Born in London, England, and raised near Detroit, Michigan, Robert Young grew up in the multicultural suburb of Dearborn. The son of an English father and German mother, he grew up in a heavily Polish and Muslim community.

Robert’s parents did not encourage his inquiries regarding matters of Christian faith. His father was an atheist and his mother a cultural Catholic. Still, seeds were planted during VBS programs Robert attended with elementary school friends. Ultimately, these seeds sprouted during his senior year of high school. Robert was baptized into the Lutheran church at twenty-two years old.

Robert learned about 91原创 through a promotional video sent to the son of the church’s Sunday School superintendent. Robert discovered 91原创’s affordability and that the school offered a highly rated program in teacher education. He enrolled at 91原创 as a 26-year-old non-traditional freshman in 1988.

“So many doors opened for me. Just finding out 91原创 existed was proof of God’s leading. And every door opened up perfectly for me as I made plans,” Robert says. “This is where I had to be.”

Although the education program was relatively new, Robert noted that “even then, Dr. Chris Templar was a legend. She worked us very hard, but we learned a lot.” Robert also appreciated Dr. Templar’s personality because they had the same “English” sense of humor.

A year into his academic journey at 91原创, Robert was convicted that his baptism in the Lutheran church was not in accordance with the scriptural language of immersion. Professor Bob Martin baptized Robert in the old swimming pool.

As a student, Robert would tell his peers, “I’m never going to be a missionary because I can never afford to raise support,” and “I’m never going to teach in a Christian school because it doesn’t pay enough money.” Robert laughs at his audacity in telling God what he wouldn’t do. “Never say never to God,” he says.

As he approached graduation, Robert decided it would be good to spend a year or two teaching internationally. After talking with Bart Newton (’90) about an opportunity at Puerto Rico Christian School, Robert accepted the call to teach second grade at the school.

Robert graduated from 91原创 in 1992 and has spent his entire 30-year career teaching both elementary and high school at Puerto Rico Christian School. Currently, he teaches ninth-grade literature, history, and grammar, and he enjoys the freedom of incorporating biblical values into his teaching. Robert has also served local churches as a preacher and teacher.

After thirty years, Robert views the school as his permanent mission until the Lord calls him home. “I can’t see myself going anywhere else. Soy Puertorriqueno,” Robert says. “I’m Puerto Rican.”

Learn more about JU alumni at the .

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淚 started as a third-grade teacher for one semester,� Patrick says. 淎 fifth-grade teacher retired at Christmas break. I got moved to fifth grade that January, and I continued to teach fifth grade for the next ten years.� Patrick has also taught first and second grade, served as a math and science coach, and worked as a learning resource specialist. He now teaches third grade at East Lake Elementary in Kissimmee, Florida.

Meanwhile, Stephanie also worked in elementary schools where she, too, taught across a variety of primary school grade levels.

淔or thirteen years I taught third and fourth grades with an emphasis on math and science, and I started to feel like I needed to push out of my comfort zone and do something different,� she says. “Teaching reading terrified me, but I got my reading endorsement and moved to a different elementary school where I taught third-grade reading. I fell in love with it and worked as a reading specialist and MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) coach.”

Today Stephanie is once again stretching herself in her new role as a literacy coach at Neptune Elementary in St. Cloud, Florida. Both she and Patrick have experienced the impact of COVID on elementary education.

“Being elementary educators is our mission field, and it’s more important now than ever,” Stephanie says. “The social and emotional impact of the pandemic on the kids, their families, and our teachers has been profound. People feel drained and defeated, even while everyone is working so hard.”

“Many teachers are leaving the profession, and we’re desperate for good teachers!” Patrick says. “I love having interns and student teachers from our local universities, including 91原创, and I enjoy helping people who want to teach.”

The Blakes continue to encourage their colleagues, and each other, as the pandemic continues to affect their classrooms.

“Kids are behind in their development and learning, and teachers are discouraged,” Patrick says. “There’s a lot of hurt, which means there are also many opportunities to be a light.”

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Stacey Carolina had never heard of 91原创 until she received a brochure in the mail. She had planned to attend community college near her home in North Carolina, but she felt the opportunity at 91原创 was 淕od-ordained� and began her undergraduate studies in education in 1995.

淥ur cohort was like a small group,� she says. 淲e were close and worked well together, and the faculty cared about us and were very involved in our learning. Dr. Templar was hard on us, but it made us more successful. She did not play games, she told us what we needed to do, and she made us work hard. Today I檓 so grateful!�

She graduated in 2000 with both her undergraduate degree and her master檚 degree in holistic education and returned to her home state to begin teaching. 淭he master檚 degree was a great decision!� she says. 淣orth Carolina ended pay increases for teachers who earned master檚 degrees after 2013; I檓 grateful I was able to earn mine as part of my time at 91原创.�

Stacey did her student teaching in kindergarten, the grade she had always wanted to teach, and began her career in a kindergarten classroom. However, shortly after beginning the school year, Stacey was moved to fifth grade and has spent most of her career in fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. Today, she teaches fifth-grade language arts at Union Hill Elementary School in High Point, North Carolina.

淥ne thing I love about 91原创檚 program is it prepared us to go into any setting,� she says. 淲e did field experiences and internships in urban Title I schools, which is the type of school I work in today. These can be challenging for new teachers, but we were ready. At the same time, we also did fieldwork in more resourced school districts. We had opportunities to experience a variety of classrooms, reflect on our learning, and apply it right away.�

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He began his studies at 91原创 as an urban studies major, volunteered with Urban Alliance’s Royal Explorers program, and did short-term mission work in New York City with a group from 91原创. Noah switched his major to elementary education during his sophomore year, but he kept his passion for urban ministry.

