A Pampered Chef party led to Nikki Anderson’s journey to Grace Christian Academy.

Coming from a large family with five siblings, Nikki grew up in Michigan, Mississippi and Ohio following her father’s calling as a Baptist preacher. She eventually wound up in Florida, attending Pensacola Christian College where she met the man she has been married to for 30 years, Eric. The two have three children, Ashlee, Weslee and one in heaven.

Difficulty in life has reminded Susan of a favorite Lysa Terkeurst quote: “When I desperately want to know why something hard is happening, I remember, Jesus had all the answers and He still wept.”

How did Grace Christian Academy become an answer to many areas of Nikki’s life? Twenty-three years ago, she attended a neighbor’s Pampered Chef party. When picking up her order, she was handed an application for the new pre-k program at Grace Christian Academy. On the way to the pool, she dropped her application at the school, saying “that piece of paper ended up on the right desk at just the right time because God wanted me here at Grace.”

The school year had already started when Nikki met her class of 10 boys, no girls. With only army men, Lincoln logs and blocks along with two tables, mismatched chairs and one long shelf with hooks, Nikki and her boys were a class. She did have all the necessary curriculum to teach and she calls this career start, “a great first year.” 

Those 4-year-old boys cemented Nikki’s career, now at 23 years. She may have changed classrooms several times but never the age level.

Those first years in Pre-k produced her favorite milestone as well. During their first field day 22 years ago, on the grounds of the current high school building, kids engaged in games like sack race, plastic eggs on a wooden spoon and the 3-legged race. Now Nikki organizes the Pre-k field day on the football field and calls it her “favorite day of the school year.”

Teaching school at any level has its rewards and challenges. Although Nikki believes God gives her students to teach, she says they teach her something new every year. She might be a bit challenged with certain fears though. Nikki recalls when a mouse showed up snacking away at the birdseed art project on the shelving in her classroom. “I was the first one out the door, screaming all the way and my class spent the rest of the day in the church nursery because we were all too rattled to go back into the classroom.”

Grace has impacted their family too. Daughter Ashlee met her husband, Brandon, at Grace.

Son Weslee served in the Air Force and is now back home with the family.

Most teachers struggle with balancing work and personal life. Nikki understands the importance. She used to run for exercise, even running two half marathons but sore knees curtailed that extreme. Now she enjoys playing pickleball but her best days are coming in September when she becomes a “Nana” and knows she will love every minute of the new role.

Published by Knox TN Today.

Our students have competed in three rounds of ACSI's International Math Competition during this Spring semester. Thirty-five students from 3rd - 8th grade competed in two different categories, reasoning and computation. The first round was held on Feb. 5th.  

Congratulations to Nathan Johnson (3rd), Abram Stiltner (3rd) & Baylen Huff (4th)! We are so proud of each of our students who took on this academic competition. GCA was well represented by our students and their math knowledge.

Last week we had the honor and privilege to celebrate four of our student-athletes who will be continuing their academic and athletic careers at the next level.

Belle Jones - Johnson University
Natalie Gilmore - Roane State Community College
Cameron Mercer - Bryan College
Sydney Haun - Maryville College

Please help us congratulate these Rams!