Red Lion Christian Academy "Reach Magazine" Summer 2019

MAGAZINE

A STUDENT PUBLICATION OF REACH CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Adoption Advocates

Red Lion parents Jeff and Heather Sareyka double the number of boys in their family after adopting two boys. page 8

ALSO INSIDE

Young Curler

Sixth grader Lillian Hendershot has been curling since she was eight years old. page 28

ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2019

Outstanding Athlete

Tri-State seventh grade student Emmett Laws contributes to the sports teams as well as in the classroom. page 22

AND MUCH MORE...

WWW.REACHSCHOOLS.ONLINE

1 1. Clayton Andrews uses his long stick and fires the ball out of the defensive end in a home lacrosse game against Mt. Pleasant HS. 2. Leading a pride of Lady Lions down the field, Margaret Johnson looks to fire another shot on goal in a lacrosse game against Christiana HS. 3. John Pinder lifts the ball up onto the green in a golf tri-match against Tri-State and Mt. Sophia. 4. Stopping on a dime to avoid her Archmere defender, Bella Denk gets a shot on goal in a home soccer game. 5. Coming in to pitch in relief, Derek Pusey fires a pitch in a baseball game against Woodbridge HS. 6. Morgan Lieske drives a ball to center field in a softball game vs Padua Academy.

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Table of Contents 4 RCS Events 6 TOCS Science Olympiad 8 RLCA Sareyka Family 10 RLCA New Chapel Service 12 TSCA Mrs. Susan Criddle 14 RLCA Olivia Walsh 16 RLCA Division I Athletes 18 RCS Bus Drivers 20 TOCS Senior Profiles 22 TSCA Emmett Laws 24 RLCA Mr. Kurt Sarac

Reach Magazine Summer 2019 Adviser Aaron Hamrick Proofreader Jenny Johnson

Red Lion Staff Aaron Fieger Madeline Scalia Mackenzie Skelton Logan Taylor John Xu

Tall Oaks Staff Lydia Brown Fiona Fawcett Delainey Gray Faith Hollister Abby Metzger Katie Rippon

Tri-State Staff Mrs. Billie Jean Rinehimer Tori Campbell Jacob Kennedy

Glasgow Staff Isaiah Grob Ethan Loppatto

Red Lion Campus 1390 Red Lion Rd Bear, DE 19701 www.reachschools.online

26 GCA Alaina Hush

302-834-2526

ON THE COVER

28 TOCS Lillian Hendershot 30 RLCA Alumni Spotlight

Jeff and Heather Sareyka have adopted two boys, Eli who is 9 years old and Trent who is 7 years old. They have two biological sons, Tyler who is in 10th grade, and Carter who is in 7th grade, both of whom attend Red Lion Christian Academy. They began the adoption process in November 2015 and adopted Eli and Trent in June 2017. Heather commented on the adoption process, “It doesn’t make sense because it is so hard, but there are just so many more blessings, I think, than hard times. It is just because of the Lord. He is just so good and so faithful.”

Senior Prom Friday, April 12

National Honor Society Induction NHS - Tuesday, April 30

Red Lion Christian Academy had their annual Junior/Senior prom this year on April 12 at the Newark Country Club. There was dinner and dancing, followed by Senior Superlatives. The night ended with the crowning of Prom King, Andre Jones, and Prom Queen, Emilie Haney.

Beat of Reach

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NJHS - Thursday, May 2

National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) had their annual induction ceremonies on April 30 and May 2 respectively to formally welcome new members for the upcoming year. Fifteen new members were added to Honor Society, and twenty-three new members were added to Junior Honor Society.

Students will be able to serve their communities through volunteer work during their time in their respective honor societies.

Copy by Madeline Scalia Design by Madeline Scalia Photos by Aaron Hamrick

Senior Decision Day

GCA Spring Production

Wednesday, May 1

May 2, 3, 4

Glasgow Christian Academy performed The Sound of Music for their spring production this year.

Maria Rainer comes to the Von Trapp family as a governess and helps to transform the house into a home filled with laughter and music. Along the way, she wins the heart of all seven Von Trapp children and the recently widowed father.

National College Decision Day was on May 1.

Seniors from Red Lion were able to wear their college’s spirit wear to represent where they plan to attend in the fall. During an upper school assembly, each senior had the chance to share their majors and where they will be going to college.

Graduations As the year comes to a close, all of the Reach Christian Schools will be holding their commencment ceremonies. Listed are the dates, times, and locations of the graduation ceremonies this year.

Red Lion Christian Academy - May 31 at 6:30 p.m. @ Reach Church Tall Oaks Classical School - June 1 at 9:00 a.m. @ Bible Fellowship Church Glasgow Christian Academy - June 1 at 11:30 a.m. @ Reach Church Tri-State Christian Academy - June 7 at 7:00 p.m. @ Tri-State Christian

www.reachschools.online

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HIGH SCHOOL TEAM Katie Rippon, Micah Pope, Adrian Baltar, Alexee Gray, Maggie Schneider, Erin Babatunde, Fiona Fawcett, Jaylen Rowe, Delainey Gray, Rose Brown, Faith Hollister, Hajae Ko, Zach Carter, Dennis Nicholson, Josh Pozsonyi

Science Olympiad

Copy by Lydia Brown and Katie Rippon Design by Madeline Scalia

On a cool March morning, the Tall Oaks middle and high school Science Olympiad teams traveled to Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, to compete against other teams in the state.

The time is 7:30 a.m. on a chilly morning in March. The colors of the sunrise are beginning to fade in the sky. Science Olympiad teams from schools all over the state of Delaware arrive on the campus of Delaware State University in Dover. Students are sporting team t-shirts in various colors, jeans, and comfortable shoes.

They unload boxes of lab equipment and vehicles or other handmade projects from their cars or school buses and hasten into the main building to claim a few tables that will be their “home base” for the next eight hours. The students have spent months preparing for this day and are ready to use their scientific knowledge to compete. Junior Katie Rippon, who has been on the team for six years, says, “Science Olympiad involves so much time and preparation, and I am always so excited to see how the end result of all our hard work.

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I personally have improved so much since sixth grade, and participating has helped me grow my in love for science and appreciate the way God intricately ordered the world.”

Toward the end of October every year, a group of approximately thirty junior high and high school students begin to meet once a week to prepare for Science Olympiad. Each team consists of fifteen students. Between them, they cover twenty-four events. The students are paired up with each other to work on these events through the fall and winter and prepare for the competition.

Science Olympiad offers different types of events.

Each event has specific rules and guidelines that students must meet. Some events involve a handson activity in the lab. Some require students to build a vehicle or model that will be tested on the day of the competition. Other events test students

on their knowledge in a specific scientific topic.

