This story is an excerpt from the Winter 2022 issue of the NWCS Newsletter. Would you like to receive a copy of the newsletter directly to your inbox?
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“This Place Has Been Perfect for All of Us”
Ask Laura West what brings her joy and she’ll likely reply, “family, teaching, and coffee.” She brings all three of these together in her role at Northwest Christian Schools.
Known affectionately to her students as Señora, Laura teaches upper-level, dual-credit Spanish in the High School.
“For me to teach a college-level class and be gospel-centered while students receive college credit is just the best,” Laura says with a smile. She’s also the ASB Advisor, providing guidance and oversight for student elections, class officers and spirit days. “My role as ASB Advisor includes pretty much anything where students are leading and interacting.” This includes ministry opportunities. Laura and her husband have accompanied NWCS students on four Central American mission trips.
Being where the activity is isn’t new to Laura. During her years as a Northwest Christian Schools student, Laura participated in volleyball, softball, and student leadership. She began dating her husband, Kyle, when she was a junior and he was a senior.
She was ASB vice president that year and Kyle was president. She was Lilac Princess her senior year. After graduating in 1996, she joined Kyle at Washington State University. They were married a year later.
“I majored in Spanish at WSU,” Laura says. “During our time as students, Kyle and I had the opportunity to study abroad in Ecuador for a year. It was then that we decided to pursue adoption to build our family.”
Laura and Kyle have three children, Livia, who graduated from NWCS in 2021, and Asher and Avi, a sophomore and freshman respectively. Both boys play on the NWCS basketball team.
“Once we had our kids, I knew I wanted them at Northwest Christian. With each of their adoption journeys, I wanted them to be part of this community, because the NWCS community is pretty amazing.”
Livia was adopted from Guatemala at eight months old. Asher and Avi are 13 months apart and share the same birth mother. “Asher joined our family from birth. With Avi, the birth mother was hesitant, and we waited an additional 13 months after he was born before he joined our family.”
Besides the emotional pain this delay caused for Laura and Kyle, there were additional financial burdens, home studies, and legal fees when the adoption eventually did go through.
“My kids have thrived here. I’m so thankful for Northwest Christian. For their education and for this community. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
And then there’s coffee. Years ago, Laura started working for a local coffee roaster learning the art of coffee roasting. She brings that skill to the classroom, teaching a high school elective where students learn business and marketing skills. In turn, her students put those skills into action at CRU Coffee, the student-run coffee station selling hot and cold espresso drinks during morning break. As they learn marketable barista skills, they also have the opportunity to get a food handlers permit.
“I loved NWCS when I was a student. And it’s great to come back and see it grow. To be here and help build our programs is really incredible.”
Kyle’s parents both graduated from Northwest Christian, making the West family a third generation NWCS family.
“This place has been perfect for all of us.
I’m so proud of NWCS and the caliber of our education. We have high academics, an amazing community, and are centered on Christ. It’s the perfect trifecta!”
Laura West and her two sons – Avi and Asher
Laura and her students at CRU Coffee
This story is an excerpt from the Winter 2022 issue of the NWCS Newsletter. Would you like to receive a copy of the newsletter directly to your inbox?
Sign me up!