🌐May Publication🌐

NSA has shown me more than I ever anticipated. It has developed me in ways I never expected.  NorthStar Academy's classes are taught through a biblical worldview. I am not sure what I expected that term to mean– probably something like “Here’s a Bible verse to go with your assignment.” I was not expecting to be challenged and confronted. 

Mrs. April Meyer is the Navigator’s amazing teacher advisor. For most years of the Navigator’s existence, she has been guiding staff after staff towards being the best student newspaper possible. This trend continued this year as she provided amazing feedback on articles, led our semi-weekly calls, helped each staff member in a unique way, and taught the NAVI280 Live course.

Dear high school, I've put off writing this letter until the last possible moment (it’s due in an hour) because it means saying goodbye to you. 

As the teacher advisor for the Navigator, I have been blessed to have many strong and accomplished editors-in-chief over the past twelve years, and Alex M. is no exception. He has been our leader for the 2026 school year, and his direction has made the Navigator a superior newspaper. When I first met Alex, he was a freshman, and I have had the privilege of seeing him grow over the years. I’m excited for where God will take Alex in the future!

Dear readers. When I was twelve years old, I wanted to be a Catholic nun–not because I was Catholic (I wasn’t), or because I had any idea what life in the convent required (I didn’t). Actually, my new career aspirations stemmed from watching The Sound of Music and reading about Christian saints.

Life is filled with unknowns from the day we are born until the day we die.  It is a simple truth of life.  However, you can have one of two perspectives on these unknowns, and the perspective you choose makes a huge difference in your life.  The question every person must answer is, do you run into the unknown or stay back and wait for it to come to you?

It’s time to move on, and it is hard for me to believe. The past four to five years have been a whirlwind with many highs but also many lows. Time works strangely: a moment can feel like an eternity, but a lifetime in the blink of an eye. It doesn’t make sense to me, and maybe it shouldn’t. I think if anything, it is simply a good reminder to make the most of the seasons that God has placed us in.

Students come to school for education, but they also come for many other reasons. Whether it be the community, the opportunities in a certain program, or the morals of a school, students and their parents are drawn to them for what they can provide. NorthStar Academy students are no different. NorthStar has students located all over the world, and every student comes to NSA for a reason.

As the clock ticks closer and closer to graduation, a mix of emotions swirls through my head. I’m excited for the new adventures to come in college, but I’m also nervous to leave because NSA has been the most supportive community I know.

I never knew I would join NorthStar Academy, and in fact, I never knew online school was an option. I never knew that this event in life would lead me to one of the sweetest communities I have ever seen. In the grand year of 2020, when the whole earth shut down, I was presented with the opportunity of learning in this new format. Six years later, and I have had one of the roughest senior years I’ve ever heard of. 

I’m often asked the question, “Where are you from?” Well, the short answer is this: I was born in Texas. My mom is from Tennessee and my dad is from Mississippi. Not so crazy, right? Plot twist. My citizenship is American, although I would not say I am fully from there.