Student Spotlight: Naomi
Incoming student Naomi and her mom, Andrea, answered our questions about what brought their family to Chesterton Academy! See their Q&A below:
A conversation between us and Naomi:
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: This past school year, I attended Bemis Junior High.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about our Chesterton Academy education?
A: I'm eager to be enrolled in a school system that is more interested in what you as a person learn and what you take away from it, than what you can score on a test and move on from.
Q: Why do you think high schoolers should consider a classical education?
A: A classical education is a path that should be considered by high schoolers because it focuses on history and language in order to create an alternative learning environment to be available for students.
Q: What is one book you’ve read that you consider a “great book” and why?
A: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a book that I consider great because it focuses on the duality of man and the nature of free will. It reveals that you cannot separate the evil and good in a person, as the conflict between them is what creates the character of a person (how they go about dealing with evil urges and how they act although they struggle with them).
A conversation between us and Naomi’s mom, Andrea:
Q: How did you hear about Chesterton Academy?
A: I first heard about Chesterton from my dad, Jim Voiland. He is a member at St. Luke. I was discussing my disappointment in the online education that was being offered by our local district. We were also talking about our concerns with the impact of the secular world since I had stopped sending my kids to Christian schools. I had told him I didn't think I could afford the other Christian high schools I was aware of around us. He said, “Hey, what about Chesterton?”
Q: Why should parents consider a classical education for their children?
A: A classical education is something parents should consider because it provides them with a means for bringing up a child to appreciate the awesomeness of God. Education that merely prepares a child to perform on a test or prepare to execute a certain task has an emptiness to it. An obedient child may participate in completing this type of education, but for the most part it just aids them in getting by in the temporal world. An education that is centered on God helps a child to grow in the understanding that we were created by Him and for Him. It is by cultivating the gifts and talents that He bestows on us that we become better prepared to do the good works He set us apart for us to do. I believe that Chesterton will provide an education based on truth. Studying the plight of people over generations as recorded in books will aid Naomi in understanding the human condition and her need for the Savior. It will help me to filter out the progressive indoctrination that has seeped into the public school system. I have a great desire for my children to be free. As we know, the Truth sets us free.
Q: What, as parents, most excites you about Chesterton Academy?
A: The overarching answer to what excites me most about Chesterton is that my child will be receiving a Christian education. It will assist me in my duty to raise her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Some specific amenities that I look forward to are the prospect of her being involved in missions like the March for Life. I love that she should be able to have face to face instruction and a very personalized education.
Q: What do you hope that Naomi will gain from her time at Chesterton Academy?
A: I hope that while Naomi is at Chesterton she may be able to rekindle the excitement that she had for learning through being inquisitive about science, art, and literature. It is also my sincere hope that Naomi will build relationships with both staff and peers that will help her to be strengthened in her endeavor to be a faithful servant of Christ. It would be beautiful to me if she could experience relationships that make her joyful despite the pains of this world.
Q: How has G.K. Chesterton, St. John Paul II, or Our Lady of Guadalupe (all important influences of our school) impacted you?
A: As we are new to Chesterton, there is not a lot for me to reflect on to answer this question. However, the prospect of what I believe will be available to my daughter by studying these examples of Christian living is very exciting to me. In a time when factions of society want to exterminate the possibility of learning how to engage in the process of sanctification by looking to examples of Christian living, it is so hopeful to find other Christians who want to invest in my child by helping her become all that God intended her to be. I believe Naomi will be enlightened and encouraged by looking at the lives of these individuals.
Meet Naomi and Andrea in a brief video about their favorite Chesterton quote, below. We are so exited to welcome Naomi and her family into the Chesterton community!