The NorthStar Narrative

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...

We are so excited to share this episode with you today! In 1998, NSA set out to provide 40 missionary families with an online option for education. In 2022, we're still fulfilling that mission, but on a much larger scale! With over 3,000 students in over 100 countries, our community has grown exponentially. Listen as Brett Bowers, Barry Bennett, and Dan Cooley, NSA's former Directors, co...

"So instead of pulling them out of life to learn about life, (I brought) them into life to learn about life." Today we sit down with author and homeschool mom, Carrie Strong! Listen as Carrie shares her journey of homeschooling her kids and helping them   discover their God-given identity, passions, and talents! Be encouraged and inspired as you hear Carrie's story today, and hear m...

Listen today as we talk with Jessica Cabeen! Jessica is a middle school principal and the author of several books, Hacking Early Learning, Balance Like A Pirate, Unconventional Leadership, and Lead with Grace: Leaning into the Soft Skills of Leadership. Jessica has immeasurable advice on balance in personal, positional, and professional areas, as well as how to navigate your passions in the midst...

We are so excited to have Erik Ellefsen on the podcast today! A self-proclaimed "education junkie," Erik has served in education for more than 2 decades and has an incredible story of perseverance through his own personal journey with multiple myeloma. Erik has a passion for Christian leaders in education innovation around the world and has spent countless hours at speaking events and ho...

Did you know that NorthStar partners with other schools to provide courses for their students? Listen today as Kathy McKinney and Cathy Cornelison share about our Affiliate Schools program. NorthStar has had the privilege of serving over 5,000 students at 200 schools over the past decade. Whether it's due to a teacher shortage, wanting to expand course offerings, or simply wanting to provide...

What is money? How do we use it? What does God say about money? Join us as we chat with Dr. Joey Beeson today! Dr. Beeson has been with NorthStar for many years, once serving as Principal and since then a teacher in Social Studies and electives, specifically our Personal Finance course! Listen as Dr. Beeson shares wisdom from his decade of experience teaching finance to over 500 students here at N...

Is NorthStar Academy 100% safe? Today we talk with Chuck Deitch,  Administrative Director of School Programs at NorthStar Academy. Listen as Chuck shares the precautions that we take as a school to keep our students safe, and hear the suggestions that Chuck has for parents to keep them safe at home as well. 

Today we talk with Allen Hester, Spiritual Life Director at NorthStar Academy. Allen has had the privilege of walking alongside our community this year as they grow spiritually. Listen as Allen shares the opportunities and activities that students and parents have throughout the year to connect with one another and dive deeper into God's word. We are so excited to watch the spiritual life com...

Today we talk with Tina Tandy, the Office Administrator at NorthStar Academy. Tina has had the privilege of walking alongside our parents this year as they build community together. Listen as Tina shares opportunities that parents have to connect and the resources that are provided to them throughout the year. We are so excited to watch this community grow over the next school year.

We are thrilled to sit down with Kristi Velasquez and talk about all things student community at NorthStar Academy! Affectionately dubbed Mrs. V, Kristi has spent countless hours pouring into the rich culture here at NSA. Hear about fun ways to connect in our community and the different ways that students can dig into leadership opportunities across our /virtual/ campus! 

"Is there all that much difference between bravery and faith?" We are so excited to have Caleb Renich on the podcast today! Caleb has served as the Student Council President for the 21-22 school year and is graduating from NorthStar in just 2 weeks! Caleb has grown into an incredible leader and has made such a lasting impact at NorthStar! Listen as Caleb shares the most inspiring story o...

Meet Blake Weaver! Blake is the President of NICS, the Network of International Christian Schools, and he has an incredible story of how God led him from being a student in a NICS classroom to becoming the new NICS President. Blake is most passionate about reaching the world for Christ through international Christian education, and he has a unique story of seeing that mission lived out by the NICS...

We are excited today to talk with Kara Jefferson, founder of SOLE Stepping Ministries. Kara found herself donating a bag of clothes and shoes to a local school one day, and saw a need that she couldn't ignore. Hear how surrender to God has led Kara to donate shoes to thousands of students at area schools every year. Be inspired as you hear about the encouragement and confidence that these stu...

Today we are excited to talk with Rex Miller. Rex is an author, futurist, elite coach, and keynote speaker. Listen as Rex shares what he's learned about conflict and how it gives us the opportunity to see what's wrong and how it can be fixed. Hear great advice on how to take those opportunities and create improved workplace and classroom cultures. 

We are honored today to have Dr. Annie Gallagher on the show. Annie is the founder of Transformed PD, a follower of Jesus Christ, a professional development coach, instructional program consultant, teacher, wife, and mother who currently lives in Kentucky. Transformed PD was established to fulfill the need for Christian school educators and school leaders to participate in biblically based, qualit...

Disclaimer to parents: Today's podcast is a sensitive one. Please be sure your children do not hear this episode until you have listened and can help them process it.  We are thankful for the opportunity to sit down with Carmen Watt today. Carmen is a Christ-follower, wife, mom of four, and author. She holds a ministry degree from Rhema Bible College in South Africa and has spent many years e...

We are so excited to have Heather MacFadyen on the show today! Heather is passionate about women being set free and moms loving and connecting with their kids so those kids grow to know they are loved by God and saved through Jesus. Heather has been hosting the Don't Mom Alone podcast, originally called God Centered Mom, since 2013, and also authored the book Don't Mom Alone . Hear wonde...

"Behavior would never be a surprise if we could see into somebody's heart." We are so excited to have Dr. Roger Erdvig on the show today! Dr. Erdvig is passionate about the next generation becoming culture-shaping leaders. Listen as he shares astounding statistics around current biblical worldview perspectives. Hear wonderful advice and be encouraged as you hear from Dr. Erdvig toda...

Join us today as we chat with Frank Valenzano. Frank says that his titles in order of importance are a follower of Jesus, husband, father, and pastor. He currently serves as a Campus Pastor and loves ministering to others. Listen as Frank shares his story and hear his passion for making others feel heard and seen. 

How does NorthStar Academy choose the books that we require for our courses? Join us today as we talk with Shea Marshall, Curriculum Support Specialist here at NSA! Listen as Shea shares the process of selecting the materials that are used to complement our courses to ensure our students are well-educated at every level.