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Our aim at Cedar Valley Christian School is to equip and prepare our students for life beyond our walls. 

Our goal is that the truth learned, the wisdom acquired, and the kindness practiced here at CVCS will lead to individuals who not only are prepared for and can excel in the academic and professional endeavors they will face after graduation, but our prayer is that our alumni will have hearts to change the world for Christ, no matter what their future holds.

From doctors and tradesmen to soldiers, parents, and small business owners, our alumni have gone on to do so many incredible things.

What a privilege it is to get to be a part of their story. 

 

Betsy (Anderson) Banowetz, class of 2005; Brian Banowetz, class of 2004

"I remember laying on my hospital bed, tears streaming down my face as I grappled with the reality of missing my son's very first day of his first year of school- Ever. Brian had gone to Target and purchased 2 backpacks, a rainbow of colored options of folders and notebooks, the markers and pencils and all the things, and then he laid them all out on the couch in my hospital room. Hudson came to visit me, and we "shopped" together for all his school supplies- there in my room on the 6th floor of St. Lukes."

Life had been tipped on its head just 3.5 weeks earlier when Betsy had climbed out of bed on a Monday morning and noticed that her toes were tingly. She figured that they had fallen asleep in the night and assumed it would quickly pass. Newly pregnant with their third after a miscarriage just weeks before, a phone call to her doctor the next day when the tingling was still present and had, in fact, spread to her hands and lips was simply credited to changing hormones and potentially pinched nerves in pregnancy.  

However, the next day (Wednesday), they headed to the ER when symptoms progressed and she experienced weakness and balance issues leaving it hard to walk. Bloodwork, an MRI, and physical exams all looked good, however, so they were sent home with no answers. 

 

By the time Friday rolled around, Betsy could no longer reposition herself in bed or raise her right arm at all. Brian carried her into the bathroom and she fell flat on her face trying to stand. In the end, they were sent down to the University of Iowa where a spinal tap and EKG confirmed the doctor's diagnosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Normally affecting those over 60 with only 1-2 people infected out of every 100,000, the doctor called it "winning the lottery."  

"I remember laying there, being prodded with needles during the EKG, just completely focused on making sure my baby was ok and 100% confident that I would be walking out of those hospital doors within a week. It all came on so quickly, I *knew* it would all come back to me quickly as well. I remember Brian asking the doctors questions and trying to learn what my prognosis was, and the head neurologist stated, very matter of factly, 'If we can stop the progression, we will call it a success.' Later, Brian would tell me that his mind started reeling with images of wheelchairs and chair lifts and moving to a single story home. I did not. I clung stubbornly to my hope of ‘4 days down, 4 days back.’”

The doctors finished their tests and admitted Betsy down at the U. She was able to FaceTime with their 2 and 4 year old and order a little something for dinner. As the doctors made their rounds, one looked at her plate of food and told her to, "Enjoy your dinner. I think you will be intubated tonight so it will be the last one you eat for a while."  

To the doctors' surprise, Betsy wasn't intubated that night. Respiratory therapists came every 3 hours, testing the strength of her diaphragm with each blow. While her capacity was certainly diminished, it did not dip low enough to require mechanical breathing, and Brian and Betsy survived the night while Betsy received rounds of IVIG to “put a bandaid” on the paralyzing symptoms of GBS.  

 

When the weekend passed and discharged was discussed, Betsy's  condition remained unchanged. The "4 days down, 4 days back" optimism plummeted, and doctor after doctor came in to encourage her to transfer to St. Luke's for inpatient rehabilitation instead of trying to head home. The last doctor looked her in the eyes and said, "I know you are anxious to get home to your kids, and I know that a few weeks away from them in the hospital feels like forever. But I would rather see you take weeks or months away from them now to get back to 100% then live forever at 70% and never fully recover." 

His perspective convinced her, and later that day, Brian and Betsy travelled back north to Cedar Rapids where they checked in to St. Luke's 6West, inpatient rehabilitation unit. 

Convinced it would be a few quick days if she could try hard enough, Betsy gave it her all. When her Physical Therapist met her in her room, he asked if she knew how to transfer onto the bed, and she confidently  replied that she could get into the bed on her own... and quickly collapsed on the floor.   

Recovery wasn't quick or painless. It involved a devastating relapse and more time spent down at the University of Iowa Hospital.

Married at barely 20, Brian and Betsy had been doing life together for over a decade. Their relationship had started in high school at Cedar Valley with notes scribbled on notebook paper before being folded into little triangular footballs and passed across the classroom. They’d gotten married early and forged into adulthood, side by side. 

