The following is the transcript of a speech given by Haidyn Hudson at Friday Chapel in February, 2021:
I was asked to give a short presentation on all the things I like about this school, however the scriptures say thou shalt not lie, and I can’t lie. I don't like this school……I love it. Gotcha :)
My name is Haidyn Hudson and this fall was my first semester attending Whitefish Christian Academy. Before coming here, I homeschooled for a year, and have attended six different schools as my family moved from Colorado, to Washington and finally to Whitefish. I’ve been exposed to all different kinds of learning environments - but I will say that when I homeschooled, I got in way more ski days - a schooling environment that I really didn’t mind too much. :)
My experiences in school have always been great. I have always loved it, and have been blessed with great teachers along the way. But something is different here.
You’re not going to find at any other school a teacher who walks around with a beating stick, slamming it on students' desks to promote terror, while teaching about goodness and beauty all at the same time. We love you Dr. Paulson. :) Nor will you find a humanities professor so dedicated to his class that he never fails to give a passionate lecture every day on every topic under the sun.
This year I have learned more about science than I have in my entire life. You know it’s good when my parents can’t answer the questions. And math… a subject that... let's be honest - makes most people cry (sorry Mrs. Voeller), you, Mrs. Voeller, make fun with games and prizes. Mr. Chertudi, I've never been in your class but my sister says you're amazing as well. But you should bring more than an egg for lunch.
I feel as though everyone in this school knows each other - they are close, and they are comfortable around each other. It gives an atmosphere that I love. I know that when I show up in the morning I will be greeted with smiles and when I leave at the end of the day I will feel as though my brain has been stuffed.
One of the bonuses of Whitefish Christian Academy is knowing that I’m surrounded by other kids who come from families who share many of the same values that my family does. I love our larger school family - I love learning about our Savior Jesus Christ - and it’s awesome learning the more historical parts of my religious beliefs as well. It instills in me a desire to be a better person and to always strive to serve those around me - both in and out of the classroom.
My dad says with the number of things we are learning, and with the amount of ski days I’m missing, I am on track to be able to do absolutely anything I can dream of. I can’t imagine what I’ll be able to learn in the next few years, and I really hope that I’ll have the opportunity to continue learning at this school - even into high school. I’m hoping that the other students in my class, and in the classes that follow feel the same way.
Plutarch said that education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. Something has sparked within me at this school and I see that flame within the other students here as well.