An Interview of a CCS Alumnus - Alex Clark, Class of 2014

Dawn Snellenberger interviewed Class of 2014 alumnus Alex Clark. Alex is currently serving as a student teacher at CCS as he finishes his last requirement to graduate from Liberty University to become a secondary level teacher of history.

You may have noticed that a familiar face returned to our campus this fall. Alex Clark, from the CCS class of 2014, has been student teaching under the supervision of Mr. Jim Kirch. He is student teaching in our high school history classes this semester while fulfilling the final requirement for his degree in Social Sciences with licensure from Liberty University. Alex is scheduled to finish his degree and graduate in December (2018).

Alex began attending Cornerstone as a homeschooler during his sophomore year. During that year, he participated in our Homeschool Partnership Program by joining our English and Chemistry classes. He then enrolled at CCS as a full-time student during his junior and senior years. Initially, Alex was wary of attending "school" because he had always been homeschooled. He was concerned about what it would be like, especially for someone with a more reserved personality. Soon after starting, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his classmates were kind and inclusive, and there was even an emphasis placed on having a personal relationship with God.

After graduating from Cornerstone, Alex began attending Liberty University (LU) in Lynchburg, Virginia. He recalls the transition to LU as "shocking" because of the sheer number of students at the school (45,000 undergraduates!); however, he appreciated still being able to receive an education in which Christ was at the center. He felt well prepared for the rigors of college. In fact, he felt like he was more prepared than many of his classmates, particularly in the areas of writing and history. He entered college with the skill set that was expected of him as a freshman entering college. After changing his major twice, he settled on a degree in Social Sciences, plus a licensure to teach at the high school level.

Alex has enjoyed his student teaching experience under the supervision of Mr. Kirch. He thinks it is great being able to gain hands-on knowledge from being in the classroom. He hopes to teach history in either a public or private school, to earn his Masters of Education, and to eventually work at the college level.

He also has other exciting plans for his future! He recently became engaged to Abby Maruca, a fellow CCS alumna from the class of 2015. They reconnected over an Alumni Christmas Chapel at CCS a couple of years after they both graduated. I guess God is still using CCS in the lives of our alumni!

Are you an alumnus or know someone who would be willing to be interviewed? Please contact Dawn Snellenberger at dsnellenberger@contactccs.org to share your story with her.