Despite several large hurdles throughout college, Calvin Tucker (Class of 2015) persevered and graduated from Nyack College earlier this month.

During Calvin Tucker’s 8th grade year at Hartford Area Seventh Day Adventist School, he and his family starting exploring different options for high school.  Calvin loved basketball and hoped to play for his high school team.  After considering Glastonbury High School, The Master’s School, and Northwest and East Catholic, his parents prayed for guidance and then found CCS.  They believed God had directed them and therefore enrolled him for his high school years.

When Calvin drove into the parking lot on his first day of high school, he told his mother that she needed to turn the car around!  He was skeptical because CCS seemed so different from his previous school, but his mother insisted he give it a try.  He walked in to school wearing a basketball jacket and the basketball players immediately flocked toward him.  It was then that he began to feel part of the CCS community.

When asked about a word to describe his experience at Cornerstone, Calvin said “harmony” comes to mind.  He had an amazing experience with “zero drama” and was able to go about his day without any stress.  He appreciated the close relationship he had with all his teachers and enjoyed the special camaraderie with his classmates.  He loved being able to listen to his friends and give words of wisdom and comfort and appreciated that his friends could offer the same thing to him.  He especially treasured the times he prayed with his class.

The highlight of his high school career occurred during his senior year when the CCS basketball team won the Annual Invitational Basketball Tournament in Binghamton, NY.  It was the first time the boys had won in many years, and Calvin was glad to be part of making CCS history!  He graduated in June, 2015, with plans to attend college.

Because of the influence of Mrs. Karis Rowse, Spanish teacher at CCS, Calvin decided to attend Nyack College in Nyack, NY, her alma mater.  He felt academically grounded and spiritually prepared when he started, and he believes this helped keep him from being swayed by the ways of the world when he left home.  He remarked that “CCS got him all set” for college, and perhaps he was even over prepared!  After his first semester he earned a 3.7 GPA!

Being spiritually grounded helped keep him on track while he went through significant challenges during his time at Nyack.  During Calvin’s freshman year, he lost his Godfather and Grandmother.  In September of his sophomore year, his father died unexpectedly and he wanted to leave school for a time.  But his mother told him, “God’s got us, baby!” and she insisted he return to Nyack.  Calvin knew his Dad had worked so hard for his education and quitting was not an option.  It took him a little while to get back on his feet, but he was able to go back and graduate on time.

Calvin graduated in May, 2019 with Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing.  He also received a Minor in Biblical Studies and Music Business.  He hopes to attend graduate school in the fall and obtain an MBA or a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership.  Ultimately, he would love to start a music business and use it as an opportunity for ministry to keep kids off the streets.  Whichever course he takes, we know Calvin will be successful!  We look forward to hearing how the Lord will continue to use him to be a blessing to others!

Thank you, Calvin, for sharing your story!  If you are a CCS alumni and would like to share your story, please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org.

Kari (McCavanagh) Olson, Class of 1991, lives in Manchester, CT, with her family. Her children are now the second generation to be blessed with a CCS education!

Kari Olson remembers Cornerstone Christian School from its earliest days.  In fact, she was a member of the charter class when CCS first opened its doors in 1981!  Prior to that, Kari had attended public school up through 2nd grade.  Kari’s mother, Nancy, was disappointed in the public school system which was teaching secular humanism to her children, and she wanted an alternative.  Nancy learned that Neale and Gladie McLain planned establish a school which upheld her Christian faith, and so she enrolled Kari and her brothers when the doors opened. 

Kari loved her time at Cornerstone!  She thrived in the small environment and appreciated her God-centered education where “teachers prayed for and loved on her.”  She was also able to develop strong relationships with her classmates, many of whom are now life-long friends.  Being nurtured in this type of environment made it feel like she was surrounded by family.  Kari also appreciated the opportunity to interact with all kinds of people, even those she wouldn’t normally gravitate toward.  She believes this has served her well in life as she’s learned to forge relationships with those who are different than her.

After graduating in 1991 (as the second graduating class of CCS), Kari attended Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) in Quicy, MA.  She remained there for 1 ½ years before deciding to move home and begin hairdressing school.  Once completed, she moved to Nashville for the next 7 years where she met and married her husband, Kris. 

