The Schoonover Family
Bright future
Schoonovers say following Christ is the norm at Worthington Christian
Eric and Karie Schoonover know there’s no crystal ball to see how their sons, Isaac (WC ‘29) and Nolan (WC ‘27), will turn out. However, the parents believe the two have increased the odds of their sons in following Christ by enrolling their children at Worthington Christian School.
“We can’t force our kids to follow Jesus as adults, but we can ensure they are educated in an environment where Jesus is the focus,” Eric Schoonover said. “(At Worthington Christian), loving others regardless of the circumstance is the norm, much like God loves us no matter what.
“When you couple that with learning scripture and gaining an understanding of God’s word and how He intended His creation to be, our prayer is it creates a path where our boys love Jesus and bring others to Christ throughout their lives,” Karie added.
Isaac and Nolan attend Worthington Christian, thanks in a large part to the influence of their uncle Ryan Schoonover. Eric grew up attending Grace Brethren Church. While he didn’t attend Worthington Christian, he knew much about the school. Ryan, his younger brother, attended the school his last three years of high school and had a great experience there.
“A Christian education was something we always considered when we started our own family,” Eric said. “Karie attended a small rural school about the size of the Worthington Christian community. The size of WC allows the students to ‘be known’ by their classmates, teachers and faculty, and other families. The comfort that creates is such a blessing.”
The quality of the education has been an eye-popping experience for the Schoonovers. Eric said there have been countless times while helping their elementary school students with their homework, he and his wife have looked at each other and said, “We didn’t learn this until middle school.”
“With WC’s high-caliber educators with a passion for teaching and loving each student, Nolan and Isaac have excelled academically,” Eric said. “We live in a community with a strong public school system, but we are confident Worthington Christian provides the same or higher level of academic excellence. When you add the love everyone at WC pours into each student, there is no comparison. WC will always be on top from that perspective.
“Our boys often talk about their teachers like they are an extension of our family,” Karie added. “The teachers at WC are beyond incredible! They are passionate about what they do, and they do it with love. They meet children where they are and get to know each child individually. We’ve been amazed at the details they can share about how our kids learn, laugh when they get excited, or show leadership among their peers. They care about the entire student. It isn’t just about passing a test; it’s about building a community where children feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them with teachers who are there to help in all circumstances.”