From my earliest memories as a Daystar student, I remember both the people and the learning experiences. In first grade, Daystar rented space behind the old Rainforest daycare on State Street. We had only a handful of rooms, and none of the walls reached the ceiling. One day, the older class was learning about catapults, so our class planned a “battle” with them. We built our own catapults and launched paper balls over the walls between classrooms. That kind of learning felt magical as a child – creative, interactive, and full of joy.
I also remember the people. My first grade teacher made learning feel calm and exciting, never rushed or stressful. Every adult seemed committed to making students feel known and loved. Over the years, the school changed locations multiple times (from Rainforest, to the basement of River City, to the second floor, and eventually to our current building) but the intentionality behind teaching and learning never changed.
One of the most formative parts of my experience was learning through the city and beyond it. I can’t even remember all the learning excursions we took, but I remember my friends at other schools being jealous when I described them. I remember putting on wading boots and walking through rivers to collect organisms to study. I remember churning butter in an old farmhouse. Those experiences expanded my understanding of the world and connected learning to real places, people, and history.
Faith was woven into everything we did. I still remember the stones at Chapel, taking turns lighting the candle, and singing “Go Now in Peace” from my very first days at Daystar. Faith was never treated as separate from learning; it was connected to the books we read, the conversations we had, the art we created, and the experiences we shared. That shaped my understanding of faith in a lasting way. It taught me early that faith should influence every part of life.
In many ways, I never truly left Daystar. Even while attending Jones College Prep, I would walk down State Street after school to help with aftercare and visit old teachers and the Potokas. I continued helping throughout college, and after graduating this was the only place I wanted to be full time.
Now, thirteen years later, I strive to create the same kind of experience I had as a student: joyful learning, deep relationships, meaningful faith integration, and classrooms where students feel known, loved, and challenged. I’ve experienced other schools and learning environments, but there is still no place I would rather be.
