recognized that the job takes a lot of work, but he has also managed his time so he can read a devotional and find time to do the

things he enjoys getting outside, birdwatching, or playing golf. “Trying to find balance is always a challenge,” he explained.

Mr. Watkins is passionate about making a way for anyone wanting to attend Highland Academy. Though it is something most will worry about in their life; Watkins doesn’t want future students to worry about finances. There are a lot of students who would love to be at Highland Academy and would really benefit from being in the environment that the school has created. “It is expensive, but he said I would love to find a way to somehow come up with this financial fix that would make it that much easier for students that wanted to be here.”

One of his favorite aspects of Highland Academy is that “Highland has been a great place to raise my family. I love the people here: the people I get to work with. I love interacting with the students and feel like we have a good family here. It’s not that we don’t have challenges, but I feel like people are intentional about how they treat each other by being encouraging and supportive.” All of these things contribute to making Highland Academy a really great place to be, and everyone here has a role to play in that.

Ten years is a long time, but it has been worth it for Principal Watkins. Sadly, he can’t work forever, so when he retires, many tears will be shed, especially from past and current students. Hopefully, Highland Academy will be blessed by his presence for many years to come.

By Lulu Lopez

Being a teacher is one of the most selfless jobs a person can choose. Teachers exist to build a legacy for their students, and it takes dedication and passion for educators, especially because they have committed their lives to shaping young minds. Mr. Kenneth Hallam is a prime example of these characteristics here at Highland Academy. His love for history, English literature, music, and storytelling has significantly impacted those who enter his classroom. Because of how he expresses his joy about the things he loves, Hallam has become an unforgettable person to his students and those who know him. As he embarks on the next part of his life, retirement, it feels right to reflect and take these moments to remember him.

Mr. Hallam attended Grand Rapids Junior Academy until the 10th grade, then went to public school before entering Cedar Lake Academy in Michigan for his senior year. He then went to Andrews University, where he pursued a major in English and a minor in history. Looking back, his favorite year of high school was his senior year because he was in an Adventist Academy and was very involved: he was an editor for Cedar Log, a school newspaper, joined drama and was elected president, enjoyed traveling with the Youth for Eternity group that visited area churches, speaking and providing music. He tried running for SA President as the new kid, and even though he did not win, he made good friends and had a lot of fun.

A fun fact about Hallam and his wife, Suzy Hallam, was that they knew each other from attending the same church. Mrs. Hallam’s grandmother tells a story of Mr. Hallam kicking Suzy’s chair in cradle roll and little Suzy turning around to sternly tell the boy, “Leave my chair alone!” They never socialized as they both attended different schools. It wasn’t until he noticed her as a teenager and thought she had beautiful hair that he asked her to a New Year’s Eve party. It didn’t take long for him to realize this was the girl he would marry. They have been married for almost 54 years, so the dating tip from Mr. Hallam is, “If you are looking for a wife, mess with her chair, or maybe not!”

Da Wei in grades 9-12. “I loved working, and one of my favorite things to do was grade papers. She always had a huge stack of papers that needed to be graded. Oh, I loved doing it, so we had a great working relationship.”

Hallam knew he wanted to be a teacher from a young age. He decided that as early as the third grade. He says, “The true spark of my inspiration was my mom. She read to me every night, and I fell in love with literature, especially Edward Eggleston’s The Hoosier Schoolmaster, and many poetry books.

“To know Hallam is to know he loves literature and history. Some of his alltime favorite books include Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” and Corrie Ten Boom’s “A Hiding Place.” When Hallam talks of literature, his face lights up, and you can’t help but be inspired.

teaching.

While at Andrews University, he recalls his student teaching at Andrews Academy, working with Mrs. Davis

Hallam has been teaching for 45 years, and when asked what he is going to miss the most about being a teacher, his wife quickly responded, “Being the center of attention,” but he said, “Being the one in charge.” Hallam said, “Now Mrs. Hallam and I will argue about who’s in charge, and hopefully, I’ll win.” I think Mrs. Hallam is winning this one, but don’t tell Mr. Hallam!

