Alumni!

Welcome, Alumni!

Alumni are a valued part of St. Sava Othodox School, which has been graduating students since 2006/07. We are proud of all of our alumni and the great things they have accomplished.

Alumni’s Stories

By: Mirko Sever

Growing up, my siblings and I spent quite a lot of time around the church, specifically in the parochial school. Our parents wanted to immerse us in an environment that would allow us to thrive academically, spiritually, and personally. As such, they enrolled us at St. Sava school as soon as we were able to attend school. At the time, I did not realize nor did I understand how positive an impact St. Sava school and the environment I grew up in would have on me as a young, professional adult. My class was the first class to go through the eight grades at St. Sava. We were introduced to many teachers and our horizons were broadened by their experiences. Each teacher had a significant impact on my academic success in grade school, high school, and eventually higher studies. We were taught discipline and critical thinking; two of the most important qualities I feel have helped me throughout my journey thus far. Along side the academic growth, spirituality and my connection with God began to form the morals, values, and ideals I hold today. As a school, we were fortunate to have two priests, Father Dragan and Father Rade, as our soul leaders. We attended church on a weekly basis and had the opportunity to spend intimate time with each of them during religion classes. They taught us the traditions our church holds, but more importantly they taught us how to connect with God, seek Him, and build an everlasting relationship with Him. Personally, I feel that this is the greatest gift I could have been given. I was able to understand my faith and why I believed what I believed on a deeper level because of the time I was able to spend with the priests. As a young, professional adult I am faced with many challenges where I need to make a decision of what is right and what is easy. Having had the opportunity to immerse myself in such an environment where I could grow comfortably, I can recall on the lessons I was taught by our priests and teachers and make the decision of doing what was right instead of what was easy, even if the end benefit for me was minimal to none. The world we live in today is filled with lust, sin, and evil and I am faced with each of these on a daily basis. I strongly believe that having the opportunity of being able to attend a school like St. Sava has shaped me into a person that knows what his values and morals are and can always look to my relationship with God in order to have the strength to do what is right. As I sit here and reflect on my youth, I can say with utmost confidence that St. Sava was, aside from my parents and family, the largest contributor to the success I have today as a result of the academic and spiritual upbringing I was blessed to have. I may not have had the same experience as many of the people I connect with on a daily basis, but I can stand firm in my beliefs and know that I can and will always do what is right. I contribute all of my success thus far to our Heavenly Father and His guidance for my path, the paths of my parents and family, the paths of the priests, and the paths of the faculty. It is because of His guidance that I am the man I am today.

By Milica Stojsavljevic, Class of 2008

"I was part of the second year graduating class at St. Sava Orthodox School and I am reminded daily of how blessed I am to have been able to attend such an amazing school.

Upon graduation, I enrolled at Greendale high school, where I felt I was adequately prepared for the transition from a small private school setting to a high school. I was able to enroll in Advanced Placement courses because of the quality knowledge I received prior, which helped make my college applications that much more competitive. I was accepted at UW-Madison, UW-Oshkosh, and Concordia University, Wisconsin. I chose CUW and continued my path there all the way up through pharmacy school. I attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and am now halfway through my first year of pharmacy school.

At St. Sava I learned how to push towards my goals, how to build the courage to do things out of my comfort zone, and got an education I strongly believe is the main reason I got to where I am today."

The Student, Class of 2015

"One of the main things that have defined Serbian culture throughout history is the deep religious ties our people have to our faith and our church.

Being brought up as a devout Orthodox Christian, I was lucky enough to have been surrounded by my faith and with like-minded people throughout my life.

...

At the age of two, I was enrolled in a parochial preschool run by my church. This school would become my home for the next decade or so of my life. Going to this small, private school with less than one hundred students impacted me in ways I cannot begin to explain.

Small class sizes meant more one-to-one attention with students, and weekly religion classes meant more compassionate and kind children.

When asked if I missed out on “classic childhood experiences”, I can only reply that the experiences I had in this environment were ones that instilled inside of me values of forgiveness, compassion, and peace. Constantly throughout adolescence, I was strengthened by my teachers and by my priests; whenever I would feel lost or uninspired, I was told to turn to my faith and trust in what God had planned for me."