For as long as I can remember, Westminster has been a safe haven for me. Sure, every school has it’s fair share of drama, peer pressure and typical, teenage angst but over the six years I have attended this school, I can honestly say we are a different breed of students.

It’s not that we’re exceptionally bright, or especially athletic. We have our talents in those areas, and it’s always been a fun part of attending Westminster, but I would not say that is what defines us as a school. In my opinion, a strong sense of community is what has always brought us together.

Sometimes as students, we get so wrapped up in the things we don’t like about our school.  We complain about the new changes to Junior Senior Banquet, the fact that we can’t do Spirit Week hallways like we were accustomed to anymore, getting pink slips for texting in chapel… The list could go on and on, and just like most students here, I am not immune to whining about Westminster either, but as my senior year draws to a swift close, I have had the opportunity to look back and appreciate what a family Westminster Christian Academy has become to me.

I forget that it’s not normal to walk down the hallway and have the Head of School be able to greet you by name and ask you how whatever activity you are involved in is going. I lose sight of the fact that parents at other schools don’t typically bring snacks with an encouraging message attached to the bag and put them in students lockers “just because”. I ignore the fact that I can sit in a gym with all my fellow students, and pray openly to my God. As we walk through these halls day after day, we start to believe these things are mundane. They become “the norm” for us, and we don’t think twice about it. We’ve almost become spoiled to them.

These are all traits that are unique to being a student at Westminster. Like I said earlier, the school is far from perfect and of course, there are things I wish would have been different in the past six years I attended, but I am glad I did.

The friends I have made at this school have forever changed and shaped my life for the better. They’ve reached out to me when I have felt utterly alone. I’ve had bad days at school, but I have never felt like there wasn’t someone on campus at any given time who would not be willing to talk to me or pray for me.

Westminster believes in second chances, in brotherhood, in fellowship, and in Christian ideals that have made the confusing, maddening high school years more manageable for me. Sometimes I wonder how anyone could make it through high school without being able to drop down on their knees and ask God for help. I’m glad my school was a safe place for me to do this, and not be looked at as any different.

We have our masks and our personal scars just like any other school, but I believe our saving grace is that we are a community, centered on God’s idea of what the Kingdom of God should look like. We don’t always get it right, but we always strive.

I believe that’s what a Godly community should look like. I’ve heard complaints from students that Westminster doesn’t understand their students, that they only care about their appearances I can sympathize with that idea. Sometimes the administration makes decisions that we, as students, can’t even begin to comprehend.

When I was younger, every announcement, every policy change and every letter home, sent me into a rage. I couldn’t see how anything the board members, teachers, or administration decided was good for me. As I’ve matured, I’ve come to a number of realizations.

The main one is that I would never want to be in the position of someone who has to make those decisions. It’s impossible to please everyone, and in a community where there are so many differing opinions, it could not be easy to say “yes” to one and “no” to another. Someone has to do it, however, and I’m glad people have stepped up.

I’ve also realized that there isn’t much I know about running “the academy” as an eighteen year old, high school girl. I wish I could have known that when I was younger. I rebelled, I pushed and I pulled. I wanted nothing to do with anything about the school I didn’t agree with. It didn’t hurt Westminster though, it hurt me. I was more than closed-off to the school.

But now, less than three weeks away from graduation, I’ve learned to be happy in whatever stage of my life I am in. I laugh at Westminster’s quirks, cry at our misfortunes, and rejoice at our successes. This school, whether I always liked it or not, had a strong hand in raising me, and I don’t think they did too bad of a job.

I’m glad I attended Westminster, and this community will always bring back fond memories and lessons that I’m glad I learned. I wish WCA and it’s student’s nothing but success.