Mike’s first order of business when he became the administrator at Greenville Christian Academy was to make the school’s curriculum accredited, which he did with the help of Miss Shela Conrad at Abeka.

“When I arrived at Greenville Christian Academy, the curriculum was unaccredited,” said Mike. “I was given a year and a half to make it accredited.” Imagine the short wave of anxiety that such an impending deadline might have caused for someone largely unfamiliar with the inner workings of an educational system. Or the massive stack of paperwork that Mike was getting ready to tackle. “Yeah, it was a process,” he said. “Those first few months involved a lot of preparing, planning, and praying.”

But from the outset, working with Miss Shela Conrad at Abeka, Mike managed the task. She was there to answer his every question and guide him through the journey. Needless to say, Abeka wants what’s best for its educators and students.

Today, Mike is the administrator and a teacher at a flourishing Christian school in a vibrant community. Greenville, North Carolina, where Greenville Christian Academy is located, was named one of the country’s “100 Best Communities for Young People” by the America’s Promise Alliance. Also, Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina’s Tidewater and Coastal Plain.

Perhaps that was some of the draw for Mike when he made the decision to move his family from Pensacola, Florida, where he served as the administrator at Campus Church. Until Greenville Christian Academy approached him, he’d never even considered making the switch to education. “I was excited about the opportunity to move into the educational side of administration,” Mike said. “The school said, ‘Come on up anyways and we’ll make sure you’re able to obtain your PhD.’’ His administrative and organizational skills would be put to the test. But as we now know, Mike approached the new venture with confidence and humility.

It’s been four years into his journey at GCA, and Mike has been busy. He’s helped grow enrollment to 220 students with 30 full-time staff. He’s implemented and overseen the school’s zero-tolerance policy for bullying, making Greenville Christian Academy a safe place where students don’t even have to put a lock on their lockers. He teaches two classes: pre-Latin and Bible. Meanwhile, he still tends to his administrative duties on a daily basis, which include monitoring classrooms and hallways, handling disciplinary matters, conducting the admissions process – the list goes on. Ofcourse, there is the reflection of his early efforts to give students in and around Greenville the opportunity to attend an accredited and thriving Christian school.

“That’s been a huge draw for us,” Mike said. “A lot of parents say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe you guys use Abeka. It’s the curriculum we grew up on and one we trust.’ To hear that really gives me peace of mind about the future of Greenville Christian Academy.”