TESTIMONIALS
ALEC
Graduate 2021
I spent 5 years at PHA. My first year was in the seventh grade. When I initially switched schools it was mainly to escape from the degrading social aspects that came from being in my local public school.
It was hard starting out at PHA cause I didn’t have any friends, but everyone was super welcoming. I really appreciated the classroom setting created by PHA- it was very one-on-one, since the classes are so small. This gave me a lot of room for me to catch up to the stuff that I had been missing from public school. I was really overwhelmed with homework for probably the first year, maybe even the second.
PHA has given me so much time, time I have been able to spend working on piano and working on parkour, progressing in the things I love most. Now I get to teach other people how to play the piano and how to do parkour. I’m able to play any piano piece I could possibly dream of, something I never thought was even possible. Furthermore I am able to do all kinds of flips and big jumps at parkour, without even having to really think about it. I am certain that if I had stayed in public schools I would have been put down for my “parkour” to the point of quitting.
PHA has reached so much further than just my education, it has set my life straight, it has given me so many possibilities and opportunities, and it has given me so much time to be able to work on things that really make me who I am. The work loads can be tough, but it grants so much privilege later on.
BRONTE
Graduate 2022
It was easy for me to adjust and feel like I belong and was wanted at Pioneer Heritage,
even though I was only a student there for two years. The school’s methods of learning are very personalized, giving necessary flexibility to the students. They are fine-tuned to fit the students’ needs, as is outlined in the third Governing Principle, which states that “Children’s
needs are the most important.” It’s refreshing to see that not only does Pioneer Heritage profess to have good values and promote a healthy learning environment, but it also follows through.
There is no question about whether the teachers care about the students; it is easy to
see by the way they teach. They are easy to connect with and exude positive energy that
inspires me to be the best that I can be. I’ve been so lucky to have teachers who care about my
success, and who spend time getting to know me personally.
Being a part of the community that is Pioneer Heritage has meant a lot to me. I
always felt like I was believed in, that my teachers were rooting for me. It was the perfect step for me; it fit my needs and built me up into a person I can be proud of.
LYDIA
Graduate 2022
While attending PHA I learned the importance of making education a priority, using my time
wisely, and respect for other’s sacrifice. When I first came to PHA I struggled a lot with adjusting
to the workload and expectations of the school, but it has taught me persistence and that I can
recover from my mistakes. Not only did PHA teach me to work hard, it taught me to have fun with
my work and to be proud of it. I had to shift my paradigm and look at school not as a burden but
as an opportunity. Because of this I seek out education and productivity in my free time. Work
and school are not obligations, they give you purpose and challenges. As a daughter of one of
the teachers, I’ve seen that hours of time, calls, preparation, and meetings go into keeping the
school running smoothly. It’s given me a greater appreciation for teachers and for anyone who
runs an organization. PHA has given me lots of opportunities to grow and I’m so grateful that I
was able to attend.
REBECCA
Graduate 2006
When it comes to childhood education, I almost feel like I won the lottery. I cannot relate to other adults who laugh about how awful their junior high and high school days were. As a young girl and all through high school, I attended Pioneer Heritage Academy from it's humble beginnings and only have positive memories. I remember having to meet in someone's home as our families helped to construct a building for our school to meet in. I experienced first hand the sacrifice that accompanies good education. We students were there because we wanted to be and had to work for it.
PHA has provided me a faith-based approach to education that I've come to appreciate more and more. I learned at a young age that all knowledge, whether spiritual or academic, is truth which comes from - and brings us closer to - God. The close-knit and love based style of teaching instilled in me a joyful approach to study, not just as preparation for tests, but as a tool to acquire more knowledge out of genuine interest. That pattern of self-driven learning has influenced every aspect of my adult life.
Because we only met three days a week, it freed up my schedule for other things I loved to do, like dance. It also meant there was a lot of homework to juggle, but I soon learned how to manage my time to keep my grades up. I learned that success is seldom easy and never acquired by comparing one's self to others, but by motivating one’s self to achieve personal goals. The amount of love, sacrifice and dedication PHA's staff put into helping their students is remarkable. Many of the teachers are parents themselves and are truly dedicated to helping their students succeed.
After graduating from PHA, I took online college classes and also received my Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies (England's equivalent of a bachelor's degree through the Royal Academy of Dance). I now work part time as a ballet teacher and I love my job. I am also a wife and mother of two young children. I would highly recommend this school and hope to have my children attend in the future.
