Military Families at NorthStar Academy
by Tirzah Hopkins
Perfect American Flag waving in the wind with shadows by RoschetzkyIstockPhoto from Getty Images Pro
Created in Canva
Kristi Valesquez
Kristi Valesquez is a teacher here at NorthStar Academy. She and her family are currently stationed in Fort Campbell, USA. She teaches the teachers and helps them while they work on their curriculums and while they work with us. Before she came to NorthStar she taught in public high schools with high-risk teens. The schools didn’t have enough resources. She loved where she worked, but because her husband was in the military, it was hard to continue being a public school teacher because they were moving all the time. This was because different states have different certification laws. She says, “Just because I could teach in Arizona, doesn’t mean I could teach in Kentucky.” She was able to “keep pace” and continued to get certified in the different states, but it was both dangerous and expensive. There had been a couple of school shootings while she was working at those schools. When the last school shooting happened, her husband was on a dangerous mission and she had two children under four years of age. She decided it was unwise for both of them to be in dangerous situations, and these were some of the main factors in her decision to seek out other, safer ways of teaching and this was what led to her taking on the full-time position as a teacher at NSA.
Mrs. Valesquez offers encouragement to the students here at NSA who have to move more than usual: “I’m sure students at NSA can identify with how hard it is to transition to new place after new place and start from scratch with friends, church, school, etc. Well, guess what? It’s pretty tough on adult careers, too! I think transitions are tough no matter how old we are. We might get better at them as we practice and skills, but leaving friends and starting over is always tough.”
Mrs. Valesquez says that being able to teach at NorthStar is a “God-sent blessing”. She says her bosses and the other teachers pray for her, love her, and are invested in her future. She says being able to keep her job through all the transitions has been amazing. She also says, “Sometimes love feels like consistent logistics; God has certainly gifted us with more of both since coming to NSA.” She says the bosses and teachers love and treat her like family, and the most important thing that’s happened since her transition is she can be safe and home with her children when her husband can’t be. She’s very grateful for the lifestyle NSA has allowed her to lead.
Mrs. Valesquez has two children: Avalon, who is six and in Kindergarten, and Jaxxon, who is eight and in third grade. This is the first time they’ve been able to go to the same school for two years, which is on base. She doesn’t know much longer she’ll be teaching at NorthStar Academy. When asked, she said, “God knows the plans He has for me, but I sure don’t know them.” She says she’s “rolling with the punches.” Mrs. Valesquez continues to serve her nation and her country to the best of her ability here on the home front.
Sabrina Bailey
Sabrina Bailey is a sixteen-year-old junior here at NSA and is starting her second year. Her father is in the Air Force, and he is currently stationed in McGuire AFB. She has one younger brother who also does NSA. The year she started NorthStar Academy, her family moved to New Jersey. She says she really likes NSA and that it will be easier to do school with all the moves they make.
Before NSA, Sabrina did public school, one year of online school, and another year of private school. Her family switched to NSA because they wanted her to have a steady curriculum during her high school years.
When Sabrina isn’t doing school, she enjoys photography, reading, and going on hikes with her family. Some of her favorite book series are Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Sabrina says since it was just “moving season,” a lot of babysitters and petsitters have moved away from the base. Now, she has a lot of those jobs to keep her busy as well.
Tirzah Hopkins has been at NSA for about two years. She lives in Indiana, USA with eight of her eleven siblings and mom and dad. She has recently started writing for the Navigator. She enjoys spending time with family, hiking, karate, writing, and playing with babies.