Awards recognize high-performing students and help them stand out to colleges
[Houston, Texas] – Students at Westbury Christian School earned academic honors from theCollege Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students’ hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
At Westbury Christian School, 3 students received the academic honor.
Eden Williams: National African American Recognition Award (NAARA)
Luke Dewberry: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)
Vince Bilnoski: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)
“We’re thrilled to celebrate three of our WCS students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing in the classroom and the College Board assessments like the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and AP® exams,” said High School Principal Kaitlyn Ballard. “There’s so much that makes each of our students unique, and I am proud they are recognized for their strong academic performance!”
The criteria for eligible students include:
GPA of 3.5 or higher.
PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade.
Attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.
Eligible students are invited to apply onBigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. At the same time, colleges and organizations using College Board’sStudent Search Service™ can connect directly with awardees during the recruitment process.
“It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process. We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities,” said Tarlin Ray, senior vice president of BigFuture® at College Board. “This is a benefit not only for students but also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”
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About Westbury Christian School
Westbury Christian School is a Christ-centered college preparatory school for students from age 3 to 12th grade. A vibrant community of learners, WCS reflects the Kingdom: Faithful, Wise, and Diverse. Since 1975, we have provided our students with a safe and diverse environment with challenging academics taught from a Biblical worldview and personalized instruction. WCS strives to support families in Christian education and cultivate relationships that build a strong sense of belonging within our community. Students are encouraged to find their God-given talents by participating in our student-led clubs, athletics, and fine arts programs. WCS develops students to become Christian servants, compassionate leaders, and lifelong learners who are prepared for here and eternity.
This past summer Oluwaseyi Adodo, a current Junior, attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) State Leadership Seminarhosted at the University of Houston.
The HOBY State Leadership Seminars allow students to explore their personal leadership skills and values and practice those skills while collaborating with peers from different schools. Students apply these principles and service leadership to make a positive impact in their communities. The program also gives students a glimpse of college life by staying in residential dorms and attending the leadership conference in college classrooms.
To qualify for attendance, students must be high school sophomores and submit an essay about important characteristics of a good leader. Finalists from the essay-round were chosen to advance to the interview process.
Adodo found inspiration in the program’s curriculum and the words of the guest speaker.
“Most people there were afraid to lead and usually were in leadership positions because no one else would lead,” reflected Adodo. “When we were in a place full of leaders, we all had something to contribute and bring to the table. You shouldn’t be afraid to speak up.”
Additionally, Adodo mentioned that learning about her personal leadership and personality styles was impactful.
At Westbury Christian School, Adodo actively participates in a multitude of activities, including HOSA, ASL, NHS, Student Ambassador Program, Golf, and Band. We look forward to her impact on our school programs with her leadership skills.
To learn more about the HOBY State Leadership Conference, visit HOBY.org
When parents consider enrolling their children in a private school, tuition and fees often cause stress or worry. Houston’s private school landscape spans a wide range of tuition costs, with the top 15 most expensive private schools charging anywhere from $49,500 to $30,000, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Westbury Christian School (WCS) stands out as an affordable private school in Houston, Texas, offering tuition rates that are nearly half the cost of the most expensive options. In the 2023-2024 school year, the highest tuition rate for high school at WCS is less than $20,000. These tuition rates at WCS reflect the generosity and commitment of the many supporters of Christian education.
Affordability in Houston
Westbury Christian School distinguishes itself by providing a high-quality Christian education with comprehensive programming at a competitive tuition rate. Compared to other private schools in the area, WCS provides parents with a cost-effective option without compromising on the quality of education. This commitment to affordability is especially crucial in a city like Houston, where the cost of living can vary.
Attainability Options at Westbury Christian School
At Westbury Christian School, we believe a Bible-based college-preparatory education should be accessible to as many families as possible. Our priority is to make Christian education affordable while maintaining high academic standards and fostering a nurturing learning environment. We recognize that each family’s financial situation is unique, which is why WCS offers various financial assistance programs to support those who might need it. These programs include payment plans and need-based tuition assistance.
Payment Plans
Westbury Christian School’s payment plans make tuition payments more manageable and predictable. We understand that every family’s financial plans are different. FACTS offers payment plans ranging from two payments per year to twelve payments per year. Through a FACTS account, monthly payments are paid to FACTS Tuition Management Services on the 5th or 20th of each month, using automatic deduction from your checking, savings, or credit card account. A one-time per family per year financing fee of $50 is assessed by FACTS.
Tuition Assistance Program
The Tuition Assistance Program reflects our commitment to providing access to Christian education for as many families as possible. The Tuition Assistance Program awards qualified families discounts on the tuition portion of the annual cost to attend WCS, not including some fees that are required for all families. This is not a loan program. The amount of reduced tuition will never need to be “repaid.”
