LifeTalk

Vinny Sigona 2022

 

NOTICE - click to register for the 2024 Alumni Flag Football tournament! The date is Friday, November 29th starting at 10:30 am at Lions Stadium. Lunch will be served by The Hamburger Man!!!

 

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

 

You’re going to love this alumni podcast with Vinny Sigona - his story highlights so many of the incredible things about PCA - Minimester, incredible faculty and coaches who love Jesus and loved Vinny well, and God at work in and through the lives of our students and programs! We are excited for Vinny’s future - both on and off the basketball court!

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of Alumni Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

The Forge Movie Review/Promo

Guests: Aaron Ulmer (PCA alumni, Class of 2007), Stephen Bryant (PCA staff, coach, and dad), Mike Thornberry (PCA dad), Chris Housewright (PCA dad), and Dan Panetti (PCA staff and dad)

 

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

 

The Forge is the latest movie from the incredible Christian movie producers the Kendrick Brothers (Alex, Stephen, and Shannon), who brought Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, and War Room to the big screens. This new movie is about the process of making a man - and it’s a powerful story of prayer, forgiveness, redemption, and salvation! 

 

The Forge opens in theaters across the country on Friday, August 23, 2024.

 

In the movie, Joshua Moore (older man, business owner) asks a younger Isaiah some important questions that cause Isaiah to pause and evaluate his life and future - here are those questions:

 

• 5 years from now, where do you want to be?

• What ways do you want to grow in the next year?
• What kind of man do you want to be?
• What do you want people to think when they see you coming?

 

The Forge isn’t a “self-help” movie about making better decisions - Isaiah surrenders his life to Christ and as he begins to follow Jesus, his life and decisions are radically changed! The Forge also highlights the importance of walking in community - surrounded by others to hold us accountable and encourage us on our journey!

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of Alumni Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

Madi (Paulette) Ahnquist 2010

Madison (Madi) is the third child of the Paulette family - all four (Alex, Jenna, Madi, and Garrett) graduated from PCA. Their mom, Traci, was a beloved Kindergarten teacher for 13 years at PCA. In 2019 Madi moved to Nashville, TN where she has been living and working. Madi has been teaching art for 10 years and a couple of years ago transitioned to an elementary art position at Lipscomb Academy. Madi met Smith Ahnquist near the end of her cancer journey and they were married on June 10, 2023. A large part of Madi’s story is her diagnosis and battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29, which was a huge shock for a health-conscious young woman. Her journey is filled with incredible highs and lows and times when God showed up and provided for her in miraculous ways!

 

Check out the Penguin Cold Caps site to learn more about this amazing technology to help protect your hair during chemo treatments.

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of Alumni Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

Samantha Seal 2020

 

Samantha is the oldest of Scott and Julie Seal’s children. Her brother Bennett graduated from PCA in 2023, and her sister Emerson is currently a freshman at PCA (class of 2027).

 

Samantha’s favorite memories of PCA begin with the powerful influence of her minimester trips! She was also very involved in PCA Theatre and was a very strong academic student. She matriculated from PCA to The University of Texas at Austin where she graduated in 2023. Samantha was also very involved in PBC’s youth choir and their choir mission trips and Fall Follies.

 

Samantha appreciates the Biblical worldview foundation that was established and cultivated during her time at PCA, especially with her involvement in Student Leadership Institute (SLi) and the Biblical Worldview Institute conferences each year.

 

Samantha was encouraged to apply to UT, an institution that is clearly unfriendly to a Biblical worldview - and she was asked by Dr. Moss if she needed more time in the temple or if she was ready to go to Babylon (metaphor for UT and the world). As Samantha prayed about where the Lord would want her to attend college, she felt the Lord leading her to UT and felt prepared and equipped by her time at PCA for the challenges and opportunities ahead of her in Austin! While at UT, Samantha worked for the Texas State Legislature and found her passion for politics!

 

Be praying for Samantha as she is currently living and working in Washington D.C. as the Special Assistant to Executive Director Chad Wolf and Strategic Communications Coordinator at America First Policy Institute.

