The Ripple Effects of Faithful Teaching

In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with longtime NorthStar Academy teacher Brittany Mee as she reflects on nearly a decade of ministry, mentorship, and global impact. As she steps into a new season centered on family, homeschooling, and local calling, Brittany shares powerful stories of God’s faithfulness — from walking alongside students through mental health and medical challenges to witnessing Christ-centered education ripple across cultures and continents.

This conversation captures the heart of NorthStar: testimony, discipleship, and the quiet ways God works through faithful teaching.

In this episode, we talk about:
• testimony as the core story of NorthStar
• student growth across academics, faith, and emotional health
• flexibility that supports students through illness and hardship
• parenting, homeschooling, and discerning seasons of calling
• encouragement to keep your eyes on Jesus and rest in His grace
• building alumni connection and lifelong community

Transcript

Welcome And Purpose

Stephanie Shafer 0:02

Hi, this is Stephanie Shafer, and you're listening to the NorthStar Narrative, a podcast from NorthStar Academy. I want to thank you for joining us. I hope you're encouraged, challenged, and motivated by what you learned today. Enjoy the story. Hey everybody, thanks for joining us for this next episode. So today we have one of our teachers that's been here since 2016. One of um just my favorite people to talk to, even though we've never met in person, but it feels like we have, and we don't talk all that often with so many things going on in Brittany's life. But um I'm so excited. She reached out to me because she is nearing the end of her time at Northstar and she wanted to just spend some time talking and just reflecting on that. And I'm so thankful she reached out and I just said, Hey, Britney, let's record it. Let's record the conversation because I know your heart um is so for God's work here. And I would love people to be able to hear your heart and just see what comes out of the conversation. So she was brave and said yes, even though she's about to uh deliver a brand new baby and um just all the things of transition. But um, Brittany, thank you so much for joining me today and just can't wait for our community to hear your heart and just the blessing that you've been.

Brittany Mee 1:21

Yeah, no, thank you so much for having me. It's it's really good to be able to just to have closure after all this these good years at NSA.

Testimony And Student Growth

Stephanie Shafer 1:29

Yes. So many, so many good years. I remember some of our conversations and some by email. And um, I just remember how detailed you've always been when you're talking about a student or questioning something, and would just give an incredible amount of intentional time to students. So when I think about you, I think about just real care, making students feel known and seen, which is what we are about here at Northstar. And so you just exemplify all of that of who we want our students to become, and and a type of teacher that leads them in that direction. So that's what I think about um when I think of you the most. Of course, a lot of other things, an incredible mom, so brave, um, with so many things y'all have been through as a family and how you persevere and keep your eyes on Jesus and and just so bold to share the gospel and in the middle of all the life things that come our way. So, what do you think about when you think about NorthStar, your time here, just uh what God's done over the past decade, plus um what comes to mind?

Brittany Mee 2:38

Yeah, so I think of the word testimony and just that the world will know Christ by the testimony of uh his people, his children, and how many of his children I've just been blessed to interact with. Um whether students or parents or um affiliate school supervisors, or um, you know, just there's there's a lot of different interactions that go on, you know, maybe it's a family tutor, even who's a supervisor, but um just so much testimony of um growth in students, not just academically, yes, academically, definitely. If you know, I hear a lot of um students who God's calling into like a specific profession or specific ministry, or um they they just know God's really leading them somewhere after high school that is quite specific, and how um either my classes or other classes at Northstar that they're in are helping them prepare for that and equipping them for that, and that's really cool. Um, but then also just spiritually and emotionally and personally and mentally, all of those really other important factors, especially in the teen years. Um, you know, as students are becoming young adults for Christ, and they're they're also preparing for independence when they're leaving home and they're starting their own families and um they're learning to pay bills and and interact with their communities and serve their communities and churches. So, um, just the way that uh, you know, be had them having been in my classes or other NorthStar classes, hearing from them, you know, I learned this and this helped me interact with this person in this way, or you know, just uh the immense ripple effect of what they're learning and doing um at NorthStar and not just in class, but also in our communities and our Teams chats and on our um our NSA Connects and lots of other places, but and then how it goes out into their churches, their communities, their families, their younger siblings, their older siblings. And uh I think that's what I think of as just sort of this ripple, this you know, like a lake or um a stream, or you know, where the the waves are just like they they just keep coming because everything keeps pouring out from one student into another student, into another person. And um, so yeah, I'm just really thankful, really blessed to have been a part of it.