When he arrived at Highland Academy 11 years ago, Mr. Hallam loved his freedom as a teacher to talk about God and have devotionals with his students daily. He didn’t get to share his love for Jesus or correlate literature to the Bible when he worked in a public school, so that became a special part of his teaching practice.

The Hallams enjoyed living on the Highland campus, because their house became home to many students, especially their grandchildren’s friends. They loved how students would stop by and ask for ice cream, Mrs. Hallam’s

character is a reflection of God’s love, not just because of his passion for his job but also because of his love for students, staff, and family. While his presence will be missed at Highland Academy, his legacy of kindness, wisdom, and faith will continue to inspire generations. As Hallam starts a new phase, we give him our most heartfelt thank you for his neverending dedication and wish him abundant blessings in all his plans.

Mr. HallaM

By Tanyaradzwa lunga

The Hallam’s plans for retirement are moving closer to their children, and starting another garden in their new home. So far, he says the worst part about retiring has been unpacking all the boxes. They are both very excited about this new chapter of their lives. Hallam said, “Eventually, it will dawn on me that I won’t be in the classroom, and that will make me sad.” Hallam says that he taught for so long because he never fell out of love with teaching. He always loved it.

Mr. Hallam’s retirement is bittersweet. Not only has he taught his students English literature and history, but he also managed to teach his students the values of compassion and faith and a good song. His impact extends far beyond what was taught inside the classroom.

Finally, his advice for future staff at Highland is to “Never stop telling stories about Jesus.” He believes Jesus is the center of everything, especially teaching. Mr. Hallam’s

In tHe Hall of HIgHland acadeMy, a Melody sweeT, a syMpHony, guIded By a soul, kInd and true Mr. HallaM, our frIend, BId adIeu. wItH notes of wIsdoM, He coMposed, In every HearT, HIs passIon enclosed. a lover of MusIc, a MenTor so dear. HIs guIdance ecHoed, crysTal clear. tHrougH every sTanza, every song. HIs dedIcatIon, forever strong. supportIng students, tHeIr dreaMs unfurled, In HIs Hands, tHe MusIc world twIrled. now as He steps To tHe applause’s call, leave BeHInd a cHerIsHed tHrall, we’ll reMeMBer HIs tune, HIs guIdIng lIgHT, as He ventures InTo tHe twIlIgHT. To Mr. HallaM, our Heartfelt cHeer, In every Melody, He’ll Be near. retIrIng wItH grace, HIs legacy BeaMs, In our Hearts, forever, HIs MusIc streaMs.

Corn Island, Nicaragua Missions Trip

By Adriel Garcia ‘24

This year, I had the opportunity to attend one of Highland Academy’s mission trips: Corn Island, Nicaragua. I have had the blessing of going to Corn Island once before, and it was such a privilege to go again, help the locals, and reconnect with friends I made last year.

Our trip started in Portland, TN, at 2:45 in the morning. We drove from Highland to Nashville airport. After 5 hours, with a stop in Miami, we landed in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Our guide leader, Jon D’Avanzo, founder of Nica Ministries, met us at the airport. He was such a blessing to our group, but his work for Nicaragua’s people is an even bigger blessing. We stayed the night in the dorm at the Adventist University of Nicaragua, which is located in Managua. The dorm dean informed us to be on the lookout for critters (i.e., spiders, termites, and scorpions). People could be heard screaming for Pastor Will in the halls to have him kill a spider or insect. We did not sleep well that night as we were all worried about what we would encounter, and had to wake up at 3:45 for our flight to Corn Island. That flight took only about an hour and a half, and we were all relieved and excited when we finally landed at our destination for the week.

flag, show signs of patriotism, or government opposition. If they are caught, people are sent to jails where they torture and work prisoners to death.

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and the economy continues to decline.

During our trip, we learned a lot about how the people of Nicaragua live. They love to celebrate any occasion and are friendly, hospitable and hardworking. Their government has an ongoing crisis of human rights, and arrests of religious leaders and human rights defenders. Nicaragua has technically been considered a democracy. However, the country’s leaders have shown significant aspects of a totalitarian government. The vice president of Nicaragua is the president’s wife, so there is an apparent conflict of interest there.

