Education Extra

Beeson Divinity School of Samford University will begin offering evening courses this fall for those who want to work towards a degree but desire greater flexibility in the pursuit of their studies. Students can work toward a masters-level theological degree in the evenings without interrupting their daytime commitments. Church members seeking to learn and grow in the faith as well as those serving in vocational ministry who desire further biblical and theological training are ideal candidates for the program.

Beeson courses are taught by world-class scholars devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and dedicated to equipping followers of Christ for faithful service through the gospel. Graduate-level seminary course offerings for the evening program will include classes such as Old Testament Theology, New Testament Theology, Christian History and Doctrine, and Spiritual Formation. “We’re excited to offer this new opportunity for believers who want to learn and grow in their understanding of the word of God, the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and their devotion to Christ,” said Dr. Tom Fuller, associate dean of Beeson Divinity School, adding, “Beeson is committed to strengthening the gospel witness and ministries of churches, beginning right here in the greater Birmingham area. We pray the Lord will use these evening courses to do that.”

Each course meets once a week for two and a half hours over a 14-week term. Students may apply as degree-seeking students to pursue the Master of Arts of Theological Studies (M.A.T.S) or Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. Those applying to the M.Div. program will be required to take several courses offered only in the daytime as well. The Master of Arts in Theological Studies (M.A.T.S.) is Beeson’s most versatile degree program, designed to provide a deeper understanding of the content of the Christian faith. Through courses in biblical and theological studies, as well as elective courses, students gain a foundational understanding of the theological disciplines for their personal enrichment and growth as well as their ministry and service to the local church. To learn more and apply to study at Beeson, visit www.beesondivinity.com/ad/evenings.

-Emily Knight

Beeson Divinity School

Education Extra

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic (OLS) School recently inducted nine students into the prestigious National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). They joined 16 current eighth graders who became members in 2022. With family members in attendance, a special induction ceremony and a reception were held in honor of the students. These bright young scholars were chosen based on the five ideals of the organization as proven by them through their activities and their teachers’ recommendations. The criteria included Scholarship; Leadership; Service; Character; and Citizenship. 

NJHS is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a student in seventh and eighth grade. The Society brings the endeavors of an outstanding student to the attention of parents, teachers, peers and the community. Chapters in more than 5,000 secondary schools across the nation strive to give practical meaning to its goals. To learn more about Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, visit olsschool.com. †

Education Extra

For parents of homeschool students, finding academic opportunities equivalent to those offered in traditional schools can be a challenge. Faulkner University is working to do something about that.  Homeschool students in the Birmingham area who wish to enroll in dual enrollment courses and receive college credit now have another option; in person college classes taught from a Christian worldview.

Beginning this fall, Faulkner University’s Birmingham campus is offering dual enrollment classes for homeschool students. Our location, in Hoover near the intersection of I-65 and Valleydale Road, means convenience for students throughout Jefferson and Shelby counties. Our SACS accredited course offerings mean ease of course transfer to a student’s college of choice.  Find out more about Faulkner’s dual enrollment opportunity for homeschool students by visiting www.faulkner.edu or by calling 205.879.5588. Learn about other educational opportunities at Faulkner here. †

Education Extra

Congratulations to Angela Giffin from Homewood High School, the recipient of the Annual Birmingham Christian Family (BCF) Scholarship! Giffin receives a $2,000 scholarship to the college or university of her choice. Read her inspiring words on how her faith has guided her decision making throughout her high school career. 

“I was born in a tiny village outside of San Jose, Costa Rica. My mother was very poor and addicted to drugs. I never knew my father or eight of my siblings. My mother was unable to properly care for one of my younger brothers and me. At the age of five, my mother was turned into the authorities for child neglect. My brother and I were moved to a government run orphanage. I remained in the orphanage until the age of eleven. At age eleven, I was given the amazing opportunity to be adopted by a family from the United States of America. The Lord plucked me out of Latin America and brought me to Birmingham, Alabama to become a Giffin. Moving to the United States eight years ago taught me resilience as I had to leave everything that I knew and loved. My culture, my language, my food, my friends, the only family that I had ever known. As a young girl in Costa Rica, I was introduced to Jesus. However, my adoption experience and move to the United States required me to become dependent upon Him and showed me that God had an incredible purpose for my life. I gave my heart to Jesus and was baptized in 2015. All decisions that I have made throughout high school and as I prepare for college have been viewed through the lens of my Christian faith and God’s purpose for my future. As I have chosen friendships as well as my high school courses, I have sought His wisdom through prayer and Bible study. My faith helped me conquer learning a second language as well as other academic obstacles along the way. My Christian friends and mentors have encouraged me to remain pure and abstain from drugs and alcohol. I have allowed His spirit to guide me in choosing summer camps, school activities and clubs, and volunteer work throughout high school. I have received such joy from serving the Lord through my church and within my community. I have been called by God to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to become a travel nurse. I believe this career path will lead me to the mission field. I know that God has brought me this far and will not forsake me at this point or at any point in my journey. I will continue to trust Him in all things.”

