Few young women can say that they’ve been an eye witness to the fighting on the front lines of ISIS, but Rebecca can!  She has had an adventurous life from growing up as a missionaries’ kid (MK) in Turkey, to traveling all over the world obeying God’s call.  We’re glad God gave her a “pit stop” at CCS for two years!

Rebecca’s journey to Cornerstone had many twists and turns!  Initially, she began homeschooling in Turkey where her parents were missionaries.  After they returned to the states, she spent her middle and early high school days at The King’s School in Bolton.  Once King’s closed their doors, Rebecca’s family decided to send her to CCS for her last two weeks of high school.  Begrudgingly, Rebecca started and eventually found a home at CCS.

After the adjustment of her junior year, Rebecca said she was excited to begin her senior year.  There was a different feel for her.  Their small class was more bonded together and it felt like a family.  Part of the reason was because they had the opportunity to regularly join together in prayer.  Rebecca said she thrived in her leadership classes where she felt empowered to become a young leader both inside and outside of school.  Staff members like Tammy Gerhard and Beth Russell were instrumental in coming alongside her.

After graduation, Rebecca decided to attend a ministry school in Tyler, Texas, called Teen Mania Ministries.  She attended a program called the Honor Academy, which utilized a holistic approach to learning and being involved in ministry.  Specifically, she was in the school of worship where the focus was on fasting, prayer, missions and practical ministry experience.  At the end of her second year, she had an opportunity to tour with the band, Acquire the Fire.

Rebecca took the next two weeks to seek God’s direction, and felt like He was calling her in a new direction.  She did not join the band, but instead enrolled in a program called “The World Race” through Adventures in Missions.  She backpacked through 11 countries in 11 months with a team of 45-50 people where they learned practical ministry skills and then put them into practice to people in those countries.  This experience gave her a heart for long-term missions.

She returned home to Connecticut where God had her in a “hidden season”.  She sought Him for direction and learned to trust Him in the waiting.  After two years, in 2014, Rebecca ended up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania working for another ministry.  While she was there, God connected her with others who were drawn to the Middle East.  In January 2015, she was part of a scouting team that went to Iraq.  They wanted to minister to the Yazidi people groups who had displaced by ISIS.

For her first trip to Iraq, she spent two weeks connecting to the people who had been traumatized.  She and her team listened to stories, prayed, encouraged, and cried with the people who had been displaced and were living in tents.  She returned a month later and for the next year traveled in and out of Iraq.  During that time, she raised support and rallied churches to become involved in the work.  She was even approached by a Kurdish general who was fighting ISIS, and he asked her and her team to come pray near the front lines.  Even though the general was a Muslim, he wanted an end to the genocide that was happening and recognized the power of prayer.

Rebecca loved her work in Iraq so she stayed there for three years.  Her vision was to have an emphasis of prayer and see God bring about societal change for the people of Iraq.  Practically, she helped with a monthly distribution of food, facilitated women’s trauma clinics and lead in children’s worship.  She basically “did life” with the people to whom she ministered.

At the end of her time, her team had doubled in size and she felt like she needed to decompress at home.  She is now back in Connecticut and awaiting her next assignment.  I’m sure God will have other adventures in store!  At CCS, we have “no greater joy than to hear that (our) children are walking in truth.”  3 John 1:4

If you know an alumnus of CCS who would be willing to share their story, please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org.

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 2011 alumna Kristie Lojzim. Kristie currently resides in Billerica, MA, with her husband and fellow alumnus, Josh. She works in special education for Newton Public Schools.

Not many can say they have a direct connection to the beginning days of CCS, but Kristie can! Her grandparents, Neale and Gladie McLain, were instrumental in establishing Cornerstone in the early 1980s. Her grandfather, Neale, was pastoring the Manchester Church of the Nazarene at the time when he and his wife simultaneously felt God’s nudge to start the school. With much prayer and hard work, the doors of CCS opened in 1981!

With a rich heritage and commitment to Christian education, Kristie’s parents moved from Moodus to Manchester in 1997 so Kristie and her brother, Ian, could begin school. In those days, CCS did not have a preschool program, so Kristie attended half-days for the first year and spent full days in Kindergarten the following year. She says she is “forever grateful” to her parents for making the move!

