Sierra Lutheran: The Considered Alternative

The weights and measures of life are unique to each of us. For some, achievement is a destination assessed by material success through life’s work. For others, prosperity might be appraised through individual or more esoteric means. In either circumstance, our success is generally equal to our motivation.

However, when it comes to considering what type of legacy we’re leaving, many find themselves pausing for reflection. And when it comes to considering what sort of personal contribution one is making to ensure the next generation of leaders have the best alternatives for academic, social, and spiritual growth the silence is often deafening.

To this end, I encourage you to contemplate three significant reasons to consider Sierra Lutheran High School (SLHS) as an alternative to prepare your student for today, tomorrow, and eternity…

Consider TODAY…

The National Center for Education Statistics administers the standardized National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to test the knowledge and skills of the nation’s students. According to the NAEP, a "significantly higher percentage of private school students score at or above the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels than public school students" (NAEP, 2009). This has manifested itself at Sierra Lutheran through its SAT scores where SLHS students score, on average, 121 points higher than the national average and 160 points higher than the state average.

Consider TOMORROW…

From 2007-2011, Sierra Lutheran High School saw 99-percent of its graduates matriculate on to college, with 75 percent (2009-11) heading on to an array of outstanding 4-year colleges and universities. This is juxtaposed to less than 42-percent of the public school students in Nevada who graduate from high school, which is the lowest rate in the country (Education Week, 2010). It is also juxtaposed to only 29-percent of the state’s public school students who go on to college after high school, which is also the nation’s lowest rate (College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, 2010). The divider is SLHS’s commitment to providing strategic, one-on-one counseling through the institution’s College & Career Planning Program, which places a premium on providing individualized care and focus on each student’s graduation plan.

Consider ETERNITY…

In a recent Gallup Poll that posed a number of questions relating to spirituality, almost 92 percent of the respondents said they believe in God. However, despite the relatively unchanged plurality of Americans who report they believe in God, the results revealed a disturbing decrease in younger Americans who profess such faith. The May, 2011, Gallup Poll reported that only 84-percent of young people ages 18-29 believed in God, the lowest of any group surveyed. This downward trend supports the need to provide northern Nevada families a top-tier, Christian, college preparatory education to help our students become tomorrow’s leaders. A life of success is centered on what one takes from life. A life of significance is what one gives in return. Considering the alternative of a first-rate Christian education is not merely a significant legacy you provide your student, it is also your contribution to helping ensure that tomorrow’s Christian leaders can become change agents for a better world.

Come see how Sierra Lutheran is "Preparing Students for Today, Tomorrow, and Eternity."

God Bless,

Brian P. Underwood Executive Director