Note from Mr. Jacobs
Wow – what an honor to write to all you! If you attended in the 1970’s & 80’s may not know me, but I’ve often thought of YOU! As a history teacher and coach, I’ve always been interested in the past and I found out you had some great sport teams during the 80s. By using information from yearbooks, I purchased three banners for the gym honoring those teams. This is my 30th year and I have many wonderful memories of VCA – now VCS! I could probably write a book (now there’s an idea!) about life at Vacaville Christian. I spent the night in one of Mr. Turner’s rooms in the red Farmhouse the night before I married my wife Linda in 1993, burned a bit of the ceiling in the H wing with a science experiment, got a new classroom in the “I” wing (now the chapel room). Some of you may remember watching them tear down the red Farmhouse and “chicken coop” to make room for the new Multi-purpose building and also building the then new HS/MS – the “J” wing (now the middle school).
And now I’ve spent 15 years in the new HS building on Marshall Rd. However, those amazing structures only serve as the place where memories are made – it is the people, the students, and teachers who were in those buildings that are important. When I drive by or walk alone through “those buildings” – I smile as my mind goes back to thoughts of students and events I’ve experienced there. You know who you are! I have hundreds of photos behind my desk of former students and what fun it is that I am now teaching some of their children! I’ve even had the privilege to work alongside former students who became teachers and staff here at VCS! “Family” is a term that is often over used in describing situations like this – but it IS the word that I believe is appropriate here. In a smaller Christ-centered school such as ours – students and teachers do become a family – with all the highs and lows that families experience. The Bible often refers to us believers as members of one body and at Vacaville Christian – I know that many of us have experienced this feeling. That is one reason I enjoy working here at VCS so much. My family grows each year with new students and I am able to share the love of God each day. I also really like Facebook – it allows me to see how my younger (and older) VCS family members are doing and it blesses me as I see their families and adventures. We try so hard as teachers to help our students grow spiritually, emotionally, and academically – it’s a continual blessing to see this working out and to be able to pray and support formers students and colleagues. Relationships are precious and our time spent with each other is valuable. Spend time with your own precious family and if God leads – think of your former “brothers and sisters” from VCS. Reach out through social media and say hi to someone you’ve been meaning to for a while. You’ll probably bless them and get blessed in return! Sign up on the VCS Alumni site! I ask for God’s blessing on all of you and pray that you will be strong and courageous – oh yeah… “Don’t text and Drive!”
~ Mr. J
Alumni Highlight: Lyndsey Guerrero (Elm)
How many years did you attend VCS?
Yes! I did track and field in Middle School, but then focused on basketball from 7th grade on. I played Varsity Basketball all four years of High School and was a captain for three of those years.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time at VCS?
I don’t think I can pick just one! I have so many fond memories: Country Fairs, Field Days at the end of school years, Grandparents Breakfast, Friday Night Football Games, Dances, watching our Women‘s Volleyball Team dominate opponents, etc.! I do have to say though that the best memories for me were playing basketball and the bond we had as a team. We got better and more in sync each year that by my senior year, we went undefeated in our league!
Do you keep in touch with anyone from High School?
Yes I do! That’s the beauty of social media these days, we can all stay connected and cheer each other on as we get married, have children, advance in our careers, etc.!
What would you tell current VCHS students to plug into? To take advantage of? To be a part of? To not be afraid of?
Find what you enjoy/are passionate about and give it your all! Get plugged in with a good community and surround yourself with like-minded people. Walk alongside someone who is a little farther ahead than you who can invest in you as a mentor, you will learn a ton! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t worry about what others might think, life is too short so don’t hold back! And last but certainly not least, pursue after Jesus and put Him at the center of your life. Give Him your heart and just watch what He does. Your best days are ahead!!
Did you attend college? If so, where, what was your major/degree and what year did you graduate?
I attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo! I majored in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Exercise Science. I graduated from there in 2014.
What did you do after High School graduation?
My life after high school graduation was a roller coaster ride in the best way! I went to college and had a wonderful time at Cal Poly. I graduated and moved back home to be close to family again. Now having some more free time, I had always wanted to audition for one of the singing competition shows, particularly The Voice since my family loved to watch and I liked the format of it, so I decided to go for it! Honestly I didn’t think anything would happen because I know so many people audition every year, but God had a different plan!
The entire experience is a whole story for another day 😉 but long story short, I made it through multiple audition rounds to get to the Blind Auditions which aired on TV! That day changed my life and gave me the assurance I was looking for that I am supposed to sing in some capacity for the rest of my life. If you search “Lyndsey Elm The Voice” on YouTube, you can find my Blind Audition. Safe to say it was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever experienced! Lyndsey Guerrero (Elm) CLASS OF 2010.
After The Voice was a whirlwind and I ended up doing music full-time for almost 2 years. I love performing but I also love leading worship, so I was on staff at The Father’s House in the Worship department for a number of years.
Fast forward to life now: I’ve been married to my husband Ben (who is also a musician!) for almost 5 years. We are the Worship Directors at The Father’s House Elk Grove and love leading people into the presence of God. We also own a small business, Noble Coffee Company where we sell our cold brew bottles and do coffee catering for events.
I work remote as well as a Client Success Manager for Tovuti LMS which is an eLearning platform/SaaS company. I still do music as much as I can and perform around Northern California, lead worship for different churches/events, etc. Ben and I wear a lot of hats, but we genuinely enjoy everything we do!
The biggest, most recent news, is we welcomed our FIRST child into the world on September 23, 2023: a beautiful baby girl named Sophia!! She brings so much joy to our lives and we are loving watching her grow!
Do you keep in touch with anyone from High School?
Yes I do! That’s the beauty of social media these days, we can all stay connected and cheer each other on as we get married, have children, advance in our careers, etc.!
What would you tell current VCHS students to plug into? To take advantage of? To be a part of? To not be afraid of?
Find what you enjoy/are passionate about and give it your all! Get plugged in with a good community and surround yourself with like-minded people. Walk alongside someone who is a little farther ahead than you who can invest in you as a mentor, you will learn a ton! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t worry about what others might think, life is too short so don’t hold back! And last but certainly not least, pursue after Jesus and put Him at the center of your life. Give Him your heart and just watch what He does. Your best days are ahead!!
Jumpstarting Our New Alumni Program
I was thrilled to hear the positive feedback from jumpstarting our new Alumni program! Thank you so much to those of you who have already filled out the connect form below. If you haven’t already, would you mind taking a few minutes to fill it out so we can send you the newsletter when it comes out, and keep you updated with exciting events coming up? Reconnecting with so many of you, and walking down memory lane with Mr. Jacobs these past couple of weeks has been the highlight of this newsletter. I know so many of you have more pictures and memories that I would love to hear as well. I would encourage you to come to our Alumni Led Chapel on March 27th, and save the date for our first ever Alumni Reunion in June!
Leah Walker
Director of Alumni Relations