How to Apply for the Tuition Assistance Program:
Please refrain from applying for the tuition assistance program until your child has been officially accepted to WCS.
Complete the Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) application. You will need to submit a copy of your official tax returns. Additionally, provide an email or letter detailing the reasons why you are requesting assistance, including parties contributing to tuition (parents, grandparents, relatives), health/business/employment loss or issues, number of students in private schools and/or colleges.
Are you ready to join the Wildcat family? WCS ensures a Christian college-preparatory education is attainable for families from various backgrounds. Choosing WCS isn’t just an investment in education; it’s an investment in your child’s future that lasts a lifetime.
For questions regarding admissions to WCS, please contact [email protected]
For questions regarding the Tuition Assistance Program, please contact [email protected].
Westbury Christian School (WCS) is more than just a place of education; it’s a community of believers who are faithful, wise, and diverse. It’s not uncommon for students to develop deep connections with their high school alma mater, but when alumni return as educators, it takes the concept of “coming full circle” to another level. For the 2023-2024 school year, WCS has 11 Wildcat alumni working on staff in a variety of different roles. Among the returning alumni are Sam Waltemeyer (’06) and Walt Hill (’14), who shared their perspectives on their WCS homecoming.
Sam Waltemeyer (’06)
Sam Waltemeyer, a WCS graduate of 2006, rejoins WCS as the new 5/6th grade social studies teacher. He received his bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University and his master’s from the University of Alabama. Mr. Waltemeyer also serves as the youth pastor at Westbury Baptist Church and is an enthusiastic curling player.
Walt Hill (’14)
Class of 2014 alumnus Walt Hill is now back at WCS as a high school math teacher. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston Downtown. Beyond the classroom, Mr. Hill is engaged in writing a book that chronicles his spiritual journey.
Why Westbury Christian?
SW: “I love teaching due to the opportunity to make an impact on the next generation. Multiple teachers from my K-12 years authentically cared about me and enabled me to grow. To be able to have the same impact is what I am most excited about this year. Having worked with students in both the school and church setting, my “why” is that nothing is more exciting than seeing a young person develop into who God has called them to be. I am excited to come back to WCS and serve in the community that helped me grow through some of my most transformative years.”
WH: “I am excited about this year because this is the first year I will be working at Westbury Christian School and I feel God has called me here.”
What is your favorite WCS memory as a student?
SW: “Too many to specify one. My first memory was making the playoffs my junior year of baseball, because of how hard we had worked over the two years once Coach Villareal started. A second memory is just about every class I ever had with Mr. Duncan and Mr. Crider. They developed my love of the social sciences. Lastly, my class was really special. We all got along well and had fun together. During our senior year homecoming week, we did a lot of fun group dress-ups as a whole class.”
WH: “My most favorite memory at WCS was at my graduation. I was awarded the title of Mr. WCS. I had no idea, and it came as a total surprise for me. In fact, out of all my life, that is the most surprised I have ever been. I will cherish that memory and am honored to be back with the Wildcat family now serving here as a teacher.”
What are you most looking forward to this year while working at WCS?
SW: “Working with the middle schoolers and the high school baseball players. These first weeks with them have been awesome.”
WH: “The change coming from a public school system to WCS has been a wonderful and spirit-filled change. I look forward to helping my students improve their math skills and introduce new material to them. I will enjoy working with smaller class sizes, having better-behaved students, and a supportive admin team that puts their all into what they do. I will also enjoy singing to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during the school day during chapel. Lastly, I felt God was calling me back here for a reason, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for me here at WCS.”
Savannah Chinn, a 7th-grade student at Westbury Christian, embarked on her first international mission trip this summer. She raised money to serve in Ghana with Crossover Bible Fellowship.
“I believe God is now calling me to go beyond the boundaries of my local community and to share His love with people around the world,” said Chinn.
Ghana holds a special place in the hearts of the Chinn family. Savannah’s grandparents, Lloyd and Janet Chinn, have dedicated over 15 years of their lives as full-time missionaries in Ghana.
“I had this feeling that I should just go! It was my first international trip and new for me,” said Chinn.
Chinn spent two weeks in Ghana with the CBF ministry Front Door to Frontier (FD2F). She served along a 15-person team and immersed herself in service.
“In Ghana, we went to two schools, the Shamayim International School and New Life School. I met quite a few kids there, I will admit! We went to a few churches, and we also explored the area.”
Her mission team worked with Justice and Mary Kabuja, founders of a small Christian school called Shamayim International School in Odumase, Ghana. The city has a large Muslim community, and the Christian school had challenges of not being accepted within the community. Over the past two years, the school grew from 25 to 300 students because the community saw a positive difference in the children.