In 2018, university students protested for changes to be brought forth in the government system. As a result, the police force shot and killed over 60 students and protestors (note that this number may not be accurate). Since then, the government has forced universities and institutions of higher education to close for good, including the local Adventist University in Managua. After the protests, the government seemed to collapse at an exponential rate. The people of Nicaragua are not even allowed to fly their

$1USD is equal to about 36 Nicaraguan Córdobas ($C). Things seemed cheap for us but were expensive for the locals. For example, a can of Sprite costs $C26, about $0.70 in the US, which seems exceptionally cheap, but it is not something the locals would often buy. The average Nicaraguan worker earns about $2,000-$4,000 a year. Sometimes, some people only earn about $C 350 a day (about $USD 10) for a full day’s work.

Corn Island is approximately 3.9 square miles in area. There are about 8-10,000 Hispanic and native Miskito residents. The people speak Spanish, English, Creole, and Miskito, the native language.

Our three main projects were planning and doing the kids’ Vacation Bible School, construction work, and community service. Our group split every morning: one would stay back and help prepare for the kids’ afternoon VBS. In contrast, the others went to the construction site to continue the new Adventist school.

The theme for the VBS was “Under the Sea,” so each night, it coincided with a sea animal. The arts and crafts were the kids’ favorite activities, second, of course, to snack time. I enjoyed spending time connecting with and making friends with the kids. It was my favorite part of the trip. It

was fantastic to spread Jesus’ message and love to His children. It was great to be able to see the impact we made. Every night, we had about 90-100 kids. Even though it got very chaotic at times, it was still so much fun, and such a blessing! We would bump into one of the kids from our VBS class wherever we went on the island. They always loved hanging out with us, playing, singing, or taking pictures. The connections we made with the kids were very fulfilling.

Toward the end of the week on Sabbath, we led the kids in front of the congregation in singing our theme song and the memory verse. The kids did a fantastic job, and the church was so proud of the kids’ accomplishments. After the service and the sermon, the pastor made an appeal. About 20 people decided to give their lives to Christ, including four girls from our group. Praise the Lord!

This trip taught me a lot. It taught me to be grateful for everything I have, trust in God more, love others and treat them as Jesus would. This whole trip could not have happened without people like you. Whether you donated money or kept us in your prayers, we would not have been able to go without your generosity and help. To learn more about Jon D’Avanzo’s work, please visit his organization’s website at https://www.nicaministries.com/.

Before Jesus left Earth after His remarkable ministry, He left us this command in Matthew 28:19-20: “So go out and make followers of all the people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of the age.”

Thank you again for all your support. Please keep Nica Ministries and the people of Nicaragua in your prayers. God bless!

Greetings friends!

One of the unique experiences of growing up in the Seventh-day Adventist church is how tightly interconnected the SDA community tends to be. This is especially true for those of us who have attended denominational schools. There have been many times in my life when I have met someone who attended Highland years or even decades before me and found that there is an immediate bond of fellowship based on our shared experiences. Truly we are blessed to be a part of this family.

As I write this letter, we have just wrapped up a wonderful Alumni Weekend at Highland Academy, celebrating honor classes from years ending in three and eight. It was good to see so many of you there. Some of my best friends from my time at Highland were in the class immediately ahead of mine, the class of ‘93. It was a pleasure to see so many of them back for their 30th anniversary honor year. For me, a special high point of the weekend was the music brought to us by our Sabbath speaker Jennifer (Halverson) Woody ’93, my friend and classmate Will Labrenz ’94, and my sister Christa Raines ’90.

For those of you who were unable to make it, please know that you were missed. We hope you will be able to join us next year as we honor classes from years ending in four and nine. Class of ’94, I’ll be looking for you!

