Collegian Winter 2020

the
COLLEGIAN
WINTER 2019
HOLLY HAN (‘07)

The Collegian is published twice each
year for alumni, family, and friends of
Niagara Christian Collegiate.
NCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Don McNiven, Chair
Vivian Pengelly
Ron Rienas
Filomena Savoia
Bill Daley
Scott Herron
President and CEO: Scott Herron
Principal: Chris Baird
COO: Lynn Schmidt
Marketing & Communications
Sue Grierson
Contributing Writers
Paul An
Sue Grierson
James Kryger
Lynn Schmidt
Photography
Sue Grierson
Niagara Christian Collegiate
2619 Niagara Parkway
Fort Erie, ON L2A 5M4
Greetings, NCC Family and Friends!
It is with much enthusiasm that I can report to you the great success
that NCC is having with our students in the areas of education
and eternity. On page 3, you will discover the first page of
the 2019 Graduate Report, outlining the success of three of our
top graduates. In addition, 84% of our graduates attended top
Canadian universities in Ontario, and 99% of our graduates received
offers to post-secondary institutions in 2019. What a fantastic
reflection of the NCC faculty, staff, and administration for
their countless hours devoted to helping students achieve their
dreams.
Even more exciting are NCC’s Campus Ministries and the work
that Todd MacGregor, Tim Durksen, and many others are doing
to introduce students to God’s Word and to grow their understanding.
Our ministry strategy is to engage students wherever
they are in their spiritual journey, providing mandatory chapel
service and community time, with several fun optional ministry-focused
activities throughout the week. We are seeing an
impressive number of students attend these optional activities.
Several events have had over 70 students in attendance.
It is an honour and a privilege to serve at this extraordinary institution,
with the exceptional faculty and staff who prioritize sharing
God’s truth to the students of NCC.
Thank you for investing in NCC with your prayers and financial
contributions. May God bless each of you and your families.
Phone: 905.871.6980
Fax: 905.871.9260
Email: LoveNCC@niagaracc.com
Website: www.niagaracc.com
The Mission of NCC
In an international community of schools,
to educate students with excellence in a
family-like environment, equipping them
to grow God's Kingdom, and empowering
them to make a difference in the world.
Sincerely,
Scott Herron
President and CEO

NIAGARA CHRISTIAN COLLEGIATE
GRADUATE REPORT 2019
EXCEPTIONAL 2019 GRADUATES
TIFFANY CHEUNG
Tiffany committed herself to quality in her
studies, maintaining an overall average of
over 96% in her graduating year. It is not
surprising that she was also the recipient of
this year’s Grade 12 Academic Proficiency
medallion. This is awarded to the graduate
earning the highest average in grade 12
classes as well as demonstrating a keen interest
in their studies. Tiffany was involved
in a wide variety of campus activities, using
her gifts and talents to serve both the
school and our local community. Tiffany has
accepted an offer to study in the Creative
Industries program at Ryerson University in
Toronto.
CALEB FRETZ
The Governor General’s medal recognizes
a student for having the highest academic
standing in all grade 11 and 12 courses.
Caleb maintained an average of 96.8% over
15 courses, including completing multiple
courses with 99-100%. He led in class with
his active participation and engagement.
Caleb has accepted an offer to study Bachelor
of Engineering Co-op Major Biological
Engineering at the University of Guelph. He
was also awarded Guelph University’s Academic
Leadership Scholarship of $21,000,
recognizing exceptional academic standing
and academic leadership, and includes a faculty
advisor partnership.
ROCK LANIYI
In addition to maintaining an average of
95% in his final year at Niagara Christian
Collegiate, Rock was the recipient of the
Colin Hood OFSAA award given to a student
who throughout their high school career
has been committed to the success of
sport at their school. Rock participated in
boys’ volleyball and senior boys’ basketball.
He demonstrated exceptional skills as
a defense player in basketball. Rock has
accepted an offer to the Co-op System Design
Engineering program at the University
of Waterloo.
.
HONG KONG
CANADA
NIGERIA
Winter 2020 The Collegian 3