Then Vs Now: Tech And Teaching

Stephanie Shafer 5:08

Yeah, that's so good. So good. So when you first joined Northstar way back, um it was a lot different than it is now, but what did you think you were? What did you think you were signing up for? And then how did that compare with what you've really, really experienced?

Brittany Mee 5:27

Well, in 2016, we were still using first class, which was a really old school email system. And uh we were there was still so much more like submission of assignments by attachment and emails and things like that. And um, I mean, since 2016, technology has just exploded, and um, you know, now we've, you know, we're working just in the AI age and helping kids navigate that and and all these other things. So um I guess I I thought at first, you know, uh, this is really cool because I love teaching and I love working with teens. And um I've been doing that. I taught in the classroom prior to NorthStar. Um, and now I have a baby, my first baby, he was two at the time, actually. And um just what a blessing and a gift to be able to do uh what I love doing and to be able to like you know, to to do many things I love. I love being a mom, stay-at-home mom. And I we we knew even then we wanted to homeschool, and um, now this is that baby is now 11, almost 12, and um baby five is due in, well, a week and a half or so. So a lot's happened between then. But um, and so I am able to homeschool them and be with them. And then also um I haven't God hasn't asked me in that time frame at least. Um now is different, but in that time frame, he didn't ask me to give up the um the gifts and the talents that he gave me. You know, he he gave me an opportunity to get a master's in education, he gave me the opportunity to get a teaching credential and um from California and um to teach in several schools internationally and in California. And and then NorthStar was just such this blessing of being able to, for Christ, with Christ at the center, keep going with that and use that those gifts and those blessings to pour into so many students and families and schools. So yeah, I don't know if that answered the question, but I guess I just kind of thought Christian, like doing what I love in a Christian context, that's amazing. And then I got to see what God was really doing with it over the years.

Stephanie Shafer 7:38

So yeah. Oh, that's so good. Tell me about one or two students that you just think of over the years come to mind um that you really saw God working in their life, or you just remember, there's so many.

