Cougar Now, Summer 2020, Volume 14

V O L . 14 • S U M M E R 2020

WELCOME FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP

in this issue

Greetings and updates from Monty Ortman and Jeff Blake.

ALL ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2020

Congratulations to our Seniors...and recognizing honors!

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Showcasing two of our 14 Senior Capstone projects.

CONNECTING DURING COVID How PC adapted to a new learning environment and a most unusual Spring!

GIVING PARTNERS

Celebrating our generous donors and supporters!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Meet Sam Woods, Class of 2018.

PHOENIX CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL Schedule a visit!

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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ACCREDITATION UPDATE Phoenix Christian is excited to announce that we received official notification in May 2020 of our accreditation renewal.

The accreditation renewal process consists of a 5-year cycle of review and a self-study culminated by an on-site visit. Phoenix Christian is dually accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International and Cognia, which partners with 36,000 educational institutions across the U.S. and 70 other nations.

At the conclusion of the on-site visit and review, Phoenix Christian received ten major commendations celebrating our vision and mission of educating the minds, forming the hearts, and equipping the hands of students in a Christ-centered atmosphere which is lived out each and every day at Phoenix Christian.

Phoenix Christian also received five major recommendations as we continue to pursue excellence and growth over the next five years. The recommendations include an increase in instructional, informational, and technology resources and ongoing professional development for all faculty and staff. Phoenix Christian has embraced these recommendations and we have already begun pursuing improvement as we move into the 2020-2021 school years. We purchased all new K-12 history textbooks, K-5 science curriculum, and over 50 new Chromebooks and computers.

Phoenix Christian is in the midst of an exciting time as we lay out our vision for the next season. We are a school on the move, and we invite you to join us as we aggressively pursue the goals and vision set before us.

- Jeannine Graden, MS/HS Principal

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CELEBRATING THE GENEROSITY OF OUR PARENTS, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Five years ago, Phoenix Christian Preparatory School was in serious organizational and financial trouble. After much prayer and many who responded, we were able to bring together a group of donors, some who knew PC and some who just believed in Christian education, to loan the school enough money to help sustain our campus for a few years going forward. That loan was due in 2020. “To God Be the Glory”, the school was able to secure conventional financing early in the year to pay back the “Christian Brothers” loan! Once again, I say thank you to those who stepped up at a critical time in our school’s history! You are part of those who will someday hear, “well done, thou good and faithful servant!”

Thankfully, the Giving Tree Live Auction and Gala happened right before the COVID shut-down. A large group of PC supporters gathered on campus to hear encouraging stories from parents, students and teachers and to raise a significant amount of money for the school. Many thanks to the sponsors, team of parents, students, staff, teachers, volunteers and donors. It was a beautiful evening and hugely successful, raising over $300,000!

To the Alumni: Your board has felt for many years that Phoenix Christian needed a liaison with a consistent voice and more personal contact with our great group of alumni.

Even during these unprecedented challenges, we decided that now was the time to create the position of Director of Alumni Relations! You will be hearing more about this role in the

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weeks to come. Stay tuned for new communication and creative ways to connect with the school and to each other!

Finally, one of the obvious unknowns ahead is the changing landscape of the pandemic that our country is facing. Jeff Blake and his team have been working diligently to prepare the campus for the 2020-21 school year. They will certainly respond to the changing data as it becomes available. Safety for students, teachers and staff will be the priority for all!! Please pray daily for protection, Divine intervention and wisdom!

In HIS Service,

Monty Ortman Chairman of the Board

IT’S TIME TO RECONNECT & WELCOME STUDENTS BACK TO CAMPUS! First, I want to share with you how proud we are of our students, faculty and staff for the incredible ways they connected during the spring COVID-19 shutdown. Our faculty and staff connected with students consistently and creatively. With a few donations, we managed to put devices in the hands of any student who needed one. We partnered with Phoenix Bible Church to provide food boxes for families who were impacted by the pandemic. Our middle and high school STEM students constructed over 16,000 face shields and delivered them to Mayo Clinic and a few other hospitals around the state. But even amid the “rich connecting,” many of our students (and families) struggled with distance learning.

Adolescence is difficult and the increasing struggle with anxiety and depression is multiplied when students are home all-day, staring at a screen, trying to stay connected but feeling isolated.