Now, Brian washed her hair and shaved her legs. The “in sickness” part of their vows was tested in new ways, but he held her hand and didn’t let go, even when the days were hard. There were faints and falls and so many tears of discouragement and frustration. 

 

But there was also grace upon grace. 

"When we came back from our second stay down at the U, Brian and I decided to make a thankfulness banner and write down something we were specifically thankful for each day. I came back to St. Luke's with a new perspective and the most indescribable peace and joy. We never felt as perfectly in God's will as we were for those 5 weeks in the hospital. We could control NOTHING about our circumstances,  but we clung to the One who could. And what used to be painful, discouragingly slow progress suddenly felt like small little miracles that we got to celebrate each day."

Betsy did go on to miss Hudson's first day of preschool at CVCS. She missed 35 tuck ins at bedtime and 5 weeks of snuggles at naps. 

But she experienced God's sustaining grace in entirely new and tangible ways during that time. Every step she took was a literal miracle, and gift upon undeserved gift was savored in the form of ditching the wheelchair, walker, cane until at last she was home, hugging her babies and climbing steps all on her own.

Eventually, after 5 weeks in the hospital and several more months of outpatient physical therapy, Betsy did make a total and complete recovery. In the spring, their 3rd child- a girl- was born healthy, spunky, and whole.

Brian says, “I remember Mr. Fogle sharing an illustration in Family Living class during high school. When you are young and single, you are like a piece of stone, freshly broken free, covered in rough edges, near the head of a stream. But as time passes and you are tumbled down the stream, bumping into marriage, kids, and life, those rough edges become refined and worn off until at the end a smooth, polished stone emerges.”

GBS provided quite the refining current, and that stream led in some unexpected ways. But neither Brian nor Betsy would change the events of that summer and fall in 2015 for anything, ever thankful for the growth and grace that they ultimately provided.  

Today, the Banowetz family takes a lot of hikes. 

And every step is a gift, no matter how high they climb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melanie (Andrew) Lynch, class of 2002 

Melanie (Andrew) Lynch has a giggle and smile that light up a room. She rolls with most everything thrown at her with a calm and even keel grace that inspires. She is quick to befriend and eager to help out and serve. She pours herself into the friendships and people in her life. 

She’s a wife, a mother to three, and a friend to many. She is also an assistant in the Preschool room at Cedar Valley, a room where she was once a student herself. 

“Cedar Valley is like a family. When I’ve had some tough times- when my dad died, it was those Cedar Valley people were the first ones to comment and reach out.” 

Even classmates who weren’t overly close friends reached out after her dad’s passing and commented on the impact he had made on their life. 

“I didn’t even realize that he was a dad  for others who grew up seeing him around. His being nice was especially meaningful for some who didn’t have a father figure. It made me realize his presence was impactful in a way I didn’t think it was.” 

Her family impacted others due to the tightly woven community that developed as students, together with their parents and siblings, experienced life together on basketball road trips, sat together on bleachers in various gyms, and filled the chairs in the auditorium for drama productions. Family- ones own and the kind that was formed through years spent living life in community together- defined her experience as a student at CVCS. 

Teachers were not inaccessible authority figures at Cedar Valley, but they became role models and mentors, extensions of that school family that left indelible marks on her life.

Melanie was forever shaped by Amy Fulkerson. Mrs. Fulkerson taught Leadership, an elective course that was a bit of a Bible study with a lot of mentoring and discipleship at its core.

Amy continually pointed her to Christ, and in a real and relational way, she continually encouraged her love for Jesus. Because of Amy’s role in her life, Melanie’s college choice was impacted. She later became deeply involved in college ministry at school because of that relationship as well.

“Amy shared simple, easy, tangible ways to make your relationship with God more personal. Those were impactful things that stayed with me forever. Amy’s role in my life impacted where I chose to go to college, and I decided to become involved in a campus ministry because she told me she had been. That really helped me in college as I strove to make my faith totally my own, and the things she shared continue to shape my life.”

Cedar Valley, with its small class sizes and diverse community provided opportunities for Melanie to learn to find commonalities and forge friendships with all kinds of people. The resulting tight knit family feel that developed has translated into life-long friendships and relationships that have lasted through the years.

The bonds run deep even now with fellow CVCS alumni. 

“We have this common shared experience that will connect us forever.” 

Melanie is back at CVCS in the classroom now, and she works with the teachers that have her children as their students. She’s got a front row seat to the level of care and the incredible investment of love and time that each teacher pours into their students at Cedar Valley. 

Looking back on her time at CVCS, Melanie notes excellent academic preparation and instruction, making her four years at Iowa State University much more enjoyable and far less stressful. 

