“I do not know of a better way to prepare students for life—both personal and professional—than by teaching them to love Jesus and to love learning during their most formative years.”
- Jason Helsel, Humanities Teacher
I grew up far from here in the mountain town of Wenatchee, WA, where the Cascade Mountains were practically my backyard and the Columbia River was my go-to escape during the blazing hot summers. My wife and I have two kids, and we’re just as happy reading together on the couch as we are perched on the edge of McAfee Knob. We moved to Roanoke about four years ago, and it’s felt more and more like home ever since. I love endurance sports like trail running, gravel biking, mountain biking, etc.—but honestly, I’ll take any excuse to get outside and enjoy God’s creation, whether that means pedaling uphill or just cruising on a paddle board on the Roanoke River.
Have you taught or been involved in schools somewhere else prior to FCS? If so, where, and how long?
I homeschooled my son and daughter for six years.
What post-secondary schools did you attend? Degrees held?
Wenatchee Valley Community College - Wenatchee, WA
A.A. General Studies (incomplete)
New Saint Andrews College - Moscow, ID
B.A. Liberal Arts and Culture
What are your hobbies or things you enjoy outside of the school?
- Biking (mostly mountain biking, but some gravel as well)
- Trail running
- Hiking
- Stand-up paddle boarding
- Scuba diving
- Reading with my kids
What or who inspired you to work in education?
My mother homeschooled me through 8th grade, and my father started a Classical Christian school so that we could receive an education that wouldn’t crush my mother’s spirit. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of their sacrifices—or the joy behind them—driven by how deeply they loved us. Now, as a father of young children myself, I feel that same urge my parents did before me, to help provide my kids and their peers with an education that I know from experience can set them up for a full and successful life.
What's a favorite book you've read?
The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
How many books do you have stacked on your bedside table or in your "To Read" pile?
- Norse Mythology (Neil Gaiman)
- Up From Slavery (Booker T. Washington)
- Empire of the Summer Moon (S.C. Gwynne)
- The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine (Steven Rinella)
What do you find most compelling or distinct about Christian classical education?
I do not know of a better way to prepare students for life—both personal and professional—than by teaching them to love Jesus and to love learning during their most formative years. As a graduate of a Classical Christian school, I’ve seen the impact firsthand in my own life and in the lives of my friends. I’ve watched business owners, electricians, biologists, pastors, doctors, home builders, and many others treasure their takeaways from this kind of education—formative lessons they now see as essential to their success.
What do you love about the idea of teaching at FCS or what do you anticipate appreciating the most?
I am excited to step into the classroom as a Classical Christian graduate turned teacher—someone who understands this kind of education from the inside out and can (hopefully) connect with students walking the same path. What we ask of them is not easy, but that’s part of what makes it so worthwhile. When you work through hard things together, it forms a bond that’s hard to replicate without that kind of effort exerted to overcome. There are so many things I’m eager to share with my students—ideas, books, themes, poems, prayers, and questions that have shaped my own life—but I also look forward to the ways that God will use these students to teach and shape me. I’m looking forward to a year full of growth, challenge, joy, and discovery—for all of us.
If you have a "life verse" or a verse that is ministering to you right now, what might it be?
Jeremiah 29:10-14 is one of my favorite passages. Most people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 as a standalone verse because it makes a great refrigerator magnet, and while I think the full context makes it a bit sobering, it’s also a lot more meaningful.
If you have a personal life's mission statement, what is it? If not, how might you describe what you feel called to as a believer?
If our lives are a story, then we should do our best to make it a good read.