Stories Of Healing And Perseverance

Brittany Mee 7:53

Um, let's see, one or two. That's tricky. Um okay, so one of them who definitely stands out to me um is a student who really struggled with mental health. And um she just uh just really, really was was just kind of in a a deep dark place um when I first got her. And uh I think it was sociology, it may have been psychology. I think I had her for both eventually. Um and just kind of watching her interacting with her and talking with her, not even really knowing what to say, but just asking God, God, please give me the words, just help me know what to say, Holy Spirit. Um, and sometimes not even knowing if that was making sense, but just sending it to her and trusting God and praying for her and her family. And um, you know, they uh students can be in class for um, you know, up to six months, really, or even longer if they have extensions. So um, she was definitely on the longer end of that. I think she had an extension even. And so over the course of quite a bit of time, getting to hear her slowly become a little bit more positive and still a little bit more alive and a little bit more um interactive and less shy. And um, and and by the end, I could just I could just sense that she was stronger, healthier, and that she she knows who Jesus Christ is and she knows that she can go to him. And it was like this very freeing experience for me because it was like, oh, she's in like she knows who Jesus is and she can go to Jesus, and he's uh a million times more capable than me or anyone else's. So that's the safest place for her and her family to be in. Um, and so that's one student I think of. And then um another one I think of was actually a physical health situation where um she had come off of a cancer diagnosis, actually. And um just uh what her family had been through in a cancer diagnosis. I mean, it was tremendous the trials that they have faced. And um, and she had so much passion for finishing her high school education nonetheless. And um, I feel like part of me would have just given up, but she she was determined, you know, and um, and she was meeting all her course requirements and working with NSA's guidance team to kind of figure out like what does a high school diploma look like, being behind and things like that and catching up. Um, and just to to kind of think, wow, this is an opportunity that may not have existed otherwise for her. She may not have been able to finish high school outside of the flexibility of an online program. And um, so sometimes you think what you're doing doesn't matter that much, or you know, you're it's you're just doing a job, but it's not at NorthStar, it's not just a job, it's it's really um you just see how like this has changed the course of a family's ability to in their life to do something um really significant and important and even with eternal value um to to bless them and encourage them. And so yeah, that's a couple stories. I I I could go on. I have a lot more, but okay, tell us another I don't know. I yeah, I don't know. Just lots and lots of situ lots of students overseas that um uh getting to hear about um one of my favorite things is just getting to hear about other countries and what God's doing in other countries and like places that I would have never heard of otherwise or have no idea that the gospel's going out and um or the kinds of ministry that's happening. Um just all over the world, from like literally the Amazon jungle to the Congo to you know, Thailand and Laos and Cambodia. I've had a lot of students there recently, and um, so that's that's been kind of fun too, just uh lots of students kind of sharing um stories of people in their villages or communities coming to Christ.

Stephanie Shafer 11:50

Yeah. It's an incredible place to be called to.

Brittany Mee 11:56

Yeah, yeah. I feel like I was actually more blessed even than like I'm on the receiving end of that blessing because I get to hear about from them about what their parents are doing and the um the missionary work that that their families are involved in.

Global Missions Through Students’ Lives

Stephanie Shafer 12:10

I mean, for me, just to know every day that I wake up, yeah, we have a purpose and we get to instill that purpose into these students who are going out. So just to have have a job that's not a job, but a true ministry, kind of like you said. And yeah, I love that. I love so much that you've been a part. Um, sad that you're departing, but people, you know, come and go. God moves us from one ministry to another sometimes, and um seasons, seasons change our lives. So I'm always excited, sad when people go, but excited at the same time because I know God's in the midst of calling us to different places, and you want to be right where he wants you to be, so we can rejoice for one another. But um, so what do you want to share a little bit about your family and um just the call that he has on your life and and why you're not leaving, you never leave, NorthStar. I mean, you can't leave a community, you know, but you're not gonna be in the classroom every day.

Seasons, Family Calling, And Homeschooling

Brittany Mee 13:13

Yeah. Yeah. So um our fifth baby is, like I said, due um in just uh a little less than a few weeks here. And um essentially, God has just said to me, Um, now is the time that is going to require the most for my kids, ages uh like I was saying, almost 12 down to newborn, um, and what they need. And um and because I'm homeschooling them, so um, we're coming up into the early teen years for my oldest, and um just being able to have that time um, I think is is just really where God's he's just put it on my heart to to make that my my focus and to give it my attention. So that's the main thing. Um and then kind of with that, or you know, it comes right along with that because of the various homeschool and church communities that we're in. Um, there are so many needs in our neighborhood, in our community. And um, I should say I live in Tucson, Arizona, so um just uh not only in you know, like the surrounding areas, but um within our church, and just there's a lot to be done. There's always work to be done. And um, and so just kind of using this time to to my God-given calling calling of putting my kids first and uh walking with them and shepherding them and shepherding their hearts, and then um sort of out of that all the various contacts and communities that we have that have needs. Uh that's that's pretty much where we're landing. And um, my husband is fairly close to finishing his PhD here at the University of Arizona, and that will um sort of land him in a position of uh uh so it's in the linguistics, language and technology, and um sort of the the work that the company that he works for does um a lot of work with like Bible translation and language development and technology. So just kind of seeing where that leads our family as well, trusting God in the meantime.

