"I wanted to stay with my friends…"

Fun fact: I didn’t want to come to Wheaton Academy. I was totally against coming here. My parents always pushed for the academy, but I knew that it was ultimately going to be my decision and I wasn’t interested. I told myself that the public school would be so much better for me because I wanted to stay with my friends—I wanted to go to school with kids I already knew.

But something changed the day I came to shadow at Wheaton Academy. In chapel, I felt God drawing me here—it was like He was calling me home. I felt Him telling me that Wheaton Academy would be a place where I would have opportunities to grow closer to Him. So I decided to give it a chance, and I am so glad that I did.

Coming in as a freshman was scary because I barely knew anyone. I was so worried about finding community, but I discovered that the people here are very welcoming. Wheaton Academy does a great job of setting the freshmen up in groups like Project IX and Advisory where they will find people who they naturally connect with and relate to. The teachers here are phenomenal as well. They care about who you are as a person—not just your academics, but also about who you’re becoming. They help you achieve your goals and they also help you grow in Christ.

I’m a junior now, and I’ve grown more during my time at Wheaton Academy than I have in my entire life. Spiritually, academically, mentally—I’ve stretched everything. Wheaton Academy has pushed me to be the very best that I can be and I’m so glad that I came.