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT
Lynn Schmidt
Chief Operating Officer
It was great to catch up with this very busy lady to talk about the many upgrades
to the school. Lynn has the monumental task of managing operations
of the entire campus. Below are just a few of the recent projects she’s
tackled - with finesse! Just ask Gr. 11 student Takeshi Yamaguchi, who was
awestruck with the new online speed. His comment after the new fibre optics
network was installed gave Lynn a good chuckle: “The internet is LIT!”
Fibre Optics
“NCC’s point-to-point network could not handle
the amount of bandwidth that the school needed
to grow. We were maxed out! We could not grow
without the installation of fibre optics. Partnering
with Niagara Regional Broadband Network also
gave our residential neighbours an opportunity
to tap into this network. Our students are loving
this technology upgrade. We owed it to them to
give them the best service possible.”
“Mrs. Schmidt, the internet is AMAZING!”
Jeremy Yan. Gr. 12 student
Dorms
“The boys’ dorm office was expanded, making
it a more funtional, pleasant space for student
and residence staff meetings. The dorm itself
received a fresh coat of paint, along with brand
new appliances, new furniture, and decor.
Lounge furniture in the girls’ dorm was beautifully
reupholstered, new carpeting was installed, and
new furniture has been added. Students are
enjoying the fresh new look to their home-awayfrom-home!”
Cafeteria
“A full walk-in fridge and freezer was installed
in the kitchen. Gone are the chest freezers that
lined the cafeteria! The kitchen received a fresh
coat of paint. The cafeteria was decorated with a
beautiful barnboard accent wall. As a test project,
two countertop bar seating areas were added to
see if students would like that set up. They loved it
so much, in fact, that two more seating areas were
added. The countertops will soon be laminated by
one of NCC’s parents, who just happens to be in the
countertop business, and is donating his services!”
4 The Collegian Winter 2020

James Kryger
Athletics Director
Our Athletics Director is always on the run! James Kryger recently coordinated
some amazing upgrades to the NAV’s athletic spaces here on campus,
much to the delight of our student athletes. Even our NAVs mascot
received a complete makeover thanks to Kryger!
Girls’ Fitness Room
“The girls’ space welcomed 9 selectorized weight
machines for full body targeted weight workouts,
and were organized around the room in circuit
fashion. An area for Pilates and a wall-mounted TV
give the girls an opportunity to personalize their
workout sessions. Complete with a variety of free
weights, commercial treadmills, and an elliptical
machine, this room is set up for fitness success!”
Boys’ Fitness Room
“Dubbed The Iron Horse, the boys’ fitness room
was overhauled last year and re-opened in mid-
September. The room was painted, a new dentproof
floor was laid, and state-of-the-art equipment
was added, including 2 sets of professional
Powerblock free weights (originally created for
MBA teams), a Cybex commercial treadmill, an arc
trainer, and a selectorized console featuring 600+
pounds of weights. During the first month, over
400 student visits to The Iron Horse were logged
in! It’s a popular hangout for our young men!”
Gymnasium
“A work in progress over the past year, the entire gym
has been repainted, carpeting was removed from the
stage, and the stage floors were sanded and stained.
The entire gym floor was re-lined, re-painted, and
NCC’s logos were laid out. Protective wall mats
and backboards were also given NAVs branding.”
“A nice improvement with a wider key, and added the 3
point line. Absolutely love it!” Ray Pengelly (‘96)
“I would give anything to come back and play ball in
this gym again!” Jason Li (‘01)
Winter 2020 The Collegian 5