Stephanie Shafer 15:21

Yeah. That's good. I've seen you trust. Trust God through a lot of things and He always comes through, always provides He does, always shows us the next step, even though we don't, uh, what are you doing, God?

Brittany Mee 15:39

Yep, yep. And I remember actually, um uh before I was pregnant with this fifth baby, um I remember just saying to my husband, uh, five sounds like a lot of kids, but I trust God. And um, and we said together, okay, we trust God. And so it's it's kind of like uh, you know, we we naturally want to worry about this and that and the next steps and um and just lots of medical issues and things going on. But it's like, well, we said we trust God, we do trust God, and um, you know, He's He hasn't changed and He's not going to change and um He He has a perfect will and perfect timing and so yeah, just uh every day, every day until until we're with him, I think, just learning to do that better.

Stephanie Shafer 16:28

So when your students are listening to this, your past students, um, what what's one thing you want them to remember?

Trusting God In Uncertainty

Brittany Mee 16:37

I I will sum it up as keep your eyes on Jesus. Just keep your eyes on him. It doesn't matter if everything else doesn't make sense if you keep your eyes on him. It will one day. And uh you can you can do anything, you can get through anything if you keep your eyes on Jesus. So that's that's how I would sum it up. The other thing, um, I I feel like I've said this to a lot of students lately who struggle with perfectionism and just having to do everything exactly correct before they can turn assignments as I've been saying to them. Don't forget his grace is sufficient, but I think it applies not just to students who struggle with perfectionism, but to all of us, his grace is sufficient, and um so yeah, I think that's what I would say. Remember those two things.

Stephanie Shafer 17:22

That's good. Okay, see if you can help me with this. I know you can. I've been trying for many years now. I'm like, how do we really share the story of Northstar to someone who has never experienced it? Because you really cannot get it. I don't think you can't grasp it fully until you're in the middle of it, maybe sitting there a long time. But I'm just thinking the whole world needs to know about this story, and so I can describe the story and I can be all over the place and so passionate. But I'm like, how do we how do we tell the story in a concise way that other people can really feel it or see it? Um, and so I've just been trying to really narrow that down. But what so as you're leaving, um I don't know what comes to mind.

Words To Former Students

How To Share NorthStar’s Story

Brittany Mee 18:15

Um, I think the thing that comes to mind is that word testimony again, just how will the world know by testimony? Um, so there's a lot of different stakeholders at NorthStar because again, we've got um affiliate school supervisors, students, of course, um, but then also moms and dads and aunts and uncles and family and tutors and whoever those supervisory roles are. So I would think that within that, there's uh, of course, our staff as well, our teachers and staff. So there's a diversity of testimony, I think that's there. Um my part of the story at NorthStar is probably very different than a lot of other people's, um, but uh all of them equally important. So if there's any way just to like collect concisely, like you said, could can to collect uh testimonies, even if it's one to two minute testimonies and somehow put them all together. Uh, whether that's audio or video, I'm not sure what you know media format might work best, but um even literally we could someone could publish a book of just testimony, testimony of um things that have happened at North during their time at NorthStar, may you know, students maybe in a class, their testimony of a class experience or um their experience interacting with another classmate um or a teacher, things like that. But I don't know, I don't know if I have any brilliant ideas. I don't think I do. I think just keep sharing, like keep sharing, keep putting testimony out there. Um keep praying that God would just open hearts and minds to what to to be eager to hear the testimony and to receive it and call in the right people as well.

Stephanie Shafer 20:07

All right. So yeah, as you're stepping away, uh what can I do to help encourage you and um and knock and pray?

Brittany Mee 20:16

Yeah, I think prayer is the biggest. Um, but I also just love the the thought that I'll stay connected. Um, I love the thought that you know I can um just jump back into Teams or um, you know, have email addresses or just ways to to stay a part of that that web of, you know, NorthStar is like a giant web of connections, um literally all around the world. And so um, you know, just kind of being able to hear, uh, like I said, you know, I have a student in Laos right now and what's going on there. Well, maybe in three years, like I'll get to hear about the lots of people in her village in Laos coming to Christ. And, you know, just those kind of things are, you know, to kind of stay a part of.

