Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 21 Fredericksburg Christian School Heather Lee Will Continue the School's Work of Building up Christian Leaders At age 20, Heather Lee took a job teaching at FCS. She had intended to teach in public schools, and wasn't completely sure a Christian school would be the best fit for her. But she was quickly impressed—both by the quality of instruction founders Gary and Andy Foss empowered their teachers to deliver, and by the culture of the school itself. "They were my family," she says, recalling how the school arranged for her first roommate so that she could afford an apartment, and how a family paid for her towing bill when her car broke down during her early teaching days. "It didn't take long for me to see that FCS was home," Lee says. Yost notes that the Fosses saw great promise in Lee from early in her career. The school helped her to earn her doctorate degree in Christian school leadership from Columbia International University in 2010. Lee was then working as the school's director of curriculum and instruction, and was on track to spend her career at the school as she worked her way into greater leadership. But God had other plans. When Lee married in 2010, she moved to New York. Lee said it was difficult to leave a school that had supported her growth so strongly, but "I remember Rick saying, 'We are about building up Christian education anywhere and every- where, so go with our blessing." Lee spent a few years as an adjunct professor at Nyack College in New York City, where she mentored teachers preparing to start work in the city's public school system. "It helped me realize that my true heart passion was to help Christian teachers prepare to teach in Christian schools. I realized that is what I have been called to my whole life," she says. Lee went on to serve for six years as principal at a Christian school in Smithtown, N.Y., before returning to FCS in 2020 as assistant superintendent. "God knew what He was doing when He sent me away for those 10 years," Lee says. "Now it has come full circle." While both Yost and Lee are excited about the successes that FCS has celebrated in its 43 years, and about the growth that will bring the opportunity for more families to receive an FCS education, both are clear about where the school's true leadership comes from. "It has never been about who is leading the school. Our goal is to remain humble and focused on God," Lee says. "I don't call us a private school. We are a Christian school. All of our staff members are committed to the Lord and it is the heart of what we do, and that is never going to change." Heather Lee: Relentless pursuit of God's calling. Fredericksburg Christian School serves 1,000 students from pre-kin- dergarten through 12 th grade from its campus in Spotsylvania County. The school aims to partner with Christian families who desire a Christian educa- tion for their children. Visit fredericksburgchris- tian.com to learn about the school's programs, as well as variable tuition and scholarship options intended to help bring the FCS experience to more Fredericksburg-area families. WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING

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