As the school grew, it developed a need for people to encourage the teachers, teach English, build new buildings, and engage the community in community development.
“We mainly played with the kids, and one day we led the teaching. It was pretty fun to teach them. I taught about love and gratefulness. I taught the smaller kids, which was really fun. On the last day, we got to have free time and explore everywhere,” Chinn recalled. “The most impactful part of the trip was helping the schools and playing with the kids. It taught me to be grateful for what I have.”
Chinn shared some of the challenges the team faced in Ghana, especially the time spent traveling between locations. To get to Ghana from Houston, Chinn traveled a total of 21 hours on multiple flights.
“It took a while to get to most places. It was a seven-hour drive to get to Shamayim from New Life. The drive was very challenging, but the flights were worse.”
While there were several memorable moments and experiences on the trip, Chinn will miss one aspect more than the others.
“I will definitely miss the people. They were so nice and always happy even with the little they did have at the school. It made me think of people here. If they were in that environment, they would not be as happy. But the people were so grateful for everything.”
Chinn leaves a trail of light and love wherever she goes.
Middle School Principal Annette Turner said, “Savannah is a light to those around her; her smile brightens up a room. She is an enthusiastic, positive young lady who shines her light for Jesus!”
Watch Savannah’s Journey: For a recap of Savannah’s transformative mission trip, view the video here.
Marion John “MJ” Nelson has always had a passion for music. He loves spoken word, rapping, and music production. After high school, God called him to the West Coast to pursue a music career, ultimately becoming a missionary serving Central American youth through his unique gifts and passion for music.
“My favorite years of school ever were 7th and 8th grade. Every single day I laughed so extremely hard. It’s great to be in an environment where you are around your friends every single day,” reminisced Nelson. “It’s so much harder as an adult.”
At Westbury Christian, Nelson was extensively involved in the WCS Fine Arts department through theater performances, musicals, and band.
“I had a High School Musical Troy Bolton entrance into Fine Arts. I suffered an injury in basketball, and while on the sidelines, I became interested in what was happening in theatre.”
In addition to representing the school at state competitions in oratory and spoken word, his most impactful experience in high school was serving on the campus ministry team and going on missions trips to Oklahoma City.
“That was a huge part of my experience at WCS, and the mission trips had a huge impact on my life that led me to what I am doing now. I even rapped in Westbury Christian chapels.”
After high school, Nelson received multiple scholarships to pursue musical production. He decided to attend Shepherd University of Los Angeles for Musical Production. During his senior year, Nelson faced an unexpected situation when his college closed.
“It’s such a clear example of God at work in that situation because I was able to get a job as youth director at Christian Assembly Church where I attended.”
Nelson’s time in Los Angeles became a pivotal point for him in his relationship with the Lord and his career. He interned at a production company and had the opportunity to work with multiple Grammy-nominated producers and artists. He released a Christian rap album, performed at events and local schools in the area, and worked as a youth leader at his local church. It became clear that his passions of working with youth and music were his calling.
This past year, Nelson prayerfully decided to volunteer with InnerCHANGE where his love for kids, music, and the Lord intertwined. Through those volunteer experiences, God led Nelson to join the InnerCHANGE Los Angeles team as the Assistant Director for the ICLA Music Collective. His daily tasks include cultivating a music curriculum, strategizing youth outreach, and immersing himself in Central American culture.
“Growing up in Texas I have always been familiar with Latino culture, but definitely now I am more immersed and more aware of these kids’ stories,” says Nelson. “The studio is a safe place for our kids. I am very intentional with Biblical mentorship.”
“I remember Mr. Wagner did this exercise in high school my senior year. He said, ‘If you know who you are go to this side of the room, and if you don’t know who you are go to the other side of the room.’ All of my peers went to [the side indicating that] they didn’t know who they were and I was the only one on the side who knew who I was. In my mind, of course I know who I am. I am an artist.
“When I first moved out [to Los Angeles], I wanted to pursue a career in the music industry. But God really wanted a space where he saw a chance to pursue me here even deeper. Over the past couple of years, I have had a heart for kids and the Lord. My favorite part of my job is sharing God with them and because of God’s love for me…. I just can’t help it!”
“Being a first-time missionary, I have to completely trust in God for raising support,” Nelson said about one of the challenges in his new life. “I have also had to branch out to build partnerships with supporters.”
Nelson still recalls a long list of teachers at Westbury Christian who made an impact on his life. He gives credit to teachers like Coach O, Coach Hawley, and Mr. Wagner who helped prepare him for this new work.
