Story by Lori Zerne
Students from Highland View Academy (HVA) recently shared their talents at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., home to the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals.
The Highlanders, HVA’s elite choral group, sang the national anthem to open a Boston Celtics vs. Wizards game. The school earned this opportunity by submitting an audition video. David Niño, HVA’s music director, says the excitement of the performance “engaged and motivated students” for months.
Story by Salena Featherstone
The Takoma Academy (TA) chorale and camerata is a vocal group consisting of 85 students ranging from grades 9–12. They seek to achieve excellence in all aspects of music—from performance, literacy and technical skill to music history and music in worship and ministry.
Story by Dewain Hall
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
Alex Partyka grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but stopped attending during a span of 12–13 years of partying that included almost daily drug highs. Toward the end of this time, he realized he wanted to change his life, but didn’t know how and prayed about it.
He says this prayer resulted in a 30-day jail sentence when new evidence was introduced in a re-opened 15-year-old fireworks case thought to be closed.
Story by Thomas Macomber
The Versacare Foundation recently awarded $1,159,000 in grant funding to Adventist Education, including $920,000 to 118 primary and secondary schools across the United States and Canada in support of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
The STEM grant program is open to every NAD conference or church sponsored primary or secondary school and provides funding in three categories:
• $5,000 for smaller schools of 3 classrooms or less;
• $10,000 for larger schools of 4 or more classrooms and 12-year schools;
• $10,000 for senior academies.
Read these articles from the April 2019 Visitor:
Story by LaTasha Hewitt
Composer and musician Allen E. Foster, a longtime member of Allegheny East Conference's Ebenezer church in Philadelphia, recently passed after battling an illness. Foster started playing the piano at Ebenezer at the age of 14 and became the choir’s accompanist at 16.
Story by Tamyra Horst
Jeremy Garlock has accepted the invitation by the Pennsylvania Conference Executive Committee to serve as vice president for Education. Garlock joined the conference February 1. He most recently served as Superintendent of Education and associate Youth Ministries director for the New York Conference.
Story by Elizabeth Long
Kettering Brain & Spine is moving to a facility that offers a radically new approach to patient care. Kettering Adventist Health Network is celebrating the move with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m. Kettering Brain & Spine is located on the third floor of the Pavilion building at 3700 Southern Blvd. in Kettering, Ohio, across the street from Kettering Medical Center.
Story by Edwin Manuel Garcia / Feature photo by Brad Barnwell
Alex Partyka grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but stopped attending for 12–13 years, when partying got the best of him, including almost daily drug highs. He realized he wanted to change his life, but didn’t know how, so he prayed about it. He says his prayers resulted in a miracle involving a 30-day jail sentence.