News & Articles

Joy in the Journey - Celebrating 5 Years!

May 18th, 2020

Originally posted May 18, 2020

5 Days of Celebration

Welcome to our week-long 5 Year Celebration of teaching Pacifica’s students to think and live well. Although we cannot gather in person for this momentous occasion, I invite you to join me online each day as we delight in all God has done in and through Pacifica over the past five years.

Launching Pacifica has been a thrilling endeavor. It has also been hard work for the hundreds involved. And yet the challenges we have experienced pale in comparison to the joy of transforming the lives of teenagers.Together, we seek—no doubt imperfectly—to recognize truth, to love others as ourselves, and to develop and share our gifts for the good of the world and for God’s glory!

Today, Pacifica is thriving! Although our inspiring students are not currently on our campus, their curiosity and creativity from home continues to amaze us! Together, they are pursuing an integrated-curriculum that prepares them to live good and meaningful lives regardless of their circumstances. 

That alone is cause for celebration, and yet there is so much more! This year, our students fielded 19 athletic teams, staged brilliant theatrical productions, and produced beautiful and thought-provoking art galleries, all while cultivating a vibrant campus culture that others want to join. And on Thursday, June 4, 2020, our third graduating class will leave Pacifica to live faithfully at home, in the marketplace, in the church, and in our wider world! These achievements were made possible by the strong foundation that was built over the previous five years.

In honor of these achievements, our online 5 Year Celebration begins today! Each day you will receive an email with links to videos, webpages, and fun surprises celebrating Pacifica’s founding. You can also follow along on Instagram and Facebook for additional stories! And for those who can, there will be opportunities to support our students through a gift to Pacifica's Annual Fund. 

I pray you will enjoy this celebration and remain with us in our steadfast devotion to teach these students, and the thousands more to come, to think and live well. It is our great joy to educate this generation to thrive in an unknown and ever-changing future—with faith, hope, and love! If we don't, then who will?

With joy,

David O’Neil
Head of School

David and I recognize these are challenging and uncertain times and inviting you to give may feel insensitive. Please know that is not our intent. However, with the cancelation of our Bloom benefit, which typically nets $300,000-$400,000 in donations to Pacifica’s Annual Fund, we will undoubtedly experience a shortfall this year. While we have plans to weather the financial challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacifica is in need of $250,000 to finish the year financially strong. Our needs may be sizable, but our vision and hope are much greater!

I hope you will prayerfully consider making a gift during this time of celebration!

Kathy Mellert
Director of Advancement