Recently I was waiting in line to order a coffee while I was at TWU, when I heard a voice from across the atrium. “Mr. Cumiskey?”
This isn’t unusual if you’ve worked in education. Bumping into former students is normal. As the alum came up to me for a little coffee-lineup chit-chat, she asked an important question that caught me off guard: “What do you miss most about ACS?”
The question made me pause and think.
It’s been just about a year since I began working at Trinity Western University. It has been a rich experience and a steep learning curve. I’d say it was a natural professional progression move to TWU. I finished my education and thought this next step would take me… somewhere. I wasn’t sure where, but I was (and still am) convinced that God was moving me toward something different.
Before I could respond, the next voice I heard was: “Mike, same as usual?”
I gave my order and, before I could continue, we were shuffled aside. I never did respond. I couldn’t shake that question. After lying awake with it bouncing around in my head, I think I finally have an answer.
People.
One of the greatest gifts of stepping away from a community is gaining perspective on it.
There is something both familiar and slightly surreal about walking back into a place that once felt like home.
After spending the last year away from Abbotsford Christian School, I’ve had the unique opportunity to return, this time in a new role as director of community engagement. While the title is different and I need to take the stairs to get to my office now, what I miss most is clear: the people, the mission, and the shared desire to help students discover who God created them to be.
Rare and Valuable
Over the past year, I connected with different students, organizations, leaders, and staff. TWU wrestles with many of the same questions as ACS:
- How do we point students to Jesus?
- How do we build belonging for each student in our care?
- How do we prepare young people for an increasingly complex world?
- How do we create meaningful community in a culture that often feels disconnected?
The more conversations I had, the more I realized that what happens at ACS is increasingly rare and incredibly valuable. ACS has never simply been a school. It is a community that gathers around a shared vision of Christian education. It’s where families, staff, churches, alumni, and supporters all play a part in shaping students’ lives.
That’s not something to take for granted.
My wife, Amy, and I often say that we’re all in with ACS. Our four boys are here, we both work here, we show up for events, we volunteer, and we even attend Northview Church on Sundays, AT ACS! It’s not something we do. It’s a big part of who we are.
Some of the most meaningful moments from the past year came through conversations, like a chance meeting with an alum. These small interactions reinforced something I’ve always believed: people want to belong to something meaningful. And ACS has a compelling story worth joining.
Looking Ahead
As I begin this new chapter as the director of community engagement, I’m excited to reconnect with many familiar faces and meet families I haven’t yet had the privilege of knowing.
I don’t have all the answers, but with four boys spread across three campuses, I do have some tips and tricks to share! What I do have is a deep conviction that God is at work at ACS and that there is incredible potential when a community rallies around a common purpose.
I’m grateful to be back. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve.
And I’m looking forward to discovering together how we can strengthen the connections between our school, our families, and the broader community. After all, Christian education has never been a solo endeavour. It’s a community project.
And I’m excited to help build it with you.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?