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From Bullied to Leader

Blue Mountain Academy, The Ambassadors, Antonio Hernandez

Story by Esther Hernandez 

Nalda Hernandez was concerned for her son Antonio. He was being bullied in school, and the emotional stress resulted in him not caring about anything, including his grades. She knew he needed a change, but as a single mom, could she afford a Seventh-day Adventist education? On the other hand, could she afford not to?

She enrolled Antonio at Blue Mountain Academy (BMA) in 2019. “That was a lot of sacrifice at the time,” Nalda shares. “The atmosphere of an Adventist school was important to me, and here he had the opportunity to meet other students from all over the world who also shared the same beliefs.”

White Oak Medical Center Performs Its First Watchman Heart Procedure

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center now offers the WATCHMAN (tm) heart implant – a one-time, minimally invasive procedure that lowers bleeding risk and risk of stroke in patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).

AFib is a common irregular heartbeat condition that affects up to 6.1 million Americans and can cause a person’s heart to beat too fast. When left untreated, AFib can dislodge a blood clot and cause a stroke. WATCHMAN is an alternative treatment for patients with AFib who are commonly treated with long-term use of blood thinners.

Fred Warfield to Serve as Director of Human Resources at Potomac Conference

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Story by Debra Anderson

The Potomac Conference is pleased to reintroduce Fred Warfield as director of Human Resources (HR). Warfield served Potomac’s more than 720 employees in the same role from 2015–2020 and was also interim HR director for the Southern California Conference for a brief term.

Rainelle Church Members Witness Divine Connections

Proudly displaying their baptismal certificates, the Nonnemacher family members Tyler, Layne, Carsyn and Sharyce flank Eddie Reyes, pastor of the Rainelle church.

Story by Liz Bailey

In the small town of Rainelle, W.Va., sits the foundation of a church-to-be. In 2016, a tragic flood destroyed the tiny Seventh-day Adventist Church. For the past five years, members have been worshipping in a rental building while working hard to rebuild a new church. Literally moving a mountain, the members cleared a spot on higher ground and poured a new foundation.

Ready to Help Following Hurricane Ian?

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Hurricane Ian’s impact on the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States isn’t projected to hit the area as hard as Florida, however several inches of rain are forecast for Virginia, says Bob Mitchell, Adventist Community Services (ACS) and Disaster Relief coordinator for the Potomac Conference.

“Are you ready to care for yourself, your family and your neighbors during and following whatever Hurricane Ian brings to our area?” asked Mitchell in an ACS newsletter sent on Wednesday. “While the rain forecast for the Potomac Conference region varies from two inches to four inches, any damage to a family's home is significant and presents us with the opportunity to meet some of their needs.”

Adventist HealthCare is Advancing Bold Initiatives to Attract Nurses

Image by Jossué Trejo from Pixabay

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

Adventist HealthCare is advancing bold initiatives to attract and retain high-quality nurses:

  • CNA Academy: an opportunity for anyone eager to start a career in healthcare – with no prior patient experience needed – and prepare for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam. CNA candidates are hired employees who earn money while they learn and do not pay any program fees. Classroom training is combined with clinical training in a hospital setting so candidates learn real-world skills to support the best outcomes and patient care.

Kettering College Receives Grant for Community Health Worker Program

Story by Courtney Dove

Kettering College has been awarded a grant aimed at creating and implementing a comprehensive education program for community health workers in Dayton, Ohio. The funding will be effective immediately through September of 2025, awarding $1,847,399 to the university.  

Community health workers (CHWs) are grassroots health workers who live in the communities they serve. They work with their friends, families, and neighbors to bring reliable health information and services to under-resourced communities. This is especially true for communities that are predominately minorities. 

ADRA Mobilizes to Deliver Emergency Aid in South Sudan as Severe Flooding Continues to Ravage the Country

Story by Iris Argueta

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is preparing to launch a national emergency management plan (NEMP) in South Sudan to assist the hundreds of thousands of families, children, and individual people affected by the catastrophic floods. ADRA emergency experts have been on the ground inspecting flood-affected villages and realigning their existing programs to meet the current humanitarian needs. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), massive heavy rains have killed dozens of people, displaced almost one million South Sudanese, and submerged entire communities across the country.

Takoma Academy Welcomes New Principal

Takoma Academy, Yasmine Julien, Potomac Conference

Story by Debra Anderson

A new principal was in place when Takoma Academy (TA), located in Takoma Park, Md., opened its doors for the 2022–23 academic school year. Yasmine Julien, an instructional leader, mathematics content specialist and experienced classroom teacher, accepted the assignment to lead the 118-year-old institution.

Julien brings to TA a breadth of experience in academic leadership, as she has held the positions of dean of students and instructional coach in previous jobs. Her most recent job was as the assistant principal at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy in Washington, D.C.