Carolyn Oakes: DMC Staff Member, Parent, and now...Grandparent!

Carolyn Oakes joined the Des Moines Christian School community as a parent in 1998. In the years that followed, she taught middle school Bible, a career and calling class, served as a middle school counselor, and led several DMC mission trips to Honduras with her husband, Scott. These days, you can still find her walking the hallways of the school, though her role has changed yet again. Now, she’s a DMC grandma. 

“It’s so fun being back at DMC with our preschool granddaughter,” she says. “The first day, I felt like we were back at a family reunion.”

All four of Scott and Carolyn’s children graduated from DMC: Jordan (‘08), Sara (‘12), Ashley (‘14), and Nathan (‘17). Oakes describes the school as a special place. 

“We appreciate how our children grew in confidence in leadership, academics, faith, critical thinking, and their ability to apply a biblical worldview to everyday situations. We have had teachers and coaches walk alongside our children over the years encouraging them in their faith, listening to them, speaking into them, and challenging them. Many of the friendships formed at Des Moines Christian School have become life-long friendships for our children and for us. It is a joy to see these friendships continue to flourish.”

Now, she gets a front row seat to her granddaughter’s experience.

When asked what her hopes are for this next generation of her family, she had this to say, “I enjoyed telling our granddaughter that not only would her teachers love her, but they also love Jesus. It is reassuring to know that our grandchildren will be taught with excellence, with a biblical worldview, and by staff members who love the Lord.  I am so thankful that Des Moines Christian School is training students, now including our grandchildren who live in the area, to view the world through the lens of scripture, thinking and discerning biblically while caring for them as individual image-bearers of God in a Christ-centered community.”

Oakes also understands one of the best ways she can continue to support school. 

“We pray regularly for Des Moines Christian School, the staff, families, and students,” she says.