Jodi,

You are authentic, dynamic, understanding, a great listener, thoughtful and analytical, fun and friendly. I think the first time I met you was at Sonia Lee's house, and I was struck by your quick, self-deprecating humor and "keeping it real" personality. We bonded about being adoptive parents and educators. Little did I know that in a few years you would join me at Cornerstone where I would teach two of your children and you would teach mine.

I enjoy our conversations and how honest you are in sharing struggles and also looking to the Lord for guidance and peace. I am glad to have walked with you and plan to again when all our tears are gone and there will be no more sorrow. By God's grace, you are a light, and I am inspired and grateful for your faith filled walk these past months.

Much love, Helen 

Jodi,

You are such a strong and courageous woman with so much love and compassion for your friends and family.  At Cornerstone, I always loved seeing your bright, smiling face which always brought me joy!  I remember our conversations at late-night weekday baseball games, where we would commiserate about how tired we were and secretly praying the game would go quickly so we could go home to bed!  I also loved getting to know you over the summers at swim team practices and meets where you put so much of your time and energy organizing parent volunteers and getting kids excited about the sport.  I thank you so much for making science fun and exciting in middle school, especially for my oldest two, Wyatt and Henley.  All who know you are blessed by your joyfulness and loyalty, and I am so thankful for you!

Dear Jodi,

Every day, I want, above all else, to love God and to love others. I often fall short. But, when I think of someone who does it so well, I think of you, my friend. You have a gift for putting others before yourself and for doing whatever it takes to make situations just a little bit lighter, just a little bit easier, just a little bit sweeter for us all.

I remember one particular Monday morning when the middle school team was working through a challenging curriculum task and I sensed a tad of anxiety among a small group of our newest faculty members. They just wanted to get it right. As I walked through the dining hall, I observed you sitting, cross-legged, on the stage's edge, balancing your computer on your lap. I heard you say, "Oh, no worries! I think I have a solution. Here's what we need to do!" Your peers scooted even closer to you and let out a big sigh. Peace could be felt over that space. I recall standing there admiring your knack for feeling the room and your determination to do whatever you could to calm your friends' hearts and minds. One of your teammates (Yes, it was Katie B.!!!) later told me that you had spent a good part of your weekend researching the issue. We weren't the least bit surprised! Later that week, I told you what I had observed. In that moment, I realized that what I witnessed is simply who you are.

I'm a better person for knowing you. I love living a few houses away from you, seeing Dave on his very early morning runs, chatting with Ava Mei, and waving to Bob and Henry on their bikes. I am so glad we shared a Cornerstone journey. I only wish I had photos of you trying to keep my yard hydrated during the May 2022 heatwave while we were away for too many days. Yes, you were spotted with my favorite neighborly helper, Ava Mei! (You know I want to be like her when I grow up!) Jodi, thank you for the many ways you live out God's greatest commandments.

You are so loved!

Dear Jodi, 

I remember touring Cornerstone as a parent when we were looking at schools for Bennett's first grade year. Prior to touring with De Ann, I had thrown a Hail Mary to Colin to let him know that if he had any available positions, I would be interested in those positions.

Colin emailed back three minutes later. You have impeccable timing. I am about to post a position on our website. 

I remember agonizing over my tour outfit; attempting to look equal parts parent and professional. (I know you can relate to this, my fellow style enthusiast :)) My stomach was a buzz with nerves. Not just for my impending conversation with Colin, but also for the prospect of returning to work and the complexities of becoming a working mom. 

We had peeked into a few middle school classrooms; our tour was almost over. Kevin had walked my mother in law and husband into Floyd Dining Hall. I stopped to talk to you. 

I asked you so many questions about your transition back to work  from being a stay at home mom. I think I chatted with you for about 15 minutes, taking up a good majority of your planning time (if you were annoyed about it, you didn't let on). You were gracious, honest, and warm. This was my first impression of you; an indelible and overwhelming impression of a warm, loving, supportive, and kind teacher and mother. Your love for your students and children was obvious. Your care and concern for me, a perfect stranger, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Fast forward to the end of the 2021-22 school year. I was grieving the fact that Cornerstone wasn't a fit for Sawyer, and you were grieving similarly. During chapel, we allowed each other to mourn together. We prayed for each other. We hugged each other. You carried me when I felt the weight of unmet expectations. I felt your strength pull me through this difficult moment of my parenting journey, and will treasure this moment all of my life. 

Jodi, you are a strong woman of faith, a stalwart, loyal friend. I am better for knowing you. 

Jodi,

I will be forever grateful for the lessons you taught my boys. You held them to high standards, which I appreciated. Working hard is nothing to fear. I also greatly appreciated your humor as a colleague and a friend. Those of us from the Midwest understand each other in a different way (sorry about the Michigan game). All of the staff, especially Katie Boling, was very grateful for you encouraging me to purchase the around-the-neck fans to utilize during carpool. You are such a trendsetter. Speaking of carpool, you have been missed running up and down the line with your big smile and winsome personality. I’m so glad that you listened to the Lord and stepped away from teaching this year in order to spend more time with your family. Your faith is real, palpable and genuine. I feel blessed to have worked alongside you for a few years. I am a better person because of you.