Tall Oaks has participated in Science Olympiad for nine years. The team is coached by Mrs. Jennifer Rippon, who teaches fifth, sixth, and seventh grade science, tenth grade biology, and eleventh grade chemistry at Tall Oaks. She says, “Science Olympiad gives students a chance to learn new things that go way beyond the scope of the curriculum. I love watching my students rise to the challenge and grow in their interest in science and engineering.” “Science Olympiad has always been a highlight of my school year,” says Delainey Gray, who participated on the high school team this year, “and it wouldn’t be without Mrs. Rippon as our coach. Her expansive knowledge and ideas not only help me better understand the events I compete in, but they give me a desire for knowledge and brilliant ideas like hers.” Parent and

RESULTS High School

“Science Olympiad gives students a chance to learn new things that go way beyond the scope of the curriculum. I love watching my students rise to the challenge and grow in their interest for science and engineering.” Mrs. Jennifer Rippon

grandparent volunteers have also stepped in to help coach the students and assist them in their various projects and events.

The team members range from younger students who are just starting to seasoned veterans who are in their sixth or seventh year of Science Olympiad. Faith Hollister, on the high school team, says, “This was my first year, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. But it was a really fun experience.” While the Tall Oaks team has changed a lot over the years, it has improved to be consistently among the top ten teams in the state.

This year, both the high school and junior high teams from Tall Oaks placed fifth in the state overall. Medals are awarded to the top ten teams for each event. Both teams brought home medals in twelve events and came close to earning a medal in several others. Additionally, ninth graders Fiona Fawcett and Faith Hollister won the Innovation Award for their outstanding performance in Mission Possible.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM

One tradition with the team is going out to Chick-fil-A afterwards to celebrate. Since the competition day is long and tiring, the team loves stopping for dinner before the drive back home from Dover. It is always an enjoyable time of celebration and fellowship among team members.

Janna Baltar, on the junior high team this year, says, “The best part of Science Olympiad is hanging out with friends and watching the building competitions.”

At the end of the day, students return home to their families and excitedly relate to them everything that happened, oftentimes showing off their medals as proof of their achievements.

But no matter how many or how few medals the students earn, they are happy because of the great experience they had. Adrian Baltar, a senior on the high school team, says, “For the past five years, this has been my favorite extracurricular activity.”

Students almost always want to come back and be on the team the next year, and, for the younger team members, many years to come.

1st place Mission Possible Fiona Fawcett and Faith Hollister 2nd place Protein Modeling Hajae Ko and Dennis Nicholson 3rd place Circuit Lab Joshua Pozsonyi and Micah Pope 6th place Disease Detectives Katie Rippon and Rose Brown 6th place Chem Lab Dennis Nicholson and Adrian Baltar 7th place Code Busters Joshua Pozsonyi and Micah Pope 8th place Herpetology Adrian Baltar and Delainey Gray 8th place Boomilever Zechariah Carter and Rose Brown 9th place Mousetrap Vehicle Micah Pope and Jaylen Rowe 9th place Sounds of Music Micah Pope and Dennis Nicholson 9th place Geologic Mapping Rose Brown and Zechariah Carter 10th place Thermodynamics Dennis Nicholson and Adrian Baltar Middle School 2nd place Circuit Lab Kai Schmiedel and Boaz Dernlan 2nd place Density Lab Boaz Dernlan and Kai Schmiedel 3rd place Solar System Donovan Warshaw and Boaz Dernlan 4th place Water Quality Kiersten Mengel and Lydia Brown 4th place Battery Buggy Josh Walker and Elliot Dunham 5th place Experimental Design Janna Baltar, Lydia Brown, and Kiersten Mengel 5th place Road Scholar Lydia Brown and Janelle Carter 6th place Herpetology Janna Baltar and Kiersten Mengel 8th place Anatomy Kiersten Mengel and Janelle Carter 8th place Boomilever Anthony Dorno and Jacob Rippon 9th place Bottle Rocket Bryce Pope and Janna Baltar 10th place Write It, Do It Abigail Stone and Louisabella Wagner

Janna Baltar, Emily Jackson, Kiersten Mengel, Jacob Rippon, Kai Schmeidel, Anthony Dorno Lydia Brown, Louisabella Wagner, Mrs. Jennifer Rippon, Donovan Warshaw, Boaz Dernlan, Josh Walker, Abigail Stone, Janelle Carter, Elliot Dunham, Jake Booth, Bryce Pope www.reachschools.online

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Double

the Fun

Copy by Madeline Scalia Design by Madeline Scalia Photos by Aaron Hamrick

Red Lion parents Jeff and Heather Sareyka doubled the number of children from two to four in June 2017. They adopted Eli, who is now nine, and Trent, who is now seven years old. Their biological sons are Tyler, who is in 10th grade at Red Lion, and Carter, who is a Red Lion 7th grader.

Tyler Sareyka

Eli Sareyka

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Trent Sareyka

Carter Sareyka

“I think the first question people always ask is ‘When did you think about adoption?’” said Heather Sareyka. “I found out at thirteen that my mom was adopted. I remember the moment, right then, when she told us, and if it were not for her being adopted, I would not be here.” After that, Heather knew she wanted to adopt at some point in her life. She met her husband, Jeff, in high school. They have two biological sons who attend Red Lion.

Tyler is in tenth grade, and Carter is in seventh grade.

Jeff, however, was not as convinced as his wife that he wanted to adopt. “It [adoption] had been brought up before in the past, and then it was more a discussion of international adoption and that was something that had definitely not been on my heart,” said Jeff. He continued, “But as we got into our church, and we were surrounded by families that had gone through fostering to adopt, it changed my heart. I learned that there were other dads who were reluctant at first because I felt bad that I was reluctant.

We have met couples in their homes to discuss the process and knowing the challenges but also just the blessings that come from it, my heart slowly turned towards adoption.”

After talking with their children, the family decided that they were ready to adopt.

Once they figured out they truly wanted to pursue adoption, they began the formal process in November of 2015, which is National Adoption Month. They attended informational sessions at their church, spoke with families who had been through adoption, and began the state of Delaware’s mandated classes. A social worker was assigned to them to give files on children to adopt. In a meeting with their social worker, Jeff and Heather heard about the boys they would one day adopt. “Our social worker was on our couch, and she said there are these two boys that I just heard about. I don’t think that God audibly speaks to us, but the impression that God put on my heart was those are your boys,” Heather said.

After this, they continued to receive other files, but they still felt none of these children were right for them.

Heather continued, “We didn’t hear any

more information about our boys for a couple of months, and we just kept feeling that those were our boys. Then in September of 2016, about nine months since we had started the process, we got their profiles which said everything about them.

They had been through a lot in their lives, and the profiles were a little hard to read and a little bleak for a lot of different things, but God just kept saying those are your boys.”

“They were in a foster home before and not with their biological parents anymore. They were with the foster family for 18 months, but that was not going to be their permanent residence. They were waiting for a family to adopt them,” Jeff said. After this, Jeff and Heather met the boys in September, and by October 28, 2016, they moved in with the family permanently. The boys, Eli and Trent, fit right into the family. Tyler and Carter immediately accepted the new boys as their brothers. After lots of paperwork, the boys were officially adopted into the Sareyka family in June of 2017.

