Over the past two weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting new students and families. There’s a universal nervous excitement. Starting a new school year (especially at a new school!) is never easy, no matter if you’re in preschool, middle, or high school. I’m usually hit with a bit of nostalgia this time of year, but this year is different. It’s been two weeks since I dropped my oldest son off at college. If I’m being honest, my heart is still a little raw. But as a newly minted parent of a Timothy alumnus (and now college freshman), I can tell you without a doubt that a Timothy education is the best decision you’ll ever make for your child. You are now part of a community that will walk alongside you on this parenting journey.

Pictured: New 8th Grade Students & Ambassadors at the Middle School Mixer 

When I dropped my son off at preschool so many years ago, my family was new to Timothy. We didn’t have roots here, but we were quickly accepted and embraced. Looking back, there was no way to know how Timothy would ultimately shape my son and his faith. 

I simply wanted my three-year-old to learn about Jesus.

Learning about Jesus was indeed at the very core of every grade and every classroom. I can distinctly remember starting every parent teacher conference with prayer. 

As he grew, my son faced his share of challenges. I think there are universal challenges that any kid at any school will face. Growing up is not always easy! But my son had a very important and distinct advantage: A Christ-centered community that loved him, rooted for him, and most importantly prayed for him.  

By the time he was in high school, he had a trusted mentor who was not only a teacher and coach, but someone who prayed with him and for him. Someone who encouraged him to lean into his faith that had been developed ever since those early preschool years.  

Even though he was raised in a Christian home and went to church every week, the value of his Christ-centered, Biblically-based education was (and continues to be) immeasurable. From the time he was three-years- old, Timothy was a partner in his development emotionally, socially, academically, and spiritually. 

Everything he was taught at Timothy was through the lens of faith. In high school he had the opportunity to participate in VEI, a business class where he not only learned how to manage a virtual company, but more importantly how to serve as a Christian leader. He traveled to Honduras on a Renew trip and served orphans, an experience that forever changed his heart. Even as an athlete he was trained to compete with integrity.

Every class, every extracurricular, every team was Christ-centered. Biblical truth was poured into him on a daily basis. 

When he graduated from Timothy last May, he had a deep understanding of his faith and what it meant to courageously live it out. He was ready for his next step. My head knew it — but my heart? Well it’s been slow to follow.  

Pictured: Class of 2021 Graduates

When I dropped him off at college two weeks ago, I knew I had done everything I could to give him a strong foundation. All of his teachers, coaches, mentors, and his father and I had prayed for him for years. 

I just had to let him go. 

A week after he started college, I ran into one of his former Timothy coaches. I was surprised when the coach told me he had called my son just to check up on him — to see how he was adjusting to college life.  

This community continues to care for alumni long after they have graduated! I am so thankful I signed him up for preschool so many years ago. In the beginning, I just wanted him to learn about Jesus. But throughout his elementary, middle, and high school years he was developed into a servant leader, who I pray will continue to courageously live out his faith. What more could I ask for? 

Someday your children will graduate from Timothy Christian High School and they’ll be ready for their next step. I can assure you it’s bittersweet. But there’s comfort in knowing that your investment in a Biblically-based, Christ-centered education has grounded your child in the Truth. And there is no better investment than that.