ALUMNI
UPDATE
HOLLY HAN
by Sue Grierson In Other Words - The Girl is Unstoppable!
Elementary school in South Korea was not
an optimal learning environment for Holly
Han. Her insatiable curiosity, keen intellect,
and unbridled comments frequently landed
her into hot water with her teachers.
“I experienced a rough time in elementary
and middle school because the education
system was very different. They discouraged
students from asking questions. I
would challenge teachers if they didn’t
really make sense.”
Cross-examining her teachers was regarded
as a direct challenge to their authority.
This did not bode well for Holly. She was
perceived as a troublemaker, and was often
punished as a result.
Newton’s Third Law of Motion - For
every action there is equal and opposite
reaction.
“It was very frustrating so my parents advised
me not to not go to high school, study
by myself, take a national exam and move
on. That was our original plan.”
That plan might have worked, but Holly
suffered from a universal teenage malady
- inertia.
“It turned out that I did not have much
self-discipline,” Holly laughed, recalling her
futile self-taught efforts. I was not able to
commit myself to a strict routine of studying,
so I ended up playing with my friends and
not studying at all.”
After three months of “just hanging out,”
Holly’s mother approached her with the
idea of going to school abroad.
Law of Inertia - A body continues in its
state of rest, or of uniform motion in
a straight line, except in so far as it is
compelled by external impressed forces
to change that state.
“My parents didn’t have lots of money to
send me to the States or somewhere else
very expensive, so we looked into cheaper
countries - but they were not known for a
good education”.
After thoroughly researching their options,
Canada proved to be the clear-cut choice
for Holly and her family.
“It was safe. It was cheaper than the States,
but it was also an English-speaking country,
a very developed country, and a very
peaceful country - with nature. Education
was also good. So it was a perfect place.
It was a good balance.”
Holly’s parents heard about Niagara Christian
Collegiate through an education agency
in South Korea.
“And it sounded perfect. It was exciting
to think about attending a school somewhere
else - but at the same time, it was
nerve-breaking…a mixed feeling of excitement
and concern.”
Holly faced many challenges while transitioning
to her new home in Canada. Due
to a setback in obtaining a study permit,
Holly arrived in Canada weeks after school
began. As a result, she felt left behind.
“Things move fast here (at the school). From
Day 1 you start studying. It was kind of late
to get caught up with everything. Everyone
had already developed friendships, so it
was hard to fit in because I saw friends in
groups already. And we were in page 50
or 60 of textbooks, so I didn’t know where
to start. There were many things to adjust
to for the first time. It was beautiful, first
of all, but also I didn’t know where to start
so I felt quite lost.
“It was difficult to adjust in the middle of
the first semester. Mid-term hit. It was my
second day at school. I was in grade 10
math and they were having a quiz. I didn’t
know what to write.”
Holly’s mid-term grades were poor due to
the late start. She was then sent for tutoring
which proved to be incredibly discouraging
for this bright young student.
“I remember seeing the Honour Roll for
the first time. I didn’t know what it was so
I asked other students what this was about.
They said these are people who got their
grades above 80%, and this Honour Roll
gets sent to your family. Then your parents
know that you are doing well. There was
another Korean girl who was in grade 11
and had arrived two days before me. She
was late starting school, but she studied
hard enough within that short amount of
time and managed to put herself on the
Honour Roll.”
Newton’s Second Law of Motion - The
rate of change of momentum is proportional
to the impressed force and takes
place in the direction of the straight line
in which the force acts.
“Seeing that girl’s name on the Honour
Roll really shocked me. I was ashamed of
myself. What have I been doing while this
girl has been doing her best? I had been
really discouraged and I didn’t really try
hard to adjust myself in the new environment.
At that point, I felt like I got hit on
the back of my head!”
Holly’s irrepressible determination bounced
back in full force. She vowed that by the next
exam, her name would be on the Honour
Roll and she’d make her parents proud. By
the final exam that same year - and every
year that followed - Holly Han’s name was
on the Honour Roll.
Earning this distinction meant more to Holly
than just academic achievement.
“…not just to represent myself as a kid with
high grades, but it was more meaningful to
me that I was working with what I had been
given, and feeling grateful, even though I
was away from family and homesick - but at
the same time I needed to do my job. It was
then that I developed the self-commitment
and determination to work really hard. I
chose to do my best. Everything started
to work out really, really well.”
6 The Collegian Winter 2020

“I don’t think anyone has
told Holly that she’s not
Superman. Someone’s
going to have to tell her
sometime.”
Quote from
2007 NCC Yearbook
Holly and her classmates at the Class of 2007’s
10th anniversary reunion in 2017
L-R: Inhye Choi (Mom), Holly, Youngso Kim
(Grandma), Youngsook Kim (Great-Aunt)
The NAVs Hall of Fame Awards, 2019
L-R: NCC President/CEO Scott Herron, Holly Hon
and Ray Pengelly, Athletics Director James Kryger
With this fresh injection of determination,
Holly saw that her learning style
was encouraged at NCC.
“One of the things that stood out the
most, was that in Canadian culture,
people are respected; an individual
is respected just for his or her being.
People see you as a person. In Korea
I was the same kid with the same level
of curiosity - just asking questions and
challenging when things are wrong and
accepting when things are right. I was
the same kid, but I was always a troublemaker.
But when I came to NCC, I
was a good student. I was perceived as
a good student because I had my own
opinion. I had questions. It was really
different because I never changed. I was
just the same kid as I was in Korea, but
how people treated me, how people
perceived me as an individual was shockingly
different. That really helped me
adjust in this new school environment.
I really developed myself as a person
who is always trying to learn and not
being discouraged by anything that
comes to block my passion.”
From that point, Holly gave it her all
when it came to academic studies and
developing her athletic skills.
con’t on pg. 8
Winter 2020 The Collegian 7

