 This summer, eight students committed to furthering their relationship with Jesus and to helping ignite the faith of others by participating in Wildfire, a youth-led evangelistic effort. “The purpose of Wildfire is to teach, empower, and disciple young people,” explained Pastor Esequias Perea. The students traveled to Durango, Fruita, Pueblo, and Wyoming, where they put on VBS programs, led evangelistic series, and learned to prepare and preach sermons. With the Holy Spirit working through the efforts and dedication of the Wildfire team, 14 people were baptized with one confession of faith. There were many answered prayers this summer, especially for safety, baptism, and local church support. Not only did these students impact the lives of others for God, but their lives were impacted as well. Nolan Eickmann reflected, “It’s been awesome to grow in my relationship with God and to help others grow in their relationship with God.” Ashley Halvorson said, “Wildfire made me realize that people might have something going on inside that you don’t see, so you should always be kind to them and be praying for them.” Pastor Nestor Soriano started Wildfire in 2015 out of a desire to help youth preach the word of God. The name Wildfire comes from Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers and tongues of fire appeared above their heads. Wildfire has since grown to include a week of prayer during the school year for Campion Academy and a summer job program from the beginning of June to August. Students who participated in Wildfire this summer are Nolan Eickmann, Ashley Halvorson, Lauren Fry, Nathaniel Sanchez, Josh Ramirez, Xander Asa, Josie Reeves, and Austin Rotinsulu. The supervisors were Pastor Esequias Perea, the chaplain at Campion Academy; Pastor Phil Jones, a retired evangelist; and the Campion Church pastoral team. The Wildfire team not only worked hard to spread the gospel, but balanced some recreation into their summer as well. They went jeeping in Moab, Utah, camping and hiking in Colorado, and paid a visit to Wyoming for Frontier Days. Pastor Esequias said, “Next summer we are hoping to have two to three Wildfire teams. The more kids that are involved, the more churches we can reach.” With God’s help Wildfire will continue to grow and bless others. Article by Ashley Herber, Student Editor Photos provided by Ashley Halvorson  
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 Arlen Mekelburg, husband of our head girls’ dean, Melissa Mekelburg, will be officially joining the faculty at Campion this year and will be teaching Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Anatomy & Physiology. Mekelburg brings both passion and experience to the classroom, as he has taught math and sciences for over 27 years in four boarding academies. He holds both Colorado State and Denominational teaching certificates in science and math.
Mekelburg recognizes the importance of the student-teacher relationship in creating a positive learning environment. “My classroom goals include working at connecting with each student, as in knowing their interests, background, and learning style so we can connect as teacher and learner,” he said. “The main goal is to make it possible for each student to be successful at every step in the classroom and in life.” Since moving with his wife to Campion Academy, Mekelburg has been teaching seventh and eighth grade science at HMS Richards Elementary and at Greely Option Schools. Campion students have gotten to know him on the basketball court as he has been helping to coach the girls’ team. He also teaches Driver’s Education and works with many students at Campion. He was born and raised on a family farm near Yuma, Colorado with five brothers and sisters. He attended Platte Valley Academy, then Union College, later graduating from the University of Nebraska in Agriculture in 1980. In 1985, He returned to Colorado State University for a second B.S. in Agricultural Education and in 1986 began his teaching career in public high school. In 1990, he returned to the University of Northern Colorado for a secondary science endorsement and has worked at four boarding academies for over twenty-seven years in Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and now his home state of Colorado. Two of his sisters, Teresa Johansen and Sue Helm, both live and work at Campion. “My personal interests include reading, woodworking and shop projects, photography, and keeping track of the four grandsons,” he commented. Campion is pleased to have such a qualified and dedicated teacher join the faculty, and we are looking forward to a great school year! Article by Jill Harlow Twelve Campion students are nearing the completion of their six-week intensive Spanish course in Spain. As part of the course, students participated in cultural tours to some of the most important current and historical cities in Spain including; Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Valencia, Peníscula, and Barcelona.
