PHOTOS COURTESY OF KODY LINDGREN

NEWS 2

NEWS 3

FEATURES 4

FEATURES 5

FEATURES 6

OPINION 7

SENIORS’ PLANS 8

Issue Five Thursday, May 31, 2012 thevictoryvoice.wordpress.com

Sam’s thoughts

Page 7

Meet

Maddie Page 5

voice.

See “Mrs. Jordan” on page 3

Jordan’s life

Page 6

Inside

See “Seniors” on page 2

Not the end, but the beginning

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By Matthew Stefanski Editor-in-Chief

The Victory Christian Academy (VCA) Class of 2012 consists of ten gradu-ates who are all unique in their own ways, but alike at the same time. From the super-conservative Sam Brown to the artistically talented Claire Abner, each and every member of the Class of 2012 has left their

personal mark on the students and staff of VCA. Some students in the Class of 2012 have been going to VCA since the begin-ning of the school’s first official year, while others came to VCA halfway through their junior year. In the middle of his junior year, Samuel Brown’s parents approached him with the idea of attending VCA. “I was

By Michelle Parr Staff Reporter

Beloved science teacher, Mrs. Jordan, is leaving the halls of Victory Christian Academy (VCA). She has filled them with her wisdom, grace and love. Though she may be leaving,

we must remember what she has done for us throughout her time at VCA. Mrs. Lynne Jordan started her journey at VCA over eight years ago with

CONTENTS

PHOTO BY NIKKI GEER

Mrs. Jordan embarks on a new journey

Each of the ten members of the Class of 2012 are known for their entertaining, but distinctive personalities.

Mrs. Jordan is the last original high school teacher to leave VCA.

Continued from page 1

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up for a change, so I decided to come to VCA,” said Brown. Senior Evan Longhi believes that an education at VCA has al-lowed him to get into the college of his dreams. “When I came to VCA, I was able to take classes which edu-cated me and helped me bring up my GPA so I could get into the universi-ty I’ve always wanted to go to (Indiana University). Some seniors are sad to leave VCA, while others are more than ready to begin their first year of college. “I just can’t wait to get down to Bloomington. It’s going to be such an amazing year,” said Longhi. On the other hand, Katie Fiebelkorn wants to savor every mo-ment left of her high school experi-ence. “It’s so sad that we’re finally graduating. Graduation is one of the biggest events in a person’s life and it’s finally here for us,” said

Fiebelkorn. Almost all of the seniors plan on furthering their studies in Indiana. “Bloomington is a perfect distance from home. If I want to come home, I only have to drive three and a half hours. It’s also far away enough where I will be able to have my independence,” said Longhi. Jordan Armstrong is the only one venturing out of state. Jor-dan will travel more than halfway across the United States to attend Newmont University in South Jor-dan, Utah. “I was looking for a change. A big part of why I chose Newmont is that I can complete a bachelor’s degree in only two and a half years,” said Armstrong. The soon-to-be graduates are thankful for their high school education, but are awaiting their venture into the “real world.” The Class of 2012 concludes

The majority of the seniors went on a trip to Indiana Beach for senior skip day.

Seniors

page2

their last school day on Thursday, May 31. Graduation is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1 in the chapel. Science teacher Mrs. Jordan is expected to speak on behalf of the girls, while Assistant Principal Mr. Chirch is expected to speak on be-half of the guys. The graduation cer-emony will be followed by a recep-tion in the gymnasium. The Class of 2012 is more than eager to graduate with only one day left to go, however the unforget-table seniors have definitely left an impact at VCA. “This class is a lot of fun to be around. They are all easy going and have a great sense of hu-mor. We’re definitely going to miss them,” said Chirch.

The Class of 2012 graduates at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1.

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the help of her youngest daughter, Miranda. Jordan wanted Miranda to have the chance to go to a school with a sturdy Christian education. “I knew that Christian education was my heart. I knew I wanted my children to be raised with that Christian education,” said Jordan. After enrolling her daugh-ter, Jordan was offered the chance to teach. “It was enticing. I was able to let my daughter have an educa-tion other than homeschooling, and yet I was still involved in her educa-tion at the same time. So I said yes,