Eli is now nine, and Trent is seven. Heather and Jeff both agree that the healing process will not occur overnight. “We are very fortunate that our boys love Jesus so much, and they want to heal.

They have made strides that the counselors are so happy and so impressed with,” Heather said.

Jeff added, “In the beginning, there were probably three or four other families at our church that had adopted before us, and since then there have been another three or four, so it’s a huge, good epidemic at our church.” Heather said, “What is just really neat through this is that all four of our boys want to adopt when they get to be older.”

Heather and Jeff both agree that adoption has been a very tough but rewarding process. Heather added, “At first, it’s funny because you try to pinpoint the hardest part, and I think doubling your kid-size, going from two to four kids, is a lot.” She continued, “But then, it is just dealing with the trauma that the boys feel and the effects that it has on them and just trying to help them process through every day.” Jeff said, “And it’s humility. You have to be really humble because you think that you are doing things right as a parent, especially when you have biological kids because you raised them, and they know how things go in a household.” He continued, “But when you drop two new kids into the picture, a lot of the way we parent has to change, or there are some things that just are not going to be perfect anymore. You have to be humble and fully surrendered because things aren’t going to go as you planned.” They agree this has been the hardest thing they have been through, but the blessings far outweigh the hard times. Heather said, “It doesn’t make sense because it is so hard, but there are just so many more blessings, I think, than hard times. It is just because of the Lord. He is just so good and so faithful.” www.reachschools.online

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Worshiping Together

Ben Hong, 12th grade “I like the chapel much better now that we have live music for worship.

We used to have chapel in the gym, and now we have it in the sanctuary which I think is a lot better. Before people wouldn’t pay attention as much, and now we have interaction with people up on stage. I like hearing a message.”

Clayton Andrews, 12th grade

Interviews by Madeline Scalia Photos by Aaron Hamrick

The chapel schedule changed on March 25 from a short daily devotional time in the Pusey Center to a full worship-style chapel service in the sanctuary. Musicians from Reach Church supplied the music, and Reach youth pastor Tyler Schoenberger preached the message of Nothing But Jesus to the middle and high school students.

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“Chapel is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to worship. I think it’s a great way to fellowship as students and to grow together as an upper school.”

Madison Wickline, 10th grade “I like that we can worship during the week when we don’t have youth group or other church activities going on. It’s much better to have it once a week because it gives us something to look forward to. I also like having it in the sanctuary now because it feels much more like a church atmosphere.

The music is really good, and the people that they have come in to lead worship make it fun.

The singers are really good, and they have a lot of enthusiasm. I like hearing Tyler’s messages. He really keeps me interested.”

Zaina Greene-Johnson, 12th grade “So, I really like our new chapel because it feels like it’s helping with my spiritual journey. I enjoy the live band because it reminds me of church every Sunday. Hearing Tyler speak again is really fun because he was our Bible teacher for two years, and I’ve missed hearing him preach. I also like to take notes during chapel because it helps my overall spiritual life.”

Brooklyn Crist, 9th grade “I really like that we get a longer chapel service, and I like how they have the music playing live. I also like Tyler’s messages and how he relates them to life because things aren’t perfect, and he tells it how it is. In one of his messages, he compared the Christian life to movies, so that’s very relatable.

“The music is like upbeat songs. I feel at some churches it isn’t very upbeat, which is really sad, but I feel here it is upbeat with the guitar and all the instruments. I think the music allows the kids to sing more and to enjoy it much more.

A few years ago, we used to have the sanctuary for our chapels, and I’m glad we are back in the sanctuary.”

www.reachschools.online

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A Warrior

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for Christ Copy by Tori Campbell Photos by Aaron Hamrick

rs. Susan Criddle has been a teacher at Tri-State Christian Academy and a member of the Tri-State family since 1991. She has seen many students, including her own children, grow up at Tri-State. Mrs. Criddle teaches a variety of classes at TSCA including: Algebra I, High School English, and Critical Thinking to name a few. Spending time with her family is the most important activity to her outside of school.

Mrs. Criddle sees Tri-State as unique, because it offers education from nursery through twelfth grade. It is a big factor in Tri-State’s family atmosphere. At Tri-State, a child can have their entire education in one place. Mrs. Criddle’s own children Tyler (class of 2013), Jordan (class of 2016), and Ashlynn (8th grade) did just that.

The person who influenced Mrs. Criddle to pursue teaching was her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Koon. Later, Mrs. Koon taught for a few years at Tri-State, so “the opportunity to be a colleague with the woman who was such an inspiration was wonderful.” In her classroom, Mrs. Criddle encourages creativity in various ways: Toga Day where students studying Julius Caesar will wear togas for the day, participate in games, and enjoy a Roman feast. Twist poems are another example, where students choose a poem to recite and they have to come up with a creative twist for presenting the poem. An aspiration that Mrs. Criddle has is to grow in her classroom every year for her students.

Mrs. Criddle has been TSCA’s high school drama director for about twenty years. A few plays Mrs. Criddle has brought to life on stage are A Night at The Wax Museum, The Time Machine, Peter Pan, Les Miserables, and most recently Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The drama department is self-run.

The students manage every aspect: lights, sound, make-up, costuming, set design, and props. This gives the students full exposure to all a production entails. “I love pushing students to explore skills and talent they didn’t know they had. That’s the most rewarding thing.”

Mrs. Criddle’s English students can especially learn writing from her, because six years ago, Mrs. Criddle published a small devotional book.

God’s Plan for Peons uses the story of Gideon as inspiration in finding her purpose in the will of God. She states that while it is difficult to have the right perspective on how God assigns our own place in the fulfillment of His will, we can be certain that through His guidance, we can be good and faithful servants accomplishing things beyond our capabilities. Soon after the book was published, she needed her own wisdom as she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “Going through cancer was probably, at the time, the most difficult trial, but seeing the support from family, friends, and my students impacted me so much. I felt the prayers of my students and family. It was such a sweet time in a place that was so dark.”

Mrs. Criddle knows full well the challenges of being a working mother. Mrs. Criddle explains, “It does take energy to manage family, work, and all the different facets. I feed off the energy of the students. They look to me to have passion. You find the energy. Same at home. You find energy for others.”

Mrs. Criddle has been an inspiration for so many students that have walked the halls of Tri-State. As a teacher, she tries to go beyond the curriculum to give her students an education in life skills. As a cancer survivor and a warrior for Christ, she hopes to extend wisdom to those she teaches, in hopes they would become warriors for the Lord.

“Going through cancer was probably, at the time, the most difficult trial, but seeing the support from family, friends, and my students impacted me so much. I felt the prayers of my students and family.

It was such a sweet time in a place that was so dark.”

www.reachschools.online

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Around the

GLOBE Red Lion senior Olivia Walsh traveled to Chiang Rai, Thailand to spread the gospel of Jesus to orphan children.

