A spring visit to Wheaton College inspired Armleder students to dream big.
By: Jennifer Cooke, Content Strategy & Communications Manager
Principal Cammie Montgomery remembers the moment clearly. In an assembly at her former school, she asked students about their aspirations for the future. “I got entertainers, athletes, and celebrities,” she says. “But the kids didn’t have a grasp of careers outside of things they’d seen on TV. I knew then that I wanted to be intentional about exposing students to more.” As Principal of CHCA’s Armleder Campus, she’s done just that. In partnering with top city businesspeople and nationally recognized programs, she’s given students opportunities to interact with professionals and visualize careers beyond the screen. But for many students, a key milestone in making it to the C-suite can seem like an impossibility. “Many of my students will probably be first-generation college students,” says Principal Montgomery. “A college tour is an important piece of helping students see it’s possible.”
A heart for opening doors prompted Principal Montgomery and Head of School Dr. Dean Nicholas to consider ways Armleder students could set foot on a college campus. While attending a summer conference at Wheaton College, the two had an idea.
“Many of my students will probably be first-generation college students,” says Principal Montgomery. “A college tour is an important piece of helping students see it’s possible.”
MAKING IT HAPPEN
A private Christian liberal arts college in Wheaton, IL, Wheaton College is a familiar place for those connected to CHCA. Not only have dozens of graduates chosen to continue their education at the vetted institution, but Dr. Nicholas is a proud Wheatie, graduating from Wheaton with both a bachelor’s and master’s. “When Cammie and I were at the conference, we asked ourselves, ‘What if sixth graders got to see and experience this with a parent, knowing there was the possibility of a scholarship?’ Putting Wheaton on their radar might expand the way they thought about college options,” he says. That scholarship, established by CHCA family Brian and AudrieAna Gardner, helps Armleder students who graduate from CHCA to continue their studies at Wheaton. So far, five students have taken advantage of it, furthering their journey in Christian education while delving into their vocational callings. “Wheaton is a leading Christian liberal arts college with a rich history and is known for its excellence,” says Dr. Nicholas. “Over the years, many CHCA alums who wanted to continue their education in a Christian environment have found Wheaton’s emphasis on the integration of faith and learning to be the perfect next step.” In crafting an Armleder visit to Wheaton, Dr. Nicholas and Principal Montgomery forged connections with the college’s Chief Enrollment Management Officer, Silvio Vazquez, and set to work recruiting students and parents. After a little talk—and a lot of excitement—the date was set. On April 16, 2025, a charter bus filled with Eagle purple headed toward Chicago.
THE FUTURE AWAITS
Once on Wheaton ground, students were given the full Wheatie treatment. A private tour showcased the picturesque 80-acre campus and gave a sense of student life. Lunch with CHCA graduate and current Wheaton student Caleb Mary ’21 further bridged the two schools, as he shared stories from his CHCA days and the ways in which Armleder prepared him for the rigor of a Wheaton course load. Conversations with Vazquez and professors solidified to students and parents the school’s commitment to helping everyone grow into their ambitious calling.
In the afternoon, visits to the Billy Graham Museum and Marion E. Wade Center were both educational and moving, reinforcing the trip’s divinely orchestrated theme of “possibility.”
“The kids got to see Billy Graham’s impact all over the world—how he started as a young man and grew to have millions of people in China listening to him speak,” Principal Montgomery says. “It was powerful.”
“The Wade Center houses one of the greatest collections of the writing group known as The Inklings, whose most famous members were C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien,” says Dr. Nicholas. “Seeing our students listening to the docent, gathered around the writing desk of Tolkien on which he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a special moment for me.”
Though sixth graders are not typically the intended target for college admissions counselors, the success of Armleder’s trip to Wheaton illustrates the impact of an early preview. “The bus ride was different going back,” Principal Montgomery shares. “The kids chatted about the things they saw and the people they spoke with. Parents expressed that Wheaton isn’t what they thought it would be—they were quite impressed.”
Once back in Cincinnati, she organized visits to schools closer to home, including the University of Cincinnati and Central State University, building on the momentum and excitement, and hoping to expose even more students to the idea of college. Both Principal Montgomery and Dr. Nicholas desire to make these visits, and the Wheaton experience, annual events.
“Academics matter, but we have to build relationships with our students and give hope,” Principal Montgomery says. “When we do that, they will soar.”