even though it was completely un-expected,” said Jordan. She took the job knowing that was what God wanted for her. Only a month be-fore her offer to teach at VCA, she was offered a job at Portage Chris-tian School (PCS). Instead of taking the job at PCS, she felt confident in the goals and heart of VCA. Jordan has taught at VCA for eight years and is the last of the original high school teachers. She has enjoyed her time teaching teen-agers at VCA. Jordan has always strived to give her best to her students, whether it be through teaching sci-ence material or teaching through her actions. “The students may not remember my lesson plans, but they will remember who I was as a person. The interaction with the students outside the subject is why I was here,” said Jordan. Even though Jordan is go-ing to miss her students, she is very

excited about her next step in life. She is returning to the medical field as the Director of Clinical Education at Golden Living Center in La Porte. “I will be in charge of hiring and training the nursing staff, the medical educa-tion of the entire building, as well as infection control,” said Jordan. Mrs. Jordan will always be remembered and treasured in the hearts of all who knew her at VCA and will never be forgotten. “Grades do not define you. Subjects do not define you. Only God defines you. Your job as a student is to do your best and commit to excellence,” Jor-dan said. Let us all follow what Mrs. Jordan taught us and strive to do our best.

Mrs. Jordan Continued from page 1

What are you going to miss most about the seniors?

“I’m going to miss the catchphrase “nice.”

- Junior Aaron Krueger

“I look up to the seniors and I’m close friends with all of them, so I’m going to miss

them a lot.” -Junior Kyle McNamara

“I’ll miss all the seniors; they are all respectable.

The guys are especially fun-ny and entertaining.”

- Sophomore Ben Jumche

The guys speak up.

“I’m going to miss their inspiration to procrastinate.

-Junior Luke Schrader

Mrs. Jordan has accepted a job as Director of Clini-cal Education at Golden Living Center in La Porte.

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Matthew Stefanski: the passionate journalist Class of 2012 Valedictorian

When Matthew Stefanski enrolled at Victory Christian Acade-my (VCA) his freshman year, he was determined to start a student news-paper. Four years later, the now Editor-in-Chief has more than founding The Victory Voice to add

to his list of accomplishments. “By being at small private

school, I have had opportunities that I never would have had elsewhere,” said Stefanski.

In addition to founding a student newspaper, Stefanski has been an assistant to Athletic Director Derek Chirch and is the Class of 2012 Valedictorian. “More im-portantly, I have been guided by teachers that really care about me and have made relationships that will last a lifetime.” Stefanski has always appreci-ated the administration’s considera-tion for student-initiated ideas. “Because VCA is a small school, if there’s something you want to ac-complish, they will embrace nearly any idea you have.” He firmly be-lieves that if God really wants you to accomplish a certain task, God will make sure that you do so. Stefanski also believes you have to take initiative. If you have an

idea, or want to accomplish a certain task, set your mind to it. “You have to be persistent to accomplish your goals and fulfill your dreams.”

And, when he moves off to the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism at Indiana University Bloomington this fall, Stefanski will be doing just that. “I feel extremely blessed,” he said, “because I have known what career I wanted to pursue since the young age of ten.” And, though he’s waffled over the years, Stefanski has always come back to the conclusion that journalism is for him. He is still not exactly sure which specific area of journalism he wants to pursue a ca-reer in, but is keeping his options open. “One day, you might see me on the nightly news, read my articles in the Washington Post or see my blogs on the internet,” said Stefan-ski. “You'll just have to wait and see.”

Meet the Seniors

PHOTO PROVIDED

Stefanski is presented an award for being one of the top ten student journalists in

Indiana by the adult officers of the IHSPA.

Stefanski is going to major in journalism and minor in political

Science at Indiana University.

By Samantha Weiler Managing Editor

A young Stefanski alongside CNN news anchor Don Lemon and veteran news

anchor Warner Saunders.

A young Stefanski on the set of ABC 7 Chicago.

Future correspondent?

Life in photos.

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By Logan Garnes Copy Editor

When you first meet Made-line Parker, you’ll understand why so many people love to be around her. Her quirkiness and joyous ec-centricity make her such a fun addi-tion to the Victory Christian Acade-my (VCA) family. Having first been

homeschooled with her three sib-lings and later coming to VCA, she has been devoted to her faith and schoolwork throughout the years in a very inspiring way. Parker plans on attending massage therapy school. “When I was looking through different career fields to go into, I wanted to make sure I was able to help other people. Assisting people with their problems and troubles is a passion of mine, and massage therapy seems like a perfect fit for making people feel better,” she said. Parker also has high remarks about her experiences at VCA. “I feel that being at VCA has definitely made my faith in God stronger. Be-ing around people who you can

openly talk to about your relation-ship with Christ is such a great thing,” she said. “I really like that my younger siblings also get to grow up in such a positive and progressive environment like VCA.” She has played on VCA’s softball team too along with her sis-ter Hannah. “Being in softball was such a great experience! Coach Parr taught is valuable lessons not only in softball, but to never give up what we are passionate about.” Parker is such a valuable facet of VCA. We’ll definitely miss her.