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of PCA Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

David Heasley 2007

David started at PCA in sixth grade and graduated in 2007. His sister Kathryn (‘10) and brother Jonathan (‘16) attended and graduated from PCA as well. In addition to playing sports at PCA, David was also involved with a couple of the PCA musicals - Bye Bye Birdie and Thoroughly Modern Millie! David went to Honduras on one of his minimester trips and it was not only fun and a culture-shock, it was a spiritually transformative experience in his life and where he developed a heart for adoption!

 

David was hired by the late Brent Trammel (PCA dad with Jennalee have three boys and PCA alumni - Chase (‘15), Cole (‘19) and Tate (‘22)) and Rob Snyder to join their team at Karl Stortz and was sent up to Denver, CO with this position. David and Abby got married, moved to Colorado, and had a daughter born with special needs - a lot for a young family to deal with. If you’d like to learn more about David and Abby’s journey, check out their blog called Life with Hattie. Hattie was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal deletion known as 1Q43Q44 and is extremely rare, in fact there are only 55 reported cases in the world. David and Abby have two other daughters named Shiloh and Neela (adopted from India).

 

Don’t forget these upcoming PCA alumni events:

• Alumni Christmas breakfast/brunch - Saturday, December 16, 10:00 a.m., Stonebriar Country Club - bring the whole family for food, fellowship, and pictures with Santa!
• PCA North Alumni Christmas party, Friday evening, December 15, 6:00 p.m. at Pizzeria Testa, 8660 Church St, Frisco, TX
• Alumni Pickleball Challenge, Sunday, January 3, 2024, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the SFC at Prestonwood Plano

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of PCA Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

PCA Alumni Council, featuring Chase Hilbert (’04) and Madison (Gurley) Lewis (’13)

 

We had a great conversation with PCA Alumni Council president Chase Hilbert and communications committee member Madison (Gurley) Lewis about their time at PCA, some of the highlights, and many changes from when they walked the halls to where PCA is today! So many great memories - Homecoming, Minimester, some great teachers/experiences - enjoy reminiscing with Chase, Madison, and Alex on this program. If you’d like to watch this conversation, check out the PCA YouTube page here!

 

Make sure you look for some outstanding new ventures being rolled out by the PCA Alumni Council in the months ahead!

 

Alumni, we also want you to know about some upcoming events for you:

• Alumni flag football game, Friday, November 24, starting at 10:30 a.m. at Lion’s Stadium in Plano
• Alumni Christmas breakfast/brunch - Saturday, December 16, 10:00 a.m., Stonebriar Country Club - bring the whole family for food, fellowship, and pictures with Santa!
• PCA North Alumni Christmas party, Friday evening, December 15, 6:00 p.m. at Pizzeria Testa, 8660 Church St, Frisco, TX
• Alumni Pickleball Challenge, Sunday, January 3, 2024, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the SFC at Prestonwood Plano

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of PCA Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

PCA Theatre featuring Pam Hurt and Joel T. Rutherford

 

We had a fun and engaging conversation with PCA theatre teacher Pam Hurt and fine arts director Joel T. Rutherford about some (almost all) of the incredible theatre presentations that PCA has performed over the years.

If you would like to WATCH this episode on YouTube, click here!

 

About PCA’s Theatre program:

Prestonwood Christian Academy has an award-winning and nationally-recognized theatre program that strives to provide Middle and Upper School students with a creative and multidisciplinary art form.

 

One of our objectives is to prepare serious theatre students for a future career in the theatre if that is their desire. Beyond that, by participating in theatre, students will gain preparation for whatever path they choose in life by creating good work habits, time management skills, poise and cooperative learning experiences. We believe that the arts are an epicenter of influence in our culture today and Christians need to be leading the way in creativity and excellence.

