What Calvary Means To Me

6/17/2019

Avery Householder - Class of 2019

Mrs. Jones took my hand, leading me to a table so I could calm down and allow my parents to leave for work that day. She comforted me, making sure I knew I would be fine without my parents and that I would have fun in her Pre-K class.

That day, despite it being nearly 14 years ago, stuck out in my mind as a reminder of the care and compassion each teacher at Calvary has for the children they are working with. Throughout my 14 years, I have formed relationships with teachers who treated me as if I were one of their children, and I could not be more grateful to be given the chance to experience such a wonderful, nurturing environment at Calvary.

As I moved through elementary, middle, and high school, I found myself feeling at home with the people I interacted with around school, whether that was a teacher or fellow classmates. While Calvary is a place to enhance and hone in on students’ academic abilities and prepare them for their ultimate journey into the “real world,” Calvary is not simply a school. It is a community, a family that joins together to raise and support the community it has created.

As a member of Calvary’s class of 2019, I not only believe that Calvary has prepared me academically for what I will face in college, but also spiritually and socially. Calvary has provided me with a place to explore my passions outside of the academic realm, and I have been involved in numerous sports, clubs, and national societies throughout my years at the school. One of my biggest and most rewarding passions was being part of our nationally award-winning yearbook staff, Beacon. My advisor, Mr. Joshua Brewer, played an influential role in my life, and I could not be more grateful for everything he taught me throughout my four years on staff. He believed in my abilities to write as well as to lead, and in my senior year I served as the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook staff.

The teachers at Calvary have shaped us into the men and women we are becoming, and I am thankful to have attended a school where each and every one of my teachers actively worked to spur my academic, social, and spiritual growth.

Recently, during a cleanout of my room, I was reading through an old journal of mine. There was an entry dated at the end of my eighth grade year in which I wrote about the goals I had going into high school. I wrote, “Your goal is to graduate first in your class, and you can do it! Fourteen-year-old Avery believes 18-year-old Avery can do it!” Now, as a recent graduate, I am proud to say that I completed that eighth grade goal and was able to stand before my fellow graduates, teachers, family, and friends as class valedictorian. Without the support of my teachers and administrators, as well as the academically stimulating environment at Calvary, I am not sure if this goal would have been met.

Calvary Day School is a place where goals are created and goals are met. It is a place where students can feel academically challenged while also being able to explore their passions, whether that be on a field or in a classroom. Most importantly, however, Calvary is a home, and I am proud to have called it mine for the past 14 years.

Avery Householder

Class of 2019

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