Parker and junior Nikki Geer on the Haiti mission's trip. Maddie Parker (right) and her

sister, Hannah (left) a sophomore at VCA.

Meet the joyous Maddie Parker

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE CARLSON

Parker and Homecoming Court escort junior Daniel Ronjak

Parker and freshman Gabby Carlson act in “Cindy and the Godfather.”

Changes.

At the end of every school year, teachers and students come and go. Howev-er, new students and teachers begin the fol-lowing year. Victory Christian Academy (VCA) has hired new teachers to accommo-date the growing student body and has ad-justed the responsibilities of other teachers.

Mrs. Alyssa Chirch will return to VCA and teach Bible classes as well as a foods and nutrition class.

Mrs. Thomae will join VCA as a middle school math teacher.

Mr. Mullins will concentrate more on his role in the athletic department.

Mr. Derek Chirch will only teach one Bible class and focus on marketing and administrative duties.

Mrs. Mullins will join the VCA staff full-time as a guidance counselor.

Guidance Counselor Mrs. Kellogg will reduce her duties to only one day a week.

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Even if students don’t really know Claire Abner, they know that she is an artist. From her four art clas-

ses, to her future at IUPUI’s Her-ron School of Art; Abner lives and breathes art.

Growing up, Abner’s family was very artistic; her mother, Deanna is an artist and her father, Terry is a hairstylist who owns his own salon. This artistic environment greatly influenced her. As Abner grew up, she continued to enjoy art. At Victory Christian Academy (VCA), Abner’s artistic abilities were enriched by her mother, who is also the art teacher.

Abner looks back on these times in art saying, “Art was my favor-ite part of high school.” Also, during Abner’s high school career she

worked as a busser at Bistro 157 in downtown Valparaiso.

All the experiences in Ab-ner’s life culminated to show her what she should do after high school. After considering her options, Abner decid-ed to follow in her mother’s footsteps and go to Herron.

From there Abner hopes to be in the art scene for a while before she opens her own gallery. “I’m thrilled to be pursuing the career I’ve always wanted, and by going to one of

the best art schools in the country, I can learn the best skills to do just that,” said Abner.

The artistically savvy Claire Abner

One of Abner’s recent

works of art.

Claire Abner plans on majoring in Fine Arts at IUPUI.

By Ellen Cooper Staff Reporter

Jordan Armstrong was born and raised in Florida until he moved to Hobart, Ind. when he was ten years old. Three years later, he came to Victory Christian Academy (VCA) as a seventh-grader. "I didn't want to come here; I hated it, You know, a public school guy in a private school. But once I got used to the environment and the people, I ended up liking it," Armstrong said. "The year's not been my 'favorite,' but it's been the best, because I finally realized the genuineness. It's true that the teachers donate their time and they're really here because they love the kids. It just took me six years to notice." Next year, he's attending Neumont University in South Jordan, Utah. It's a year-round college, so he'll graduate with a degree in Computer Science in two and a half years instead of four.

Katie Fiebelkorn was born and raised in Valparai-so, and came to Victory Christian Academy (VCA) in the middle of her sophomore year. "VCA has definitely im-pacted my life," she said. “I have changed for the better, and they have showed me how to develop morals and values I've never had before. The teachers and students became great role models and good spiritual mentors." Fiebelkorn plans to stay in the area for now and venturing to a larger school in years to come. For now, she will study at Purdue Uni-versity North Central.

