The Enforcer
SHANNON FOREST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Monday, May 3, 2004
by Michael Porter, 6th Grade student
Brenda Hillman |
Everyday, Ms. Hillman
goes through unruly students, angry teachers, and too
many conferences to count.
Ms. Brenda Hillman’s life all started in Pekin,
Illinois. She was an only child until she got older
and her brother was born. Now her parents are currently
retired and live in Illinois. Her brother is married
and has two children; a daughter in first grade and
a son in second grade. She is the Shannon Forest Christian
School Upper School Administrator. Six years ago Ms.
Hillman was hired at Shannon Forest. She came here
because she thought that the Lord led her here. She
believes Christian education is important because some
students are called to be in an environment where Biblical
Truth is part of everything they learn.
Ms. Hillman
is a very busy woman. As the Upper School Administrator,
she is second in command of the school and therefore
she has to lay down the law with many students and
staff at times. In a typical week, you can find Ms.
Hillman working on administrative and parent conferences,
policy development, staffing decisions, and faculty
meetings. The goals she has set for herself are to
increase the size of the Upper School to five hundred
students, expand the Fine Arts Program, expand the
AP Program, and double the size of the Middle School.
She said in five years she wants to see a new Upper
School building at Shannon Forest. Her least favorite
thing about the school are the facilities but, she
is happy with the most important thing, the people.
Ms. Hillman is both focused and driven and Shannon
Forest has taken her in a direction for which she never
planned. We’re thrilled to be along for the ride
with Ms. Hillman at the wheel.
Mr. Alvin Sell: SFCS’s Finest
by
John Absher, 6th grade student
Alvin Sell |
“I’m really happy, even though I appear
to be really serious.” Those few words successfully
sum up 43-year old Alvin Sell in a single phrase.
Born
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on January 24, 1961,
Mr. Sell came from humble beginnings. His parents
worked in factories, and most of his family members
were farmers.
As devout Christians, his parents introduced him
to Christ at a young age, making him a very active
Christian,
who remains so to this day.
When Mr. Sell left home,
he went to Furman University, where he earned a Masters
Degree. After college, he explored different possibilities,
eventually settling on policeman/detective, which he
was for 9 years. Several years later he felt drawn
towards SFCS because it provides a quality Christian
education.
There are big things he wants to accomplish
at SFCS. These include having a new Upper School building,
establishing a band, continuing his education, and
teaching kids to “ influence people, not be influenced.”
He
does a staggering amount in a typical week. He teaches,
plans mission trips, plans chapel, and talks to kids,
among many other things. In his own words he is “busy,
involved, and happy.”
His life away from school
is full and happy as well. He is married and is the
father of three; John, Joe, and Kari. John is in college,
Joe is in 10th Grade, and Kari is in 7th Grade.
Mr.
Sell’s hard work, friendliness, and goodness
led to a very good reputation in the community. In
the words of his wife, “He’s a very hard
worker and is dedicated to the students here at Shannon
Forest. He loves working with the students every day
and he is a wonderful friend to many of them.”
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