The urge to move home to Connecticut came once Kari learned she would become an aunt!  She and Kris moved back to be closer to family.  She also began her own family and gave birth to Sinead and Jaden, in 2004 and 2005, respectively.  After living in Connecticut for some time, God called her family to become domestic missionaries working at a Christ-centered recovery program called His Mansion in Hillsboro, NH.  She and Kris were staff members until God called them back to CT in 2016.

Ever since Kari became a mom, the prayer of her heart was to send her own children to CCS.  God answered that prayer in 2017 when Sinead and Jaden enrolled in the middle school program.  Kari wanted her children to be protected from the harmful philosophies of the world and has been blessed by the changes she’s seen in her children since they’ve started attending CCS.  Sinead has become “more settled spiritually” and she reported to Kari that everyone at CCS is “so nice!”  Kari believes Sinead has responded to the character of Christ in the people surrounding her.  For Jaden, Kari has watched him blossom academically.  He has become a more independent student and has experienced significant growth in his reading and writing abilities.

At CCS, we “have no greater joy than to hear that (our) children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4).  It’s wonderful to know that a new generation of students are being blessed by a Christ-centered education, too!  If you would like to share your experience as a CCS alumni, please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org.

Joel currently resides and works in Washington, D.C. and is planning to serve overseas with South America Missions next year.

Joel Kearney had several different schooling experiences before coming to Cornerstone in 5th grade.  Initially, he went to a private Christian school before his family decided to homeschool for 3 years.  Even though they had been involved in a co-op with other homeschooling families, they decided it wasn’t the best schooling style for their family.  Joel’s parents were set on their 5 children attending a private Christian school, so they explored Cornerstone.  His parents felt like CCS would be the best environment for their children to grow in their faith and gain an education with accessible teachers and faculty and so they enrolled all 5 of them!  Joel says, “Attending Cornerstone for the remainder of my elementary and high school career was such a big blessing in my life and I would not have wanted it any other way!”

One thing that Joel recalls about his time at Cornerstone is how the school felt like a community to him. He was able to know his classmates and teachers so well, and that was a great experience for him. Some of his favorite memories at Cornerstone were the high school retreats to Camp CONNRI, a group project reenacting Romeo and Juliet in Miss Mazz’s English class, the junior class trip to Gettysburg with Mr. Kirch, and his senior trip to the Jersey shore with Mr. Millington and Mrs. Clark.

After graduating from CCS, Joel attended Grove City College (GCC).  He believes Cornerstone helped prepare him for college in many ways. GCC is known to be an academically rigorous school, and at CCS Joel was able to develop strong study habits. GCC is a Christian college where his faith was challenged, so it was a blessing to have a strong foundation for his beliefs that developed while at Cornerstone. CCS’s extracurricular activity opportunities, such as varsity soccer, basketball and the leadership program, made it feel natural to get involved with numerous organizations in college.  He participated in a variety of ways including intramural sports, the orientation board, a national service fraternity called Alpha Phi Omega (APO), SEAD (Students Excited About Diversity), and the American Chemical Society.  Joel graduated in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in biology and a Minor in psychology.

Joel is currently living in Washington, D.C., and working at a biostatistics company as a Research Assistant. He helps create reports that doctors review to monitor the progress of cancer and disease studies. He also helps with the youth program at his church, and serves as a live events volunteer at National Geographic!  Starting next year, Joel plans to move to Recife, Brazil, for 2+ years, where he will be serving alongside a Christian organization called South America Mission. His primary role will be to help lead a soccer and devotionals outreach program for young boys. He will likely be involved with their music ministry and outreach to juvenile delinquents as well. God has given Joel a heart to work with kids for His kingdom, and he’s excited to have that opportunity in Brazil. He says, “It is a truly awesome experience and a blessing to look back at where God has directed my life thus far and to know God’s got my future in His hands!”

Joel is demonstrating that following God’s call is an exciting adventure!  Our mission at CCS is “to engage and educate young people to know Christ and be equipped to impact the world for God’s Kingdom.” We rejoice that Joel, along with many of our alumni, are achieving that goal! 

If you know other alumni who would like to share their stories with us, please have them contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org.