Celebrating 170 Years
Help us mark this milestone, celebrate God’s faithfulness,
December
Stories of Transformation
Something is different at Wheaton Academy. Visitors sense it when they step onto our campus for the first time. You know it because you’ve experienced it. Students’ lives are transformed here through the power of the gospel. As you read what fellow classmates, parents, and faculty have shared, rejoice with us in the work that God has sustained for 170 years.
Nick Le '13
Nick's host family had a life-changing impact, leading him to a saving relationship with Jesus. After graduating, Nick translated C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity into Vietnamese. Nick pursued an undergraduate degree at John Brown University and a Master’s degree at University of Pennsylvania. Today, Nick works as a Product Manager for PaidRight in Sydney, Australia.
Nick shares, “My four years at Wheaton Academy shaped me into who I am today.”
Stephanie (Gregersen) Bean '19
Stephanie recently graduated from the Air Force Academy and is heading to flight school.
"Winterim at Wheaton Academy changed my life. During my freshman year, I took an aviation class. In that class, I gained a passion for flying. Through that class, God called me to become a pilot!"
Ty Seager '16
Ty played soccer at Northwestern University and served as the team captain in 2019 during his senior year. Today, he works in marketing.
"My four years at Wheaton Academy gave me a firm foundation to thrive in the classroom, on the soccer field, and on campus at Northwestern. At Wheaton Academy, I learned how to make my faith my own and challenge myself academically and athletically while building and practicing leadership skills."
What is your story?
Your Wheaton Academy story matters! We are collecting memories and stories to preserve the rich history of God’s faithfulness here. Click the button and follow the prompts to share your story!
John Sevall '58
John received a call to the mission field during a Wheaton Academy chapel service honoring the lives of Nate Saint and Jim Elliot. John and his wife served overseas for over 40 years.
"A chapel service in January 1958 changed my life."
Olivia Smith '22
While a student at WA, Olivia founded the Service Project Club. Today, she attends Liberty University.
"Through Bible classes, chapels, and friendships at WA, my faith has grown exponentially. Excellence at Wheaton Academy isn’t just about the success that comes from being really good or outstanding, it’s about having excellent character. If you are using your skills and achievement to bring awareness, help, and healing to those around you, then you have achieved excellence."
Lydia (Rubenic)
Schopfhauser '15
Inspired by Wheaton Academy's Winterim trips to Guatemala, Lydia launched onto the mission field with Independent Missionary Network in 2019. Back in Guatemala, Lydia worked to create a culturally sensitive public health program and develop an apprenticeship program for students who desire to deploy to the mission field. Today, she and her husband serve as missionaries in Germany where they work towards revival and evangelism in Europe.
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We rely on the Warrior Fund, previously the Annual Fund, to sustain “The Academy Effect” and keep a Wheaton Academy education excellent and accessible. Because tuition only covers a portion of the cost of a Wheaton Academy student’s experience, your gift to the Warrior Fund is vital!
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More stories of transformation…
Tim Morgan '73
Tim serves as a teaching professor in journalism, media theory, and writing at Gordon College.
"We now can look backward and realize God’s guiding hand choice by choice, dollar by dollar, decision by decision, step by step through nine generations of believers giving sacrificial love and mercy. This is the Prince Crossing that lives on today. At the crossing of love and mercy, God draws close to us."
Will Lyon '19
Will is a STEM student at Vanderbilt University.
"When I think of Wheaton Academy, I think of the mentors and fellow students who invested in my life and challenged me to follow Christ in an authentic way. Whether inside or outside of the classroom, teachers and other adults were passionately invested in my growth and success. They encouraged me to use my gifts and talents for the glory of God."
Gwyneth Clark '23
"I credit most of my growth at Wheaton Academy to the blessing of relationships built with teachers. Through genuine relationships with teachers, I’ve been encouraged and challenged as a learner and, most importantly, as a follower of Christ. The teachers who walk alongside me have set an example of what it means to be a faithful and hopeful Christian."
Nancy (Bushhouse '72) DeBoer
Nancy serves as assistant director for She Leads Michigan, an organization of accomplished women from across the state offering faith-based solutions to modern day challenges.
"My time at Wheaton Academy prepared and inspired me to pursue passions God had ignited and to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my Lord and Savior forever."
Isabel Kelsh '22
"The love and joy of the people around me at Wheaton Academy who are genuinely following Christ shone through to me, and is a main reason why I became a Christian. I am so grateful that my parents were able to send me to a school where I was valued first and foremost as a child of God. The love of the community around me led me to seek a deeper, more authentic relationship with Christ every day."