“It was a combination of so many things that led to where I am today. Westbury Christian School just gave me so many opportunities to help me get to where I am today.”
Every year, the College Board Advanced Placement Program recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement for their performance on multiple AP Exams. Westbury Christian School had 7 students from the Class of 2023 that earned AP Scholar awards.
“We are so proud of our AP Scholars for their hard work and dedication to academics! They join a group of 187 Wildcats on the David Lacey AP Program Board for their outstanding achievement on the College Board exams” says High School Principal Kaitlyn Ballard.
These alumni received an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams and earned the title of AP Scholar with Distinction: Emily Goldstein, Katelyn Thompson, and Daniel Zhu.
These alumni received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams and earned the distinction of AP Scholar: Faith Jonesia, Alexandra Kunetka, Madison Shorter, and Sam Wang.
About the David Lacey AP Program The program was named in May 2015 to honor the retiring upper school principal and co-founding teacher of the WCS AP program in 2001.
At WCS, we equip our students to be Christian leaders, lifelong learners, and Christian servants.
A beloved annual fundraising drive to benefit impoverished children in the Western Hemisphere continued for its 25th year at WCS in 2022-2023. During the spring semester, students from kindergarten through the senior class collected spare change in specially designed water bottles to benefit underprivileged orphans in the Western Hemisphere. This year’s bottles were designed by our third graders in this voluntary outreach for WCS students and families. HISTORY
Westbury Christian Middle School and High School Bible Teacher and Middle School Girls’ Basketball Coach Steve Hawley spearheaded the collection which originated in Lebanon, Tennessee at Friendship Christian School in 1995.
Coach Hawley with WCS Kindergartners ’22-23 showing their new water bottles for coin collection.
Honduras has a special place in Coach Hawley’s heart. His first mission trip to Honduras occurred in July 1998, weeks before his arrival at WCS. A few months later in October, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras and the project was introduced to the Westbury family. The change receptacles evolved from used drink containers to Powerade bottles to unique bank bottles donated by a generous WCS family. For twenty years, this family supplied WCS students with bottles, which include the WCS crest, logos of the partnering charities, and James 1:27, the theme verse for the program. All 21 coin bottles are on display, tied into a mural commemorating these efforts, in Coach Hawley’s classroom.
MISSION LAZARUS HOPE FOR HAITI’S CHILDREN
The funds raised at WCS provides support to two nonprofit Christian organizations: Mission Lazarus, a holistic ministry focused on community development in Honduras through spiritual, educational, medical and agricultural outreaches; and Hope for Haiti’s Children, which utilizes in-country educators and professionals to nurture, educate and train poverty-bound Haitian children to become spiritual leaders. As in recent years, WCS has chosen to support the Hope for Haiti’s Children school lunch program. “The children at these schools are fed lunch every day. For some kids, this is the only meal they will get so this is incredibly vital,” says Coach Hawley. Mission Lazarus earmarks the WCS contribution towards a different need annually: one year, our donation purchased a pickup truck for the orphanage. This school year, the total donation was $9,149.65 divided between Hope For Haiti’s Children and Mission Lazarus. As always, the change was sorted and counted by WCS students. “The thing I am most…I hate to use the word proud… but the thing I am most proud of as a teacher and a coach is that we’ve been able to keep this project going for 25 years.” says Coach Hawley.
“We are so grateful to the students at Westbury Christian for their compassion, generosity, and prayers for the children in Haiti. Since 2010, they have raised thousands of dollars through their coin collection campaign to help feed the hungry and care for the needs of the orphaned children at the Cazeau Christian School and Orphanage. Thank you, Westbury, for spreading God’s love to the children in Haiti – you are making an eternal difference!! Your 2023 gift will pay for 12,000 meals! This will feed all 400 students at the Cazeau Christian School (grades K-10th) a school lunch every day for one month! For many, this is the only meal that they eat that day. Again, we are so grateful!” Tonya Hunt, Vice President, Hope For Haiti’s Children
“The partnership between Westbury Christian School and Mission Lazarus that’s held strong for over a decade is special, across two countries. Our 7th grade students make the cross necklaces in their carpentry class and it goes a long way in helping them learn more about the importance of precision in cutting and finishing wood. Then at WCS, the gift of a cross necklace to all newly enrolled students goes a long ways as well, reinforcing a culture from day one for a new student. The subsequent donation of the proceeds from the coin drive is an investment directly back into our ministry in Honduras and the Mission Lazarus Refuge children’s home. Some of the residents of the home are the same students helping to make the cross necklaces every year. Proof that an intentional simple idea can have a far reaching impact, even an eternal one. Thank you WCS!” Jarrod Brown, President, Co-founder Mission Lazarus