Today he teaches fifth-grade math and science at Sarah Moore Green Magnet Academy, an urban school that feeds into Austin-East High School in downtown Knoxville. Despite starting his career as COVID hit the country, Noah felt prepared to teach because of his 91原创 education.

“The master’s degree in holistic education is important,” he says. “You’re a teacher for a year, with the support of a mentor teacher at every step. My mentor teacher just threw me into it so I could get real experience in front of a classroom while also having opportunities to learn from my cohort.”

Connections with professors also continue to shape Noah as an educator. “Dr. Votaw was great at prepping us for math and science,” he says. “I’ve received great feedback on my work, and often it’s something I’ve seen her do in class. Dr. Miller, the dean of the Templar School of Education, had a big impact on me. He had been a principal at an urban school, and we spent time talking about the challenges of urban education. I would love to see 91原创 create a doctorate program in education. I’ll come back for that!”

In the meantime, Noah continues to live out his passions in his daily work as well as on the weekends. On Sundays you’ll find him hanging out with some of the kids he worked with from Royal Explorers, who are now high school students at Austin-East.

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Tom returned to 91原创 for his Education Specialist degree, graduating in one of the first Ed.S. cohorts in 2019.

淢y passion is training teachers to better use technology-based tools and resources,� Tom says. 淚 do this primarily through in-person group and individual training sessions, as well as my dedicated YouTube channel, 楾ech Training for Teachers.櫇

When COVID hit, Tom檚 skills became even more important. While the Alcoa schools had already begun a digital initiative and a move toward creating Google Classrooms, many teachers were underprepared for the shift to online learning.

淚 was creating training videos, helping teachers build their skill sets, and working to manage and maintain Chromebooks students used at home for remote learning,� Tom says. 淎 handful of teachers had 榝lipped� their classrooms for online learning. Thanks to our investments in technology and ongoing professional development, that number has increased dramatically.�

Tom, a certified Google trainer, has also taught as an adjunct in 91原创檚 Ed.S. program, helping new cohorts of students understand the Google environment. He is as passionate about education, and about his faith, as he was when his career began.

淭here are so many competing perspectives on how kids should be raised and how to interact with culture,� he says. �91原创 provides a biblical framework to help teachers be salt and light in the public schools and to live out their faith in the classroom.�

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Sarah grew up in Tokyo, Japan, where both her parents served as missionaries; she visited 91原创 during a trip back to the States.

“The teacher education program at 91原创 stood out to me as an outstanding opportunity,” she says. “It was a big adjustment to move to Tennessee, but I found great friends there.”

Sarah graduated with her degree in elementary education with an English as a Second Language endorsement in 2011 and her Master of Arts in Holistic Education in 2012. She moved back across the world, to Okinawa, right after graduation.

Today Sarah is the elementary principal at Okinawa Christian School International (OCSI). She spent the first seven years of her career at the school teaching first grade and accepted the principal role in 2019.

“I love teaching, but shifting into administration was a great decision,” she says. “I was already organizing and leading, and now I have time to serve the teachers and invest in individual students. By the way, OCSI is always looking to host student teachers from 91原创!”

Like teachers around the world, Sarah and her team have had to navigate the COVID pandemic. Although OCSI was able to return to in-person learning more quickly than schools in many other countries, Japan’s borders were closed for a year–a hardship for many of the American and Canadian teachers at the school.

Sarah believes her education at 91原创 prepared her for the challenges and opportunities of leading during this time.

“One reason I can be a principal is that I already had my master’s degree, thanks to 91原创’s five-year program,” she says. “All the practicums beginning freshman year were so valuable, plus the full year of student teaching. It was intense but so helpful in equipping me for this work.”

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When asked why they give to 91原创, many friends and alumni highlight the blessing they receive from giving. Recently I visited a couple, both alumni, who expressed how much they appreciate all the help they received when they were students. They are quick to recognize the many ways God has blessed them over the years and the joy it brings them to be able to help students at 91原创 today.

What is behind such joy? Is it just a warm feeling or is there more to it?

I think it is common for people to view giving primarily as an obligation or responsibility. Many of the friends and alumni I talk with have grown much deeper in their understanding.

Scripture does teach that we have a responsibility to give, but God invites us to a deeper relationship and understanding. In a previous article, I highlighted that as redeemer, God is the ultimate Steward (big “S”) over all he created (Ephesians 1:9-10). Our stewardship (little “s”) is really about participating with God in his much larger stewardship of all creation.

Both Jesus and Paul reveal more about the nature of this partnership. Jesus told his disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (Johns 15:15). Paul wrote to the Galatians, “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” (Gal 4:7).

In his book A Theology for Christian Stewardship, T.A. Kantonen develops this richer understanding of Christian stewardship: “When the concept of stewardship is developed in its total New Testament context, it implies even more than trusteeship and responsibility. It contains the idea of partnership. The relation between master and servant gives way to the relation between friends working together for the realization of a common purpose….This partnership is furthermore the partnership of father and son….Christian stewardship is a family affair. Not merely to work for God as his agents and administrators of his property, but to work with him as his children, sharing his purposes, his resources, his very nature–such is the high status of Christian stewards” (emphasis added).

Stewardship is about so much more than fulfilling a responsibility. It is about embracing our identity as God’s children and the opportunity to partner with him in his kingdom-family business. Don’t miss out on the joy and fulfillment that comes when your giving flows from your identity in Jesus and your desire to partner with God in his redemptive work.

More to think about:

In a business, an employee is typically most concerned about knowing and fulfilling his or her responsibilities. How may the attitude of a partner differ from that of an employee? What is a partner concerned about? What about you? How might your attitudes and financial practices change if you approached stewardship more as a partner in God’s “family business”?

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