HEALTH CENTRE
Established in 2017, the NCC Health Centre is run by a team of health care professionals, including a Nurse Practitioner,
a Registered Nurse, counsellors, and office administration. This health initiative provides our international students with
access to more immediate health care as the need arises.
The Health Centre is proving to be a huge blessing to our students - whose health and well-being are top priority!
Holly Han - con’t from pg. 7
“The academics were very demanding. Each
class was 75 minutes long. It’s quite a long
time for one class and you’re doing that
every single day for four courses during one
semester. It was very challenging for sure.
“I joined sports teams which was a great way
to interact with Canadian students. When
you’re playing sports, you don’t really need
language. You need to communicate but
the communication is done through body
actions and athletic performance. It made it
so much easier to develop friendships with
Canadian friends. That gave me confidence.
You had practice, you had games, you had
tournaments…I missed a lot of classes. I
had to catch up a lot. I think high school
was the time I studied the most in terms of
trying to keep a balance between the two.
That balance was really good, but to keep
that balance I had to put out 100% for sure.”
“I was good at biology and chemistry .
I was not good at physics, but I ended
up majoring in physics in university!”
Following high school, Holly attended the
University of Toronto to obtain her undergraduate
degree in Physics Specialist, with
a major in Math.
In the middle of these studies, Holly took
three years off to travel. She hiked in the
Himalayas, went on an expedition in the Kyrgyzstan
mountains, and walked cross country
from the southern tip of South Korea to the
border between South and North Korea in
the spirit and hope of the reunification of
these two countries.
With her wanderlust satisfied for a time,
Holly returned to Toronto and completed
her undergraduate studies. She moved on
to graduate studies at McGill University,
and will complete her PhD program in Geo
Physics this year.
She continues to stay active and participates
in intramural soccer at McGill University as a
referee, a supervisor, as well as a player. Holly
also has a passion for the traditional Korean
martial art of Tae Kwon Do and earned her
5th Dan - the highest rank achievable in this
sport. Seven years ago, Holly earned her
Master Instructor certificate.
“Life at NCC definitely helped me. It sent
me on to the next step - university - not only
academically but in terms of the discipline
that I developed here. The education was
very demanding at NCC. I pushed really
hard. This lifestyle and being committed
to keeping a high level of academic and
athletic performances really helped me to
develop as a person who can be committed
and determined to do what I want to do…
what I set as a goal.”
Holly’s future plans include living well, continually
learning and developing, and to
keep loving.
“To be aware of what’s going on and always
observe what I do and how I interact with
people. I want to really use my skills that I
developed through this PhD training as a
scientist. I want to contribute my work to
society and bring my passion into it. The
reason why I chose to go into GeoPhysics is
because I wanted to combine my academic
background which is physics, with my personal
passion, which is the outdoors and
going out into nature, which is the earth. I
am combining my passion outside academia
then at the same time I am contributing to
academia and science. So that’s my plan.”
In physics, when an object is moving, it
takes force to stop it or change its motion.
The more velocity it has, the more force
it takes to stop.
It looks like no force on earth will be able
to stop this kid from Korea!
Special thanks to NCC Grade 11 student Paul An for
his help with Korean translation!
8 The Collegian Winter 2020

UPCOMING EVENTS
MIDDLE SCHOOL
OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, May 12, 8:25 am
Register your middle schooler for
this fun-filled day of excitement
and adventure! Participate in classes,
experience NCC’s exciting programs,
and meet new friends. This
event is open to students entering
grades 6-8 in September.
For more information, or to RSVP
Email: enroll@niagaracc.com
CELEBRATION
OF THE ARTS
Thursday, April 23, 7 pm
Join us as Niagara Christian Collegiate
hosts an evening in Celebration of the
Arts! Join us as we proudly showcase
the creative talents of our students.
NCC Concert Band performances are
sure to entertain and delight. Enjoy
original works of art while feasting on
delicious baked goods available for
purchase. We would love to see you
at this very special evening on campus!
GRADUATION
2020
Saturday, June 13, 2 pm
Parents and family members of our
grade 12 students are welcome to join
us at our 88th annual commencement
ceremonies. Come and celebrate the
acheivements of our grads!
For more information or to RSVP
Email: graduation@niagaracc.com
Winter 2020 The Collegian 9