Senior snippets By Samantha Weiler

Managing Editor

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yourvoice The Victory Voice is the official student-produced news publication of Victory Christian Academy. The mission of The Victory Voice is to report school news to the high school reader in an accurate, truthful manner, to educate the reader on the information pre-sented, and to provide a school forum for open discussion. The opinions expressed in The Victory Voice are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily the opinions of the students, staff and administration of Victory Christian Academy. The Victory Voice is a member of the Indiana High School Press Association. Please visit us online at thevictoryvoice.wordpress.com Contact us: vcavoice@gmail.com

Staff Editor-in-Chief Matthew Stefanski Managing Editor Sam Weiler News Editor Samuel Brown Copy Editor Logan Garnes Design Editor Lisi Dudash Staff Reporters Ellen Cooper Michelle Parr Photographers Nikki Geer Stephanie Gordon Adviser Mr. A. Jones The Victory Voice is looking for 2012-

2013 staff members. If interested, please inquire with next year’s

Editor-in-Chief Samantha Weiler.

thevictoryvoice

Sam’s thoughts: a new experience

Before I joined Journalism in September, I hadn’t so much as read be-yond the funnies in a Sunday newspaper. Now, come this fall, I’ll be the one taking over The Victory Voice--and I am scared out of my shorts. But I’m excited, too. This is a challenge—I’m no Matt. I haven’t spent my entire double-digit life pursuing this dream. I haven’t memorized most of the nuances of AP Style. I haven’t been nomi-nated for any awards, let alone won any. We don’t have our own printing press, an impressive budget or experi-enced staff. But I once read that a good cook isn’t the one with the finest ingredi-ents. A good cook is the one who can take mediocre, ordinary ingredients and whips up something delicious. We’re a small school, with an even smaller staff. But we have a year,

and a year can be enough to make a dif-ference. (Proof? Check out where the past five months have got us!) It is my goal that by this time next year (when I’m the one leaving), The Victory Voice will not only be a reputable news source throughout the surrounding community, but also rival the excellence seen in news publications from schools around us. It would be easy to sit back in a slough of mediocrity and say, “We’re just a small school, why even bother compet-ing with the well-established, well-funded schools? But, instead, as ambassa-dors of Victory Christian Academy (VCA) (and, more importantly, God Al-mighty), we ought to be setting the standard. VCA’s been around for over ten years, and the progress we’ve made in those ten years rivals that of any other private school in the area. If we work hard and stay focused, it ought to be no different for the notoriety of The Victory Voice.

On behalf of the entire newspa-per staff, we’ve really appreciated your support and encouragement these past five months. If you have any suggestions, questions or are interested in joining the staff next year (shameless plug! shameless plug!), don’t hesitate to ask us in person, or send us a message at vcavoice@gmail.com

By Samantha Weiler Managing Editor

Samantha Weiler, Managing Editor of The Victory Voice will take the helm of the operations effective at the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Because Editor-in-Chief Matthew Stefanski is gradu-ating, an experienced student journalist needs to fill the leadership role and continue to run The Victory Voice. “I couldn’t have chosen a better person to be my successor. Time and time again, Sam shows her will-ingness to learn. In one school year, Sam has gone

from knowing little about journalism to becoming a successful student journalist. I have no doubts that Sam is the right person for the job. She exhibits lead-ership skills, as well as fantastic writing skills. Sam has learned so much this school year, and by being next year’s Editor-in-Chief I hope she will learn much information which will help her in the future,” said Stefanski.

Note from the Editor

The Class of 2012

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The next step.

Matthew Stefanski Valedictorian Matt is directly admitted to the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism at Indiana University Bloomington as a Media Scholar. He plans on pursuing a major in journalism and minor in political science.

Madeline Parker Salutatorian Maddie plans on staying in the area and attending a school to major in massage therapy in the near future.

Claire Abner Claire plans on majoring in fine arts at the school of her dreams; the Herron School of Art at Indiana University-Purdue Uni-versity Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Jordan Armstrong Jordan is traveling over 1400 miles to begin his college career in the “Beehive State.” Jordan plans on completing a Bache-lor’s degree in computer science in two and a half years at New-mont University in South Jordan, Utah.

Samuel Brown Sam plans on going an hour down U.S. Highway 30 to Grace College in Winona Lake where he will major in business and minor in pre-law.

Katie Fiebelkorn Katie plans on attending Purdue University North Central and transferring to a larger school in the years to come.

Lacey Montgomery Lacey plans on attending Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso.

Evan Longhi Evan plans on attending Indiana University Bloomington. He hopes to be admitted into the prestigious Kelley School of Business and dual major in busi-ness and music theory.

Taylor Kubit Taylor plans on attending Purdue University North Central.

Katie Delisio Katie plans on attending Indiana State University in Terre Haute.