Here are some additional inspiring words from the 2023 Finalists. Runner-Ups Jadyn Moreno and Chase Collins each received a $500 scholarship to the college of their choice.

Runner-Up Jadyn Moreno, from Gardendale High School, says, “I often ask myself why my God gave me a mom with cancer. But having such an impactful birth and family story has led my Christian faith my entire life. I put leadership and ministry in the forefront of my life. I have dedicated myself to serving others in my community. As soon as I could walk I was helping my mom volunteer breast cancer events and sharing my story. Today, as a senior in high school, I am a member of several organizations at my school. One that is dear to my heart is the student council. Each year we sponsor a “Christmas Visions” program, which provides Christmas presents to Jefferson County students in need. We organize donations and fundraisers and raise over $35,000 each year. The best part is shopping for the wishlist. I enjoy shopping for bikes and even toothbrushes thinking about the child’s smile on Christmas morning. I Samuel 12:24 says “..Fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” My desire is to serve with a servant’s heart with admiration for who created me- and gave me this testimony.”

Runner-Up Chase Collins, from Oak Mountain High School, shares, “Sin is something no (ordinarily conceived) person has ever been able to overcome, and I am definitely no exception. However, I am constantly striving to eliminate sin from my life, impossible as it may be. I lay in bed at night and go through my day with God, trying to pinpoint the exact moments where I chose to give into temptation instead of following his call. I then repent and ask him to align my will with his, in an effort to completely eradicate any decision that would lead me away from heaven. These Godly decisions are ones I have been prioritizing every opportunity I get, and my church has provided a multitude of outlets that allow me to put God at the forefront of my life. I altar serve, attend youth group, went all through Sunday School, and have logged hundreds upon hundreds of volunteer hours, all through God and the church. I have done yards; made meals; run church yard sales; assisted the elderly; worked VBS; cleaned up after tornadoes; worked church events; fed the homeless at soup kitchens, shelters, and by physically walking through the streets under bridges with friars; and participated in countless other activities through which God has used me to reach others. The decisions in my life have been a product of God’s love for me and my desire to reciprocate that love to him and others. Every decision I make is with God taken into account, as he is the very center of not only my life, but life itself.”

Top Five Finalist Riley Simpson, from Crossroads Christian Academy, says, “I am so thankful for God’s conviction and for loving parents who are willing to correct me and stress the importance of striving to be my best. I can never reach my full potential if I squander my time sitting in front of a screen. I have faced many challenges throughout high school, and I will undoubtedly face many more in the future. The Lord has brought me through enough situations to strengthen my faith and reinforce the fact that anything is possible through Him.”

Top Five Finalist Alex Brockmann, from Hoover High School, shares, “The moment sears itself in my memory. I’ll never forget standing at the peak of Tooth of Time in New Mexico with my Boy Scout Troop. It was a cold, windy evening in July, but as I looked out over the breathtaking landscape – craggy cliffs, winding rivers, and the vast plains of the Midwest on my right and the Rockies on my left – I felt a deep connection to His creation. As I remembered the verse from 1 Peter 4:10 that had always stayed with me. At that moment, I felt a deep sense of purpose – to serve others with my talents in God’s grace and name.”

Visit www.birminghamchristian.com/scholarship to read each finalist’s full essay. Thank you to the 159 applications who applied for the scholarship. Special thanks to our Scholarship Sponsors: American Village, The Center, and Vulcan Termite and Pest Control. All five finalists will receive a signed copy of Richard E. Simmons, III’s book, College with No Regrets. The 2023 Scholarship recipients will receive special recognition at the Baron’s Faith and Family Night on May 12, 2023 at Regions Field.

Education Extra

Next fall Banks Academy will welcome 6^th grade students as it expands to include a Middle School. The ACSI accredited non-denominational private Christian School is located in northeast Birmingham on the campus of Huffman Baptist Church. The administration explains that “As academic excellence is a key pillar in the mission of Banks Academy, getting students earlier in their educational journey will enable the teachers to better prepare our scholars for college and other career opportunities and to be effective leaders.”

Enrollment is now open for 6^th grade and 9^th-12^th grade for the 2023-2024 school year. You may complete an application on the website at www.banksacademy.org. All Banks Academy students receive scholarship help through the Alabama Accountability Act and local donations. The Alabama Accountability Act is a key pillar in providing the financial support to start the middle school.