For Kristie it is hard to pinpoint the most valuable thing about her experience at CCS, because it all seems equally precious. She appreciated the excellent education she received, but she believes her greatest treasures came from the extended family she found in teachers, mentors, and peers who walked alongside her. She recalls seeing examples of faithful people with God’s power at work in their lives, and this allowed her to experience God in a real, tangible way. By the time she was eighteen, she had heard and seen such evidence through the many examples of people who shone with God’s light! What a beautiful testimony!

After graduating high school in 2011, Kristie attended Eastern Nazarene College and majored in Early Childhood Education. She felt prepared for the academic, emotional and spiritual rigors of college. Academically, Kristie found that she was better prepared than many of her peers for the demands of school. She had learned how to study effectively, research and cite sources, and write papers of considerable length. She took honors classes in college and even was able to earn additional credits so she could double minor in Child Psychology and Child Advocacy, all while being on the Dean’s List each semester.

Spiritually, Kristie did not waver in her faith like many of her peers did. She found that she was able to stand in her convictions and was able to engage with her classmates who were struggling. It helped that she established a personal habit of Bible reading and prayer, and she was able to reach out for advice from some CCS teachers and friends. That really helped her!

In the years following graduation from ENC, Kristie has had a lot of excitement! She married her high school sweetheart, Josh. She also substituted in the Quincy, MA, public schools, taught second grade in Weymouth, MA, and nannied in Scotland while her husband was studying abroad. Kristie is now working with autistic students in the Newtown (MA) Public Schools.

We delight to hear how God has used CCS in the lives of our alumni! Thank you, Kristie, for letting your light shine!

If you are a graduate of CCS and would like to be interviewed in an upcoming publication, please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org.

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 2015 alumnus Daniel Snyder. Dan is preparing to graduate from the University of Connecticut (UConn) in May 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Actuarial Sciences.

Dan was homeschooled through the 4th grade, although he also had some involvement in The King’s School (TKS) through his family’s participation there. When TKS had to close its doors at the conclusion of that school year in 2007, his family joined Cornerstone, and Dan began the 5th grade in Mrs. Donna Corbeil’s class.

Before starting school in September 2007, Dan was a little worried about being a new student and meeting new people. Those fears were further realized when he unfortunately missed his first day of school due to illness!

Once he was finally able to start, he found that everyone was so welcoming to him. One of the students took the time to introduce him around, and in no time he felt like he was a part of the class. Dan liked his time in the elementary school and felt it was a positive experience. He enjoyed the close bonds he formed with everyone, including his self-contained classroom teachers.

From there, he moved over to the middle school and began his 7th grade year. (Grade 6 was still housed in the elementary building at that time.) He recalls middle school as his "least favorite time," but how many middle schoolers have their mother as their principal?! Despite the awkward years of middle school, he said he had fun and continued to build relationships with the students in his class.

In high school, Dan grew academically, spiritually, and socially. He took a demanding course load, but he feels the rigor of his classes helped him to be “over prepared” for college. He recalls special times, like Spiritual Emphasis Weeks and High School Retreats, as spiritually significant times in his life. He enjoyed spending time in community and worshiping God. In fact, he feels that he would not be in the place he is today with the Lord without having attended school at CCS and experiencing those special times with his classmates. Through it all, he continued to build relationships with the students in the entire high school. Dan has maintained close friendships with many of them, even since graduation. He counts this as the biggest blessing he received from his time at CCS.

With the encouragement from his high school math teachers, Dan decided to pursue a degree in Actuarial Sciences. He first attended Manchester Community College for two years as a GAP (Guaranteed Admission Program) student and then transferred to UCONN to complete his bachelor's degree. While the program has been challenging and was an adjustment initially, he has done very well in his classes. He is currently serving as an intern at The Hartford (insurance company) and hopes to obtain a full-time job in the actuarial field after graduation.

We are proud of your accomplishments, Dan, and we look forward to what the Lord has in store for your future.

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.