A Student’s Reflection
During one of our chapels, Nayeli spoke about the growth she has experienced here at HCA. Her courage and confidence is a genuine reflection of the bravery that the founders of our school embodied in launching HCA.
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Good morning, respected teachers, staff and fellow students. Before we begin, I would like to start off with prayer. Please bow your heads with me.
‘Dear God, I lift up everyone here today into your care. Thank you for the journeys that have brought us to this moment and for the lessons we continue to learn from one another. As I prepare to share a message with everyone today, I ask that our hearts and minds be open. Please guide each person with wisdom, protect them in times of uncertainty, and fill their hearts with peace, strength and hope. May our time be meaningful, and may your presence be felt among us. Amen.’
Today, as I stand here, I feel a mix of emotions, gratitude, nostalgia, and awe. And as I speak, I am speaking not just for myself, but for our whole class, a group of people who has grown up together, laughed together, struggled together, and learned together in HCA.
Back then, there were only 14 students who walked the HCA halls, full of hope, curiosity, and perhaps a little nervousness. Those 14 students paved the way for all of us, planting the seeds of the community, friendship, and learning that would grow into the school we know today.
I can imagine the first day – the first classes, the first lessons, the first friendships forming. It may have felt like a small start, but it was the start of something big. And just like them, we stepped into these halls, ready to learn, to grow, and to make memories that would last a lifetime. Psalm 90:12 reminds us, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Those first days of the school taught us lessons that extend far beyond academics, they taught us courage, community and faith.
As we leave this beloved school, it’s incredible to think that every memory we’ve had, the laughter, the challenges, the House Games, it all traces back to that first group of 14 students who began this journey. We were the foundation, and we were the continuation. Their bravery to start something new reminds us that even small beginnings can lead to great things. Zechariah 4:10 says “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”
When I first walked through this school, I was nervous, curious, and unsure of who I would become. We were all unsure. Some of us felt small in a place so big. We didn’t know which friendships would last, which lessons would stay with us, or which moments would quietly change us forever. Back then (and still now), school felt like classes, homework, and exams. The clock marked the hours of our days, and we thought that was what mattered. But slowly, we realized this place was teaching us something far greater.
Within those walls, we learned how to face challenges with courage. How to fall and rise again. How to speak even when our voices shook. How to keep going when we didn’t feel strong enough. And even on days we didn’t realize it, we were being shaped, not just academically, but in character and faith. Harbor Christian Academy didn’t just teach us what to think. It helped teach us who to be. And through it all, God was present, in the patience that met our mistakes, in the hands that lifted us when we stumbled, and in the people placed in our lives at exactly the right time.
To our teachers, on behalf of all of us, and personally from me, thank you. Thank you for believing in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. Thank you for your patience, your guidance and your care. Thank you for reminding us that mistakes are not the end but part of the journey. Many of us will only fully understand later in life how God used you to shape not just our minds, but our hearts, our values, and our faith.
To our friends, you are the heartbeat of these years. We have laughed together, cried together, and supported one another through the ups and downs Through each other, we learned kindness, forgiveness, loyalty, and love- lessons that reflect Christ more than we may have realized at the time. And I am grateful personally, for every friend who made this journey unforgettable.
This school (HCA) has watched us grow. It has seen us arrive uncertain, hesitant, and sometimes afraid. And it has seen us slowly become stronger, braver, wiser, and more compassionate. It has been a place where seeds were planted. Seeds of faith, resilience, purpose, and hope.
As this chapter of our lives unfolds, it’s natural to feel both excitement for the future and a quiet ache for what we will leave behind. The future doesn’t come with clear answers. But scripture reminds us that we walk by faith, not by sight.
And Harbor Christian Academy has prepared us to do exactly that, to step forward trusting that even when we don’t see the full path, God is already there.
To the children who will continue walking these halls – know this: you are deeply loved, intentionally created, and never walking alone. Even on the days that feel impossible, God is quietly working in you, shaping you into who you are meant to become.
To the adults in this room, thank you for building more than a school. Thank you for creating a foundation where faith, learning, and character could grow together.
As we move forward, individually and together, we know we are not leaving this place behind, we are carrying it with us.
For the children – may it always remain a place of wonder and possibility.
For the adults – a reminder of calling and purpose.
And for all of us, proof that when God is present, growth is inevitable.
And if, in the years ahead, we are ever unsure of who we are or where we belong, may we all remember this: there was once a school God used to help raise us= and that will always be enough to call it home.
—Nayeli, 9th grade student