Sincerely,

Aaron Raines ‘94, Alumni President

Melissa McCoy Weisner ‘89

Creating a Legacy

You’re sitting at the kitchen table. You and other family members are with you, praying that God sends some sort of miracle. Your heart pounds so loudly that you believe everyone in the room can hear it. This is it, though. This is what you decided needed to happen. God has tugged on your heartstrings, and you want it. You just have no idea how it’s going to happen. It’s impossible!

Then the phone rings as you say amen and look up. On the screen, you see Highland Academy, so you pick up the phone, wondering what the news might be on the other end of the call. “We have good news,” you hear the voice say. “We had a generous donor come through at the last minute, and your child will be able to attend with the additional financial support.”

Over the years, so many parents and students have been there waiting for this exact miracle. Currently, around 50% of the student body receives financial aid from the Worthy Student Fund. That does not count those who receive support from their local churches, family, and friends who help with tuition. When considering those students, the number receiving financial support of some kind goes up to include the majority of our student body. People from all walks of life from all over the country and around the world desire a Christian education for their children. They search not only for a safe place to send their student but for one that puts God and His mission first. The people who have given to the Worthy Student Fund at Highland Academy have blessed so many people. These students are their legacy.

Students who attend Highland Academy receive more than just a high school education. The students learn about God and are given the opportunity to exercise faith in various ways, whether through participating in mission trips, extracurricular activities, community outreach, or other less formal situations such as working with others on campus or learning how to have a roommate. Rosie Fernandez, a returning junior, shared, “My parents and I are forever grateful for the donors that made it possible for me to attend Highland Academy last year. This last year has truly helped me grow academically and spiritually. I hope others can experience the same.”

A returning sophomore, Jasmine Warren shared, “My walk in faith has grown because of the people who have donated money to make it possible for me to attend Highland Academy.” Recently graduated, Callian Southard, a four-year senior, shared how attending Highland would not have been possible without the assistance of worthy student funds. She said, “It pretty much saved me because my dad lost his job during my sophomore year, so I lost my subsidy. It was March, and I wouldn’t be able to finish the school year. We had been praying about it, but then Mr. Hillebert [finance director at the time] offered us enough to finish out the year. He told us that the school would help, because I needed to stay here.” Later, Southard received subsidy again, and was able to complete four full years, graduating with the class of 2024.

Jovan and Jolie Bibulovic found themselves in search of a safe school for their twins. They knew they wanted their children to attend a Christian school and had few options close to them. Private schools were available, but Jolie Bibulovic expressed a desire for more than safety and a Christian environment. They decided they needed a school that would align with all of their values, so the search began for a boarding Adventist school. Bibulovic stated, “I started looking when the kids were in 7th grade…so I was checking into every boarding school across the nation.” She said she was at the Highland Academy graduation of 2020 to support her nephew who was graduating when she decided on Highland. “It was at Benjamin’s graduation that cinched it for me,” she said. “His graduation had been postponed to July because of the Covid lockdown. I had such a positive feeling about the school that weekend. I liked what I heard about activities, staff, and school trips. I found myself thinking I could actually put my kids there and feel good about putting them in the care of the staff.”

The issue for the Bibulovics, like many others, was figuring out how to make it work. Sending two students at once to a boarding school can be financially difficult. This was a concern for them as well. They faced “lots of sacrifice and help from family,” Bibulovic shared. “I honestly don’t know how we could have done it without the financial aid. We would have had to go into debt, get a loan, take equity from the house or something.” Without the aid, “our debt would have been massive,” she said. As she spoke about all her family has done to make this opportunity possible for both of her children, she said, “I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of those who are able to give to help my kids and other kids to be in a Christian Adventist school where they get a good education, caring faculty and staff, amazing opportunities, and a whole lot of God.” Her students will be graduating this upcoming year with the class of 2025. They will have spent four successful years at Highland.

You make the difference. Graduates of Highland Academy, you have created a legacy by not only graduating from here, and taking God with you wherever you go, but by making it possible for so many more to follow. We as staff and students thank you and cannot wait to see more of the difference you make in the lives of students as you continue to contribute to the Worthy Student Fund. These stories and more will continue to be told in the next edition of The Cornerstones.