The students visited ancient castles, cathedrals, palaces, and art museums. Joe Philpott commented, “The best part was visiting the different cities and having some time to explore on our own with a monitor (Spanish college student). It’s cool to experience the culture first-hand”. A trip to an ancient fortress on a peninsula with beautiful beaches was a highlight for many students. “I really liked Peníscula because I learned the castle there was involved in multiple wars, so it has a lot of history. The beaches there were really nice and we had fun swimming and cliff jumping at the base of the castle,” said Lee Beckermeyer. While the program does involve many trips and fun activities, students also worked hard in Spanish classes. On completion of this course, students receive one year’s worth of college-level Spanish credit, as well as up to two years of high school credit. Weston Humphries reflected, “This is my first time taking a college level course, and it’s been good for me because it’s shown me time-management outside of high school. I have to make choices sometimes about going to fun activities or getting my work done, instead of basically having my schedule set for me in high school. The course has been difficult, but I’ve learned a lot.” The students will return home on July 26 and are looking forward to some time to relax and get ready for the upcoming school year at Campion. Article by Jill Harlow  Campion Academy is proud to introduce our new agriculture class called Acquainting Agriculture. This program has a unique emphasis in pointing the students from creation to their Creator through direct contact with His handiwork. Anna Perea, wife of our chaplain, Esequias Perea, will be the instructor for the course. “As students begin to see the incredible design, purpose and beauty of each plant, spoken into existence so long ago, we believe hearts will be revived in response to these evidences of His exhaustless love. Therefore, instead of selecting a “cash crop” for the school to mass produce simply for revenue’s sake, we will grow as much of a variety as possible to appreciate our Maker’s creative power,” she explained. The program is offered as an elective, vocational class which will take place during the middle of the day so that it is open for all grades. Students may pre-enroll through the registrar’s office, on the website, or find out more information during registration on move-in day. As our agriculture program reveals “God at work in nature, making plain the things of the kingdom of heaven” (6T p. 185), it will also allow each student enrolled in the class, the opportunity to learn how to garden year-round with a simple, low cost approach. For instance, instead of using expensive greenhouses, our program will incorporate mobile caterpillar tunnels built from inexpensive materials that anyone can purchase at a local hardware store. Our program will also be conducted without the use of electricity, a major expense to growers and devastating to the budget. The cafeteria will be supplied with their fresh produce needs throughout the school year. However, in addition to supplying the school’s food needs, each student will have the chance to earn money towards their education. As part of the class’s final project, each student will be required to sell their harvested crop to a local customer, restaurant or farmer’s market. Then the majority of the proceeds will be returned to the student to use towards their tuition costs. At this early, beginning stage of the program’s existence, Acquainting Agriculture must be a volunteer and donation-based class. We have already received a lot of support and encouragement from people invested in the school’s well-being, but we would like to solicit our readers’ help too. Please visit our new “Agriculture” page on Campion’s website and peruse the details of our program. All donations can be made to the school through the same page by scrolling all the way down to the bottom. We also keep everyone informed of our progress through our newsletter; feel free to subscribe on our website and receive all the latest updates. Article by Anna Perea and Jill Harlow  Anna Perea with her husband Esequias, and their boys, Levi and Noah. Anna will be bring her passion for God and gardening to the new course.  This summer, Campion Academy has employed nine students to work for Mr. O’Halloran in maintaining the campus. So far, they have given Jessica Rios’ house a new roof, painted the Ad Building, and redone Daniel Force’s apartment. Amie said, “My favorite thing to do while working maintenance has been painting the Ad Building and the Tower.”
