Considering the thousands of students whose lives God has shaped indelibly since our doors opened nearly 40 years ago, it is impossible to calculate His legacy at Cherry Hills Christian School. However, we catch glorious glimpses of how our graduates advance God’s kingdom when they stay in touch with us — and we do, indeed, love to hear from our alumni. Among them is Maddie White, who graduated from Cherry Hills Christian School in 2016 and from Valor Christian High School in 2020. She is a freshman at Colorado Christian University, studying nursing.
Please share a favorite CHC memory.
I was a part of the Praise Band team in middle school, and one afternoon, the fire alarms sounded while we were practicing. We all filed outside, and it was super cold and windy. However, instead of focusing on the cold and wind, we started worshiping together. We probably sang for 20 minutes before we were allowed to return to the classroom. When we did go back inside, we were all a little sad. Cherry Hills is just one of those places where the joy of Jesus Christ is everywhere — even in a cold, windy parking lot.
How do you think a CHC education prepared you for life?
My time at Cherry Hills was a tremendous blessing, and it prepared me so well, not only for high school, but also for life as a Christian. Yes, I learned how to read and how to do math at Cherry Hills, but being able to graduate 8th Grade with a rock-solid foundation in Christ was an amazing gift. Without a strong foundation, my faith would stand for a bit, but then fall to the ground the minute there was trouble. Because of the strong foundation Cherry Hills gave me, my faith has grown incredibly, and it has stood through every storm that has come my way.
What advice do you have for today’s CHC students?
Cherish your time at Cherry Hills, and don’t get caught up in the little things, such as a bad homework assignment or a tough day on the playground. Getting to go to chapel on a weekly basis is such a blessing, and not many people get to experience that. Soak up every word the speakers have to say, and worship God wholeheartedly. Middle school students, I cannot even put into words how lucky you are to have baptism as a part of your education. I have been in Christian education all of my life, and Cherry Hills Middle School is the only place that has baptism as a part of their mission. Baptism is such an incredible step in a person’s faith journey, and getting to be a part of that is incredibly special. Cherish that time, and celebrate with your classmates. Also, enjoy your time on the playgrounds!
What do you think today’s CHC parents most need to know about the value of their child’s Christian education?
There are so many intangible things that make CHC so special, and some of them are hard to explain; you just have to feel them. For example, my Pre-Kindergarten teacher never taught us a lesson on love. Instead, she demonstrated what it meant to love everyone like Jesus did; our classroom atmosphere reflected that. Years later, my Life Group leader in middle school baked cupcakes for us on multiple occasions and listened to us as we talked about our week. She showed us we were valuable to her and to Christ. In just these two examples, I hope you see that CHC is so much more than just a school. It is a family. Your children will be well prepared for life by the time they graduate. By putting your children at Cherry Hills Christian School, you are preparing them not only for life here on Earth, but also helping them store up heavenly treasures — and that is a gift that cannot be found at any other school.
