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Alum Story - Amanda Mammana
For thirteen years, CHS was my second home.
Growing up as a person who stuttered came with a lot of challenges. Thankfully, school was not one of them. While I did become very shy and insecure about my stutter, I never felt inferior or different during my time there. I always felt loved and heard by my classmates and teachers. I don’t know if I would have had the same experience at a different school. CHS always challenged and encouraged me in everything I did whether it was academics, sports, arts, and most importantly, my faith. Having a strong Biblical foundation was something my parents valued a lot for my sister and I. Sending us there was one of the biggest blessings in our lives in so many ways. I was able to find my passion for music by taking various music classes like band with Mr. Flowers, choir with Mrs. Hannibal, music theory, theater arts, and the chapel worship band. I made lifelong friends that I am so thankful to have. Most importantly, I grew in my faith and learned that I am a daughter of the King.
In 2022 my life changed in a crazy way. I had the opportunity to step onto the national stage by being on the hit show "America's Got Talent" to showcase the gifts God has given me. (Watch my AGT audition HERE.) It was because of my teachers and fellow classmates that I had the confidence to get up on that stage. They taught me and showed me that I am chosen and loved by our Father. It was the support from CHS that helped me to believe in myself. I am so grateful that God has given me a platform to be able to advocate for the stuttering community and those who may feel unseen and unheard.
While CHS was my second home for so long, it taught me that this earth is not my home and to always keep my eyes up, heavenward!
Visit my website: AmandaMammana.com
Student Story - Alonso Alphonse
“CHS has made a difference in my life by…”
This sentence can be completed in a variety of ways. I can't express enough how much CHS has helped, changed, and taught me.
I first heard about Christian Heritage through a family friend who had sent her child here. I had never seen the school at all, never shadowed, or went to open houses/orientation. The last school I was at had roughly 28 students K-8. As a result, when I first saw the school, I thought it was huge!
My eighth grade year became the best school year of my time being at CHS. I finally felt that I was where I was supposed to be. I became close with a lot of classmates that I’m still close with now and grew relationships that will stick forever.
Then COVID hit and I went through a very difficult time in my life. My grandmother passed due to covid and I struggled greatly. When my friends and teachers heard about this, they didn’t just send a sympathy text, they sent me constant love and comfort. There were some that even sent me letters and checked up on me weekly. Those actions that year from my brothers and sisters at CHS made me realize that CHS wasn’t just a small private Christian school, but that it was a family.
The rest of sophomore and junior year had its highs and lows, but instead of feeling alone, I knew that my brothers and sisters had my back and would push me to do and be my best. As a senior, I am very proud of myself as I look back on where I started compared to today. I now have the opportunity to show kids in middle and lower school what it feels like to be noticed and befriended by upperclassmen.
As I look to complete my last year at CHS, I can confidently complete the sentence- “CHS has made a difference in my life by showing me what it means to be a part of a Christ centered community, loving one another, and sharing a lifetime of memories."