In addition to the nine students that work maintenance, Kyle Rushold, a Campion graduate, works as a supervisor. Kyle has worked maintenance at Campion for five years with this being his third year working as Mr. O’Halloran’s summer associate. The students mow the lawns of Campion Church, Campion Academy, and HMS Elementary, which is a total of 37 acres. Julia said, “My favorite job is to mow, and I do a lot of it!” Ireland added, “Mr. O’Halloran is a good boss, he keeps us busy.” Mr. O’Halloran commented, “It’s important to take care of the campus and to learn the importance of a good looking campus. If the campus looks good it makes everyone else’s job easier.” When asked why it is important that students work maintenance over the summer, Mr. O’Halloran responded, “So they can earn money and understand the importance of hard work.” We want to thank Mr. O’Halloran and all the people working maintenance for their hard work and dedication! Article written by Ashley Herber, Student Editor  Campion students and some of their Spanish monitors at the ancient Roman Theater in Sagunto Excitement was in the air as twelve Campion students arrived in Spain after spending most of the past school year preparing for the trip by saving their money, working extra jobs, and completing lengthy applications. The students flew into Valencia on the Eastern coast of Spain and then traveled 30 miles north to the ancient city of Sagunto where they will be spending the next six weeks studying Spanish at the Adventist Colleges Abroad institution, Escuela Superior de Español de Sagunto (ESDES). “You get to be around a lot of Spanish-speaking people and you get to really get into the language,” said Jessica D, incoming junior at Campion. “All of the teachers and monitors just speak in Spanish, so without even realizing it, you are being absorbed in the language, and you get all these new words in your brain, even if you don’t really know what they all mean. It makes me think, I could really get into this and learn the language!” Around 70 students total are in the summer program from different Adventist universities and a few academies, with Campion having the largest group from any one school. On the first day, students had an orientation and took a Spanish placement test. In the afternoon, they visited the beach in Sagunto. The town is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and the water is warm and calm which makes it ideal for swimming. “My favorite part about being here so far, is going to the beach and meeting lots of new people,” said Megan M. The typical day includes classes in the morning and either a trip to the beach or a selection of cultural workshops in the afternoon. An important aspect of the program are the monitors, or student workers, who plan fun activities and interact with the American students throughout the day in Spanish. Delanie K. commented, “I appreciate that the monitors take us in as their own and they welcome us to their school as their friends. They don’t make it seem like there is a language barrier because they are just so kind to us.” The program is also full of excursions to various tourist locations nearby. In the first week, students spent a day touring Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, which is only about 30 minutes from the school. Valencia has beautiful architectural sites in the center of the old city, as well as a very modern arts and science district. The next trip was a tour of the ancient castle in the local town of Sagunto, parts of which were built during the Roman empire nearly two thousand years ago. “My favorite part of this trip is experiencing a new culture and being exposed to a different side of the world,” concluded Delanie K. The students in Spain have many more adventures to come, so watch for some of our highlights on Campion’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Article by Jill Harlow  While students were just beginning their summer break, Campion teachers and staff headed back to class. Chris Wolf, of Fort Collins Poudre Fire Authority, instructed teachers in the Federal Emergency Management System’s (FEMA) National Incident Management System (NIMS) which also includes included the Incident Command System. Campion Academy’s campus is being designated as a potential shelter area in the case of a major incident, such as a flood or fire, in which large groups of people need to be evacuated and cared for.
Principal Don Reeder says, “Our staff needed to be trained in order to effectively respond in the event of a disaster and know what their roles and responsibilities are. We have the appropriate facilities and we want to be able to support our community in times of need.” In order to appropriately respond to an incident, each volunteer needs to be aware of the overall plan and respect the chain of command. The teachers learned about how the organizational structure set in place by NIMS can help us to better prepare for and respond to an emergency. “You can either be part of the solution by following the appropriate procedures, or you may be part of the problem by self-deploying,” said Cathy Kissner, Rocky Mountain Conference Adventist Community Services Director. Following this course, Kissner spoke to the teachers about the role of Adventist Community Services (ACS) in assisting victims of disasters. “We are the state of Colorado’s preferred donations manager in an event that reaches the state level,” she explained. “By getting trained and being involved in donation management, Campion Academy teachers and students can show the love of the Father by meeting the needs of people in the community in a disaster.” Through this training, Campion Academy has sought to learn from and partner with emergency responders in our area. Our aim is to improve our ability to keep students safe and reach out to help others in the community when they are in need. Article by Jill Harlow Photo Credit: Don Reeder Campion says farewell to beloved Development Director and Alumni Coordinator, Marilyn Jackson6/7/2018  Warmly known as “Everybody’s Mom,” Marilyn Jackson served Campion Academy for 13 years by connecting with alumni and drawing their thoughts back to their beloved alma mater. Jackson and her husband, Bob, will be moving to Carlisle, Ohio this month to be near their children and grandchildren. “I am excited because it is a new adventure; we’ll get to be by grandchildren, some great friends, and family,” Jackson commented.
