St. John Lutheran School Testimonials

St. John Lutheran School Class of 2019 Alumnus Katelyn Dena

My name is Katelyn Dena and I was a member of the graduating class of 2019 at St. John Lutheran School. I am currently a student at SUNY Geneseo majoring in Economics with a minor in Spanish and marketing.  As I look back upon my life and my educational  journey, my time at St. John was by far the most impactful and memorable experience that truly shaped me into the person I am today. My parents first enrolled me at St.John when I was just entering kindergarten, and they chose St.John for a number of reasons.  The class sizes were much smaller,  sports were offered at a much younger age than most public schools, and most importantly students were able to grow and learn in an environment that was able to teach and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. St. John did in fact exceed the expectations that my parents had and I am forever grateful for my experience there. 

After I graduated from St. John I attended Niagara Wheatfield High School. This was definitely a big transition for me at the time because I had never attended a public school before. However, I was more than prepared academically and found myself applying several skills that I learned at St. John into highschool and even college. One thing in particular that St. John emphasized was the importance of holding yourself accountable and staying organized.  And I have found that to this day my organizational skills have allowed me to succeed not only in class, but in other aspects of life as well. Organization can lead to preparedness, and being prepared for something generally results in positive outcomes. I graduated as salutatorian of my Niagara Wheatfield senior class, Class of 2023.

As mentioned above St. John was an academically challenging school that was able to prepare its students for their future academic endeavors. And as important as this was, I found that it wasn’t just the academics that made St. John so special. From kindergarten all the way through 8th grade I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by such an amazing staff and my fellow classmates. In fact, my two best friends that I met in kindergarten are still my two best friends to this day. St. John gave me a second family and each day that I came to school I felt welcome and loved by those around me. At St. John students are taught to treat others as they would want to be treated, and this may be one of the most important messages any student could hear at a young age. 

St. John Lutheran School has impacted my life tremendously, and I look forward to seeing what the future generation of students will accomplish. 

Dr. Bryan Felstead, D.O.
St. John Lutheran School Class of 2011

When I think about the most positive things in my life, the years I spent at St. John were undoubtedly some of the most influential. From lifelong friends to the high-quality education I received here, it is hard to imagine myself without that influence. Some of the most impressionable years of a person’s life are the ones they spend in K-8th grade, and I personally feel that I am who I am today because of the people at St. John. I would like to personally thank everyone who had a part to play at the school during my time there, and I am very excited for the experiences that are ahead for current students!

Melissa (Carney) Maxwell, Director of Communications
Trinity Lutheran Church & School, Crown Point Indiana St. John Lutheran School Class of '99

St. John Lutheran School was the perfect place to lay the groundwork that propelled my passion for Lutheran schools. When I think about the core memories that my time at St. John brought, God’s hand was certainly evident: memories of working together with my basketball team going undefeated and winning the tournament, the determined look of our music teacher during the last practice before our Spring Concert, the way our history teacher would point to battle locations on his ‘Civil War Map Sweater’ my grandmother got for him because he was THAT excited about teaching. My lessons from Mr. Hefferon, Mrs. Carr, and Mr. Meissner sparked something in me. When I graduated and was confirmed two things became clearly evident. One, that wherever life led me, I was going to let my confirmation verse, Matthew 28:19 be my guide. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And lo, I am with you always, even until the very end of the age.” And second, I knew I wanted to send my future children to a Lutheran school as well. By the grace of God, He has given me the opportunity to work in a Lutheran school. A place where He works through me to deliver a message of love & hopefully lay the groundwork for future generations like Mr. Hefferon, Mrs. Carr and Mr. Meissner did for me. And what makes it sweeter is my two children get to experience the same type of education as I did. Thank you St. John.

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  • St. John Lutheran Church & School
  • 6950 Ward Road
  • North Tonawanda, NY 14120

St. John is part of the Eastern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is divided into 35 districts (map of all districts)

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