This is one of the many reasons we are resolute in welcoming students back on-campus late August. We have extensive safety measures in place.

For the first four weeks of school, students will attend morning or afternoon sessions; we will have about 10 students per classroom on average with an hour between sessions to clean and disinfect classrooms and other high traffic areas.

As we anticipate 2021 and this next decade, we want to share Vision 2030! First, we believe that each student is a hero in PC’s story, and we want to make sure we guide our students to reach their full Godbreathed potential. Second, we need to modernize! We are embarking on an aggressive pursuit to continue the modernization of our classrooms to meet the needs of our exploding STEM, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Spiritual and Leadership Formation initiatives. Thanks to the generosity of those who gave to the STEM initiative at the Auction, we have already renovated four STEM classrooms, purchased new curriculum for the elementary and new technology for

our media center. Third, we MUST protect educational freedom. We have joined the movement within the state to safeguard Christian education and commit to making Christian education affordable to all students. Fourth, we are reaching new generations!

Our preschool is expanding this year to include infant care with plans of educating over 100 infants through pre-Kinder children each day. Fifth, in addition to preschool, our growth plan includes increasing numbers school-wide by 250 students. Sixth, we value our living curriculum—our faculty and staff. We value Christian educators in our pursuit to provide the most competitive salaries.

We will seek and retain the most gifted educators.

Will you join me in praying for His will to be done at Phoenix Christian and in the lives of the beautiful children who God entrusts to us?

In Him,

Jeff Blake Superintendent 5

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COLTIN ANDERSON

JORDAN ARMIJO

DANIELA BEJARANO

ALEXIS CAMPOS

PRISCILLA CANEZ

JESUS CASTRO

ZACHARY COLE

JASON CROSS

RUHAMA DONI

REBEKAH ELLIS

ASHLEY FELIX

DESTINY FREEMAN

MANACE FREEMAN

ASHLEY GARAY

MIREYA GASTELUM

JORDAN GILLETT

MARCUS GOMEZ

AMELIA GREEN

NATHANIEL GULICK

MARK HOCKING

ATLANTIS JAMERSON

JORDAN JOSELIT

EZEKIEL KELLOGG

HYEONG YUN KIM

KYUNG HUN KIM

JACOB KRENN

TIARA LEARY

YUNJIAN LEI

ABRIANNA LOPEZ

JUNNAN LU

MEILING MILGRIM

PETER HABIB

JEREMIAH MONTGOMERY

ANDREA NAVARRO

DUC NGUYEN

TRUC NGUYEN

MARCEL PIERRE

MICHAEL RAMIREZ

EASTON RHYNARD

AVA SHAW

SAMANTHA VARELA

RYAN WEISS

CREED SHELLENBERGER

NOELIA PADRON DUENAS GRACE PENDERGAST

ROBERT TAFOLLA

NATHAN TARVER

ISAIAH ZAMORA

TIANWEI ZHAO

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JIWON UM

RECOGNIZING HONORS

VALEDICTORIAN

SALUTATORIAN

Tianwei ‘Alice’ Zhao STEM & Humanities

Peter Habib STEM & Humanities

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RECOGNIZING HONORS

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Jordan Joselit STEM

MeiLing Milgrim Fine Arts & STEM

JAMES R. WICKERSHAM CITIZENSHIP AWARD Ashley Felix

Spiritual & Leadership Formation

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INTERNATIONAL HIGHEST HONOR

CAROLYN KROBER MUSIC AWARD

Truc ‘Robin' Thanh Nguyen STEM

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Students who took dualenrollment classes earned an average of 23 college credits.

Jordan Armijo, Fine Arts

3.6 133 MILLION

$

Students applied to over 133 colleges & universities.

Students earned over $3.6 Million in scholarship offers.

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8 of our 54 seniors will go on to collegiate athletics.

The Class of 2020 included fourteen honors students who completed a Senior Capstone Project in their area of Concentration. Topics ranged from statistics in baseball to the history of famous ballads through the years. Some students completed an intensive research paper, others included a project component like a senior recital or an awareness campaign. AMELIA GREEN and MARCUS GOMEZ both completed their capstone project in STEM.

