The Lake Nelson Adventist Academy Difference

Story by Samantha Rivera

On the outside, New Jersey Conference's Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA), located in Piscataway, doesn’t look like your typical academy. It’s small exterior is a major deception to the big things happening inside. Just by looking at the school, you wouldn’t be able to tell how much of an impact it makes on the students who attend.

I have attended LNAA since I was three; I’m now a senior. I’ve learned what true service is by being here. I have seen how the teachers and staff go above and beyond for their students, whether it’s for educational or spiritual purposes. The principal and teachers show a love toward the students and community that has touched me and taught me how to emulate the character of Jesus. LNAA has a legacy of blessing students in big ways. This is the LNAA difference.

Jaya Gibbons, a senior and the Student Association president, first experienced the LNAA difference as a kindergartener, left for a time, and returned as a high school freshman. She returned because she craved “a place of equality toward all cultures; love and kindness among students and teachers; and a place where [she could] grow both spiritually and intellectually.” Gibbons explains that the teachers make God real in everything they do at school.

Vanessa Guerro (’19) shares, “LNAA was a second home to me for 13 years of my life, and I believe the spiritual focus there is the greatest reason it stands out among other academies. God is the foundation of every class, trip, project and program. The teachers provide students with an exceptional and stimulating classroom environment and curriculum that truly challenges and engages a student’s mental abilities.”

Steven Henry (’19) came from a public school experience and had to adjust to the LNAA difference. He says, “I realized how much Lake Nelson prepared me with the proper mindset to face all that comes my way in the real world. While I was there, I saw how much the teachers genuinely care about, not only my physical and mental well-being, but my spiritual state as well. The school really stresses the importance of a healthy relationship with God, our Creator.”

The LNAA difference is the genuine God-fearing, family-like, servant-centered ministry of all who teach and attend the school. As I prepare to graduate in 2020, I am forever grateful because it has instilled in me a character for eternity. LNAA’s difference is its legacy.