Todd Beamer '87
On September 11, 2001, Todd was on United Flight 93 when hijackers took over the plane. In a heroic effort, Todd and fellow passengers rallied against the terrorists and the plane crashed in a field.
Todd's dad, David Beamer shares, "Todd's time here at Wheaton Academy helped make him the man that he was. This place is beyond special. It has always been an oasis of learning, teaching, God's truth. It always has been."
Steve Willemssen, Faculty
"Making music together creates a unique relationship and I want students to learn that developing musical excellence in a community setting is a powerful tool for serving the world. There is a special bond between people who make music together, and God can use that bond to grow people closer to him."
Bethany Samulowitz, WA Parent
"We were drawn to Wheaton Academy because of the authentic personal faith that we saw in the leadership, faculty, and staff from our first interactions here. The emphasis on developing each student’s unique potential, talents, character, friendships, leadership, and faith has exceeded our expectations!"
Jude Barton'22
"Being surrounded by students who are equally eager to live their lives in pursuit of Christ has helped to strengthen my Christian convictions. As a freshman, I don’t think I fully understood my calling to be a follower of Christ, but over my years here—with the tutelage of the tremendous faculty and pious peers—I have been cultivated into a mature Christian, knowing my beliefs and being able to stand up for them."
John Huffman '58
"I loved it so much at Wheaton Academy, I told my parents I would pay my own tuition to be able to stay. One of my clearest memories here is praying, 'God, if Jesus Christ is your name and the Bible is true, I am giving my life to you.' It was a clear cut decision I made one winter day on the football field at Wheaton Academy. And to this day--at age 83--I can tell you the Lord has been faithful."
David Gieser '67
"I will never forget that moment as a freshman sitting in the chapel left of the pulpit, third row, fifth seat from the center aisle. Years earlier, I had made a commitment to follow Jesus, but deep inside I knew it was shallow. The speaker explained salvation in such a way that it all clicked more deeply and profoundly than ever before and with my head bowed, I raised my hand. My life changed that day. To Wheaton Academy I remain in debt for providing an education focused on Jesus Christ, anchored in Biblical truth."
Justin Peacock, WA Parent
"The community here challenges student to take on daily habits that will shape them to become more like Jesus. This kind of growth lasts. It has eternal value long after the touchdowns have been scored and the papers have been written. I believe that it's the commitment to this kind of growth that makes Wheaton Academy really different."
Sam Dominguez '88
Sam attended Houghton College (NY) and attained his PhD from the University of Chicago. Today, Sam leads the clinical microbiology laboratory to develop the first clinically available SARS-CoV-2 test in Colorado.
"Wheaton Academy left me with many wonderful memories – of musicals, concert choir, classes, and teachers."
Luke Regan, Faculty
Luke serves as Wheaton Academy's Science Department Head while also pursuing his EdD at Vanderbilt.
"The natural world is a source of insight into God's character. Science gives creation the opportunity to speak, and a good scientist can hear the echoes of God’s voice in the world around us. As a teacher, when I make explicit connections between God and the subjects I teach, I remind students that God is sovereign over every field of study, and unthreatened by the unanswered questions in any one discipline."
David and Terry Bagley, WA Parents
"We chose Wheaton Academy after we witnessed the way that the faculty, students, coaches and administrators live out their mission statement at every turn. The high expectations in the classroom, mutual respect everyone has for each other, and the exceptional academics taught from a Christian worldview are exactly what we wanted for our son’s high school experience."
Richard Aram '72
Richard is a geologist who dedicated himself to science education. During his time as Director of Geoscience Training at Phillips Petroleum/ConocoPhillips, he trained all the new geologists and geophysicists hired worldwide by the company.
"We can do science for Jesus, just like any other vocation. A career in science can be a ministry. Our world has many needs. Good science and good ethics can help to meet those needs."
David Terhune '67
"I owe so much to the faithfulness of Wheaton Academy faculty shaping my understanding of the faith during the cultural tumult of the 60s. The example of young teachers sold out for the Kingdom of God—Tom Fulghum, Don Heykoop, Mark Hanchett, Tom Jarman, Dave Klopfenstein, Jack Gill, and so many more— have been like pillars of fire for over 55 years, guiding me through the inevitable challenges and complexities of life."
Your Story
What is your Wheaton Academy story? Just click the button and follow the prompts to share!
Give a Gift
Your gift today has an immediate impact on the excellence and accessibility of a Wheaton Academy education.
Share Your Story
We are collecting memories and stories to preserve the rich history of God’s faithfulness here.