Diving Into the Westminster Experience

"Thanks to the generosity of this community, financial aid opened the door to a better story for me than any I dared to dream."

Stevie Vines '09 is one of many Wildcats whose transformative Westminster experience was made possible by the extraordinary generosity of the community to the School's financial aid. Stevie shared his story with members of our Cornerstone Society when the group gathered in November as Westminster celebrated their spirit of philanthropy. Inspired by its history and committed to its future, these friends make a special investment by including the School in their estate plans.

While at Westminster, Stevie was a Peer Leader, the Donnie MacKaye, Jr. Memorial Award recipient, a three-time state diving champion, and an All-American diver.

Stevie came to Westminster as a freshman, but his relationship with the School began in seventh grade. He attended a public middle school in the early years of the No Child Left Behind Act; while he had always done well academically and was in the gifted program, the school's opportunities and environment didn't match his aspirations. "My school was on that left-behind list," he says. "I'd forgotten what it felt like to enjoy learning or going to school."

One day, Stevie's science class took a field trip to Westminster for a lecture on campus. He recalls the overwhelming sense of awe that filled him when walking around: "I remember being shocked by the abundance of unattended backpacks lying around, an indicator that this was a much more trusting environment than the one I'd left a few hours earlier," he says.

Westminster left a significant impression on Stevie, but he never dreamed it would be an option for his family. Stevie's dad owned a landscaping business, and his mom worked two jobs, but Stevie says private school always seemed to be "behind a locked door, inaccessible."

In fact, Stevie didn't plan to apply to Westminster for high school until a family friend recommended that he do so because of his interest in diving.

That friend also told Stevie about Westminster's financial aid program. "I started to see a way past that locked door," he says. "Financial aid was the key I never knew existed. I submitted a last-minute application, and to my surprise, I was admitted with a grant that led to four of the most transformative years of my life."

Stevie approached his first day of high school excited but very nervous. By the end of his first period English class with Jim Justice, he knew that he was in a place unlike any he had ever experienced: "In that class, and every other class that day, I met friends and teachers who would change my life. People like Thad Persons, Okorie Johnson, Eddie DuPriest, Lasley Gober, Ralph Geeza, the list goes on and on," he says.

The Westminster community provided a compassionate and loving welcome, and Stevie began to see himself in a new way. The School's unique emphasis on leading with conscience and challenging academics gave Stevie an opportunity to stretch himself in new ways while being supported by fellow students and caring faculty members.

Stevie's embodiment of the Wildcat spirit did not go unnoticed. The Donnie MacKaye, Jr. Memorial Award, which Stevie received in his junior year, recognizes a student who exemplifies the everlasting cheerfulness, concern for their fellow man, rare courage, and solid Christian faith.

Stevie remembers Westminster's inclusive Christian mission as one of the things that made a difference for him. "God used this place and the people in it to seek me and to find me," he says.

After graduating from Princeton in 2013, Stevie returned to Atlanta and now works as a software engineer. He continues to share his love for diving, now in a coaching role. As he told members of the Cornerstone Society, he has never forgotten the impact financial aid has made on his life:

"Every time I'm back on campus, I'm reminded of the foundation Westminster laid for me. A foundation that empowered me to thrive at Princeton as a student and an athlete and move out into the world with confidence. Thanks to the generosity of this community, financial aid opened the door to a better story for me than any I dared to dream. I'm so grateful to be a part of the Westminster family."

Westminster is thankful to the generous members of our community with the vision to invest in students like Stevie. To learn more about the Cornerstone Society, please visit our website or contact Lauren Flores at [email protected] or 404-609-6438.