Class of 2005: Faith got student through hard times

In February of her junior year, Jessica Gibson had no idea how she'd make her monthly tuition payment to Stillwater Christian School. Her part-time job at Dairy Queen wasn't enough to cover the bill, so she prayed.

In February of her junior year, Jessica Gibson had no idea how she'd make her monthly tuition payment to Stillwater Christian School. Her part-time job at Dairy Queen wasn't enough to cover the bill, so she prayed.

"It was scary," she recalled. "I had so much to pay for that month, then at the last moment, I got a bunch of money for my birthday."

For Gibson, switching to a tuition-free public school wasn't an option.

"This school has played such a big part in helping me get through things. I couldn't imagine leaving my support system."

Paying her way to attend a private school has been one of many challenges for the quiet but self-assured senior who dreams of one day teaching art and drama. The death of a close friend, a broken family, an alcoholic mother and excruciating migraine headaches have tested her.

"I don't regret what's happened," she said matter-of-factly. "It's helped shape who I am and has drawn me closer to God. God's given me a great witnessing tool, and that's a great blessing."

Life began spiraling out of control for Gibson four years ago. Her family moved to Kalispell from the Fresno, Calif., area during the middle of her eighth-grade year, and she was devastated the following year when her best friend from California was killed in a four-wheeler accident.

"For a while I blamed myself," she said. "I thought I could've changed what had happened if I had only been there."

Things were about to get worse.

Three months after her friend's death, her parents filed for a divorce. She and her four siblings - a brother, now 16, and three sisters, ages 5, 7 and 9 - suffered the fallout of an ugly custody dispute. At the same time, her mother's drinking problem was getting worse.

"She was sometimes incoherent because of the alcohol, and very emotionally abusive," Gibson said. "It took a toll on my self-esteem."

Gibson took on the role of caregiver to her three younger sisters when her mother's drinking interfered with being a parent.

"I felt more like the parent," she added.

Her mother worked hard at her job, Gibson recalled, but it wasn't enough to keep the alcoholism at bay.

In her darkest hours, Gibson wished she were dead so she could escape the reality of a crumbled family and an uncertain future. Instead of turning to suicide, though, she turned to her faith.

"The only thing that got me through those dark times was my relationship with God, my

walk with Christ," she confided.

Gibson began going to church with a family friend when she was in elementary school. Her parents had separated for a time, and while her mother spent time in Montana, the rest of the Gibson family "got saved" at the Fourth Street Church of God. Her mother returned and began attending church, too.

Home life deteriorated after the divorce. Gibson was living with her mother, and suffered from asthma that was made worse by her mother's smoking. Severe migraine headaches also began plaguing the teen. She moved out of her mother's house before the beginning of her junior year and stayed with a friend's family for a few months before moving in with her father.

"Being with my dad was a challenge. Our relationship had suffered," she said. "But it's good to have my dad back in my life."

After she broke ties with her mother, she was on her own to pay for tuition to high school. It was a struggle, and it was sometimes difficult watching friends spend their money on more frivolous things.

Her grades suffered, too, and she got sick more often than she should have.

Stillwater Christian English teacher Cinda Wilson remembered when Gibson cried the first time she got a B.

"She had always been a top student. It was hard for her because she was filling several roles," Wilson said.

Gibson struggled with feelings of guilt for not getting better grades, knowing she couldn't have done better if she'd only had more time to study.

When she wrote a paper detailing her mother's affliction, Wilson asked her if any of it was true. "All of it," Gibson told her teacher.

"I think there's a survivor there, and I wish her the best," Wilson said.

Gibson cited Wilson and choir/drama instructor Krista Van Heldon as two of her most faithful mentors.

And when her own mother couldn't be there for her, others answered the call.

"God has blessed me with surrogate mothers," she said. "They've been there to guide me as to what's right."

Gibson's paternal grandfather paid for half of the tuition for her senior year, a "major blessing" that allowed her time to play basketball and act in school productions. She had the lead in "The Princess and the Pea."

She plans to work for a year following graduation to save money for college. Her goal is to attend an art school in Italy.

The asthma has gotten better the past couple of years, but a migraine sent her to the hospital this year when she passed out at school.

Through it all, Wilson and others have marveled at Gibson's positive attitude.

"So many people have gone through worse," Gibson said. "I have a lot to be thankful for. God has a way of turning tragedy to blessing."

A favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, has guided Gibson for years: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Those plans for the future begin Friday, right after she gets her diploma.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com

Editor's note: This is the first of a weeklong series of stories about Flathead Valley high school seniors who have overcome extraordinary obstacles to graduate with their class.

By LYNNETTE HINTZEThe Daily Inter Lake

In February of her junior year, Jessica Gibson had no idea how she'd make her monthly tuition payment to Stillwater Christian School. Her part-time job at Dairy Queen wasn't enough to cover the bill, so she prayed.

"It was scary," she recalled. "I had so much to pay for that month, then at the last moment, I got a bunch of money for my birthday."

For Gibson, switching to a tuition-free public school wasn't an option.

"This school has played such a big part in helping me get through things. I couldn't imagine leaving my support system."

Paying her way to attend a private school has been one of many challenges for the quiet but self-assured senior who dreams of one day teaching art and drama. The death of a close friend, a broken family, an alcoholic mother and excruciating migraine headaches have tested her.

"I don't regret what's happened," she said matter-of-factly. "It's helped shape who I am and has drawn me closer to God. God's given me a great witnessing tool, and that's a great blessing."

Life began spiraling out of control for Gibson four years ago. Her family moved to Kalispell from the Fresno, Calif., area during the middle of her eighth-grade year, and she was devastated the following year when her best friend from California was killed in a four-wheeler accident.

"For a while I blamed myself," she said. "I thought I could've changed what had happened if I had only been there."

Things were about to get worse.

Three months after her friend's death, her parents filed for a divorce. She and her four siblings - a brother, now 16, and three sisters, ages 5, 7 and 9 - suffered the fallout of an ugly custody dispute. At the same time, her mother's drinking problem was getting worse.

"She was sometimes incoherent because of the alcohol, and very emotionally abusive," Gibson said. "It took a toll on my self-esteem."

Gibson took on the role of caregiver to her three younger sisters when her mother's drinking interfered with being a parent.

"I felt more like the parent," she added.

Her mother worked hard at her job, Gibson recalled, but it wasn't enough to keep the alcoholism at bay.

In her darkest hours, Gibson wished she were dead so she could escape the reality of a crumbled family and an uncertain future. Instead of turning to suicide, though, she turned to her faith.

"The only thing that got me through those dark times was my relationship with God, my

walk with Christ," she confided.

Gibson began going to church with a family friend when she was in elementary school. Her parents had separated for a time, and while her mother spent time in Montana, the rest of the Gibson family "got saved" at the Fourth Street Church of God. Her mother returned and began attending church, too.

Home life deteriorated after the divorce. Gibson was living with her mother, and suffered from asthma that was made worse by her mother's smoking. Severe migraine headaches also began plaguing the teen. She moved out of her mother's house before the beginning of her junior year and stayed with a friend's family for a few months before moving in with her father.

"Being with my dad was a challenge. Our relationship had suffered," she said. "But it's good to have my dad back in my life."

After she broke ties with her mother, she was on her own to pay for tuition to high school. It was a struggle, and it was sometimes difficult watching friends spend their money on more frivolous things.

Her grades suffered, too, and she got sick more often than she should have.

Stillwater Christian English teacher Cinda Wilson remembered when Gibson cried the first time she got a B.

"She had always been a top student. It was hard for her because she was filling several roles," Wilson said.

Gibson struggled with feelings of guilt for not getting better grades, knowing she couldn't have done better if she'd only had more time to study.

When she wrote a paper detailing her mother's affliction, Wilson asked her if any of it was true. "All of it," Gibson told her teacher.

"I think there's a survivor there, and I wish her the best," Wilson said.

Gibson cited Wilson and choir/drama instructor Krista Van Heldon as two of her most faithful mentors.

And when her own mother couldn't be there for her, others answered the call.

"God has blessed me with surrogate mothers," she said. "They've been there to guide me as to what's right."

Gibson's paternal grandfather paid for half of the tuition for her senior year, a "major blessing" that allowed her time to play basketball and act in school productions. She had the lead in "The Princess and the Pea."

She plans to work for a year following graduation to save money for college. Her goal is to attend an art school in Italy.

The asthma has gotten better the past couple of years, but a migraine sent her to the hospital this year when she passed out at school.

Through it all, Wilson and others have marveled at Gibson's positive attitude.

"So many people have gone through worse," Gibson said. "I have a lot to be thankful for. God has a way of turning tragedy to blessing."

A favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, has guided Gibson for years: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Those plans for the future begin Friday, right after she gets her diploma.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com

Editor's note: This is the first of a weeklong series of stories about Flathead Valley high school seniors who have overcome extraordinary obstacles to graduate with their class.

By LYNNETTE HINTZEThe Daily Inter Lake

In February of her junior year, Jessica Gibson had no idea how she'd make her monthly tuition payment to Stillwater Christian School. Her part-time job at Dairy Queen wasn't enough to cover the bill, so she prayed.

"It was scary," she recalled. "I had so much to pay for that month, then at the last moment, I got a bunch of money for my birthday."

For Gibson, switching to a tuition-free public school wasn't an option.

"This school has played such a big part in helping me get through things. I couldn't imagine leaving my support system."

Paying her way to attend a private school has been one of many challenges for the quiet but self-assured senior who dreams of one day teaching art and drama. The death of a close friend, a broken family, an alcoholic mother and excruciating migraine headaches have tested her.

"I don't regret what's happened," she said matter-of-factly. "It's helped shape who I am and has drawn me closer to God. God's given me a great witnessing tool, and that's a great blessing."

Life began spiraling out of control for Gibson four years ago. Her family moved to Kalispell from the Fresno, Calif., area during the middle of her eighth-grade year, and she was devastated the following year when her best friend from California was killed in a four-wheeler accident.

"For a while I blamed myself," she said. "I thought I could've changed what had happened if I had only been there."

Things were about to get worse.

Three months after her friend's death, her parents filed for a divorce. She and her four siblings - a brother, now 16, and three sisters, ages 5, 7 and 9 - suffered the fallout of an ugly custody dispute. At the same time, her mother's drinking problem was getting worse.

"She was sometimes incoherent because of the alcohol, and very emotionally abusive," Gibson said. "It took a toll on my self-esteem."

Gibson took on the role of caregiver to her three younger sisters when her mother's drinking interfered with being a parent.

"I felt more like the parent," she added.

Her mother worked hard at her job, Gibson recalled, but it wasn't enough to keep the alcoholism at bay.

In her darkest hours, Gibson wished she were dead so she could escape the reality of a crumbled family and an uncertain future. Instead of turning to suicide, though, she turned to her faith.

"The only thing that got me through those dark times was my relationship with God, my

walk with Christ," she confided.

Gibson began going to church with a family friend when she was in elementary school. Her parents had separated for a time, and while her mother spent time in Montana, the rest of the Gibson family "got saved" at the Fourth Street Church of God. Her mother returned and began attending church, too.

Home life deteriorated after the divorce. Gibson was living with her mother, and suffered from asthma that was made worse by her mother's smoking. Severe migraine headaches also began plaguing the teen. She moved out of her mother's house before the beginning of her junior year and stayed with a friend's family for a few months before moving in with her father.

"Being with my dad was a challenge. Our relationship had suffered," she said. "But it's good to have my dad back in my life."

After she broke ties with her mother, she was on her own to pay for tuition to high school. It was a struggle, and it was sometimes difficult watching friends spend their money on more frivolous things.

Her grades suffered, too, and she got sick more often than she should have.

Stillwater Christian English teacher Cinda Wilson remembered when Gibson cried the first time she got a B.

"She had always been a top student. It was hard for her because she was filling several roles," Wilson said.

Gibson struggled with feelings of guilt for not getting better grades, knowing she couldn't have done better if she'd only had more time to study.

When she wrote a paper detailing her mother's affliction, Wilson asked her if any of it was true. "All of it," Gibson told her teacher.

"I think there's a survivor there, and I wish her the best," Wilson said.

Gibson cited Wilson and choir/drama instructor Krista Van Heldon as two of her most faithful mentors.

And when her own mother couldn't be there for her, others answered the call.

"God has blessed me with surrogate mothers," she said. "They've been there to guide me as to what's right."

Gibson's paternal grandfather paid for half of the tuition for her senior year, a "major blessing" that allowed her time to play basketball and act in school productions. She had the lead in "The Princess and the Pea."

She plans to work for a year following graduation to save money for college. Her goal is to attend an art school in Italy.

The asthma has gotten better the past couple of years, but a migraine sent her to the hospital this year when she passed out at school.

Through it all, Wilson and others have marveled at Gibson's positive attitude.

"So many people have gone through worse," Gibson said. "I have a lot to be thankful for. God has a way of turning tragedy to blessing."

A favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, has guided Gibson for years: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Those plans for the future begin Friday, right after she gets her diploma.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com

Editor's note: This is the first of a weeklong series of stories about Flathead Valley high school seniors who have overcome extraordinary obstacles to graduate with their class.

By LYNNETTE HINTZEThe Daily Inter Lake

In February of her junior year, Jessica Gibson had no idea how she'd make her monthly tuition payment to Stillwater Christian School. Her part-time job at Dairy Queen wasn't enough to cover the bill, so she prayed.

"It was scary," she recalled. "I had so much to pay for that month, then at the last moment, I got a bunch of money for my birthday."

For Gibson, switching to a tuition-free public school wasn't an option.

"This school has played such a big part in helping me get through things. I couldn't imagine leaving my support system."

Paying her way to attend a private school has been one of many challenges for the quiet but self-assured senior who dreams of one day teaching art and drama. The death of a close friend, a broken family, an alcoholic mother and excruciating migraine headaches have tested her.

"I don't regret what's happened," she said matter-of-factly. "It's helped shape who I am and has drawn me closer to God. God's given me a great witnessing tool, and that's a great blessing."

Life began spiraling out of control for Gibson four years ago. Her family moved to Kalispell from the Fresno, Calif., area during the middle of her eighth-grade year, and she was devastated the following year when her best friend from California was killed in a four-wheeler accident.

"For a while I blamed myself," she said. "I thought I could've changed what had happened if I had only been there."

Things were about to get worse.

Three months after her friend's death, her parents filed for a divorce. She and her four siblings - a brother, now 16, and three sisters, ages 5, 7 and 9 - suffered the fallout of an ugly custody dispute. At the same time, her mother's drinking problem was getting worse.

"She was sometimes incoherent because of the alcohol, and very emotionally abusive," Gibson said. "It took a toll on my self-esteem."

Gibson took on the role of caregiver to her three younger sisters when her mother's drinking interfered with being a parent.

"I felt more like the parent," she added.

Her mother worked hard at her job, Gibson recalled, but it wasn't enough to keep the alcoholism at bay.

In her darkest hours, Gibson wished she were dead so she could escape the reality of a crumbled family and an uncertain future. Instead of turning to suicide, though, she turned to her faith.

"The only thing that got me through those dark times was my relationship with God, my

walk with Christ," she confided.

Gibson began going to church with a family friend when she was in elementary school. Her parents had separated for a time, and while her mother spent time in Montana, the rest of the Gibson family "got saved" at the Fourth Street Church of God. Her mother returned and began attending church, too.

Home life deteriorated after the divorce. Gibson was living with her mother, and suffered from asthma that was made worse by her mother's smoking. Severe migraine headaches also began plaguing the teen. She moved out of her mother's house before the beginning of her junior year and stayed with a friend's family for a few months before moving in with her father.

"Being with my dad was a challenge. Our relationship had suffered," she said. "But it's good to have my dad back in my life."

After she broke ties with her mother, she was on her own to pay for tuition to high school. It was a struggle, and it was sometimes difficult watching friends spend their money on more frivolous things.

Her grades suffered, too, and she got sick more often than she should have.

Stillwater Christian English teacher Cinda Wilson remembered when Gibson cried the first time she got a B.

"She had always been a top student. It was hard for her because she was filling several roles," Wilson said.

Gibson struggled with feelings of guilt for not getting better grades, knowing she couldn't have done better if she'd only had more time to study.

When she wrote a paper detailing her mother's affliction, Wilson asked her if any of it was true. "All of it," Gibson told her teacher.

"I think there's a survivor there, and I wish her the best," Wilson said.

Gibson cited Wilson and choir/drama instructor Krista Van Heldon as two of her most faithful mentors.

And when her own mother couldn't be there for her, others answered the call.

"God has blessed me with surrogate mothers," she said. "They've been there to guide me as to what's right."

Gibson's paternal grandfather paid for half of the tuition for her senior year, a "major blessing" that allowed her time to play basketball and act in school productions. She had the lead in "The Princess and the Pea."

She plans to work for a year following graduation to save money for college. Her goal is to attend an art school in Italy.

The asthma has gotten better the past couple of years, but a migraine sent her to the hospital this year when she passed out at school.

Through it all, Wilson and others have marveled at Gibson's positive attitude.

"So many people have gone through worse," Gibson said. "I have a lot to be thankful for. God has a way of turning tragedy to blessing."

A favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, has guided Gibson for years: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Those plans for the future begin Friday, right after she gets her diploma.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com