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Academic and College Advising Newsletter - May 2025

Academic and College Advising Newsletter - May 2025
Class of 2025
Katie Gomulkiewicz, Dean of College and Academic Advising

Dear Parents,

This time of year is synonymous with new beginnings: flowers blooming, birds chirping, and high school seniors all around the country solidifying their college plans for next fall. Each student in the Class of 2025 is prepared to launch from Bear Creek and begin the next phase in his or her educational and life journey—it’s exciting! As Carol Miller mentioned in her recent Upper School Update, this year’s seniors received acceptances from over 113 different colleges and will be attending 32 different universities next year—a testament to Bear Creek’s philosophy of finding a best-fit college. These accomplishments are worthy of celebration, but this time of year also leads me to reflect on Bear Creek’s mission which ends with an outcome statement:

Our mission is to provide a high-quality, Christian liberal arts education in a nurturing environment that will enable each student to become the individual God intends.

Bear Creek’s mission reminds us of the bigger picture and purpose of this education. The end goal of a Bear Creek education is not for students to attend X or Y college but rather to equip them to become the individuals God intends. And, what a joy that is!

Clas of 2025 college sweatshirts

Class of 2025 in their college sweatshirts

The Class of 2025 will be spread out across the country next fall with a significant number of students heading to the Northeast and the South, while many others will stay closer to home in the Pacific Northwest. Students will begin their studies in business, aerospace engineering, marine biology, human resources, English, graphic design, education, mathematics, computer science, music, and chemistry, to name a few. Many will be joining Bear Creek alumni already studying at their respective universities, but some will be the first Bear Creek students to attend that college. 

As Socrates famously said, “education is the kindling of a flame not the filling of a bucket.” Bear Creek has lit the kindling, and we look forward to the ways in which God will shape the lives of each graduate as they matriculate.

Advising Continues

However, most Upper School students are not yet at the end of their Bear Creek journeys. As this school year winds to a close, Dean of Academic Advising Ayoleida Páramo and I are still meeting with freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to help them finish the year strong, and we will be available over the summer to meet with students (and parents) to discuss schedules for next year and help ensure that every student is prepared to successfully launch the 2025 – 2026 school year in the fall.

Additionally, as the members of the Class of 2026 ramp up their college application journeys, I will be hosting office hours and workshops to help them prepare college lists, essays, and the Common Application. See my recent email for details.

As always, if you have any questions, then please feel free to reach out to or schedule a meeting with Ayoleida Páramo (grades 9 and 10) or me (grade 11).

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

Please mark your calendar and heed the upcoming deadlines. All these events and deadlines are listed on the School Calendar and in The Bear Facts each week where you can click the event title to learn more about each one.

  • May 27: Last day to schedule make-up work
  • May 30: Last day for students to turn in late work
  • June 2 – 6: Humanities Project Presentations
  • June 9 – 10: Math and science final exams
  • June 9 – 12: Senior Capstone Project Presentations
  • June 14: Class of 2025 Commencement

Let’s send off the Class of 2025 with a huge congratulations and the following blessing from the Reverend Richard Halverson:

You go nowhere by accident.
Wherever you go, God is sending you.
Wherever you are, God has put you there;
He has a purpose in your being there.
Christ who indwells you has something He wants to do through where you are.
Believe this and go in His grace and love and power.

If you have any questions, then please feel free to reach out to me or Ayoleida (aparamo@tbcs.org).

Best,

Katie Gomulkiewicz '13
Dean of College and Academic Advising
kgomulkiewicz@tbcs.org

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