But it was the people that she spent each day with that have shaped her life forever.

And it is those people, this school, that she entrusts her kids today.

Tyler Snodgrass (2020)

  • When you reflect back on your experience at CVCS, what are 2-3 experiences or moments that stand out? How have those experiences shaped you in any way? 

"One of the first things that stood out to me was the fellowship. I recall an experience after one of the first drama productions I participated in. There was a tradition of going out to eat after performances and relax as a cast of people. It was very encouraging to have this fellowship and inclusion for someone new coming to the school.

Another experience I recall was the deeper discussions we had in various Bible study classes. The open willingness of the teachers to converse about deeper or more controversial topics from a biblical perspective was immensely encouraging!"

  • What were some ways that CV prepared you for life after high school or ignited a passion to pursue Jesus?

    "My identity had been solidified throughout Cedar Valley. During my time as a student, I learned what it meant to be a Christian beyond just knowledge. Christ became the center of my life and the truth in all that I do. With such truth and identity, how can I not be passionate? This led me to want to join a campus ministry as soon as I got to college. Having joined the Navigators, this identity continues to be shaped and honed towards serving and glorifying God! I continue to learn what it means to take steps of obedience of faith, and be wholly, completely fulfilled by my loving Creator."

  • What were your friendships like at CV? Are there any that continue on today? Are there any ways that those friendships have changed your life?

My relationships and friendships have always been fairly diverse. They have taken on a mix of those older than me who can speak into my life, those younger than me whom I can speak into their lives, and cohorts my own age to walk alongside me. In Cedar Valley, I found many classmates who I built friendships with and struggled alongside. More notably than this was the appreciation I have for some of the older graduates above me. The maturity- both academically and spiritually- always encouraged me, and some of the men I still frequently interact with today.

  • Think about what makes you uniquely you or life-shaping moments that challenged you in some way. Are there ways that your responses were impacted or shaped at all because of your time at CVCS?

"Certainly the rigors of college have been substantially reduced due to the excellent tutelage of those caring mentors at Cedar Valley. My ability to speak into the lives of others shines brighter and more passionately because of my experiences at Cedar Valley. Academically speaking, the stress of class is nearly invisible because of the rigorous preparation we had. This brings so much free time, and much more peace, academically speaking, so that I may focus on speaking into the lives of others. Even finals week was something which- although stressful at minor points- was never overwhelming. I can better serve others and God as a result."

  • What makes you feel most excited and energized?

"That which reminds me of God. As mentioned, beauty is something that greatly inspires me. This is largely because of how God has worked in my life. The story of the Bible and the Gospel is a beauty to behold, and a gift to all Christians. Hearing the stories of others, sharing my own story with men I can walk alongside, and discipling energize me beyond description. I am very emotionally driven, and empathize well with others. Being able to walk alongside them and speak deeply into each other’s lives is an absolute delight! There is also much to be said about sharing beauty with others. It is not simply something I exclusively keep to myself. To sing, perform, tell stories, hike mountains, and witness the rising of the sun sparks the fires in my soul which point me back to God. To share in that with others is an amazing experience!"

  • What moments that stood out from his time at CV in how they shaped him in some way (maybe how school there shaped his worldview, an incident or class or teacher that impacted how he views others or the Lord?)

"It is hard to visualize a singular moment which shaped me. The process of growing in my walk as a Christian cannot be summarized to instantaneous moments. However, I can say that Cedar Valley formed and shaped me over the years I attended there. The ability of the teachers to show their caring for the students is a blessing many take for granted in the moment. The encouragement, the guidance, and the mentorship they showed us students is encouraging in many ways. It prepared me and oriented me towards pursuing God in college."

  • Who are individuals from CV who forever shaped who you are? What are some encounters with them or things that they said that stand out? In what ways have they impacted you?

    "Robin Crow has been a large influence in my life. The vibrant passion she has for God intertwined with the arts is inspiring as I pursue a career in music. The emphasis on serving others while also pursuing excellence in the arts is something that I look up to, and continue to cultivate in college. Beauty itself is something which glorifies and points towards God, and as I use the gifts He has given me, I’m often reminded of the experiences in speech, drama, and music all throughout high school.

  • Now that you're a college student, what perspective has that given you in regard to your time at CVCS?

"I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate the knowledge which Cedar Valley’s staff imparted to us students. College has been infinitely easier due to their efforts. Most notably, the ability of our teachers to push us in Cedar Valley, infused a sense of discipline and direction academically that makes college level pursuits much easier. I find myself often in awe of how much preparation they gave us going into college! Those lessons have been a true blessing in pursuing my major and the ministry in college."