Stephanie Hopper
SFCA is blessed with amazing teachers & staff! Let’s get to know the 2022-2023 team!
All Colleges/Universities Attended and Degrees Obtained
Bethel College - BS Biology, Minor Chemistry. Bethel University - Masters of Education
Certification & Licensure Area
6-12 Science
Prior Work Experience
23 years of education in public and private school, Tissue Procurement
What classes and grade level(s) do you teach? For staff or admin, what is your new position or job responsibilities?
AP Psych, Applied (Honors Chemistry), General (Regular Chemistry), AP Bio
Please tell me a little about you and your family
I have been married to my husband Dan for 21 years. He owns a closet installing company. I have one son, Tai, who is a senior. He was just accepted to the engineering program at Embry Riddle. He runs cross country and track.
Tell us something that we would be surprised to know about you:
It took me until graduate school to learn how to be a decent student.
Describe how you feel God has called you to your particular career path:
My mother was a teacher for 36 years and I told myself I would never do it. When I graduated from college, I went into tissue procurement. When the company was closed I started part time teaching extra curricular science and chess to elementary students. From day one I loved it. I decided to go to graduate school and get licensed to teach.
What attracted you to SFCA?
When leaving a private Christian school in Minnesota, I applied at several schools from Marco to Fort Myers. I received several offers but none of them felt right, I kept holding out for SFCA to contact me. I want to be where I can pray with a student, where I can encourage through Christ, and openly talk about Christ's in all the content that I teach.
In what particular ways do you hope to shape the learning or spiritual experience of our students here at SFCA?
High school is tough! You could never pay me enough to go back and relive those years. Not a child, not an adult, what are they?!!! I want these kids to know that even though some of the struggles seem trivial to adults, that what they are feeling is true for them. I want them to know that they have restful, confident hope as they trust in Christ for their self-worth. That through every hardship they face that they are not alone and the Holy Spirit brings tangible consolation.
The SFCA mission statement: Southwest Florida Christian Academy, a ministry of McGregor Baptist Church, will partner with Christian parents to provide their children with a distinctively Biblical and academically excellent education that will equip students to be Godly leaders and to successfully engage the culture for Christ. How do you hope to accomplish this as a faculty/staff member?
As a professional development assignment, I have worked hard in the last 3 years to build my Biblical integration in class. It has been super fun to look at my content that I am so passionate about and apply Biblical teachings to it. At first it seemed daunting, but with the help of some brilliant colleagues, I have really been able to tie the two together.
What is your biggest desire for each student that walks in to your classroom or office?
My biggest desire is to soften hearts for Jesus. I am amazed at what is thrown at these students every day. I don't even know if the word terrorism existed when I was a kid, let alone Covid, the horrors of getting into colleges, social media, and constantly being bombarded with a secular worldview. I pray for my students to take something away from each teacher, faculty, and staff member to help them to understand their eternity lies in Christ. I want them to know that what they are experiencing now is a blip on the radar and to motivate them seek the Kingdom of God even though it is defiantly not an easy thing to do sometimes. Well, and also to learn a little chemistry along the way.