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Copy by Mackenzie Skelton and Logan Taylor Design by Mackenzie Skelton and Logan Taylor Photos courtesy of Olivia Walsh

livia Walsh came to Red Lion her freshman year. She is an only child and was born in Colorado but moved to Delaware when she was about five years old.

She has attended about nine different schools.

Earlier this year, she went to Chiang Rai, Thailand, on her first mission trip.

She heard about this trip through her mom who went to Bible College in Colorado and met a man named Aja. Aja was from Thailand and married someone from America. They moved back to Thailand and started an orphanage and school. The orphanage takes in children who would be put into prostitution otherwise. Emily got involved because she found out about this and wanted to help as much as she could.

While Olivia was there, they went to villages, hiked on Elephant Mountain, and went to a church that had maybe 30 people or fewer. Olivia said, “It is completely different from America. We are a very privileged society. It is kind of sad, but it makes you really excited and makes you want to go and help them with whatever they need and to play with all the kids.”

Olivia said that where she was staying was not really a safe place. “At this one church, they had Sunday school for the kids underground, and there were only dirt floors. In one of the little huts off the side of the mountain, they had bamboo floors with a skinny beam that goes across the floor. That is what you are supposed to walk on, or you could fall through.”

One main thing that Olivia learned was “how grateful I am for everything we have. A lot of us take for granted what we have. These people have next to nothing.” Olivia plans on going back next year for a gap year. She is going to spend 8 to 9 months there. She is going to interact with the Akha Outreach Foundation. The plane ride is about 20 hours and more if you add up all the layovers and other stops. She said she is very nervous but excited to be able to make a difference in the lives of all the children.

www.reachschools.online

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Division I Athletes “I didn’t really know anything else but golf when I was young. My dad says that I started playing when I was two. We were blessed to be able to have my dad own a golf course, along with my grandfather. I always stay competitive with my three brothers in every sport. We used to play basketball, hockey, and baseball. That’s definitely helped me to get to where I am today. I was also able to go on the course whenever I wanted and got to play around and just have fun.

“My relationship with golf is that I never actually hated golf. There were times when I was tired and didn’t really want to go on the course, but I’ve always had a love for golf. I had to be working at it when others weren’t. My dad brought me to tournaments when I was six or seven. We would go to Florida to play in invitationals. That really got my confidence up, and I thought, ‘Wow, I can really do this.’ When I was ten, eleven, and twelve I set records in Pennsylvania and Philly. In U.S. Kids, I won five consecutive tour championships. I also played in the U.S. Juniors when I was 15.

“I always get asked about who the better player is among the four brothers. Andrew played D3 golf and is now the head pro at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club. He’s a very consistent player. Evan could possibly be the best out of all of us. Zach plays for Liberty University, and they are ranked 18th in the nation. Zach’s a really good player.

“My first year playing for Red Lion was as an 8th grader, and I came in 2nd in the state. Last year, I also came in 2nd and lost by a shot. I think that with the way my swing is feeling, I could break some records this year, and hopefully take home the first state championship for Red Lion. That’s the ultimate goal.

“Two weeks ago, I qualified for the U.S. Open in the local stage. Only 500 out of almost 9,000 golfers qualify for this, and my brother Zach and I both qualified. If we can get through this next stage, we would qualify to play in the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, and I would be one of only twelve to do so before entering college.

“I narrowed down my college decision to University of Maryland because of the coach and the people on the team. Half the team is a part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and I know a lot of guys on the team.

“My mom is my right hand. She wakes us so early and drives us everywhere and even walks the course following us. Both my parents have been such a support to me.”

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Two Red Lion senior athletes earned scholarships to play Division I sports in college. Austin Barbin will play golf at University of Maryland, and Nate Hardcastle will play baseball at University of Houston.

Austin Barbin University of Maryland

Nate Hardcastle University of Houston

“I didn’t start playing baseball until I was 9 years old. I really liked basketball a lot. That was my sport. My brother Jack really liked baseball so when I was 9, I went out for baseball. At first, I kind of liked it, and I didn’t think I was that good, but I made the all-star team that year. I decided to keep playing. When I was 10, I still wasn’t that good. I couldn’t hit, but I was a good pitcher. I kept playing, and eventually baseball started growing on me.

“When I was 11, I played for the Newark National Little League all-star team. We won our district, then the state championship, and then we went to regionals in Bristol, CT. We lost to New Jersey in the championship game, and they went to the Little League World Series. It was frustrating and disappointing, but I made it my goal to make it to the World Series the next year. A lot of people doubted us because we weren’t as solid as the last year’s team, but we won the championship game and made it to Williamsport, PA, to the World Series. It was a great experience and crazy being so young and people asking me for my autograph.

The games in the World Series were on ESPN, and there were 20,000 people in the stands. We won our first game against the Mid-West region and lost the next two games to California and Tennessee. I pitched, and my brother Jack was the catcher. The announcers kept saying, ‘I bet you they practiced this in the back yard,’ and we had.

That was pretty cool.

“I came over to Red Lion my sophomore year, and we missed the state tournament that year.

We fell a game short that year. My junior year we made the tournament and had a crazy game against Sussex Tech and lost in 12 innings. This year if we win one more game, we should make the tournament again.

“My sophomore and junior years, I was looking to play baseball at several East Coast schools in Virginia and the Carolinas. I had a couple offers from schools there, but the thing that made me choose University of Houston was I found out my family was moving near Houston. No Texas schools knew about me, so I started emailing a bunch of Texas schools like Rice, Houston, A&M and others, telling them about me. I played a tournament in Florida this fall, and Houston saw me and liked me.

I eventually flew down there, and they offered me a scholarship.

“My fastball is my out pitch. I’ve topped out at 94. I usually sit around 88 to 92. I like throwing that a lot.” www.reachschools.online

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Students Safely

DRIVING

Joe Bunting

Copy by Mackenzie Skelton and Logan Taylor Design by Mackenzie Skelton and Logan Taylor Photos by Aaron Hamrick

The bus drivers of Reach Christian Schools drive all over New Castle County picking up Red Lion, Tall Oaks, and Journey students and bringing them to school as well as sports games and field trips.

J

oe Bunting is the transportation manager for Red Lion. As transportation manager, Mr. Bunting has many things to do. He is in charge of making inspections on the buses, fixing them if there is ever an issue, scheduling routes for the other drivers, and even driving a bus himself. He is responsible for anything that has to do with the state or federal government in terms of safety features.

He came to work at Red Lion in 2016 when Tall Oaks came over. “I was asked by Mr. Timko, and he said I needed to take over as manager.” Mr. Bunting had another job at the time, which required him to work on buses, so he knew what he was doing. This was his first job in managing, and he says it has been a challenge. They have had a shortage of drivers this past school year, which made it even more challenging. He said, “The place where we struggle with the most is sports because we do not have a backup driver to do the sports run. Our drivers do regular runs, and they have to be able

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to get back here and pick the kids up at 3:10. Our drivers have to juggle everything like field trips, sports, everyday pickups, all the other schools under Reach, and Reach youth group events.”

