Stephanie Ohnegian
EC Parent
How has Eastern Christian made a difference in the life of your child(ren)? What do you think would be different had they not come here?
Eastern Christian provided my daughter with a renewed enthusiasm for learning! After her public school experienced several years of turmoil, Eastern Christian Middle School was wonderful. The school and students embraced her and helped her grow in her faith. Her teachers have been truly wonderful, helping her improve her weaknesses and tap into her natural talents. We love that the Eastern Christian community is diverse, with students from most of the surrounding communities and even farther away. For example, the International Student Program exposes the students to other cultures, opening their eyes to their blessings at home and what the world has to offer them on other continents. We hope to host an international student in the future. My daughter’s experiences with the ECMS and ECHS athletics also have been great. The coaches have fostered camaraderie and discipline, and the players have demonstrated their competitive spirit, but also sportsmanship and a team mentality that seems to be passed down year to year. I’m sure my daughter and our family would have made the best of our school situation, but coming to EC has far exceeded our expectations and kicked off a school journey that I don’t think we could have found elsewhere. We are so thankful.
How has the staff and/or administration partnered with you to nurture your child’s spirit and engage your child’s mind?
The Eastern Christian Middle and High School administrators have been wonderful, especially as our daughter arrived in the middle of middle school! The ECMS Principal is an ebullient leader who makes that extra effort to ensure all students are thriving. He is extremely responsive when issues arise and is very efficient in resolving them. The ECHS Principal has established an environment of energy, enthusiasm, fun and structure. He regularly attends many of the extra-curricular events, cheering on athletes and getting to know their families. He greets every high school student every day at the front door with a hello and a smile. At both campuses, my daughter’s teachers have been stellar in nurturing both her mind and her spirit. Every day, she cannot stop talking about something, whether it be the speaker in chapel, what she learned in World Literature, where she wants to go on a mission trip, or what charity the students are supporting. She is excited to go to school every day!
What is the most valuable part of the Eastern Christian experience to you?
For us so far, the most valuable part of the Eastern Christian experience is its tremendous contribution in building our daughter’s confidence. The tenor of the school is warm and welcoming, the teachers are positive and encouraging and are never too busy to help outside of class, the students share a spiritual compass in an environment filled with collaboration and fellowship, the SOAR and after-school activities are providing her exposure to valuable new experiences, and the sports are competitive but cooperative, with players of all ages interacting with each other inside and outside of school. We feel so blessed with the person that our daughter is and who she is becoming at EC.
Why are you thankful for Christian Education?
The Eastern Christian school experience has well exceeded our expectations. We had heard from others whose children attended the school that it provided a great environment for their children, but we had not envisioned quite the extent to which we would be impacted. Our daughter is making new friends from diverse backgrounds and various local communities. Her teachers are inspiring her so that she wants to learn, grow, excel, and succeed. Her spiritual foundation is expanding, and she loved chapel in the middle school and now devotions in the high school; some of the sermons she regularly references. We are meeting many new parents and getting to know their families. We trust the school and its administrators and staff as they mentor her, encourage her, help her strive for excellence, and expand her perspective on the world and her spirituality. Eastern Christian was one of the best decisions we have made for our daughter.
What else would you like others to know about Eastern Christian School?
Eastern Christian is a very special place, which is why so many families send their children there, and those children become adults who send their children to the school there, and on and on. The school community is friendly and welcoming. There are many opportunities for parents to get involved helping in the schools and outside with community service and fundraisers. The school facilities are wonderful, but the leadership always seems to be improving them. For example, at ECMS the construction of an outdoor classroom was underway, and at ECHS a turf athletic field is in progress and will be an invaluable asset to all the Eastern Christian students and sports teams. We are so grateful for the opportunity to send our daughter to EC as we watch her thrive.
