If current senior Samantha could share one passage of scripture with new students entering the Ad Fontes
Upper School, it would be Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, because she has learned as an Ad Fontes student that “there is
a time for everything, and a season for every activity.” Overcoming learning disabilities while meeting serious academic demands, enjoying extracurricular activities, and maintaining social connections requires dedication and balance.  “This has not always been easy for me,” she comments, “but it has been worth it.”

While Samantha has found AFA’s homework load and curriculum to be a challenge compared to her previous public school experience, she says, “I know it will help me to be better in the long run.” In addition to juggling schoolwork, Samantha plays the piano and enjoys the friendships she has made at AFA: “friends that I plan to keep for a long time.” When she came to Ad Fontes, Samantha found it easy to “become friends with people and attend tons of school events,” but keeping up with homework and test preparations was more difficult. “I wish someone would have told me before I entered Ad Fontes, that Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and all those social networks are distracting and you do best with books.”

Samantha’s down to earth, diligent attitude about her work can be traced to the reasons why she attends AFA in the first place.  After different experiences in schools where “no one really cared what you learned and what you did,” she decided to search for a new environment for her sophomore year.  “I found [AFA’s] website online and said ‘Here’s my school.’  I admit I didn’t really understand everything I was getting into, but I knew I was ‘in’ for the duration.

That does not mean that Samantha has never questioned her choice.  “My GPA was much higher at my previous schools.  Here I work hard and still get ‘C’s.’  Sometimes that’s hard to live with, but there is something in my gut, telling me to stick it out, knowing God’s promise that ‘I will be with you.’  I want to see this through to graduation.  I want to be able to look at my class ring and know that I worked hard and accomplished something.

After she “sees this through”, she plans to pursue a major in Elementary Education.  “When I was little I would be the teacher for my stuffed animals.  I’ve always loved working with little kids.  My own experiences have taught how important it is to have a start strong with teaching the youngest children.  My own struggles with learning disabilities help fuel my passion to build that strong foundation for others.

Education, as Samantha knows all too well, “is not something you can slack off on. It takes time, dedication, and focus.”