Most of the buses have been here around 10 years, and a lot of these are old buses that the bus drivers and Mr. Bunting have taken care of, like getting engines replaced or new paint jobs. There are four main bus drivers: Stephen Chila who has been here since the school year 2015, John Kenion who came last year, Jeanni Chila who began in November 2017, and Mr. Bunting himself drives a bus. The buses are kept clean and are up to date with their inspections. All the bus drivers try to get close with all their kids because, “We are the first face you see in the morning.” Last month on April 28, it was National Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Schools all around showed their bus drivers how thankful they were for everything they do. Mr. Bunting said, “The safety of the kids is our number one priority, of course.”

“The safety of the kids is our number one priority...”

“I work on the buses and make sure they’re maintained properly and make sure they are running. I like working with the kids. I’m the first one they see in the morning before they even get to school, so I need to be smiley and upbeat. I like to be able to cheer them up. I like working here.”

John Kenion

“I can’t express what a blessing it has been to be a part of the lives of the best kids in Delaware.”

Jeanni Chila

“Five years ago, I started working for Red Lion.

I have the pleasure and privilege of driving the best kids in the state! I get to share in their joy when we go on field trips, celebrate with them when our sports teams win, and empathize with them when they don’t. I consider myself truly blessed to work here.”

Stephen Chila www.reachschools.online

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The Next Step The seniors at Tall Oaks finish their last year of high school and look forward to college and their futures.

Interviews by Faith Hollister Delainey Gray Fiona Fawcett

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Photo by Brenda Munson Reach Christian Schools

SPENCER ARMSTRONG Judson University

ADRIAN BALTAR

KATIE BOOTH

University of Delaware

Queen’s University (Canada)

Architecture

Exercise Science

Health Science

“A lot of great memories were made here, I’m going to miss it.”

“I really loved the community and the Christian foundation provided by classical education.”

AIDAN BRIGGS

JALYNN BRUNSON

JOSHUA DEITRICH

The King’s College (NYC)

New York University

University of Delaware

Media, Cultures, Arts

Drama

Exercise Science

“Being at Tall Oaks for 13 years of my life has taught me many things. One of the main things it taught me is that everyone works together.”

“I’m thankful for my experiences here and how it’s prepared me for my future.”

“I’m really excited to attend UD, and I’m thankful for the education TOCS gave me.”

CHRISTAL FAN

ALEXEE GRAY

HAGAE KO

Wake Forest University

University of Delaware

University of Delaware

Undecided

Exercise Science

Biology

“I learned a lot about truth, goodness, and beauty.”

“I’m just really excited for the upcoming year and looking forward to what God has planned for me.”

“TOCS has prepared me well for the future and has helped me grow as both a student and a person.”

“Tall Oaks was great.”

THOMAS MCGRAW

JACOB MUNSON

DENNIS NICHOLSON

University of Delaware

West Chester University

Liberty University

Sports Management

Business Management

Religious Studies

“I’m thankful for Tall Oaks as it has prepared me fully to pursue the next level of education.”

“Our teachers really care about us.”

“Tall Oaks taught me how to look at a painting and see a cross.”

MICAH POPE

JOSHUA POZSONYI

JAYLEN ROWE

University of Delaware

University of Delaware

Wake Forest University

Electrical Engineering

Undecided

Exercise Science

“I am glad for the opportunities that I had here at TOCS, and I’m excited to see what the next chapter in life looks like.”

“I enjoyed the community with my fellow students and appreciate all the work my teachers have put in.”

ISAIAH TAYLOR Villanova University Business

KATELYN WALKER

SHERRY WANG

Gordon College

University of Delaware

Psychology

International Business

“I loved going to TOCS. The work was hard, but it helped me to grow as a young man and a leader.”

“I love how close the students are to each other, even outside their own classes.

“TOCS teaches you to endure, persevere, and work hard, so that you can succeed both in college and in life.”

www.reachschools.online

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Copy by Katie Rippon and Abby Metzger Photos by Aaron Hamrick

Balancing

Act Copy by Jacob Kennedy Photos by Aaron Hamrick

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B

alancing sports and school work can be challenging. Combine that with younger brothers and it becomes even harder. This, however, is just another day for Emmett Laws.

Emmett is a seventh grader at Tri-State Christian Academy and a hard-hitting athlete in whatever sport he plays. Emmett is currently attending his second year at Tri-State, playing basketball and baseball in school, as well as football outside of school.

A LOVE OF SPORTS

Each of the sports requires Emmett to fill multiple positions at different times. For baseball, Emmett can act as pitcher, catcher, and first baseman. In basketball, he mostly plays center but will move into the position his coach needs him to play.

On his football team, he can act as right tackle, right guard, deep tackle, linebacker, and full back.

Of the three sports, he has played football the longest, starting at the age of four. When asked what first got him into football he said, “My mom took a picture of me holding a football, and ever since then, I’ve loved it.” In basketball, his team was voted number one out of twenty teams in

the All Tournament by the National Athletic Christian Association, making him the youngest to accomplish this.

SCHOOL AND HOMEWORK School work and homework can become difficult to complete on nights when games are planned, especially when it’s the night before a test or quiz, limiting study time. When asked how he deals with this he said, “You have to pay more attention [in class], always ask questions, study when you can.”

Emmett’s advice can serve as a good reminder to anyone, especially for peers, because hearing advice from a friend can sometimes sink deeper than anyone else’s advice. It can also serve as good advice to kids younger than he is that look up to him, like his brothers.

HELPING AT HOME Emmett helps with taking care of his younger brothers by either looking after them on occasion or doing house work. “They can be a hassle, and it’s hard sometimes.” Emmett jokes, which is understandable since he has four younger brothers. Their young age also means, unfortunately, more chores for Emmett. There is, however, an upside that he has found to helping out. “It’s helped me be responsible.” Emmett says.

Emmett’s experience as an older brother helps teach him leadership qualities that he takes onto the playing field and teaches him responsibility for the classroom.

A POSITIVE ATTITUDE It’s no surprise that Emmett is well liked by the people around him. Mrs. Rinehimer, Emmett’s Grammar/Literature Teacher, says, “Emmett always has a smile on his face, and he has a positive attitude, always making his teachers and classmates laugh.” Mrs. Rinehimer also commented how, “he is self-disciplined and a very respectful student.”

After all, making people laugh is a fantastic thing, but it’s also important to know when to stop and focus. Emmett does just that. Mr. Smith, Emmett’s coach for basketball and baseball, also commented on how Emmett stays focused, saying, “Emmett represents the Lord first, then his parents, then his school. He has his priorities sorted out.”