The school will host its annual Spring Banquet on April 11,2023 to raise additional funds for scholarships and the school’s expansion. Banquet speaker is Coach David Cutcliffe, a Birmingham native who attended, played football and coached at Banks High School. His coaching career continued at the University of Tennessee, Ole’ Miss, and Duke University. Purchase tickets by visiting www.banksacademy.org. †

Education Extra

Rumors, gossip, misinformation and disinformation are constantly clogging our ever-following stream of news. Heard A Rumor is here to help.

No, we are not a gossip site. Quite the opposite. Heard A Rumor is an educational initiative created by Samford University public relations students Anna Baldwin, Bailey Baldwin, Claire Owens and myself for the Public Relations Student Society of America’s Bateman National Case Study Campaign. Since 1973, the Public Relations Student Society of America has challenged college students from across the country to research, plan, implement and evaluate strategic promotional and educational goals for real clients. The national competition allows students to build a functional public relations campaign from the ground-up.

“The Bateman campaign has been the most real-world experience I’ve had during my time at Samford in a class,” said Claire Owens, Samford University senior and director of public relations for Heard A Rumor. “I’ve gotten to pitch to the media, conduct research, help create branding and so many other things that I know will serve me well in my future career.”

The winning campaign is chosen by the client and implemented into their practice. This year’s client is nonpartisan news education platform, The News Literacy Project. Heard A Rumor promotes The News Literacy Project’s mission to foster a more news literate America and to fight for facts. Through our four-week educational course, we provide tools that help you distinguish “rumor” from fact. Participants who complete the course become certified “Fact Junkies” and learn to spot misinformation, disinformation, opinion pieces and advertisements in news sources. From busting bots to actively seeking quality journalists and cultivating conversations with friends and family about the importance of understanding misinformation, “Fact Junkies” are vital to the news literacy movement.

We are proud to represent Alabama and Samford University in this national competition, and hope you discover the power you have to stop misinformation and be a light for truth. “Instead of becoming frustrated, which is easy to do, we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves about news literacy as well as forces that can manipulate us. AI and bots are not going away, so we combat that with knowledge.” Said Dr. Betsy Emmons, an associate professor at Samford University and immediate past president of the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

–Avery Ketcherside

Samford University Senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism mass communications. Heard A Rumor is competing as a finalist in the Public Relations Student Society of America’s annual Bateman National Case Study Campaign. Learn more about Heard A Rumor’s campaign here.

Education Extra

Bringing with him a vast number of years of full and part time educational experience and 43 years of music ministry, Cas McWaters recently joined Banks Academy as its new Executive Director. He comes to Banks Academy after retiring as Principal from Vestavia Hills High School in 2013 and serving 8 ½ years in multiple administrative roles at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama.  

Banks Academy is an ACSI accredited non-denominational private Christian High School located in northeast Birmingham serving grades 9-12. The school opened in August of 2015 and recently moved to a new location in partnership with Huffman Baptist Church located at 700 Huffman Road.

McWaters will be concentrating on starting a Middle School at Banks Academy while continuing to pursue academic excellence for the students. McWaters explained he prayed for several months whether the Lord wanted him to make this change, and the Lord was clear in His guidance.  “Banks Academy is blessed to have an experienced Godly Principal with Dr. Cathy Trimble,” McWaters said adding, “With a goal of excellent Christian education, serving like Jesus in the community, and building character through a competitive athletic program, the best days are ahead for Banks Academy. “

All Banks Academy students receive scholarship help through the Alabama Accountability Act and local donations. If you would like to be a part of the Banks Academy Spring Banquet on April 11, former SEC Head Coach David Cutcliff will be speaking. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.banksacademy.org. 

Banks Academy is now enrolling students for the 2023-2024 school year. You may complete an application on the website at www.banksacademy.org or feel free to come by and visit the school. If you have any questions about the school, please don’t hesitate to call McWaters at 205-578-2541. †

Education Extra

Gardendale High School (GHS) is currently collecting donations to assist in sponsoring over 200 children through their 2022 Christmas Visions program. Christmas Visions is their way to give needy children his or her wish list for Christmas. Collections will take place now through mid-December. Christmas Visions benefits children who attend 20 Jefferson County Schools.

