JoAnn Kowtko, current Alumni Relations Director and former Faith Christian School graduate (Class of 2001) and now a mother of a second-grade student shares her perspective on her Christian classical education.

In 1998, my parents enrolled me in a small, classical Christian school that no one had heard of and had only been open for a year. They were looking for a different educational experience for me than we had found in the Roanoke City school system and another private school in the Valley. They wanted me to learn not what to think, but how to think. They wanted any questions I had – whether they be based in religion, literature, mathematics, or science – to be welcomed and curiosity nurtured. They wanted me to be adept at writing, something that they felt woefully underprepared for when they were in college. They wanted me to experience high school without the distractions that seemed to be par for the course of other educational options. They wanted me to venture into adulthood with a firm foundation in my faith.

Their desires were met and exceeded by Faith Christian School. 

Not only was I amply prepared for the academic rigors of college (I attended a highly regarded liberal arts college) but I found there were aspects of graduate work I was prepared for! Faith Christian School also fostered my love for Christ and my study of the Bible.  In fact, I keep my tenth-grade apologetics notes tucked in the zippered pocket of my Bible cover. 

While at FCS, I was fortunate to make lifelong friends and enjoyed experiences that are unique to Faith Christian School.  There were the fun times: River Day, the trip to Wallops Island, Upper School retreats, Spanish immersion weekend retreats, class at the Daily Grind coffee shop, and Galas. There were also the five-paragraph essays, the rigors of challenging yet satisfying homework, dress code discussions, and, of course, the senior thesis.

After moving back to Roanoke from Washington, DC, in 2015 and leaving a career in the pharmaceutical industry, I came on board as Alumni Relations Coordinator for FCS in 2017.  One of my greatest initial joys of reacquainting myself with the Faith Christian School community was that, since my time as a student, the school had grown while retaining the core aspects of what makes a Faith Christian education – the unique, challenging, and rewarding components were all still here.

In 2021, my Faith Christian School journey has officially come full circle, as my daughter Vivien entered kindergarten and began her own. I am thankful and thrilled for her to have the same robust educational curriculum that benefited me, and a school that fosters her heart for Christ.