JUSTEN
Student pre-2001
I am currently a journalist/editor for Independent Journal Review, one of the most popular news sites in America. My goal is to win the Pulitzer by 2020.
I have a GED and I am currently working on my Bachelor's in English.
PHA gave me a desire to study more about the founding of our country, our God-given principles. The way I learned about the Founding Fathers in America shaped my views about our Judeo-Christian heritage.
​
RAILEE
Graduate 2008
When I was a student at PHA, I always thought that I appreciated the loving diligence of my teachers, the bully-free, family-like environment, and the quality education I was receiving, but it wasn't until I'd moved on to college and beyond that I really came to treasure with a special reverence the privilege of my early education. It was at PHA where my love of God and Country were cultivated day by day as I learned to love learning. It wasn't ever about jumping through hoops to please teachers. It was always about seeking greater understanding and applying what I learned to my life. Math, Science, English, History, every subject was taught with such love and purpose.
To this day, nine years after my graduation, I feel a difference in the way I view the world from most other people. I see so much more purpose in education than merely to be awarded a piece of paper that says I've done it. Education is power, both here and in the eternities. I once attended a math class at a church university in which the teacher asked why it was important for us to learn math. Several students gave various answers about different professions or activities in which it might become useful. I, thinking back on my PHA education, raised my hand and said that it was important for us to learn math because God is the Great Mathematician, and He sent us here to learn as much as we can to become like Him, to create and to have joy as He does. The teacher said that in all of her years of teaching, I was the only student who had ever given that answer. It was at PHA that I learned to recognize the thread of eternal truth that connects all subjects, and I continue to seek out and recognize that thread as I move forward with my life as a working woman, a wife, an active member of my church and my community, and a patriotic citizen of my country.
I'm currently working as a Budget Analyst for the number 1 construction company in Utah, Ivory Homes, but I'm looking into schooling options to become a Respiratory Therapist.
MEGHAN
Graduate 2006
The best thing about PHA for me was all the amazing women that I was able get to know personally. I always really admired the mothers who sacrificed their time to help teach at PHA to ensure their children got the type of education they wanted. I was strengthened by their testimonies, and still think about them and ask myself, "How would that teacher have taught this principle in her home?" Not only were they excellent teachers that cared about each student individually, they were wonderful examples of women who were educated, and who were strong willed and brave enough to start their own school and succeed at it.
DONNA
Parent, teacher, administrator
As a parent when your children are approaching school age you realize you need to make some big decisions on their behalf. Â Through prayer and a little persuasion by family, we made the decision the start our children out at PHA in 1st grade. Â That was the best decision for us. Â Their schooling, even at a young age, incorporated scripture, prayer, and their science class even started with the Creation. Â The class sizes are small allowing the teachers to know each student really well, their strengths, weaknesses, how to guide and help them with whatever their individual needs may be. Â They are full of love for each student and have a love for teaching and it shows. Â My daughters learned how to take ownership of their education, ask questions and communicate with the teacher on a daily basis. Â Two of my three daughters graduated from PHA, and because of family life changes our youngest went to public school in the 9th grade, then we moved to another state and she is currently finishing up her junior year at an early-college program through Utah Valley University, and will graduate next year with an associates degree and she will be going on to study nursing. Â She was able to take her communication skills and study habits she learned at PHA and use them in her high school years. Â Â The other two were able to go on to further their education, one went to BYU-Idaho, and is currently serving a mission, and the other chose Cosmetology and has graduated in that field. Â I am grateful for the choice we made many years ago to put them at PHA, they got an excellent education and a good sense of self-worth.
MEGAN
Graduate 2008
Current career or career goal: Aspiring physician.
Highest level of advanced education: Completed bachelor's degree
At PHA I feel that I learned to take a personal responsibility for my education. The teachers at PHA are there because they are passionate about teaching and the students are there because they are passionate about learning. I feel that this helped me do avoid passivity and ambivalence in my further education.
I really value the care with which teachers at PHA perform their unpaid service. I felt that my teachers were personally invested in my success and my future. I felt privileged to attend PHA as so much work and time was donated for my benefit.
The mutually-encouraging and trusting relationships I formed with my classmates and teachers at PHA are still a big part of my life nearly ten years after graduation. I never felt bullied, belittled, or overlooked. I feel that the respect I was treated with at school has contributed largely to my confidence in adulthood: academically, personally, and in my career.