CRUSADER AT HEART Tri-State’s mascot is a crusader, and Emmett exemplifies the ideals of a crusader with his dedication to hard work and his sense of responsibility. Being a crusader also means that the person shows their love and appreciation of Jesus, which he does. While Emmett walks the path he is on, whether with a basketball, baseball, or football in hand, it can easily be seen that Jesus walks with him. www.reachschools.online

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Mr. Kurt Sarac is an officer in the US Coast Guard and teaches business and computers at Red Lion Christian . He also coaches on the football team and is head coach of the boys lacrosse team.

ouble Duty

Interview by Aaron Fieger Photos by Aaron Hamrick

“I

grew up in Buffalo, New York. My mother was a nurse for my dad, who was a surgeon. I have 4 brothers and sisters. We’ve been very involved with the community since I was a young kid. My dad was very strong advocate for mentoring young doctors and people in the community. He never turned away a patient, even though he was a world-renowned surgeon.

Many in the community were too proud to not pay something, so they would bake cakes and give other things to my family, and that’s how they would pay, if they couldn’t formally pay him. He would do whatever it took to serve people. But my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and I saw him decline very rapidly. It was tough to see. Thankfully, I had my older brother, who is also a Chief of Vascular and Aortic Surgery at The Ohio State University, who stepped in and really mentored me in a caring way.

I can always remember my father’s favorite saying: ‘Duty First, but Honor Above All’ and relating it to giving back to the community.

“As a child I was diagnosed with dyslexia, and back then, people didn’t fully understand it. It is much better understood today. But my parents were very attuned and reminded me just because I had dyslexia didn’t mean it define me. I just meant that if I could conquer it, and work through it, I would be stronger. So, memorizing things became my strength. I learned that weaknesses can become a strength if you work really hard at your weaknesses. So, in the long run, dyslexia actually helped me rather than hindered me.

“I started my career in business process re-engineering (BPR) consulting and technology. I have been blessed to be able to start a few companies from inception to the divestiture. I came in early to one which was in infantile stages. Frankly, I was too young and inexperienced, but the CEO mentored me, and I learned the working of a growing company. Xerox eventually bought us for approximately $415 million. I got the chance to see a company go public and saw it bought out by a major organization, though It would never have happened if someone didn’t mentor me. The key was that while everybody was too busy to listen to the “Old Guys,” I wanted to hear the stories because if I could take their stories and put them together, then I could react better and be more competitive. I realized that by paying attention to their stories and the creative solutions that they came up with to problems, I could react faster than a lot of people my age. I remind kids today, to put up with some of the “war stories,” so you can react to situations faster and make decisions that your peer group can’t make. I lived vicariously through these other older guys.

One important advice I remember getting from my father-in-law, (HR at DuPont), he shared, ‘You hire a person, but you fire a family.’

“I had a successful consulting company taking troubled businesses and worked with banks to help them turn these companies around.

One of the businesses that we worked on involved some failing marinas. I ended up purchasing the marinas, but I was more into business process, engineering specifically. I found most of the time that the solutions were with the employees. In many cases, managers didn’t see these assets as the knowledge base nor set clear direction/goals nor set good paths that gave some inclusion to the employees.

“My brother Tim was a US Army reservist as a surgeon and received orders during the Iraq war, and I wanted to go join him. Man, I was so furious that they wouldn’t let me join him. However, the Coast Guard had a program called the Auxiliary that allowed me to serve, and I have been a member of Team Coast Guard since. You are a part of the staff augmentation of the active duty folks, so when they have a need you get called to fill in for them.

I’ve been blessed to be able to assist on missions such

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as the Papal Visit in Philadelphia (the largest national security event in our nation’s history), a role in safety and security for the Democratic National Convention, as well as some other roles working in the safety of V.I.P.’s that I’m not at liberty to share. I just moved from my role as Deputy Director of Training and Education (Chief of Staff) nationally where I got to help create and set direction of the curriculum and education for my shipmates. Currently, I have two roles: District Captain for the Central Region and District Staff Officer-Operations in US Coast Guard Auxiliary 5th District Northern Region. The Auxiliary has approximately 26,000 members worldwide. The surface operations side of it includes boats crews, Search and Rescue (SAR), Recreational Boating Safety and Water Patrols.

“I have some cool stories, and I can tell about a few of them, like two guys that were 300 pounds in a 14ft boat on the C & D canal. The boat was anchored and was flooding after a big tug went by. They were sitting there with no life jackets.

But there was one that was the toughest for me. It occurred at an event called Canal Days in Chesapeake City. Canal Days was a wild event. Many were drunk and were out on the water not acting prudently. A young guy and his family member were on the back of their boat and, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw this young adult fall off boat. I can still see his face to this day. By the time we could get to him, he had already drowned. The anguish during the searching was heartbreaking. I’ve seen it before, but this was personal as you usually don’t see a mission case where you witness the person fall in. It was tough. This event happened on the heels of a couple other boating accidents that took place with some folks who were friends. I began to think, “What am I doing if I can’t help these folks?” And I remember Admiral Dean Lee, a wonderful Christian man, talked to me and said, “You can only do your part in safety and education of folks. Your job is to promote safety and help the folks that you can.” From this event, I focused on my craft. I wanted to be better, faster, and to take our training a lot more seriously. I wanted be able to take the knowledge I had and pass it on to others, in order to build a multitude of people to promote safety and help prevent accidents before they happen. I was actually pretty frustrated that they decided to give me an award. What I didn’t remember were the 30 people who all jumped in the water to try and save the guy, that were without life jackets, that we helped get out of the water safely. I don’t remember those folks. I just remember seeing that one guy who I couldn’t help.

“Now, how does all this tie into me teaching at Red Lion? Well, when I showed up, I was just supposed to be here for a couple weeks to help fill in, but I fell in love with the school and with the kids. Certainly, Red Lion is a unique school, and it’s got such a blended community of folks that it’s just a neat opportunity to be here and share my God-given experiences. This is really what I enjoy about being here and being able to share. I’m trying to pass on the stories that I learned from those older individuals who helped to teach me when I was young. So that’s what I want to be able to pass on to the kids during my time here at Red Lion. I want them to understand that we all go through the same issues, whether it’s peer issues, worrying about college, worrying about grades, or feeling stressed. We get humbled through all kinds of things, but it’s all part of the maturing process that I have gone through and that all of the teachers have gone through.

Balancing both roles can be a challenge sometimes, but the school and kids have been spectacular when I go away for events or different operational needs. A lot of times when I get back from these events, the students want to hear about the things I did. When you’re going through things that we do on mission, there’s an operational tempo and an inherent risk associated with the things that we do. I continually realize how important the things we are doing for the community and country and how truly blessed I am.

“To my students: Any meeting that you can get with a business leader or with a leader in the community, take that meeting. Go after them because they’re not going to find you! Most of them are willing to give you a couple minutes of their time. Don’t ever ask them for a job directly though. If you are mature, and act appropriately in your conversation, you’ll see that they will find a way to help you. But sitting down and learning from those people, gaining information from them, and getting insights on how the world works is really going to help you marvelously throughout your schooling and career.”

