Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 2016 alumnus Kyle Hoover.  Kyle is currently a sophomore at Liberty University in Virginia, and he is studying Special Education as his major.

I recently had the opportunity to connect with Kyle Hoover from the Class of 2016. Although Kyle now attends Liberty University, he still has a vested interest in the activities of Cornerstone.  Kyle recently heard about the health scare of our high school teacher, Mr. Jim Kirch. (Mr. Kirch noticed a lump in his neck that required surgery to determine its cause.) When Kyle heard about it, he immediately reached out to Mr. Kirch in support and prayer.  Soon afterwards, Mr. Kirch shared the testimony of Kyle’s kindness during faculty devotions, and I knew I needed to interview him!

Kyle began attending Cornerstone in the 6th grade because, according to his testimony, “I was not thriving behaviorally at the public school.”  His parents were familiar with CCS because they are both CCS alumni!  They thought it would be a better environment for their son, as they wanted a school that supported their Christian values. 

During his time at Cornerstone, Kyle developed a close bond with Mr. Kirch--in class and on the basketball court. In fact, Mr. Kirch had also taught and coached Kyle's parents! When Kyle's mother, Jodi (Duplin, Class of 1992), notified Kyle about Mr. Kirch's health concern, Kyle sprang into action. He contacted a fellow alumnus who is also attending Liberty, Isaac Rivera (Class of 2017), and told him they needed to pray for Mr. Kirch. They stopped then and there to petition the Lord for their teacher, mentor, and friend.

The next day, Kyle called Mr. Kirch by phone, because he wanted to encourage him before he went in for his surgery. Kyle also prayed with Mr. Kirch on the phone. Then Kyle organized a prayer team, and they intercededtogether for Mr. Kirch. Kyle was thankful to be at a Christian college where he was surrounded by others who also encouraged him in his faith!

On the day of his surgery, Mr. Kirch called Kyle back to tell him that his doctor had given a favorable report!  He thanked Kyle for his encouragement and prayer support.  When Kyle hung up the phone, he contacted his friends to also give them the good news.  He said they were all “hyped” and encouraged that God had heard their prayers.

As Kyle reflected on his time at Cornerstone, he said it was the relationships with teachers that made an impact on his life.  When he thinks about the critical developmental period of the middle and high school years, he is thankful for a Christian example like Mr. Kirch, who not only impacted him, but who has impacted hundreds of kids throughout his career!  Kyle knows that Mr. Kirch's influence will be felt for generations.  When I asked Kyle why he felt it was important to pray for Mr. Kirch, he said, “It was the least I could do for my friend and brother in Christ.” 

We are grateful when our graduates go out into the world and live out their faith!  It encourages us that we are accomplishing our mission!  Do you know an alumnus that we should highlight?  Please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org!

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 1992 alumna Jennifer D'Appollonio.  Jennifer currently lives in Maine and works as the Assistant to the Maine State Cooperative Extension Specialist.

When Jennifer was an elementary student in a public school, she had difficulty making friends because she was so shy. Her parents were not pleased with the school in her town, so they decided to send her to CCS when she was in fifth grade.  That was the beginning of a new chapter for Jennifer!

Once she started attending CCS, her grades improved dramatically.  She believes the smaller class sizes and the personal attention she received from the teachers were the keys to her success.  She speaks highly of her teachers and their influence on her life. She  credits the teachers with setting good examples of how to live as Christian adults.  A few teachers stood out to her.  Mrs. Kathy Peck helped her have an appreciation of theatre, and Mrs. Kara (Kozma) Connor, her biology teacher, cemented her decision to major in science once she attended college.

Jennifer graduated as the valedictorian of her class.  She feels the small environment at Cornerstone even helped shape her college choice, as she desired a school where she would receive more individualized attention from her professors.  She selected the University of Maine at Machias and majored in environmental science where she graduated in 1997.

In 2002, Jennifer was forced to move back home with her parents due to detached retinas.  She began working at her grandmother’s antique shop in Ashford, CT, where she encountered God in the most miraculous way!  As she was polishing silver, she heard a voice in her ear saying, “Go sit behind the cash register and be still.”

She obeyed, and immediately a full-sized Ford pickup truck came flying through the front window of the building where she had been standing!  She could feel the wind of the truck on her face; after the truck came to rest, she could feel the truck’s grill in front of her.  She was wedged behind the counter and the cash register.  Other than a cut on her cheek and arm, she was spared!  After she survived that ordeal, she knew God had saved her because He had a plan for her life.   She decided to continue her education and pursue her master’s degree in forestry.

Today she has a job at a university where she researches wild blueberries for the state of Maine.  She continues to give to the ministry of CCS as an alumna, because she feels it is critical for students to have the right education from the start.  She strongly believes in teaching kids to live for Christ and feels CCS is able to train children in the way they should go.

We are blessed by Jennifer’s testimony and faithful giving to Cornerstone.  We would love to hear from additional alumni about how God has used CCS in their lives.  Please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org if you would be willing to be interviewed. 

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 1996 alumnus Vin McCauley. Vin currently lives in  Edgewater, Florida, with his wife Elise and their two young children. Vin also happens to be Dawn's brother!

Vin began attending Cornerstone in the middle of his fifth grade year.  At the time, he had a friend who was enrolled at CCS, and he asked his parents if he could switch from the parochial school he was attending.  They agreed, and he ended up remaining through graduation.  He says that CCS provided several “core benefits” which have helped him throughout his life.  

First, Vin believes the uniforms provided a “normalizing” experience.  Because of the school's uniforms, students were not trying to impress each other with designer clothes, and it created a level playing field for everyone, regardless of one's economic status.  Second, the small classes provided extra accountability. The well-rounded Christian education he received allowed him to transition well to college.  However, Vin says that the biggest benefit he recalls is that he was forced out of his comfort zone.

For sports, Vin played on the soccer and basketball teams.  If he had attended a large public school, he knows he would not have been selected for the teams, but at Cornerstone he was able to participate.  He saw that character development was woven into the sports arena, which also taught him the value of being part of a team. 

Another challenging, yet beneficial, activity was getting involved in a large CCS theater production called Narnia.  While Vin wasn’t necessarily interested in drama, the group needed participants, so he volunteered. It taught him the value of seeing something through to completion and being part of something larger than himself.

After graduation, Vin attended Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, and he took some general education classes at Manchester Community College. 

Vin acquired a job at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a premium global investment bank in Boston.  After working there, he moved on to the car business, where he worked for Honda, Mini Cooper and BMW.  At BMW he was the youngest general sales manager for a tier one (largest sized) dealership in North America.

Over the years, Vin has also had the opportunity to become involved in several entrepreneurial efforts, including a restaurant, hair salon and Internet start-up businesses.  Currently Vin is the owner of a small boutique Web firm called Level One Sites with offices in Florida, the Philippines, and India.  He also became involved in the early stages of a successful start-up company called ButcherBox.com.  It is a Christian-run, grass-fed meat subscription service with revenue in the tens of millions.  Vin says that it has been proven in his experience that foundational Christian principles align well with great business practices, and this has contributed to any success he has experienced.

Cornerstone is blessed by the ways that God uses His school to equip students for His calling!