Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/706827
LINFIELD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 25 C U L T I V A T I N G C O N F I D E N C E Her daughter Nikki struggled with a bad knee and couldn't play competitive sports, so she found her nurturing in theater instead. Barbara gratefully remembers the way that theater teacher Jennifer Lloyd encouraged Nikki to push beyond her limitations and instilled within her a confidence in her abilities. "Along the way, both of my kids were encouraged not to let life's little bumps in the road define them, and the teachers here gave them the confidence to put themselves out there and to say that yes, I know I can do this, and I know that if I'm not doing it well, I can ask for help. So there's this confidence in competence, but our students also know when to get help, and I think that's part of what it means to create lifelong learners." Barbara points to Linfield's high expectations, emphasis on personal responsibility, and the partnership with parents as important factors in preparing students for the pressures of college, but she maintains that what Linfield offers goes one step further. "I've seen a lot of kids who also went to really great high schools and then got to college and were academically prepared, but they weren't as ready to deal with the challenges of college life and didn't know how to bounce back from their struggles. So when I tell people that Linfield is college prep, it's not just academic college prep; it's whole person college prep."