“Red Lion is a unique school, and it’s got such a blended community of folks that it’s just a neat opportunity to be here and share my God-given experiences.”

www.reachschools.online

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Studying Across the Pond A Glasgow Christian Academy graduate and a Reach Church member, Alaina Hush traveled to England and studied Bible at Capernwray Hall.

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Copy by Alaina Hush Photos courtesy of Alaina Hush

ver the past six months, I attended a Bible school called Capernwray Hall. Capernwray is in the northwest part of England. The school resembles a castle and is surrounded by breathtaking scenery. During my time there, I grew closer to Jesus and learned what it means to live in a Christ-centered community. The community and the friendships that I created were my favorite part of the entire experience.

I met people from Canada, Germany, the UK, South Korea, the United States, and many other places around the world. What was so inspiring about living in this community was that at the end of the day, we were all there to have a better understanding of Scripture

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and to develop a more personal relationship with the Lord. Personally, it was like a “taste of Heaven” to me. People from all over the world were coming together to worship King Jesus.

We all shared testimonies, stories, laughs, and what our big plans are for the future.

Some of my favorite memories are with my roommates. I got to have different roommates for each semester, which I thought was really great. With my first set of roommates, we had a “roomie night” every Sunday after our evening service. These times were so encouraging to me because we would laugh, share how our week went, and pray together.

With my second set of roommates, we would

talk and pray together every night, which really helped me get through some rough patches.

Because of this community, I now know what it means to accept people for who they are, along with all of their struggles. Instead of being quick to judge someone, I know that I need to be quick to pray for them. God brought this community and me together for a reason. He knew that I needed these people in life. Leaving in March was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. In realty, I know that I will never see some of these people again, but we have the beautiful promise of eternity together. That alone is something very special and precious to me.

www.reachschools.online

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Reach Christian Schools

Throwing the Stone Lillian Hendershot is in sixth grade at Tall Oaks Classical School and has played curling for four years. She plays for the Diamond State Curling Club, the only curling club in Delaware.

Copy by Katie Rippon and Abby Metzger Photos by Aaron Hamrick

T

he ice is smooth beneath their feet, and the lane before them is speckled with little droplets of water called pebble that will guide their stone smoothly across the ice. The teams stand ready, prepared to compete and carry their stone across the ice towards the target painted at one end called the “house.”

Lillian Hendershot is a 6th grader who has been at Tall Oaks since kindergarten. She has been curling for almost four years now. She plays for the only curling club in Delaware, the Diamond State Curling Club. Lillian first heard of curling when her mother saw it on the Olympics and wanted to give it a try. Her mom wanted her to start a sport, but Lillian wasn’t interested in many of them. As she learned to curl on a smaller scale, it awakened her new love and joy for the sport, eventually leading up to joining a club to further pursue her passion.

Curling is a sport played on ice in which large round flat stones are slid across the surface toward the house on each end of the ice sheet. The surface of the ice is usually swept by team members in the path of the stone to control its speed and direction. The game is similar to shuffleboard.

There are four positions: the lead, the second, the third (vice), and the skip. The skip is the captain and decides the strategy. The vice helps the skip in this decision. Lillian says, “I usually play second or vice. Everyone gets a turn to throw, and everyone but the skip gets a few turns to sweep.”

Curling season runs from November to March.

Dedicated clubs melt their ice in the spring and summer, but arena clubs have ice year-round. At the Diamond State Curling Club, they share the ice with hockey players and ice skaters, and the ice isn’t melted in the off-season. This gives the curling club more time to play when the other ice sports aren’t in season.

Curling involves a lot of skill, strength, and flexibility. “The arena ice is sometimes domed,” says Lillian, “and it requires a lot of calculation and strategic planning.” Learning to slide out correctly and push the rock is very important. Sliding out requires players to be warmed up and flexible.

And, as in any sport, warming up and stretching properly is essential for avoiding injury. Lillian notes that after being out of practice for a while getting back into it can hurt. However, once the basic skills are mastered, curling doesn’t have to be practiced as much as some sports.

Lillian says that in her experience, the basics of curling are easy to learn. Kids are taught to slide out and push a rock on an ice sheet with candy.

The candy they knock off the ice is theirs to keep. She learned on the same sheet with other beginners, which made learning enjoyable for her.

Although curling with adults is harder, she enjoys it nevertheless. After years of curling, she can now get the 42-pound rock from one end of the house to the other. Also, her team recently placed third in a curling competition.

While there are many things Lillian loves about curling, there are a few downsides. She does not always enjoy being the sweeper, because sometimes a player throws the stone in the wrong way or not forcefully enough, and the sweepers are stuck with trying to carry the stone forward.

Also, there are not very many junior curling clubs.

And despite curling being an Olympic sport, a lot of people have no idea what it really is. Sharing the ice with hockey teams or ice skaters can be difficult as well.

Lillian has had experience dealing with injury. One time, the grip on her shoe came off, causing her to slip and fall. As a result, she hurt a nerve in her shoulder. Thankfully, the injury healed with rest in just a few hours, and she was able to play again.

Among her team members, there has only been one serious injury, a concussion. Their low injury rate is partly due to the training they get in the beginning. They learn to fall properly on their backs like turtles or roll if they fall forward. “In a lot of other sports, you can get hurt really easily, but you can’t get hurt in curling. You’re wearing a hat and gloves and thick pants and grippy shoes, so it’s hard to get hurt even if you fall,” Lillian says.

Curling comes with many benefits. Lillian has been ice skating for one and a half years, partly inspired

by her being on the ice often in curling. Since curling isn’t as well known as most sports, Lillian tells us she enjoys teasing and confusing people when she talks about it. She also notes that “If you can get into the practice when you’re young, it really improves flexibility as you get older.”

In the future, Lillian hopes that her team will fully win a curling competition. This is a challenge because the team is constantly changing. There are always older members moving on to the adult teams and younger members coming on who are still learning the techniques. People aren’t there all the time to curl for her team. While Lillian loves curling, she does not plan to curl as a career, but she would be open to playing in college if she were offered a scholarship. She plans to continue curling mainly as a hobby. “No matter how long you curl, you can always add on to your skills.”

Even though curling is not a well-known sport in terms of knowledge and popularity, it is still an interesting sport. Lillian loves curling because there is always room for improvement: “No matter how long you curl, you can always add on to your skills.” Curling is like any other sport, building up good health and teaching players to work together as a team. Lillian encourages everyone to give the game a try.

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Red Lion Alumni

Design by Aaron Fieger

Red Lion Alumni

Lions In The Field

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“I am a 2010 Red Lion graduate. I attended Red Lion for my entire schooling career, which was extremely convenient as it is practically located in my parent’s backyard. I have some of my fondest memories growing up at Red Lion including school socials, field day, homecoming, prom, making the state tournament in football, and graduating with some of my closest friends. I learned from some of the best teachers who did so much more than just drill math formulas or english rules into my head. For example, in fourth grade, Mr. Frazier taught me discipline using a checkbook; Mrs. Swalm showed me how fun math could be with some competition, and photography with Mr. Hamrick taught me how to be patient and detail oriented as I learned to develop my own film in a makeshift dark room. Red Lion became much more than a school to me. It was where I did a lot of my growing up.