Jackson was known as a tireless and efficient worker who kept everyone going. “God gave her the gift of hospitality. Marilyn made everyone feel welcome at Alumni Weekends, Chapter meetings and Donor dinners,” principal Don Reeder commented. “Students loved to be in her Faculty Family. She prepared great food for them and treated them special.” Jackson will have fond memories of her time at serving at Campion. “I enjoyed the connections with the alumni. Through chapter meetings, I really formed good relationships with them, and they hold a place in my heart. Their support has meant a lot to me.” Both she and her husband will continue working when they move to the Carlisle area, but they are ready to reduce the amount of responsibilities they’ve had and have a bit more time to relax. As her passion for Adventist Education hasn’t diminished, Jackson also plans to volunteer at the local Adventist elementary school. One thing that Jackson was most pleased to see happen during her tenure at Campion was the reconstruction of Hankins Hall. “I know how much meant to the older alumni. That building was their whole school,” she reflected. She will be deeply missed by all of the Campion family but we know she will keep in touch. “I wish only the best for Campion and that the Lord will bless the school with more students and the financial ability to support them. Primarily, I pray the students will come out of academy with a closer walk with God that will stay with them the rest of their lives.” Thank you for your service to Campion, Marilyn. We pray that God continues to bless you on your journey. (Article written by Jill Harlow) Daniel Force, the Men’s dean at Campion Academy, is engaged to Roxanne Faber. Roxanne was born in Orlando, Florida and has lived all over the east coast. She is the oldest of three siblings, and her parents run the year-round retreat center/summer camp Nosoca Pines Ranch in South Carolina. She currently teaches 2nd grade at Mile High Academy. Next year will be her 7th year teaching elementary school. She has many hobbies including reading, playing games and sports of all kinds, watching movies, being outdoors, and hanging out with her friends. She spent a year as a student missionary in Honduras and a summer in Spain taking Spanish classes and traveling around Europe. Roxanne has worked at different summer camps for the past 17 years, working the last 5 of those years as an assistant director. She loves her family, friends, and Dean Force, but above all she loves God. We are so excited for these two and pray that the Lord blesses their marriage! [article written by Ashley Herber]  This past weekend, Campion Academy hosted a ladies soccer tournament. There were a total of four teams that participated, the Campion Cougars being one of them. It was a warm sunny day, just perfect for playing the beautiful game of soccer. When asked about what her favorite part of tournament was, team captain Jackie stated, “I loved getting to play soccer with my team, seeing different skills within my team, and using them to get better and grow stronger together.” Unfortunately, the lady Cougars did not advance into the championships: “Although we didn’t advance, I think our losses helped push us harder to not give up and come out on top against the Denver Eagles,” team captain Lauren stated. Junior/Senior banquet was also held this past weekend. The Junior class officers decided to keep the banquet activities a secret this year, versus previous years where the event activities were not a secret. As everybody loaded up the bus, they waited anxiously to see where we were going. Our first stop was getting a bite to eat at Cinzetti’s. The hungry students loaded up their plates, immensely enjoying the food. As we finished our meals, we loaded up the buses again and headed to our next stop: Adventure GolF and Raceway, where we all played mini golf. People excitedly got off the bus, and for some, it was their first time mini golfing. The night continued with fun, mini golfing, and hanging out with friends. When asked about her favorite part of banquet, Hillary S. stated, ”I liked how the class officers kept it a secret the entire time, it made it more interesting.” The night was full of surprises, fun, and good times. [article written by Damarys Nieto]    |
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