Saturday, May 13 | 9:30am-12:30pm
700 N. Main St., Sellersville, PA
Faith Christian Academy's FORWARD Conference 2017 is all about helping middle/high school students and their parents move forward confidently into college, career, and beyond.
This event is completely free, open to the public, and designed to equip each guest with real solutions to the variety of issues that students face in the transition out of high school.
"Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation."
-Seneca
Itinerary
*free food available at the Exhibits!*
- 9:30 Exhibits Open
- 10:00 Workshop 1
- 10:45 Break/Exhibits
- 11:15 Workshop 2
- 12:00 Exhibits
Workshop Speakers
Each speaker will bring a focused perspective on preparing students for their next step beyond high school. The workshops will cover a broad range of topics: financial, spiritual, occupational, academic, and more. We are confident that both parents and students will find each session informational and inspirational.
Sam Feeney
My College Life Coach
Sam is the founder of MyCollegeLifeCoach.com, a company dedicated to helping families make the best educational decisions possible. He earned an English degree from Bucknell University and a Master’s degree in School Counseling from Eastern University, along with his life coach certification from Elite Life Coaching.
Sam is passionate about helping students design an amazing life so they can choose the college that will equip and empower them to live that life. He is the author of Choose the Perfect College… for You!, and he leads The Academy, an online community where students take courses and receive coaching for choosing a career, applying to college, and getting the most from it all.
Bill Leach
Thrivent Financial
Thrivent has been providing workshops at FCA throughout the 16-17 school year, and they have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the financial process of college admissions. Bill's workshop, "College Planning Strategies: Three Money Saving Strategies to help make college more affordable," will deepen a family’s understanding of:
- How the financial aid process works.
- The importance of planning ahead to help students attend the right college at an affordable cost.
- Making smart savings—and spending— decisions to maximize eligibility for financial aid and tax incentives, and minimize debt.
- How parents and students can effectively talk about educational finances.
Mitch Blatstein
Education Plus
"Navigating the Road to College" can be a daunting process, particularly for a family going through this for the first time. It is an individual journey and there is no one "right way" to travel this path. Mitch will share with you about some of the keys to the admissions process, with an emphasis on the standardized testing component, starting with the PSAT in 9th, 10th, and/or 11th grades, followed by the SAT, ACT, and/or SAT subject tests, in 11th and/or 12th grades. He will also discuss merit money or gift aid and how that relates to grades and standardized test results.
Razo Fernandez
Grand Canyon University Admissions
As an admissions counselor at one of the largest Christian Universities in the nation, Razo has a unique insider's look at the college admissions process. He will be bringing his knowledge to bear on many of the details surrounding college admittance, such as academic requirements, scholarships, application deadlines, and more.
Derek Melleby
OneLife/Lancaster Bible College
Why do people go to college? What is college for? What difference does the Biblical story make in the way we think about and approach the college years? This interactive session will wrestle with these questions and, Lord willing, participants will leave with a fuller, richer (3-D) vision for how to make the most of life after high school.
Derek is the Executive Director of OneLife Institute, a ministry that provides gap year programs focused on discipleship, travel, and service. He is the author of two books, Make College Count and Learning for the Love of God, and has a life-long passion to see students learn and grow as disciples of Jesus.
The Exhibits
Throughout the entire event, the exhibits will be open in the gymnasium for parents and students to pick up information from a session they may have missed, learn about a variety different resources, and engage 1-on-1 with the experts and professionals of college and career planning. In addition to our workshop speakers, we have also invited several other professionals to offer their knowledge and expertise at the exhibits.
SAT Math with Ben DeClerico
Ben is the Math Department Head at Faith Christian Academy, and he has dedicated significant time to helping students successfully approach the SAT Math test. He is offering summer courses to students throughout the local community seeking to raise their scores. Contact Ben
Off the Wall Discipleship
Off The Wall Ministry is all about making passionate disciple of Jesus Christ. Our campus in Ohio consists of five residential houses along with a new ministry center working as the hub for our teaching. We are a community of passionate disciples of Jesus who are committed to following Christ’s example of intentional life-on-life discipleship. Not only are students prepared and equipped spiritually, but also practically through different avenues of life skills training. Visit otwdiscipleship.com