I really felt as though I was challenged to succeed, but supported when I didn’t. I think this atmosphere pushed me to become a better student while teaching me that there was always something to be improved on and that was fine.

“Once I graduated from Red Lion, I attended Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. It offered an optimal opportunity for me in academics and athletics, in addition to being a perfect distance from home (I was close enough to come home, but also far enough my parents couldn’t pop in unannounced). I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. While at Gettysburg, I played on the baseball team and football team and had a fun social experience. I endured a daunting schedule, usually running from class to labs to lifting to meetings and practice, but that schedule allowed me to practice the time management skills and perfect the study habits I had first learned in high school. I decided on biology as my major because I knew I wanted to go to medical school and I thought that was the best way. If I Reach Christian Schools

Tommy LeNoir Class of 2010

could do it over, I would major in something different, such as economics or business and take the prerequisites I would need for medical school because I really like learning about finances and how the world works. Additionally, I was a part of various clubs such as FCA and pre-medicine, the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and I was also a teaching assistant. All in all, I learned that balance is key. The nights I lost sleep doing activities were some of the best nights of college. There are some things you can only learn drinking red bulls at 2 a.m. in the library because your friends wanted to get wings.

“In college, I knew I wanted to go to medical school after I graduated.

I attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and will graduate this coming May. I decided to attend P.C.O.M because it offered an opportunity to study medicine close to home, but also because the theory of Osteopathic medicine dives into a holistic approach to medicine. My dream is to be an emergency medicine physician with an emphasis on critical care.

My desire to work in ER began in high school when I was able to volunteer in the hospital to fulfill a graduation requirement at Red Lion. I was instantly hooked my first opportunity to witness a code in the hospital with all the bright lights and people rushing around. The physician in charge had such calming demeanor as he called out orders and organized the assembled team; it was at this point I decided I wanted to be an ER doctor. Luckily, I am able to continue to pursue this dream beginning residency at Inspira Medical Center this summer. The opportunities in medical school and beyond have led me to some amazing places including Argentina, Machu Picchu, etc., and has allowed me to meet some pretty amazing people, especially my current classmate and girlfriend. It has been a long and rigorous journey to get this point. There has been a lot of hours studying and a lot of sacrifice, but there is nothing else I could ever see myself doing.”

Ashley daPonte Voshell Class of 2007 “Looking back on my time at Red Lion, all I can think about are all the happy memories. I played on the volleyball team, the soccer team, I was class president, and I was involved in pretty much every aspect of high school life. Red Lion has always felt like family and still feels like that to this day. My three little sisters have attended or still attend Red Lion. The teachers and staff definitely know the “daPonte” name and hopefully get a giggle from the memories too. I’m so thankful for all Red Lion taught me and how they guided me during those formative years. I wouldn’t be who I am today without such wonderful teachers, staff, friends, and a school that became family.

“I went the University of Delaware for nursing school, had the time of my life, met my current best friends, and learned how to be a nurse.

“I started my nursing career after school and have loved every day, some days more than others. Nursing has been such a rewarding career, and I’m so thankful for the jobs I’ve had. I’ve been a cardiac nurse, a pulmonary nurse, and a critical care nurse. I then ended up going back to graduate school in 2016 and became a nurse practitioner.

“A few years after graduating college, I married Josh, my best friend and love of my life. We’ve been together 12 years and married for 4. It’s so fun being married to your best friend. I highly recommend it!

“Josh and I just had our first baby, a baby girl named Charlotte. She’s the love of our lives, my best little friend, and the best gift we’ve ever been given.”

Thomas Becker Class of 2011

Matt and Nikki Imm Class of 2010

“While I was at RLCA, I was involved in soccer, the musical, choir, band, and student government.

There are remarkable teachers to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude - most especially Mrs. Norris, Mrs. Stocker, Mr. Jackson, and Mr. Osbourn - for their investment in my future.

These women and men inspired me in ways I wouldn’t begin to understand until I became a teacher and school administrator myself.

“I graduated from RLCA in 2011 and enrolled at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. I joined a fraternity, held a variety of positions in student government, studied and worked abroad in Europe and Africa, and was an active member in the Bonner Scholars Program. I majored in Economics and minored in Politics, and I also took a number of courses in the Religion department.

I had a distinct advantage over some of my peers: RLCA taught me how to think critically, write well, and communicate ideas effectively.

“After I graduated from Centre in 2015, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue graduate studies at Vanderbilt University. I earned my Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Leadership and Organizational Performance in 2017, and I was offered a great job at Christ School, an all-boys boarding and day school in Asheville, North Carolina. Here I’ve worn many hats: college counselor, teacher, chaplain’s assistant, soccer coach, dorm parent, and student advisor.

“The memories I carry from my time at Red Lion and the rich relationships I formed during my time there have helped shape me into the person I am today.”

“We both attended Red Lion Christian Academy and graduated in the class of 2010.

We were given many opportunities to be involved through sports, AP courses, and after school activities. Both Matt and I served on the yearbook team together. I helped with writing and editing stories and Matt assisted with writing stories and photography.

“A special experience I had while attending Red Lion was going to the Appalachian Mountains on a mission’s trip with the school. While there we were able to go door to door sharing the gospel with members in the community.

“Matt is thankful for the education he received at Red Lion and believes that it provided him with the foundation he needed to be successful in his life and career.

“After graduating from Red Lion, Matt went to University of Delaware and graduated with his degree in Biomedical Engineering. He currently works at Terumo Cardiovascular in Elkton, Maryland manufacturing heart-lung bypass machines for open heart surgery. I went to Delaware Technical Community College and obtained my ADN degree in nursing and then obtained my BSN through Wilmington University.

I currently work as an Emergency Room nurse at Christiana Hospital.

“We got married in May 2015 and bought our first house together. In our free time we enjoy traveling, spending time with family and friends, doing house projects, and taking our miniature schnauzers, Lincoln and Lacy, on long walks.”

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REACH

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS RED LION CAMPUS 1390 Red Lion Road Bear, DE 19701

Camp Firefly at Red Lion June 3 - August 30, 2019 $250 per week includes Lunch, Snacks, Field Trips, and Extended Care Water Slide and Water Ice Truck every Friday Camp Hours 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for Full Days 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for Half Days Before Care from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

After Care from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Ages 3 years od (potty trained) through 6th grade (graduated) Beach Blast Week (June 3-7) Circus Week (June 10-14) Knights, Princesses, and Dragons Week (June 17-21) Shipwrecked Week (June 24-28) Party in the USA Week (July 1-5, closed July 4) Super Hero Week (July 8-12) Disney Week (July 15-19)

Wild West Week (July 22-26) Sports Week (July 29-Aug. 2) Mad Science Week (Aug. 5-9) Safari Week (August 12-16) Space Week (August 19-23) Beach Blast 2 Week (Aug. 26-30)