Senior Testimonial: How Grace School Impacted "Lifer" Jess Borow

Hi, my name is Jess Borow, I’m a Senior, and I am a lifer at Grace Jr/Sr High School. I have had the most wonderful experience throughout my many years here. Every year I have been blessed to be surrounded by the most caring and loving staff and teachers who genuinely care about the students and their lives. Grace has been my biggest support system throughout my life and has been like a family to me. Going into my senior year this year has been really bittersweet because I know how much I am going to miss this campus’ environment and hospitality. I have been heavily involved in this school throughout my years, starting from leadership in third grade, to being the current ASB President. I love this school and wouldn’t have traded my experience for anything elsewhere. 

Grace Elementary school was the perfect place for me to be during my developmental years. I learned through a Biblical lens and was guided by my teachers on how to be successful when it came to my education. It was the perfect combination of fun mixed with learning. The fantastic field trips we went on, and all of the fun pull-outs they offered, made my childhood a blast. 

Grace pushes you academically, spiritually, and physically. With their rigorous courses, spiritual guidance, fine arts, and their outstanding athletic department, Grace pushes you to become a confident person and think outside the box. They don’t expect you to fit inside a specific box and all look and behave the same, but instead to be the unique self that God created you to be. 

During my time at Grace, I have tried it all. Almost every department the school had to offer I tested out. I never left any of those extracurricular activities feeling let down or not invested in. Grace invests in every area, no matter how experienced you are or not. For instance, when I joined golf with zero experience, I finished that season knowing I was able to try something new and be successful at it. Same thing with Theater; I did the Musical for the first time and left feeling more confident in my skills. 

Most importantly, out of all the areas I have been invested in, my walk with Christ has been the biggest impact from this school. I would not be where I am today, spiritually, if it weren’t for Grace and their dedication to making Christ the center of the school. Not only have I learned in my Bible classes about who God is and how to have a relationship with Him, but He is incorporated into all of my classes. Science shows His handprints in creation and the intricate design of how our bodies work, pointing toward proof of our creator. Math points to order and shows the logic behind how things like creation didn’t happen by chance. All of this has helped shape my understanding of a Biblical worldview, not only in the classroom, but even in after school activities and events. The school even let my friends and I put on a couple worship nights after school hours in the MPR, and teachers came and worshiped with us. 

If you want to send your kid to a place where they will be highly invested in, there is no better place than Grace. I say that not as someone trying to sell the school to you, but as someone who lived through as many years as you can through Grace. I experienced it, and this is my review of it. Picking a school to send your child to for multiple years of their life where they are still developing, is a very hard decision to make, but when Grace is one of the options, it seems so easy to me. I have built lifelong friendships here, and amazing relationships with the staff and have seen myself grow over my 15 years here. Grace has been like a family to me. 

I am now heading into a new season where I have to pick where I will be spending my next four years of my education to help start a career for the rest of my life. Since Grace has prepped me so well for College, I easily was able to make a decision on where my next steps would be. I got accepted into Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and because of Grace’s admissions partnership with the school, it made GCU a very affordable option. Not only that, but it also appealed to me that they have similar values to what Grace holds. I am forever grateful for the time I got to spend here, and I will cherish every last moment spent on this campus. I’m excited for this next chapter, and I feel highly confident that Grace has prepped me to flourish in college for these next four years. 

To wrap up, my favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:18, which states, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” This verse is actually a small chunk of Romans 8, which we memorize our senior year, and is such a good reminder. All the trials or sufferings we go through are not even worth comparing to what God has in store for us. Although growing up is scary and can be sad, He knows the plans He has for each and every one of us (Jeremiah 29:11).

-Jess Borow, Grace School Class of 2026. 5/15/26 JB/lh