 

Some of the PCA alumni mentioned include: Jarrod Monk (‘04), Lindsey Prowse (‘08), Reid Corbin (‘12), Madison Paulette (‘10), Jenna Paulette (‘07), Alex Paulette (‘06), Alyse Ullery (‘11), Mollie-Claire Matthews (‘19), Harrison Ross (‘07), Chris Silverberg (‘09), Natalie Williams (‘09), Nick Daigle (‘11), Will Thomas (‘11), Ben Stidham (‘11), Reece Moore (‘19), Tony Reed (‘12), Lindsay Jones (‘11), Nate Jones (‘13), Hunter Hall (‘20), Avery Rudd (‘18), Janielle Kastner (‘08), Rebecca Birkenmeier (‘15), David Smith (‘18), Joshua Rutherford (‘21), Macaulay Hopper (‘10), Logan Daugherty (‘23), Logan Doyle (‘19), Jeremy Horstman (‘19), Timothy Crisp (‘18), Zach Albracht (‘17), Paige Price (‘17),   

 

The Fall play this year for the Plano campus is 12 Angry Jurors and show dates and times at PCA’s Black Box Theatre include Thursday, Nov. 2nd at 7:30 pm, Friday, Nov. 3rd at 7:30 pm, Saturday, Nov. 4th at 1:30 pm, and Saturday, Nov. 4th at 7:30 pm (click day for tickets).

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of PCA Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

PCA Blue and Golds

Guests: Katie (Nicols) Ellis, ‘04 Alumni, and Alex (Paulette) Bellamy, ‘06 Alumni and PCA Director of Alumni Relations

 

There are 27 Alumni families enrolled in PCA at the North and Plano campuses! These “Blue and Golds” families are parent(s) who are Alumni of PCA and have brought their children to PCA as students - which is so awesome!

 

Katie (Nicols) Ellis has a daughter, Elizabeth, in Pre-K4 at the North Campus and Alex (Paulette) Bellamy has three children enrolled at the Plano Campus - Cade (6th), Stone (4th), and Blair (1st).

 

PCA Alumni who are looking into enrolling their children at PCA, you need to know that there is an Alumni discount!

 

Also, Alumni we’d love to reconnect with you at some upcoming events:

 

Homecoming - North campus (Oct. 6th) and Plano campus (Oct. 20th) there will be various activities and festivities at each campus to welcome back our alumni! The Plano campus will also feature the Alumni Art Show. Let us know if you are coming and if want to walk with alumni in the parade by using this link. 

 

PCA Alumni - Please update your personal contact information here and if you would like to connect with Alex Bellamy, Director of PCA Relations, you can email her at abellamy@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

Kyser Boys (Kaleb ’10, Chandler ’12, and Max ’18)

We had a fun and engaging conversation with three outstanding young men who not only enjoyed their time at PCA, but also have gone on to continued success at college and in life. Kaleb Kyser (2010) is the oldest of the three Kyser boys followed closely by Chandler (2012) and then there’s a little gap before the youngest Max (2018) comes along. While Max is the only “lifer” of the three, Kaleb and Chandler started at PCA in the LS and spent the vast majority of their educational time at PCA. After attending Baylor University (yes, all three of them did), they are now all back in the DFW Metroplex working in a variety of fields - Kaleb and Chandler are married and are relatively new parents, while Max is recently engaged to his high school sweetheart and fellow PCA alumni Madie Cook (2017).

 

Enjoy the conversation, laughter, and great memories shared by Kaleb, Chandler, and Max Kyser - all PCA Lions at heart to this day.

 

Alumni - update your personal contact information here.

 

PCA alumni - if you would like to connect with Veronica Erickson, you can email her at verickson@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

PCA Legend: Mrs. Pattillo

Guest: Mrs. Beth Pattillo

 

Mrs. Pattillo did an incredible job as the “gatekeeper” for PCA working at the front desk for over a decade (2003-2014). Listen to her tell you about her journey to PCA with her boys Brian (class of 2003) and David (class of 2005). Did you know that Mrs. Pattillo was a substitute teacher at PCA before she started working at the front desk? Did you know what she taught French? Were you one of Mrs. Pattillo’s legendary “office aids?” Do you remember her “Good morning PCA” greeting every morning?! There is so much more to Mrs. Pattillo that you ever imagined!

 

What our alumni have to say about their memories of Mrs. Pattillo:

“Legend”

“Absolutely nobody like her”

“If Larry Taylor was the head, Mrs. Pattillo was the neck”

“Mrs. Pattillo was the beginning and end of our days at PCA”

 

Alumni - update your personal contact information here.

 

PCA alumni - if you would like to connect with Veronica Erickson, you can email her at verickson@prestonwoodchristian.org

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!