SCHOLARSHIPS
INTRODUCING
THE HOLLY HAN SCHOLARSHIP
by Sue Grierson
Over the years, NCC’s donors have
created a variety of scholarship opportunities
for new and returning students,
as well as for grade 12 students who
are preparing to advance to post-secondary
studies.
Following the NAVs Hall of Fame event
in October, 2019, I met with Holly Han
to talk about her time as a student at
NCC. To hear about the challenges
she faced and her determination to
overcome these obstacles was truly
inspirational.
During our meeting, Holly enquired
about setting up a scholarship fund for
NCC students. She wanted to show her
gratitude to the NCC community by
paying it forward to current students.
The vision behind her scholarship is
going to reflect some of Holly’s own
journey as a student.
Crafted in a very personal and thoughtful
way, the criteria for a scholarship is
based on values and ideals which are
important and meaningful to the donor.
It is a public expression of that vision.
Scholarships recognize students’ value,
express confidence in their ability
to succeed, and invest in their future.
Students who receive scholarships are
honoured and affirmed for their efforts.
In deciding on criteria to include when
creating a scholarship fund, donors
might want students to attain a certain
level of academic achievement,
or perhaps base the fund on student
financial need - or it could include a
combination of both.
Or they may want to establish a fund for
students from Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil,
Canada, or any number of countries.
A scholarship could be targeted to
students who are pursuing a specific
program of post-secondary studies.
Donors may want to give a one-time
scholarship, or create one that is disbursed
on an annual basis. People could
also consider giving to an already established
scholarship fund - like Holly’s.
Another great option would be to build
a scholarship into an endowment fund
that would perpetuate well into the
future, and benefit many students along
the way.
There are many creative options for giving
that can mirror the heartfelt wishes
of the donor. Holly’s desire in creating
an annual scholarship is to acknowledge
students who demonstrate exceptional
spirit and strength of character, who
work diligently to overcome personal
challenges, and who strive for consistent
improvement and progress in academic
studies, and/or athletics.
Why not consider creating your own
legacy with a personalized scholarship
or endowment in your name or the
name of a loved one? You will impact
the life of our students!
We are also offering readers the opportunity
to donate to Holly’s scholarship
fund. (Holly is very excited about that
possibility!)
Simply call the school with your credit
card information, or go to our website:
niagaracc.com/gifting and click on the
Donate Now button.
You’ll notice an announcement on the
back cover of the Collegian about the
opening of our new online store featuring
NCC Alumni Apparel. With every
purchase, a portion of every dollar
spent will be donated to the Holly
Han Scholarship Fund!
You can also give a donation to
the Holly Hon Scholarship Fund
directly on the store site!
Invest in a student today. The returns
can be astounding!
10 The Collegian Winter 2020

Get Ready for NCC’s Summer Camps!
OPEN TO FUN-LOVING, ADVENTURE-SEEKING CAMPERS FROM AGES 11-17
JULY 20 - AUGUST 6, 2020
MEET NEW FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
EXPERIENCE CANADIAN CULTURE
ENJOY EXCITING ADVENTURES
To Register or for more information, contact us at: 905.871.9260 or Email: enroll@niagaracc.com
1 2 3
ENGLISH
Summer Camp
NCC offers an incredible English
Summer Camp program providing
great value and excellent academic
results. This camp is an outstanding
Canadian adventure both inside and
outside of the classroom!
This camp is open to boys and girls
who want to improve their English
skills, with special emphasis on
listening and speaking.
NCC is proud of its 40 plus years
of ESL experience!
SAFARI
Summer Camp
NCC & Safari Niagara have teamed
up to offer an incredible Safari
Summer Camp experience!
Learn from qualified Zoologists and
Zookeepers in this exciting sciencebased
camp and gain confidence
interacting with a variety of animals.
Prepare and enjoy Canadian
food on the BBQ and around the
campfire. Have you ever enjoyed
a s’more?
(Available to intermediate level
English speakers or higher)
EQUESTRIAN
Summer Camp
NCC offers your child an incredible
summer horseriding program!
Taught by equestrian experts with
proven technical competency and
who are skilled in first aid and safety
procedures.
This camp is perfect for boys and
girls who love horses and want
hands-on experience developing
skills in handling and riding.
(Available to intermediate level
English speakers or higher)
Winter 2020 The Collegian 11

introducing
NCC ALUMNI APPAREL
Looking Classy in 2020!
Our Alumni and Donors are the pillars of
Niagara Christian Collegiate.
They believe in the spiritual foundation and rich legacy
of our past, and offer stability and support for our future.
To show our gratitude, we have curated this
Premier Apparel Collection in their honour.
Enjoy the classic comfort of ROOTS Canada Apparel,
while proudly supporting the NCC brand!
Visit our online store:
NCCAlumni.ItemOrder.com
A portion of every purchase will be donated to
the HOLLY HAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND!