NSA has shown me more than I ever anticipated. It has developed me in ways I never expected.  NorthStar Academy's classes are taught through a biblical worldview. I am not sure what I expected that term to mean– probably something like “Here’s a Bible verse to go with your assignment.” I was not expecting to be challenged and confronted. 

Mrs. April Meyer is the Navigator’s amazing teacher advisor. For most years of the Navigator’s existence, she has been guiding staff after staff towards being the best student newspaper possible. This trend continued this year as she provided amazing feedback on articles, led our semi-weekly calls, helped each staff member in a unique way, and taught the NAVI280 Live course.

Dear high school, I've put off writing this letter until the last possible moment (it’s due in an hour) because it means saying goodbye to you. 

As the teacher advisor for the Navigator, I have been blessed to have many strong and accomplished editors-in-chief over the past twelve years, and Alex M. is no exception. He has been our leader for the 2026 school year, and his direction has made the Navigator a superior newspaper. When I first met Alex, he was a freshman, and I have had the privilege of seeing him grow over the years. I’m excited for where God will take Alex in the future!

Dear readers. When I was twelve years old, I wanted to be a Catholic nun–not because I was Catholic (I wasn’t), or because I had any idea what life in the convent required (I didn’t). Actually, my new career aspirations stemmed from watching The Sound of Music and reading about Christian saints.

Life is filled with unknowns from the day we are born until the day we die.  It is a simple truth of life.  However, you can have one of two perspectives on these unknowns, and the perspective you choose makes a huge difference in your life.  The question every person must answer is, do you run into the unknown or stay back and wait for it to come to you?

It’s time to move on, and it is hard for me to believe. The past four to five years have been a whirlwind with many highs but also many lows. Time works strangely: a moment can feel like an eternity, but a lifetime in the blink of an eye. It doesn’t make sense to me, and maybe it shouldn’t. I think if anything, it is simply a good reminder to make the most of the seasons that God has placed us in.

Students come to school for education, but they also come for many other reasons. Whether it be the community, the opportunities in a certain program, or the morals of a school, students and their parents are drawn to them for what they can provide. NorthStar Academy students are no different. NorthStar has students located all over the world, and every student comes to NSA for a reason.

As the clock ticks closer and closer to graduation, a mix of emotions swirls through my head. I’m excited for the new adventures to come in college, but I’m also nervous to leave because NSA has been the most supportive community I know.

I never knew I would join NorthStar Academy, and in fact, I never knew online school was an option. I never knew that this event in life would lead me to one of the sweetest communities I have ever seen. In the grand year of 2020, when the whole earth shut down, I was presented with the opportunity of learning in this new format. Six years later, and I have had one of the roughest senior years I’ve ever heard of. 

I’m often asked the question, “Where are you from?” Well, the short answer is this: I was born in Texas. My mom is from Tennessee and my dad is from Mississippi. Not so crazy, right? Plot twist. My citizenship is American, although I would not say I am fully from there.

One thing about me is that I have always loved writing. From a young age, I have loved telling stories through writing. It has always been my favorite school activity! Needless to say, this class caught my eye during freshman year, and I took the course for the first time in tenth grade. I instantly fell in love with all aspects of the NAV.

As this school year draws to a close for the Navigator, the completion feels different, very, very different. Out of my ten staff members, eight of them are graduating seniors: Zoe, Brooklyn, Keziah, Jared, Alex, Avery, Jonah, and Onyi. Truthfully, I don’t know how to say goodbye to this many seniors.

Everyone needs to eat to live and to gain energy for the day. So a very practical part of the NSAer’s school life is the food that they enjoy, either while doing school or while taking a break from it. In this article, we will explore NorthStar students’ favorite snacks, from the sweet to the savory to the incredibly odd. Bon appétit!

Disclaimer: Please check with your parent or legal guardian for approval to watch any of the content listed in this article. Thank you.

NorthStar Academy has seven ESOs or Expected Student Outcomes. The sixth of these ESOs is Biblically Literate. According to Mrs. Peterman, “ESOs are the overarching goals of NorthStar Academy. With our ESOs in mind, we make decisions about curriculum and instruction that help us shape students into graduates who have these crucial skills. The ESOs help us keep the end goal in mind.” 

I can recall an incredible number of times in the past where my list of assignments was longer than Terms and Conditions. I wish I could say I put my head down and got it done, but oftentimes I ended up completing tasks that were the opposite of a priority. For instance, I may have reorganized my shirts into color-coded order instead of writing the outline of the essay I needed to submit in two days. During my time at NSA, I have developed some strategies to help overcome procrastination. Here are a few that might help you, too. 

Alex M. is a senior here at NSA, who resides near Atlanta, Georgia with his family. His whole family is from the American South, and he loves a good homemade mac and cheese! Some of his hobbies include making songs with Suno AI, playing video games, and just chatting with friends. A fun fact about Alex is that he is very tall in real life but hates heights.

Students shooting each other dirty looks, parents talking to the hotel to mess with another contestant’s alarms, and interviews where interviewers kick out students one by one, until only one remains standing – this is what you may expect when I say “Scholarship Hunger Games,” but as you will soon find out, that is not always the case. 

As the ship rested above Zero, all sound was drained aside from the low murmur of the ship’s engines powering down. Navi looked at the docking bay, desolate and ghastly. The area was torn and tattered, terrifically tantalized by some tremendous terror. A small red blip flashed on and off at a small console sat in an office dividing the landing zone from the doors of the large building. Curious, Navi went to investigate, cautiously and firmly planting every step in the ground as he progressed. As he entered the room and sat down at the desk, a chill ran up his spine as the computer whirred to life.

In many churches, Lent is a period of fasting, prayer, and meditation, a time for Christians to prepare themselves for Resurrection Sunday (Lucey). For nearly six weeks, believers give up something they enjoy as a practice of submission to God. 

This month, we had our spring themed fantasy writing contest! Two amazing writers submitted stories, and now the winner has finally been announced! It was a close competition, but the winning story was Dandelion Sugar!

If you are ready for a new puzzle, check out the Navigator Search-A-Word below created by a member of the Navigator staff. Below the Search-A-Word is the list of words you can find in the puzzle, good luck Navigators!

March is an exciting month for NSA! Events like the Reel Contest and SEE will take place, along with the start of elections for the 2026-2027 StuCo members. If you are considering joining StuCo next year, interested in attending calls for SEE, or simply curious about NSA’s events, this article is for you!