The GHS student body strongly believes in the opportunity to give back and looks forward to the campaign each year. The majority of the money comes from small donations from 1100+ students. They believe in the opportunity to give hope and to give back. Gardendale’s Student Council (GSC) helps facilitate the campaign under Alex Lewis, the GSC Adviser. Lewis stated, “Christmas Visions is a charity initiative started 31 years ago by the Student Council organization. We provide Christmas for underprivileged students within the Jefferson County School District. The money provides Student Council members the opportunity to shop for individuals’ Christmas wants, but more importantly, their needs. The wish lists are sent to us directly from Jefferson County Counselors and we currently serve approximately 20 schools within the district.” GHS students realize they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Christmas Visions develops, in them, a desire to help others. They want these recipients to feel special at Christmas and have the things that they need. Stories from the recipients lead them to truly want to give. High school recipients say that the shoes provided to them were the first shoes that they have owned that did not have holes in them. Some students request items like name brand food products because that is a special treat for them. The stories are endless.

In an effort to meet their substantial goal, the GSC also reaches out to local businesses and members of the community to request their support. It takes a true community effort to obtain the goal. The program is designed to provide recipients with items that are specific to their situation. Each participating school has a counselor choose their students with the greatest needs. A wish list is gathered for each child, citing their needs and wants, along with the needs and wants of any siblings who are not school-aged. Once all of the money is collected, a GSC member selects two to three children to shop for, purchasing ALL of their needs first, then their wants. Depending on the amount raised, $150 – $200 is budgeted per child. Many kids list things such as toothbrushes, shampoo, blankets, jackets and food as needs.  Wants often include basketballs, footballs, coloring books and bicycles. Each recipient has a huge bag full of gifts that are delivered to their schools where their parents pick them up, just in time for Christmas… making spirits bright.

Collecting money and donating to “Toys for Tots” was Gardendale High School’s first Christmas project. In December of 1990, GHS decided to sponsor families without the assistance of “Toys for Tots.” That year, the Student Government Association (now known as the Gardendale Student Council), decided to give their efforts a name, and Christmas Visions was born. Over 30 years later, the tradition of generosity continues. In 1990, $8000 was raised to sponsor just over 50 children. By 2005, the total had increased to over $35,000. The 2022 goal is to collect $47,000, the largest VISION to date! For more information or to make a donation to Christmas Visions, please contact Alex Lewis at [email protected]. †

Education Extra

The 2022-2023 Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (OLS) Peer Helpers have been chosen! The students were selected based on their teacher recommendations, grade point average, individual questionnaire, and personal interviews. These ambassadors help host special school events. They also tutor and help other students with reading, writing skills, math facts, and art projects, in addition to assisting teachers with various bulletin board projects in the school.

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School fosters the religious, academic, and social development of every child, recognizing that knowledge enlightened by faith and realized through service is at the heart of Catholic education. Accredited by Cognia, we provide a curriculum that combines Catholic faith and teachings with academic excellence. We offer a partnership with parents in the religious formation of their children through a family friendly environment to prepare our students to be productive citizens and future leaders. Our school consults with the Diocese of Birmingham Catholic Schools Office, the CDC guidelines, and the recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics to maintain a safe environment for our students. To learn more about Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, visit olsschool.com. †

Education Extra

Brought to you by: Community Partner Scholarships for Kids

The Scholarships for Kids team are planners that take the responsibility of planning the futures of the students they serve very seriously. The community model of Scholarships for Kids offers students, parents, schools, and taxpayers ‘an in’ on one of the greatest opportunities to invest in our future, and it’s an opportunity that doesn’t cost the Alabama taxpayer a dime. The team has a responsibility to donors to utilize funds donated by Alabama taxpayers toward the education of Alabama’s children.

Scholarships for Kids is a community of fundraisers that cannot do this without support. To ensure that parents and schools can plan accordingly, funds donated in any given calendar year are reserved for the next academic year. This budgeting gives families, schools, and donors peace of mind that the Scholarships for Kids team is accountable for the funds they are tasked to handle.

Scholarships for Kids partner schools establish a safe, welcoming, and culturally diverse environment where students can thrive academically, spiritually, and socially. Scholarships for Kids students work hard not only to succeed in a new environment but to overcome challenges they have faced that many will never fully understand. Despite these challenges, they are rising to the occasion as leaders and becoming Student Government Association presidents, salutatorians, and student athletes. They are finding where they fit in, and they are better for it. 

Scholarships for Kids looks to parents to have skin in the game. This means that no matter the tuition amount, parents are responsible for a portion of their child’s tuition. They too are partners in this process. They are transferring due to safety concerns, or because they see a special quality in their child that should be fostered in a different kind of environment. It’s the ultimate team effort, and it’s making a difference in the future of Alabama.

There is only one way you or your business can tell the state of Alabama how to spend your tax dollars and that is by redirecting up to 100% of your state tax liability. These are tax dollars you already must send to the state, and through the Alabama Accountability Act, you can help give school choice opportunities to students from low-income households. This is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit meaning you get back every dollar you invest in this program! For more information, call 205-246-5613 or visit www.scholarshipsforkids.org. †