May 1st is here and so is an important milestone decision in our youngest son’s life… College Decision Day 2026!
In just a few weeks, Noah is set to graduate with honors from St Charles East High School, earning a 5.0 GPA. Besides his studies, he has been busy as a founding member of the STCE ESports program and serving as the Splatoon Team Captain for 4 years. He is active in Robotics, Automotive, Speech, and National Honor Society. He has built lasting friendships and student community along the way!
Noah heads out for college this fall to study Metallurgical and Mechanical Engineering. He plans on a Minor in Military Science through ROTC while on campus. He has future plans of serving as an Officer in the U.S. Army, with the ultimate goal of engineering armored vehicles as a career.
So, where in the world will Noah be…
Please join us in celebrating Noah’s accomplishments as he graduates High School and prepares to head out to find his place in this world at THE SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES in Rapid City, South Dakota. We are incredibly proud of all he has worked so hard to achieve!
Here are a few more of our favorite Grad pictures from Senior year!
Noah had an amazing Sophomore year! Running hard with Speech, eSports and FCA Club life, HS Men’s bible study, straight A student with several Honors courses, amazing math skills, Fall season with Pipeline Volleyball, broken arm and learning to drive. He supported two teachers this last year as a Teachers Assistant in the science department and conquered a lot of math! He has really found a passion for chemistry, history and military vehicles… primarily TANKS!
As he ended school and we entered into our 2nd June of remembering Ethan, we know his brother would be so proud of him. Joel and I certainly are! We purposed to travel in the days right after school let out to keep our minds on the Lord and his creation, learning about His world in places we have never been before. In the midst of the woods of Minnesota, we found the perfect gift for Noah and spent the day celebrating his accomplishments. You might not believe it, but he actually drove two tanks! Here’s the fun of the day…
Tank Garage at the Drive A Tank yard
Traveling out to the course in a 5 ton transport after briefing… Anticipation beyond measure! It was a stormy and rainy day. ALL. DAY. LONG. Hordes of mosquitoes. Muddy. This was a perfect day to drive a tank!
To say that Noah is “easily distracted by tanks” is an understatement. These military beasts have become common conversation in our house. As he prepared for his Speech tournaments this last year, he wrote his own speech focused on the history, present and future of tanks in warfare. His voice always energetic and exciting as he speaks. It is fun to see him have such passion for it all. Standing in the tank garage in Kasota, Minnesota was awesome to hear him share his knowledge of each vehicle in front of us. Being in the drivers seat now a dream come true for this teen who is still working on his hours towards a drivers license!
Driving a FV433 Abbot SPG and a FV432 APC heads up and periscope style over the muddy course… splashing into ponds and through the woods. We were his passengers on each tank!
Many thanks to the team at Drive A Tank for making the time so memorable, so unforgettable. Even more… for giving our family the space to learn, share, celebrate, and encouragement towards our son. They exceeded our expectations beyond measure. We witnessed another participant in our group crush a car and mingled with the men who work on these beasts, learning more about tank life. So cool!
We also must tell of our antics at the local thrift store… in our excitement and to gift this time as a surprise to Noah, we did NOT come prepared. On the road, Joel and I realized that we failed to plan what to WEAR! Upon arriving at the hotel, we broke the news of our surprise and promptly ran to the local Good Will. Here we are in the gear we were able to outfit ourselves with for the day… shoes, boots, and jackets!