MARCUS GOMEZ Marcus chose to research the widely debated topic of vaccines under the mentorship of his dad, who is a doctor. Marcus plans to attend the University of Arizona Honors College to pursue a career in medicine.

Marcus’ Zoom presentation.

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AMELIA GREEN Amelia chose to research the topic of the pro-life campaign and chose Choices Pregnancy Center to sponsor. Under the mentorship of Roxana Rogers, she partnered with Bethany Bible Church by initiating a baby bottle drive. Amelia raised over $6,000 for Choices!

Amelia’s Zoom presentation.

Each of the 14 students encountered great challenges this spring having to complete their Capstone projects from home and present their projects through Zoom to a panel of faculty and staff. Congratulations to this very talented group of young people. They will no doubt make a difference in this world!

Amelia’s baby bottle drive at Bethany Bible Church.

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ELEMENTARY As I reflect on recent months at Phoenix Christian, I am so proud of our elementary students, families and faculty. We transitioned into a distant learning mode very quickly once Governor Ducey put our city into lockdown.

We quickly supplied devices to the families who needed them and put learning packets together for two-week periods immediately.

It was a joy to see the students and families when they came to pick-up and drop off packets. Even though we were not together, thanks to Zoom, we had morning pledges and prayer daily, weekly Chapels, Kindergarten Graduation and Honors Ceremony together. Nothing was going to hold us back from the learning process and family connections…way to go Cougars! In a renewed sense of what makes Phoenix Christian special, we adjusted and were flexible as we navigated the new and unexpected “waters”. A huge shout-out to all our families, students, and faculty on a job well done!

As we enter a new school year, we are embracing a scripture from God’s Word, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.” (Psalm 118:6). Our theme this year is “FAITH over Fear”. When God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Students made homemade cards and signs for children at the Mayo Clinic.

- Mrs. Ruth M. Zappe, Elementary Principal

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1st grader, Brecken, getting a little help from his dog!

Packet pick-up – students made sweet signs for their teachers!

MS student, TJ, trying on the self-constructed face shield.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL The Middle School team met this challenge with creativity; with

many schools in our area closing for the year early, we were happy to continue teaching last Spring.

The concept of distance learning was learned quickly and as a team we sought the best way to navigate a whole new learning atmosphere. We became more familiar with the terms ‘synchronous’ and ‘asynchronous’ which describe beneficial time allocation in a distance learning classroom. Synchronous time is spent together in short instruction while asynchronous time describes students working independently while still together in the video chat classroom. There are many benefits to purposefully working in this style such as student engagement increasing and the feeling of a simulated classroom. We have Mr. Feely, MS Math Teacher, to thank for his research on this topic and spearheading optimized teaching in the distance learning platform. Just because we were away from campus did not mean we could not learn!

Drive-in 8th Grade Promotion was a special time of celebration.

Teachers also became intentional about making distance learning socially engaging as well. In a time where we all felt some degree of the unknown, it was comforting to have quality time with our PC family. We did our best to make learning fun and tap into the everyday lives of students. At the end of an educationally fruitful week, some classes might watch a movie together through video chat.

Students loved this opportunity to spend time with their friends, even if it was only digitally. The Middle School Boys’ Bible study continued meeting on Wednesday afternoons through Zoom and made it a point to check in on how each other was doing. A prayer requests channel on GroupMe was very active with students encouraging each other every day.

Our MESA students spent much of their down time building face shields for hospitals including the Mayo Clinic. We celebrated with our families at 8th Grade Promotion Drive-In which was a beautiful celebration in the parking lot at North Phoenix Baptist Church.

All of this gives us hope for the new school year and we cannot wait to be together soon!

- Joe Wiltz, Middle School Bible Teacher & Chair

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HIGH SCHOOL Humanity and society require consistency. This simple statement is especially true for the children and teenagers of our society, since they are unable to create consistency for themselves and are instead reliant on adults to create the consistency for them. Obviously, the nationwide transition to distance learning in March of 2020 was a great disruption to the consistency upon which many of our youth subconsciously depended. Therefore, I sought to make the remainder of last semester to be as consistent with in-person teaching as possible. All my classes met every other day for their allotted time slot, just like if we were still on our rotating schedule on campus. Students were required to attend the class on-time, and they only received full participation marks if they were oncamera, engaged, and active in the lesson.

Just because the students were in pajamas did not mean they were getting less of an education!

I teach two Advanced Placement classes, where students were preparing to still take the AP exam at the end of the school year in order to receive college credit.

To get ready for these high-stakes exams, I was available every evening for students to ask questions, review concepts, and work through practice exams together.

Some evenings, I was assisting students from the early afternoon until after dark.

We even had a live Zoom meeting on a Saturday which all the students taking the AP Government Exam attended in order to review the last few concepts and pray before Monday’s exam. The hours were long, but my students were not going to be cheated out of their education simply because they were attending school in 2020. After receiving their AP Exam results this week, I am beyond impressed at the level at which many students rose to the occasion and even exceeded despite the drastic change in consistency.

- Nathan de Laet Social Studies & Theatre Teacher, Humanities Chair, Class of 2010

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CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS! As a school, we also wanted to make sure our seniors felt loved and celebrated. Each senior received a special home visit from members of the administration. We brought a yard sign along with a basket filled with special senior celebration items including a donated gift card from Canes. We also had the privilege of honoring our excelling students in a Zoom Honors Ceremony and celebrated our seniors in Senior Chapel and College Signing Day virtually through Zoom. Finally, we had one last celebration— Graduation! What a sweet time to reunite with our seniors, celebrate their incredible accomplishments, and worship the Lord together, drive-in style of course!

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Giving Partners TIMOTHY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PARTNERS The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted many of our families who need help meeting tuition responsibilities. The following individuals graciously donated to this very important cause. We invite you to help Phoenix Christian respond to the most acute needs of our students by making a gift to our Timothy Student Fund.

Roxanne Anderson

Mary Ellen Fee

Brad & Sandra Asolas

Kelly Frampton Interior Design

Barnabas & Kelley ’73 Bagby

Donald & Barbara ’57 Hagerson

Damon Becker ’68

Wayne & Diane Kindall

Betty Rena Floyd Trust ’64

James & Ruth Anne Koltveit

Jerry & Judy Blake

Pannel Construction

Antonius & Marypaul ’70 Bom

Kenneth & Karen Seigle

Kristy Ceton ’94

Eldon & Nadine ’61 Smith

Ralph & Jean De La Vega

Lon & Julie Vanderveer

Rodney Dickson ’80

James & Janice Wolfe

Emmaus Evangelical Fellowship ’73

GENERAL FUND & OTHER INITIATIVES Larcy & Daniel Adickes

Richard & Christine Mason

Kristin & Marty Anderson

Janice McClain ’73

Monte & Sharon ’69 Bailey

Stanley Moehr ’77

Assured Engineering Concepts

Joanne Oesterle

Bellevue Heights Church

Mark ’99 & Ashley ’99 Ortman

Jeff & Lisa ’94 Blake

Monty ’67 & Anne ’69 Ortman

Byrd Family Trust

John ’78 & Tiffany Ralston

Jerry & Carol Chesser

Joan Rolfes

Elizabeth ‘69 & Robert Draper

Kenneth Schaaf ’53

Leroy Earhart

Karen Seigle

Encore Acquisitions

Tom Sertich ’75

Joyce Fenwick ’63

TA & Julie Shover

Gem Distribution

William Stone ’60

Joe & Deborah Gordon

Milford & Linda Sutter

John ‘68 & Connie Hamner

David ‘66 & Barbara Tomb

Kairos Prison Ministry

Clayton Troxell

Lois Klem ’78

Jill Weaver ’82

Ralph ’69 & Cindy ’70 Lindeman

Steve ’83 & Teresa ’83 Woods

Living Streams Church

Tim ’75 & Patricia Wright

Phyllis Lowe

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OAW — ONE DOLLAR A WEEK CAMPAIGN Ben and Beverly ’75 Altopp

Jeannine Graden

Robert ’60 & Judith Porter

Debra Armstrong ’78

Cynthia Greene ’69

Stefanie Prado ’10

Brad & Sandra Asolas

Billy ‘63 & Catherine Gumm

Valerie Ragland

Paul Ayraud ’73

Stacey Hallissey

Robert & Patricia Rhem

Sidney & Steven Bales

Pete ’76 & Linda Hamstra

Damon Becker ’68

James & Jo Ann ’60 Harte

Charles Bedel

William & Barbara ’62 Hoshel

Howard & Evelyn Billings

David & Zona ’73 Humbach

Jason & Deb Blake

Michael Huss ’91

Patrick & Florence ’67 Smith

Jerry & Judy Blake

Roy & Donna ’64 Hutchison

Eldon & Nadine ’61 Smith

Eric & Meghan ’03 Boardman

Tony & Gretchen Janes

Leonard Smith

Kyle Boettger

Charles ’75 & Pamela ’80 Jongert

Linnea Smith ’86

Susan Borowy

David & Christie ’91 Kessinger

Terry & Carol Stines

Chris Bradley ’76

Kuiper Family Trust

James Stone ’58

Robert ’66 & Linda ’66 Byrd

Janice Lambert ’62

Patsy Sweeney ’69

James & Sarah Callahan

Eric ’73 & Lois ’72 Leader

Tipahorn Chongcharoen

Erin Hart ’97 & Gabriel Leadley

Brian & Cyndee Clancy

Gayle Lindgren ’02

Pamela Clark

Charles Lowe

Terrance ’65 & Nancy ’66 Clay

Earl & Dawn ’80 Lucas

Mark ’70 & Carol ’69 Vandernaalt

Scott ’87 & Jamie ’84 Collins

Johanna Maldonado

Priscilla Van Dam ’86

Randy Compton ’05

David Martinez

Lon & Julie Vanderveer

Emmaus Evangelical Fellowship

Lawrence Mattausch ’56

Amber ’01 & Andrew Walker

John Dean Osolin/Sandra Coulter

David May ’71

Sue Waytas ’79

Keith & Leanna de Laet

Betsy McBride ’69

Bill Weed ’56

Dorothy Diekman

Glenn Meyers ’82

Paige Westberg ’09

Robert & Elizabeth ’69 Draper

Kelby ’88 & Melody ’88 Milgrim

Carol & Marvin Faber

Lori & Scott Miller

Alan & Becky Fisher

Janice Mohney ’62

Larry & Kim Fait

Janet Mullins ’70

Betty ’64 & Charles Floyd

Sarai Borja Nevarez ’19

Duane & Cynthia ’70 Fradenburgh

Mark ’99 & Ashley ’99 Ortman Nancy ’55 & Raymond Ostrander

Charles Wilfong

Perry ’76 & Teresa Fraley

Royann Parker ’75

James & Jan Wolfe

Robert Frieling ’69

Paula Paty

Dale & Ruth Zappe

Nancy Gomes

Mary Perrone ’63

Sheryl ’90 & Mike Zeller

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Kenneth Schaaf ’53 Stephen ’81 & Kathy Shiffer Jason Siciliano ’00

David ’66 & Barbara Tomb Tanner Trapp ’11 Clayton Troxell

Jim & Carrie Wheat Doug & Brittany Whitney ’06 Brian ’89 & Jeresha ’94 Wickersham Jonathan Wilfong ’01

Auction

AUCTION TABLE SPONSORS Jerry & Judy Blake Brian & Cyndee Clancy Mr. & Mrs. Kaites Adam & Amber Lambert Monty ’67 & Anne ’69 Ortman

Dennis & Roxana Rogers Darrell & Vicky Tannatt David ’79 & Janet Van Hofwegen Dale & Ruth Zappe

AUCTION CONTRIBUTIONS AAMCO

Churn

Gadzooks

Phoenix Suns

Ajo Als

Coffin & Trout Fine Jewelers (Randy Coffin)

Glassbusters

Phoenix Fire Station #48

Gonzales Family

Raising Cane’s

Arizona Biltmore Golf Club

Cobblestone Auto Spa

Grand Canyon University

Pita Jungle

Community Tire Pros

Jeannine Graden

Pristine Auction

Arizona Coyotes

Crayola Experience

Impact Gymnastics

Refuge Coffee House

Arizona Diamondbacks

Crazy Jim’s

Kendra Scott

Renaissance Festival

Arizona Natural History Museum

Creative Spirit Cake Designs

KPXQ

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy

Arizona Science Center

Desert Botanical Garden

La Pinata

Desert Holistic Health

Leasures Designer Portraits

Salon Jo-El

Arthur Murray Dance Center

Scooter’s Coffee

Draper Family

Maldonado Family

Sprinkles

Augusts Ranch Golf Course

DSC Drywall & Painting LLC

Mayberry Corner

Sprouts

Elementary Families Baskets

Starbucks

AZ on the Rocks

My Mother’s Restaurant Mid First Bank

Stratum Laser Tag

Mike Nye Instrument Repair

Coach Mo Streety

Nektar

Sugar Petals

Enchanted Island

Nothing Bundt Cake

Temple Music

Extreme Faith Productions

Gary and Susann Moore

Trader Joe’s

Carlos O’Brien’s

Fraley Family

Greg Maher

Trujillo Family

Chik-fil-A

G and G Don’t Stop the Party

One Swing Golf

Weiss Family

Ortman Family

Whitfill Nursery

Amber Joy Photo

AZ Sunrays Stephen Beals, M.D. Becker Family Blake/Ingham Family Brigowatz Family

Chocolate Chippery

Eaton Family Elements Massage, Arcadia

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Shogun Sushi

STEM Campaign Give from the Heart DONORS: STEM INITIATIVES Our guests stepped up in a BIG way. One alumnus committed to a $30K match for funds raised the night of the auction for our STEM initiative, Give from the Heart. A few other alumni felt inspired to cover all the travel expenses for our Robotics team to fly to Ohio for their competition. The Giving Tree raised over $60K for STEM initiatives including renovation of four classrooms (the 300 building labs), new curriculum, computers and Chromebooks. Thank you, PC family!

Brad & Sandra Asolas

Jacob & Amber Lambert

Richard ’73 & Erin Bellah

Daryl ’73 & Denise ’74 Layne

Bob Bergan

Phyllis Lowe

Art & Yvonne Calderon

Diane Mills

Tim Camping ’69

Mark ’99 & Ashley ’99 Ortman

Brian & Cyndee Clancy

Diane Raden

Pam Clarke

Andrew & Danielle Rinnier

Alex & Kristy Clay

Dennis & Roxana Rogers

Perry ’76 & Teresa Fraley

Rick Rolfes

Juan Gonzales

Jeff & Linda ’75 Shook

Jeannine Graden

Bill & Linda Sutter

Pete ’76 & Linda Hamstra

Dave ’66 & Barbara Tomb

Sally Henry - ACSTO

Donald ’88 & Ingrid Van Hofwegen

Tony & Gretchen Janes

Robert ’77 & Andrea ’77 Van Hofwegen

Randy & Dianne Joselit

Mark & Shari Weiss

Darrel ’70 & Diane Kuiper

Dale & Ruth Zappe

If you would like to contribute to any of these campaigns, please contact Jeff Blake at jblake@phoenixchristian.org. We are so grateful for the many alumni and the Phoenix Christian community for your ongoing love and commitment to Phoenix Christian.

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Special Thanks to our Event Sponsors!

CLASS OF 2018

SAM WOODS Hello, my name is Samantha Woods and I

year I felt the Lord leading me to Wheaton College, and the way that story unfolded is unexplainable apart from how God was in all the details. Since being at Wheaton I know that PC prepared me academically for the rigorous reputation the college holds, time management skills as an athlete, and knowing I can and should lean on my Heavenly Father.

have the privilege of being part of the Phoenix Christian family. I attended preschool through high school at PC and share the experience of being a student with my family as I am a thirdgeneration alumni. Growing up at PC instilled a certainty in me about who God is and gave me security to trust Him with my future. My senior year in high school I gave my college decision to the Lord and felt confident that if there was a specific college or plan that God had in mind for me that He would direct my steps and provide a way to follow. The teachers and faculty that supported me throughout my entire decision-making process are people of faith that I look up to. I am grateful especially to my school counselors for opening my eyes to so many different Christian colleges and giving advice on applications and college visits. Dual enrollment was an option that allowed me to earn college credits in high school, and nearly all of the schools in which I was interested in would accept those credits. Throughout senior

After graduating in May, I went to Wheaton College in Illinois with the chance to play volleyball. My initial few months at Wheaton felt as if I were a sponge trying to soak in a firehose of truth. The volleyball team has been a huge blessing, and I am grateful for my time with them as well as the amazing friendships that were started from the program. I really enjoyed getting to return to Wheaton my sophomore year and grow closer with my teammates during our season. This past spring semester I made the difficult decision to no longer participate with Wheaton volleyball.

Before making that decision, I had the 24

opportunity to join the Wheaton softball team prior to the beginning of their season. Over spring break, we travelled to Florida for the season opening softball tournament. While we were on spring break, the Coronavirus began to more directly affect our nation and my college went online. By the end of our trip, the softball season had been cancelled and we were headed back to campus to pack up and go home for the year. June 1st, I flew to Kauai to start a summer internship with Makanalani. Makanalani Interns work on various jobs around the farm and some local businesses in order to further support Makanalani in providing a free camp experience for all, so that they may experience God’s love and the beauty of His creation.

I have been in Kauai for almost two months now, and I am loving getting to live, grow, and serve in Christian community. While I had planned on going back to school when this internship ends in August, I am now officially deferring my fall enrollment and staying on as a Makanalani Intern through December. As a result of the dual enrollment opportunities available to me at Phoenix Christian, I can take this semester off and still graduate a semester early next year. The hard work of my counselors and support of my teachers is now not only saving me thousands of dollars of college tuition, but also providing the chance to return to school when (Lord willing) the daily impact of the Coronavirus has settled down a bit. Not to mention the incredible opportunity to spend more time in Kauai with Makanalani.

I would love to elaborate more on each different unexpected blessing and turn that my story has taken since graduation, but to sum it all up, God is with us.

God has remained the same—He is faithful to His promises and to His character. God was with me walking around the PC campus, on the court with my Wheaton volleyball teammates, and He is with me now in Kauai. I am thankful to Phoenix Christian for the chapels, Bible classes, faculty influence, and especially for the way the PC family has blessed me and my whole family for generations.

All glory and praise to God, Samantha Woods, PC Class of 2018

Have Questions?

Want to Schedule a Visit?

Please contact Lori Miller, Director, at (602) 265-7728 or email lmiller @phoenixchristian.org

Preschool

RICH HISTORY, FU TURE LearnBRIGHT more at phoenixchristian.org Educating the Minds, Forming the Hearts, and Equipping the Hands of students in a Christ-centered atmosphere.

Volume 14 • Summer 2020

COUGARNOW ONLINE

SUPERINTENDENT

Read this and other issues of CougarNow at phoenixchristian.org.

EDITOR

DESIGN

We’d like to hear from you. Send your emails to cougarnow@phoenixchristian.org.

To support this online and print publication, please visit phoenixchristian. org/support.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jeff Blake Lisa Blake Brian Cole of Revolution Graphics

Dorian Studios

CONTRIBUTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Steve Woods, Barb Tomb

Dr. Monty Ortman, Claude (Bud) Allison, Jamie Clifford, David Fitzgerald, Juan Gonzales, Pete Hamstra, Daryl Layne, Steve Woods

CONFIDENT— DESPITE THE STRUGGLE

from the editor

What a strange, difficult few months for the world. Many of us weren’t quite sure if we were going to survive the challenge of distance learning. I know for me personally, balancing my own work responsibilities and managing four children and their workload was a STRUGGLE. We all needed to be online, meet on Zoom at different times of the day, and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner along with a few snacks (oh my)! The kitchen was always in disarray, papers spread everywhere, and the house was never clean enough.

Amid the chaotic quarantine, I discovered some things about myself. I felt desperate for an escape. I think the Lord exposed my selfishness, my desire for independence and my impatience. I’ve spent most of 2020 in the Old Testament reading about the struggle of the Israelites; they were in such great care of their Creator and saw so many incredible miracles, but they STRUGGLED. They lost direction so many times, they worshipped so many other things besides Yahweh and they felt like they wandered for an eternity. But the Lord is always faithful; slow to anger and quick to forgive. How I need His forgiveness. Lord please forgive me for my impatience, for my lack of hope, for my inability to live in the chaos.

Let me be confident in Your Plan, in Your Will and most importantly, in Your Abundant Love.

- Lisa Blake, Editor Cougar Now

What’s new with you?

We would love to hear about your life!

Please send updates when you move, get a new job, finish a degree, get married or have a baby!

Please email lblake@phoenixchristian.org, or feel free to post on the Facebook Alumni page.

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1751 W. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85015