From the Director's Desk May Edition
Goodbyes and Change
by Daniel Cooley
Wow. It is hard to believe that this will be my last article from the Director’s desk here at NorthStar Academy. My last day in this role will be May 22 after six years! As I reflect over the past six years, I could not have imagined how God would bless my time in this role. Coming into this role from a brick and mortar school and being very much a people person, I, like many of you at first, was worried that I might not get enough people contact. I was wrong. From the very get-go I discovered the many opportunities that I had to work with people from talking to families thinking about using NorthStar, to visiting with students, to working with teachers via video chat; the opportunities are only limited by my own schedule. Added to this has been the amazing opportunity to travel all over the world and meet with school leaders who are looking for online learning options for their schools. I have been to more countries than I can recount in the last six years and have gotten the opportunity to meet many educators that are doing amazing things at schools both here in the US and around the world; it has truly been a blessing that I could not have imagined.
I have also been humbled by how the Lord has grown not just the size of NorthStar over these past six years, but also the quality of our program from the educational experience for students in the classroom, to new and improved platforms and increased student support services. If you have been with us for the past six years, I am sure that you would be able to attest to the improvements. However, the whole time the goal has been the same. We have never desired to be the biggest, most dominant online school in the world, but to be a school that God uses to bring students to Himself through a Christ-honoring and excellent education coupled with caring and people-focused customer service that makes each person feel special. I am confident that as Stephanie Shafer, our current Chief Operations Officer, steps into the Director role, this focus and the path to improvement will remain the same. I know that she has a huge heart for seeing spiritual growth in students, teachers, and families. Stephanie also desires to provide excellent, world-class customer service to turn our families into superfans!
As I turn my attention to the future and look to our family’s next adventure in Africa, continuing on with NICS at our sister school in Nairobi, my heart is full of gratitude for the time spent here at NSA and the ability to hand off the leadership baton to such a great new leader. I want to thank the NSA community for the support and kindness that I have been shown over the years, thank you! I am confident that NorthStar Academy will continue to thrive and provide families with a great alternative to brick and mortar school options.
Blessings,
Daniel Cooley
Director, NorthStar Academy
Daniel Cooley has been the Director of NorthStar Academy for 5 years. Previous to NorthStar, Daniel served as the Secondary Principal at Bandung Alliance Intercultural School in Bandung Indonesia. Daniel has his Master’s in Teaching and a graduate certificate in Educational Leadership. Daniel is passionate about educational leadership and quality educational experiences for students.