These past 10 years, life has pulled and prodded me in many directions -? geographically, from Fresno to Portland, OR, for college, and currently to Chicago, IL, for graduate school; intellectually, from a fledgling interest in science and medicine to a fascination with biblical studies, ancient Semitic languages and civilizations, and religious philosophies; and relationally, as I am now married and a proud “father” of a French Bulldog-Boston Terrier mix, named Hermes -? away from my Central Valley roots.

The long and short of it is that, perhaps naturally, I hardly recognize the high school version of myself amidst the person I am today. A decade is a long time. The early, post-graduation exuberance of independence and self-discovery, the trials of love and loss, and the angst over transitioning from seemingly limitless potential to choices and the determinativeness of a career — to name but a few of life’s destinations -? served, so I perceived, to draw me only further from my days at Fresno Christian.

The recent reunion festivities celebrating the FCHS class of 2000 showed me, however, that the past is, in the end, not so far away. It was at Fresno Christian and not college, after all, where I first learned the importance of responsible citizenship, both in one’s community, nation, and the world; where I first explored the freedom of individual expression and voice; and where I began the ever-evolving and oft tortuous reflections that attempt to make sense of the most important yet enigmatic concepts of our lives, such as faith, love, justice, and peace.

I remain strongly committed to these ideas and ideals as a, dare I say it, “real” adult, so much so that I would be remiss not to credit the inspiring teachers, lasting friendships, and essential lessons of high school, perhaps uniquely so, for engendering them in me.

Make no mistake, reuniting with teachers and friends was filled with the requisite laughter and memories that are solely the purview of days as awkward but willing students-athletes-class representatives-musicians-rebels (or any of the other titles that define one in high school). At its core, though, the reunion was a reminder that the spirit of Fresno Christian is very much alive -? in me, in my classmates, in my teachers, and, consequently, in our spheres of influence and communities in which we currently find ourselves a part.

Jordan Skornik lives in Chicago with his wife Andria. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

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