Mission Moment

Dear Covenant Families,

Most of you are somewhere in the middle of your educational journey at Covenant, and the middle of anything can be challenging. The excitement of the beginning feels distant, and the satisfaction of the end seems far away.

Right now, I have the unique perspective of witnessing both. I see the beginning through the eyes of our 60 newly admitted Explorers while personally reaching the end of my time as a Covenant parent. Our 3rd and 4th born twin sons graduate on May 23rd. While I am ordering XS Covenant t-shirts for the class of 2038, I am also ordering a cap and gown for my two class of 2025 graduates.

I get to experience the pure excitement of our new families—their joy at being admitted to The Covenant School, their zeal for classical Christian education, and their anticipation of all that is to come. At the same time, I am feeling the satisfaction of completing a long and meaningful journey. I am acutely aware that I have an unusual vantage point, and I want to share some thoughts with those of you who are in the sometimes uncomfortable middle. 

First, remember the passion and motivation you had at the start of your time at Covenant. I wish you could all talk to our new families and soak in their joyful anticipation. My favorite thing is when new families send pictures of their five-year-olds in their very first Covenant t-shirt, grinning from ear to ear.

Second, I want to share my deep gratitude for Covenant and my perspective as someone sad to be at the end. Looking back, I often wish I could do it all over again. Covenant has truly taught my children to “discern, reason, and defend truth.” There were times when the classical Christian educational journey was fatiguing. We struggled through presenting flower projects in 2nd grade, understanding Algebra in 8th grade, reading the Illiad in 9th and, of course, senior thesis in 12th. Looking back, I can wholeheartedly say it was worth it for each of my very different children and for our family as a whole.

I recently had a moment that drove this home. When I give prospective families tours of Rhetoric classes, I occasionally visit one of my children's classrooms. Recently, I heard my son answer a question in theology class. I wish I could tell you exactly what he said, but honestly, it was a bit over my head. They were talking about soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. I certainly didn’t teach him how to engage in this kind of discussion. I knew I was supposed to teach him to be kind, to be a good friend, to seek the Lord. But I didn’t realize I was supposed to teach him how to think, how to wrestle with ideas, big and small. Covenant did. This education filled in the gaps of my parenting, and in that moment, I was overcome with gratitude for Covenant. 

For those of you in the middle, hang in there. It’s not always smooth sailing. There is a lot to learn and a lot of ways to grow. But looking back, I can say with confidence: it’s worth it!! The financial investment. The late nights of studying. The hard conversations about personal growth. It’s all worth it!

When you meet new families this spring and next fall, listen to their excitement and remember your own. Encourage them on this Covenant journey, and let them encourage you.

I can tell you from experience that at the end, it’s worth it. And it goes by too fast!

Non Nobis,

Jennifer Peterson
Director of Admissions