"I graduated 8th grade in a class of three. My graduating class in high school had 96 students. I graduated in the top 10, as a member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Students, and with 57 college credits" ~ Kim Carey, Cornerstone Christian School Alum
Before I started 1st grade, my parents decided to send me to the Cornerstone Christian school. I was very blessed by this decision. I attended the Christian school from 1st grade through 8th grade. In that time, I learned many things.
First, I learned what it is to have a relationship with God. I learned so many things about God, and prayer. Some aspect of every single day revolved around God and it wasn’t the “stuff God down your throat” type of learning. It was a gentle, “this is who God is and this is how He shows His love.” That aspect of the school is something I will carry with me forever. Learning and understanding enough at a young age what God is all about really helped me to know that I wanted to commit myself to Him. A commitment I will have for the entirety of my life. My parents and grandparents gave me the opportunity, and I will never be able to thank them enough. But ultimately the decision to commit my life to God was my choice, a choice made easy by the education I received at the Christian school.
I received a great education at CCS. In a school where the class sizes are small, the teachers have the ability to take an extra five minutes to explain something you don’t understand. Small classes also give teachers to opportunity to cover a greater amount of material at a deeper understanding than in other settings, based on my experiences. I will admit that I learned a lot in the high school after I graduated from the Christian school. However, I do believe that I would have never been prepared for high school if I hadn’t gone to the Christian school. I’ve heard that maybe the Christian school doesn’t provide the best education. I whole heartedly disagree.
I graduated 8th grade in a class of three. My graduating class in high school had 96 students. I graduated in the top 10, as a member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Students, and with 57 college credits. Cornerstone also provides a lot of community service, which looks very good on a college application, and they welcome all the help they can get. I also learned the importance of friends and family. In a small school, the idea that “everyone knows everyone” is the truth. I met one of my very best friends in first grade. I also know that I could call anyone at the Christian school for help. And I mean everyone. Teachers, parents, students, everyone. Within a matter of minutes after hanging up, I would have an entire community praying and providing support. That sense of family and community isn’t something you can find easily, much less in 1st grade. Nearly five years after I graduated from 8th grade, I know that I could still call them today and would have more support and prayer than I know what to do with. Having such a large family at schools means speaking to a lot of people. This opportunity means that a student very quickly developed people skills. Without those skills, I would have never been able to give a commencement speech at my high school graduation.
I was so blessed that my parents and grandparents gave me such an opportunity. Without the Christian school and the things I learned there I would not be the person that I am today. If I was given the opportunity to go back and change anything, I wouldn’t. I cannot stress how blessed I am that I was able to be a part of the Christian school family. I also know that God placed the Christian school and the family in Lander for a purpose. I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of it.
God Bless, Kim Carey