It is an ordinary scene—and yet, within it lies something extraordinary. These daily moments are shaping young men and women who are learning how to think deeply, live faithfully and stand courageously for what is right.
Secondary education in the Lake Union has never been solely about grades, transcripts or test scores. While academic excellence is valued and pursued, the deeper story unfolding in our academies is one of character formation. It is the story of students learning who they are in Christ and how they are called to live in a complex and often challenging world.
Ellen G. White captured this vision powerfully when she wrote, “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold… men who do not fear to call sin by its right name.” That statement feels particularly relevant today. Our young people are growing up in a culture that often blurs moral lines and discourages conviction. Within our Adventist academies, students are invited to wrestle honestly with questions of faith, truth and purpose—while being guided toward biblical principles that anchor their lives.
In classrooms across the union, learning is intentionally connected to meaning. Science points to a Creator. History becomes a study of human choice and consequences. Literature opens conversations about empathy, justice and redemption. Teachers know their students by name, pray with them in moments of struggle, and celebrate with them in moments of growth. Education becomes personal, relational, and transformational. If you have ever attended an Adventist academy, I am sure that you can relate. I know that the one and only year that I was able to attend the former Cedar Lake Academy, now Great Lakes Adventist Academy, changed the trajectory of my life and many others that I know.
One student’s journey might include discovering confidence through music, another through athletics, another through service or leadership. Each story is different, but the goal is the same: to help students grow into young adults who are not afraid to live their faith in open pursuit of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Ellen G. White reminds us that “true education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is.” In Lake Union academies, education is viewed as preparation for life—now and for eternity.
That preparation is especially evident in the way students are invited into lives of service. Whether serving meals in local communities, participating in mission trips, or mentoring younger students, service is woven into the fabric of academy life. These experiences move faith from theory to practice. Students begin to understand that following Jesus means showing up for others—especially when it requires sacrifice or courage. These are the young men and women that Jesus is calling into His service, and the reason why we stand convicted about the great, life-changing work happening in our Adventist academies.
One can see it in the student who chooses kindness when ridicule would be easier, in the young leader who speaks up for what is right, or in the graduate who dedicates a career to serving others. Ellen G. White wrote, “Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary.” Lake Union secondary education embraces this calling, helping students recognize that their influence matters and that their lives can be used for God’s purposes wherever they go.
In a world filled with noise and distraction, Lake Union academies provide space for reflection and growth. Students are encouraged to slow down, listen for God’s voice, and build a faith that is resilient rather than reactive. They learn that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to trust God and act with integrity anyway.
The story of secondary education in the Lake Union Conference is still being written—one student, one classroom, one act of service at a time. Guided by the belief that “character is power,” our schools remain committed to graduating young men and women who are academically prepared, spiritually grounded, and ready to dedicate their lives to service. In doing so, they are being equipped not just to succeed in the world, but to help transform it for Christ.
Nicole Mattson is the interim education director for the Lake Union Conference.
