The NorthStar Narrative

"Physical separation and cultural differences can create social distance, or a lack of emotional connection, that leads to misunderstandings and mistrust." -Tsedal Neeley Join us as we wrap up our conversation with Blake Weaver, President of the Network of International Christian Schools. Listen as Blake shares the importance of building even more connection across the network and how he...

This week, we continue the conversation with Blake Weaver, President of the Network of International Christian Schools. Listen as Blake shares his passion to move emerging leaders forward at NICS the five step process he believes will make it happen.

"If we believe that we have a truly phenomenal global team, with top tier talent in the global market in which we operate, then we would be foolish not to include those thought-leaders into our strategic planning process." This week, we continue the conversation with Blake Weaver, President of the Network of International Christian Schools. Listen as Blake shares his vision for the strat...

"If you start with vulnerability and transparency, that is a fast track towards building deep trust and rapport."  Join us today as we catch up with Blake Weaver, President of the Network of International Christian Schools. Blake reflects on 2022 and the transition that took place at NICS and speaks to plans for 2023 and the focus on internal investment over external opportunities. We ar...

Join us today as we talk with NSA alumna Marissa Worley! Marissa graduated from NorthStar in 2015 after switching from her local Christian school after 8th grade. Hear how attending NorthStar prepared her for college and her life as a wife and mom. Listen as Marissa looks back on her time at NSA and the spiritual growth she experienced through courses and other opportunities. 

"You have to know that either God ordained it for your good and His glory, or God allowed it for His good and His glory." We are so grateful for the opportunity to share today's episode with you. Joe Hale, founder of the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS) and Tim Mudder, long time mobilization specialist at NICS join us to share their powerful story of liver donation....

Today our host Stephanie Shafer shares about a special detail in the show, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Reflect on the true meaning of Christmas as you consider blankets that you may need to drop. Please click here for resources mentioned in this episode.

Join us as we talk with five teachers about their experience writing courses at NorthStar. Today we have the privilege of hearing from Allison Burdashaw, John Heaton, Laura Schubert, Amy Peterman, and Katie Dunlap. At NorthStar, Biblical worldview thinking is a hallmark of our curriculum. Listen as we walk through the integral process of building a course from the ground up, creating Christ-center...

Today we talk with Jason Segner, an NSA dad and the founder of Healing Faith Uganda. Healing Faith is an organization that provides malaria testing, treatment, and education in Uganda. NorthStar is excited to raise funds for Healing Faith through The Blessing Project, our annual effort to raise money and awareness for organizations around the world. We are thankful for the Segner family's pre...

We are thrilled to have Elton Lin on the show today. Elton is the CEO and co-founder of ILUMIN Education, a college admissions counseling firm. The ILUMIN Education team has helped students gain admission to every top-50 university, including every Ivy League institution. Elton has a wealth of wisdom and information and is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. Listen and be...

Join us this week with Director Stephanie Shafer and Principal Katie Ahmadzai as they discuss their recent trip to Thailand and Malaysia. While traveling, they were able to visit NSA students and partner schools! Listen as they reflect and focus on the goodness of God. 

We are thrilled to have Mrs. April Meyer and Lydia Novak on the podcast today! Mrs. Meyer serves as the teacher advisor and Lydia as the Editor in Chief for our school newspaper, the NorthStar Navigator. Listen as Mrs. Meyer and Lydia share about what it is like to be a part of the newspaper and their vision for it moving forward; and be sure to visit the Navigator website to learn more and see al...

Join us as we talk with Mr. Allen Hester about our upcoming Spiritual Emphasis Event! Many times in scripture, we see where people built an altar to celebrate and remember God's goodness. These altars are opportunities for us to reflect, celebrate and be altar/ed. We encourage our students to join us for a week of fun, games, and digging into His word with our guest speakers to learn more abo...

We are so excited to hear from Ruthie today! Ruthie is a student at NSA and serves on our Student Council as a welcome committee leader. As you will hear, her joy is contagious. Listen as Ruthie shares about our community here at NSA and what she is learning through her journey on the welcome committee. We are so thankful to have Ruthie at NSA!

Are we unintentionally damaging our children? Join us today as we talk with Chris McKenna! Chris is a former middle school youth director and the founder of Protect Young Eyes, where he's been able to author many resources for parents and churches to protect children from digital dangers. No matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of understanding technology, you are uniquely ordained...

Warning: Today's episode is about protecting your children from the dangers of technology. Due to the discussion of hard topics and statistics, parental discretion is advised. One thing is certain; childhood today is very different than it was for previous generations. Today we talk with Titania Jordan, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Parent Officer of Bark Technologies, an online safety co...

Today we are excited to have Scott Augenbaum on the podcast! Scott is a retired FBI agent and author. He has an abundance of wisdom in cybersecurity and brings many practical tips to help keep us safe. Listen as Scott shares how we can reduce our chances of becoming a victim of cybercrime without purchasing any products or services. Scott's book, The Secret to CyberSecurity: A Simple Plan to...

We are so excited to have Rachel Destree on the podcast today! Rachel was the very first student enrolled at NSA back in 1998! Listen as she shares what online school was like at the beginning and how her experience shaped her into who she is today.  From using dial-up internet in a developing country to meeting her husband over email, Rachel's story is one you don't want to miss!

Today we talk with Rachael Jenneman! Rachael served in children's ministry for many years and is now in broadcasting ministry, hosting her own radio show and podcast called Unique on Purpose. She is passionate about people using their uniqueness and how they were created for God's glory. Listen as Rachael shares her story and be encouraged to embrace the way God made you!

Join us as our host Stephanie Shafer talks about celebration today! Why is celebration important? Why is it that so often we forget to celebrate? Listen as Stephanie shares about the importance of celebrating in all circumstances. What do you have to celebrate today?

Today the tables are turned! Join us as Kristi Velasquez interviews our host Stephanie Shafer around the topic of vulnerability. Listen as Stephanie shares the importance of being instead of doing. There is power in realizing that we don't have it all together and recognizing that and sharing it with others can be a game changer. If we press in during that time, God can do such a transformati...

What is community? Why is it important? Listen as our Director Stephanie Shafer shares about the community here at NSA! Where do you find your community? If you are here at NorthStar and looking for somewhere to plug in, contact us! We will be happy to help you find community, whether you are a student, supervisor, or alumni! 

We are so excited to have Tabatha Hull on the podcast today! Tabatha is a homeschool mom and the writer behind AJoyFueledJourney.com. She seeks to encourage women in their faith, parenting, and marriages and joins us today to talk about resting in Jesus.  Listen as Tabatha shares the story of Mary and Martha, and how one of them is reflective of true rest in Jesus. Be encouraged and motivated to k...

Today, our host  Stephanie Shafer shares one of our three main themes for this school year: rest. Stephanie shares scripture related to resting in the Lord and encourages us to find that in our own lives. What does that look like? How do we rest in a  fast-paced world full of demands and things on our to-do list? What gets in the way of us truly finding rest? Listen and be motivated today to rest...

If you listened to last week's episode, you know that NorthStar Academy has 24 years of tremendous growth and milestones to celebrate. God has had His hand on NSA from the very beginning and continues to do amazing things here! We are so excited to enter into this 25th year and see what He has in store for us! Listen today as our Director, Stephanie Shafer, shares our focus for this school ye...