Annapolis Area Christian School

By Danny Leydorf, 12th Grade

Entering Mrs. Skinner’s classroom for the first time wasn’t hard at all—for me, anyway. My parents must have felt great sadness at seeing their first child enter elementary school, but I was just fine. In fact, the new faces, objects and places I encountered that day opened a new world that fascinated me.

The Science center put magnets, a sandbox, and numerous other gadgets entirely at my disposal. The drama center allowed us to build anything or play any role we wanted.

That day started my education at the Annapolis Area Christian School—located now on three campuses, two in Annapolis and a new high school campus in Severn—and almost thirteen years later, I am preparing to leave as a graduate. Some of my friends may be eagerly counting down the days until graduation, but time is going too fast for me. When my name is called on that stage, my parents won’t be the only ones with tears in their eyes.

It’s no stunning revelation that AACS, in large part, has made me who I am, nor is it surprising that much of what I know comes from its classes. I can still recite Psalm twenty-three that I memorized in kindergarten. And I remember the first multiplication flashcard that I received in Mrs. Rager’s class: 7x6=42.

My fourth grade D in handwriting protrudes in my mind all too well, but the B I received in the subject the following semester gave me more pride than most other grades I’ve received. That same feeling returned when I got a B last semester in calculus. My teachers have worked hard to instruct me, I’ve spent countless hours striving to learn, and looking back, I know we have accomplished something.

As good as my education has been at AACS, it would belittle the school to say that its most profound effects on me have been in the classroom.

Marching band, for instance, taught me how to work, and how that labor can really affect lives. My years in Student Government have also developed me into who I am. Freshman year I gave a speech introducing our class government, and an attempt to enliven the somewhat dull assembly resulted in the humiliation of one of my colleagues. Three years and several speeches later, I still embarrass either myself or one of my friends with my speeches, but nowadays it’s usually intentional. AACS Debate has also granted me opportunities to organize, speak and learn. The administration even accepted a challenge to debate school policy with students in front of the student body, which continues to impress me.

I can’t end a paper on Annapolis Area Christian School without talking about how intensely it has helped me understand God. Thirteen years of Bible class will teach you a great deal, and much of it more than once. Mrs. Andrews’ Bible class introduced me to apologetics and taught me the foundations of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Deism. Mr. Castle’s class taught me about Christian world view, a concept that has been strongly reinforced by this year’s senior projects.

Mr. Bitzer’s Bible class showed me the many overlooked portions of the New Testament and significantly deepened my appreciation for one of my favorite books, Romans.

In Mr. Scheidt’s class, I have investigated some of the most interesting Christian issues and passages. But still, quite a bit of what I’ve learned comes from casual conversation.

One of my most memorable epiphanies occurred after a long night rehearsing The Miracle Worker. Mrs. Wenger was talking about the concepts of truth and choice, and though I had heard speakers in chapel services talk about them and had been in discussions about them before, it was during that class that the concepts of truth and choice made sense to me.

AACS has given me more than I can imagine another school ever matching. I’m confident in who is behind me as I prepare to enter the next phase of my life, in college. The extraordinary opportunities, insights and friends I have made at this school will impact the rest of my life.

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