Alumna Natalie Roisum, 2018

My name is Natalie Roisum, and I graduated from Park Christian School in 2018. I am currently in my sophomore year at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa, where I am pursuing an Elementary Education degree. I attended PCS for third grade and from eighth to twelfth grades, and I am deeply grateful for the impact it had on my life.

Although I didn’t have the privilege of attending PCS for the entirety of K-12, there is honestly not one part of my life that has not in some way been touched by my time there. If anything, my experiences in other schools just increased the appreciation I feel toward Park. The academic rigor at PCS produced in me a desire to work hard and achieve academically. This mindset has carried over into college and made the transition to college a smoother one.

Even though the academics at PCS were great, it was the people and the sense of family that shaped me the most. Some of the friendships I made at Park are lifelong and having the chance to grow up not only physically, but spiritually with my peers was a blessing. The teachers’ genuine concern for me and the relationships I built with them made my education all the more beneficial. Classes like theology greatly challenged me to clearly know what I believe and helped me make the decision to transfer from the secular university I was attending last year to the Bible college I am currently attending.

My desire to become a teacher stems from my time at Park and the opportunities that were given to me to work with kids. From the ET class where I got to shadow an elementary teacher and help in the classroom, to tutoring, to coaching fourth grade volleyball, these experiences enhanced my desire to be a positive influence in kids’ lives. Also, the relationships I built with many of these kids have carried on until today which makes visiting PCS now an even greater joy.

Right now God is teaching me that I need to fully and joyfully submit to his will for my life. He has put me in a place where I can continue to build meaningful relationships and learn about His word and His character.