RMCNews with Marsha Bartulec – Erie, Colorado … Adventist education began in the mid to late Nineteenth Century with only over a handful of institutions boasting existence for over one hundred years. The Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) is home to one such institution, Vista Ridge Academy (VRA), who has just celebrated its 125-year anniversary.
Established in 1899 as the Boulder Junior Academy (BJA) in Boulder, Colorado, the school was originally founded by a group of Seventh-day Adventist families who believed in the importance of educating children in a setting that integrated strong academics with spiritual values.
A small church school was operated two years prior to this by Florence Cornell, a sister of Clara Euler, who was the first teacher. George W. Colcord, a renowned Adventist pastor, evangelist, conference president, and educator, was also a teacher at this small school from 1898 to 1899.
Over the decades, the school has reached several key milestones: expanding from a one-room schoolhouse to a Junior Academy; relocating to a modern campus in Erie, Colorado, in 2004 to better serve a growing student population; and introducing innovative programs in technology, music, and spiritual development. The school now serves 90 students from preschool age to eighth grade.
Through it all, Vista Ridge Academy has remained grounded in its mission to develop the whole child—spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. “This milestone is a testament to God’s faithfulness and the generations of families, educators, and students who have built this legacy together,” said Marsha Bartulec, VRA principal.
The 125-year anniversary celebration began April 24 at the VRA campus with an Exhibition of Learning showcasing student works from the current school year including writing projects, state studies, and space and robotics activities. A dinner and silent auction followed to help the school reach its $125,000 fundraising campaign goal to support campus upgrades and student scholarships.
Around 150 people were in attendance for the evening’s events. The event was joined by the pastors of VRA’s supporting constituent churches including Geoff Patterson, Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church lead pastor, Mollie Dupper, Boulder Church associate pastor, and Herbert Hernandez, Chapel Haven Seventh-day Adventist Church lead pastor. Sandy Hodgson, RMC Education assistant director and former BJA teacher and VRA teacher and principal, also came to support the celebration efforts.
The evening was closed with an original musical “1899: Origin Story” written and arranged by Pamela Pedigo, VRA music teacher. Students in grades four through eight preformed in and crewed the production that covered the challenges and blessings faced by the founders of the academy.
“The play was so much fun. I liked the scene ‘Shine.’ I love the energy of it,” commented Savannah Ibarra, VRA eighth grader and lead cast member. “We started practicing for the play before Christmas, but it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that we started meeting with the other grades, but it still worked out great.”
“It’s so fun to see the kids performing together and the amazing work that Mrs. Pedigo did to put the program together. It was clever and well done,” remarked Patterson. “I didn’t know of any details of the school’s history, but the program did take me there in an emotional way. The problems are still the same along with the challenges and the faith that went into the initiation of the school. You don’t always think about all the times before, but people were doing the exact same thing we’re doing now. But that’s what it takes to do 125 years.”
The anniversary celebrations continued throughout the weekend. A special haystack dinner and vespers service was held April 25 that included a “walking museum” of the school’s historical artifacts. Celebration events closed on April 26 with a morning worship service at the school and a vespers service and open gym night in the evening.
“For 125 years, Vista Ridge Academy has exemplified the power of faith in action. We honor every hand and heart that has built, sustained, and advanced this sacred mission of Adventist education,” commented Diane Harris, RMC Education director.
“The story of Vista Ridge Academy is not written in buildings or programs, but in the hearts and lives changed by those who dared to believe that Christian education could light the world,” she continued. “To every supporter—past, present, and future—your investment has been a seed sown for generations.”
—Marsha Bartulec is principal at Vista Ridge Academy. Photos supplied and by Liz Kirkland.
