Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 2014 alumna Karisa Rowse. Karisa is a recent graduate from Nyack College in Nyack, NY. She graduated with a nursing degree and is currently employed at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT.

Karisa began attending Cornerstone in the fall of 2011. Prior to that, she had attended South Windsor’s public schools and had an overall positive experience. However, when she began high school, she started to struggle a bit. Being a quiet, reserved student, she experienced harassment from other students. Additionally, she found that one of her teachers was presenting questionable material in English class, which she found offensive. After speaking to the teacher about her concerns and being disregarded, she discussed the issue with her parents, and they decided that a change was needed. Karisa wanted a fresh start and enrolled in Cornerstone for the beginning of her sophomore year.

She was apprehensive about the change at first. It was difficult joining a school where many of the students had known each other for years; however, she was comforted by the fact that she happened to be one of three new students to join the same class that year. She also found it difficult to transition from a school of 1,200 to a class of only 18, but she signed up for the basketball team that year and found it to be a great way to meet people and become part of the CCS community.

During her junior and senior years, Karisa found that her personality changed from being shy and reserved to becoming more outgoing. She enjoyed being in a smaller environment and being able to get to know her classmates on a deeper level, due in large part to their shared faith in Christ. She also found that she was able to step into leadership roles because of her

new confidence.

These years were also a time during which Karisa began to “own her faith.” She drew closer to God during a health crisis with her brother. Her faith became further cemented after taking a senior Bible class called Worldviews, which compared Christianity with other faiths and helped her determine what she truly believed. Armed with the knowledge she gained, she graduated with the Class of 2014 and attended Nyack College in Nyack, New York.

Her years at Nyack were challenging, yet they were also years of growth for Karisa. As God often does, He began to strip away some of her comforts so that she would draw closer to Him. It was during these years that her faith grew even stronger. In addition to her spiritual growth, she endured a rigorous nursing program and graduated in May 2018. After passing her nursing boards, she was able to secure a job at Yale New Haven Hospital on a medical floor. She hopes to continue her education and would like to one day work in health care administration.

Karisa looks back on her time at Cornerstone and is thankful for the experience. She says, “I don’t know where I would’ve been if I stayed in public school.” We are thankful for the opportunity to teach young people like Karisa, and we are blessed to watch them walk into the call of God on their lives!

If you are a part of our CCS alumni and would be willing to share how God has used CCS in your life, please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org.

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 2014 alumnus Alex Clark. Alex is currently serving as a student teacher at CCS as he finishes his last requirement to graduate from Liberty University to become a secondary level teacher of history.

You may have noticed that a familiar face returned to our campus this fall. Alex Clark, from the CCS class of 2014, has been student teaching under the supervision of Mr. Jim Kirch. He is student teaching in our high school history classes this semester while fulfilling the final requirement for his degree in Social Sciences with licensure from Liberty University. Alex is scheduled to finish his degree and graduate in December (2018).

Alex began attending Cornerstone as a homeschooler during his sophomore year. During that year, he participated in our Homeschool Partnership Program by joining our English and Chemistry classes. He then enrolled at CCS as a full-time student during his junior and senior years. Initially, Alex was wary of attending "school" because he had always been homeschooled. He was concerned about what it would be like, especially for someone with a more reserved personality. Soon after starting, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his classmates were kind and inclusive, and there was even an emphasis placed on having a personal relationship with God.

After graduating from Cornerstone, Alex began attending Liberty University (LU) in Lynchburg, Virginia. He recalls the transition to LU as "shocking" because of the sheer number of students at the school (45,000 undergraduates!); however, he appreciated still being able to receive an education in which Christ was at the center. He felt well prepared for the rigors of college. In fact, he felt like he was more prepared than many of his classmates, particularly in the areas of writing and history. He entered college with the skill set that was expected of him as a freshman entering college. After changing his major twice, he settled on a degree in Social Sciences, plus a licensure to teach at the high school level.

Alex has enjoyed his student teaching experience under the supervision of Mr. Kirch. He thinks it is great being able to gain hands-on knowledge from being in the classroom. He hopes to teach history in either a public or private school, to earn his Masters of Education, and to eventually work at the college level.

He also has other exciting plans for his future! He recently became engaged to Abby Maruca, a fellow CCS alumna from the class of 2015. They reconnected over an Alumni Christmas Chapel at CCS a couple of years after they both graduated. I guess God is still using CCS in the lives of our alumni!

Are you an alumnus or know someone who would be willing to be interviewed? Please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org to share your story with her.

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 1996 alumna Joy (Williams) Press. Joy is married to Mr. Keith Press, our high school science teacher, and she currently runs a daycare out of their home so she can also care for their newest family addition.

When chatting with families, we hear comments about how special the CCS community is. Few people, however, have had the extended exposure to the school’s community like Joy and Keith Press!

Joy (Williams) Press began attending Cornerstone in the ninth grade after previously attending public school. She recalls her days at CCS fondly. She felt it was a safe haven for her, and she appreciated the strong biblical worldview it gave her. She found that her knowledge of the Bible and experience of being with other believers from various churches was a true asset when she went away to college. Cornerstone prepared her to think biblically, and she had a greater appreciation for the larger Body of Christ after going to an interdenominational school where people sometimes differed doctrinally.

Keith also attended CCS while he was in Grades 5-9. Even though they both attended CCS during some of the same years, their paths did not cross until after they both began teaching at the school. Keith accepted a teaching job in the McLain building where he taught math and science, and he coached soccer. At the same time, Joy was serving as a middle school teacher and cheerleading coach.

While working among the CCS community, they fell in love and eventually married in August 2006.

In the next few years, they both had job changes, but the CCS community continued to play a significant role in their lives. Joy moved from a teaching position to becoming the assistant principal, and Keith left CCS to work in the chemistry field, only to return once again to CCS as a teacher. It was while Joy was serving as the assistant principal that God planted the idea of adoption in her mind.

One of Joy’s responsibilities was to give tours to prospective parents. She began to meet several families who had already gone through the adoption process. While it seemed like a lofty (and expensive) goal, she and Keith could not get past the undeniable tug of adoption on their hearts. They decided to take the first step in the process by completing a home study. Shortly afterwards, they received a check for $2,000—the exact cost of the home study! They knew God was indeed leading them forward.

With a mixture of fear and faith, the Presses decided that Joy needed to step away from her administrative position at CCS and open a home daycare in preparation for when their own baby would come home. For anyone who has ever gone through the adoption process, you know it can be grueling! There were difficult moments while they waited, such as when Keith needed major back surgery in the fall of 2017. But Joy and Keith trusted God for a miracle and relied on their community for help.

On August 15, 2018, Joy and Keith were selected to become the parents of a baby girl, who was expected to be born within a week’s time. In quick order, they bought airline tickets, packed, set things in place to bring a baby home, and wired the last of the funds for the adoption. Once again, their community—consisting of people from Cornerstone, their church, family, and friends—rallied to help them. By the time they boarded the plane to pick up their baby, all the funds had been miraculously wired to the adoption agency.

Joy and Keith are now the proud parents of Rachael-Lynn Alissa Press, who was born on August 22. They are doing all the things new parents do: adjusting to being a family of three, taking turns sleeping, and standing in awe of the miracle God performed in their midst! In one of Joy’s recent Facebook posts, she said, “THANK YOU for all of your prayers, love, and support on this journey. We are so amazed by the community that we are a part of." Their CCS community rejoices in what God has done on their behalf!

Are you an alumnus or know someone who would be willing to be interviewed? Please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org to share your story with her.