What Would My Life Be Like if I Attended A Different School?

by David Norris, 2025 Legacy Christian Academy Graduate (Xenia, Ohio)

It is impossible to truly know what my life would look like under different circumstances, but I simply cannot imagine where I would be if I had not been able to attend my current school. My name is David Norris, and I am a senior at Legacy Christian Academy. Legacy Christian Academy is a small, Christian school located in Xenia, Ohio, where I have been able to pursue many different areas, including education, religion, athletics, extracurricular clubs, student government, drama, and music. If it were not for the Educational Choice Scholarship Program and the opportunity to attend my school, my life would look entirely different. I would not have been able to invest in and serve my local community, pursue my interests and goals to establish myself in life, exercise my Constitutional right to Freedom of Religion to its full potential, or develop myself as a person, citizen, and leader through my school’s community and extracurricular activities.

The first area where my life would look different if I had not attended my school is that I would not have had the opportunities to interact with, invest in, and serve my local community. My school has provided me with unique opportunities that I would not get anywhere else. I have served my community through “Day of Prayer and Service,” an event where the school connects us with various programs, organizations, companies, and services. We spend time at these locations, not only learning but also serving them. Over the years of my attendance at Legacy Christian Academy, I have had the opportunity to serve at different businesses and charities such as Xenia Tool Rental, Bridges of Hope Homeless Shelter, Shawnee Community Park, Camp Jabez Camp and Farm, Athletes in Action Campus, Emmanuel Baptist Church, and several other places. These are all places in my community that I would otherwise not have been connected with. If it were not for these service days, I would not be as “plugged in” to my local community and the people around me, nor would I have developed a heart that desires to serve. For many years, my school has encouraged its students to put others above themselves. Without attending my school, I would not have had the opportunity or the will to do this and become more involved in my community. Experiencing these ways to serve has changed my outlook on life. Life is more than just our day-to-day activities, desires, or projects. We should strive to serve other people because it makes the world a better place and shows compassion to those who might not receive it on a regular basis. Service contributes to and invests in the place we live, and in turn, makes it a better place. Although I still may have served my community to a smaller extent if I was not at my school, I would not have developed the same outlook on service or felt the need to continue serving my community after graduation.

The second area where my life would look different if I had not attended my school is that I would not have had the opportunity to pursue my interests and goals in order to establish myself in life. Since attending my school, I have developed a passion for several things, including farming, ranching, and sharing the things I love with others. Through my school, I have met people who have helped me learn about these things and develop these abilities. I have secured two farmhand jobs through people I met through my school and have learned many things about farming. My school has provided me with education in the classroom, but also education outside the classroom through work and by connecting me with those knowledgeable about my interests. Since attending my school, I have worked on two different farms and two different ranches. The school’s education board also approved me to leave my study halls in order to work and learn these things outside of my classroom, which has played a major role in what I want to do with my life post-graduation. My school has also given me the opportunity to do projects and presentations on these areas and allowed me to share this love with others. If I had not been able to attend my school, I would not have ended up with most of my agricultural jobs and may not have discovered my passion for agriculture, perhaps never even considering “Agribusiness” as a major post-graduation.

The third area where my life would look different if I had not attended my school is that I would not have been able to pursue and follow my religion and beliefs to the extent that I am able to now, which is a part of my First Amendment rights. The First Amendment of the United States protects the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion. However, current Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken expands on this when he stated, “Each person also has the freedom, either individually or in community with others, in public or private, to manifest those beliefs in worship, observance, practice, and teaching.” If it were not for the EdChoice scholarship, myself and many other students would not be able to manifest their beliefs through their education. Although public schools are not inherently bad, they do not teach through the worldview of my religion. Because of the EdChoice scholarships, not only can I learn about and pursue my Christian faith, but thousands of other kids in Ohio can pursue their own religions through education. This is important to the well-being, diversity, and freedom of our state’s education system. Now, people can rightly choose what worldview they can educate their children in and not be forced to learn one way or the other. This helps all major worldviews thrive and continue into our next generations and would not be possible without the Educational Choice Scholarship Program.

The fourth area where my life would look different if I had not attended my school is that I would not have had the opportunity to develop myself as a person, citizen, and leader through my school’s community and extracurricular activities. Because I have been able to attend a smaller school, I have been able to participate in ways that I never would have dreamed of at a large school. Since attending Legacy Christian Academy, I have been able to explore many different hobbies, sports, leadership programs, and more. Not only did I have the opportunity to play multiple sports such as baseball, soccer, and basketball, but it also allowed me to partake in musical and dramatic programs at the same time. I have had the opportunity to participate in a concert band, pep band, and even a praise and worship band. It was through Legacy Christian Academy that I was able to learn how to be a “Student Athlete,” play the trumpet and acoustic guitar, act in three different plays and musicals, become a part of my student government, and even be a founding member of the Legacy Knights Numismatic Society. If I would not have been able to attend my school, I would not have had the opportunity to do all these different activities during my high school career. At larger schools, these programs can be hard to balance and partake in all at once due to more competition and less time. Thankfully, through the power of being at a small school and the resources to get there through EdChoice, I have been able to become a more well-rounded person, not being cornered into one or two specialties of life, but being capable of participating and leading in a myriad of areas after high school.

In conclusion, if it were not for the Educational Choice Scholarship Program and the ability to attend my school, my life would be turned upside down. I would not have been able to become involved in service in my community, would not have the ability to pursue my interests and goals that opened doors for me post-graduation, exercise my Constitutional right to Freedom of Religion to its full potential, and I would not have had the opportunity to develop myself as a person, citizen, and leader through my school’s community and extracurricular activities. For these reasons, I am so thankful to not only my school but the State of Ohio for granting us the Educational Choice Scholarship program that has helped myself and so many other kids like me to become the world changers of tomorrow.