Staying Connected And Alumni Vision

Stephanie Shafer 21:04

Um yeah. We're really working on building our alumni um association, putting more effort and time than we ever have. And so that's something you could always jump in. Oh, yeah, yeah as an alumni teacher, you know, and um yeah, alumni association is that's an amazing idea.

Brittany Mee 21:22

That would really help a lot of a lot of people stay connected.

Stephanie Shafer 21:27

Yeah, how do we help them leave well, go on to the next step, and you know, get connected if they're going to university? How do we connect them to a group, to a community there and walk alongside them um for however long, you know? And then how can they pour back into NorthStar into the students that are following them? So that's exciting. Yeah, definitely. So you're always welcome, um yeah, to jump in as you have time and come to an alumni event or We just did our first one, uh a Christmas one online. It was a sweet time. Oh, connecting. Uh yeah and praying. Yeah. So always incredible stuff happening and I'm just so thankful. Thankful for you. Thankful to be a part of this journey with teachers like you.

Brittany Mee 22:19

Yeah, I'm very thankful as well. I'm uh really just deeply grateful for the last 11 years or so and and um so I've been a part of it in lots of different ways and and um yeah, see what's next.

Stephanie Shafer 22:37

Yeah. Well, I definitely do want to stay in touch. Um you have to send pics soon.

Brittany Mee 22:43

Okay. Definitely will.

Stephanie Shafer 22:45

Yeah. Well, you'll be able to do that on Teams because you'll still be in there.

Brittany Mee 22:50

Yeah, yeah.

Stephanie Shafer 22:51

Students that'll be staying around for a little while. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Well, thanks for letting us record. Of course. Yeah, no, my pleasure, absolutely. Any any last thoughts before I hit the stop record button?

Gratitude, Trials, And Community

Brittany Mee 23:06

No, I think just um, yeah, I I will be continuing to pray for God's work at NorthStar and um excited. I'm really excited actually just to hear about. I'm sure I'm going to hear. I just have great confidence I'm gonna, you know, have all these uh, you know, connections and stories that people are um finding me and tracking me down and telling me, and that'll be a lot of fun to hear about what's going on in NorthStar.

Stephanie Shafer 23:32

Yeah.

Brittany Mee 23:33

Many, many years, I'm sure, into the future. So yeah, I love it. You'll be hearing from students. Yeah, that'll be that's always a lot of fun. Always very fun to hear where they are and what they're up to.

Stephanie Shafer 23:44

Decades later. Yeah. A moment in time where you connected with them. Yeah. Yeah, really made a huge impact. Yeah. No, that's it. Oh, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for um persevering. I just think about James, I was reading that today, chapter one, and how when we just persevere through trials, like we're gonna go through trials and how that makes us more like Christ. And I think as our students watch us go through that and do that well, um, yeah, it's an incredible place to grow and and do that together as a community.

Brittany Mee 24:21

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And we we will have Jesus tells us we will have trials, but take hard to overcome the world.

Stephanie Shafer 24:28

So yeah. So many trials when you look at the global, the global perspective with so many people over the world. But being able to walk that out and know that you have a community together that has your back and praise and yeah.

Brittany Mee 24:41

Yeah, absolutely.

Stephanie Shafer 24:42

So thank you for your faithful um time at Northstar.

Brittany Mee 24:47

Thank you.

Closing And Listener Invitation

Stephanie Shafer 24:47

Thank you as well. Thank you so much for listening today. If you have any questions for our guest or like information about Northstar, please email us at podcast at nsa.school. We love having guests on our show and getting to hear their stories. If you have anyone in mind that you think would be a great guest to feature, please email us and let us know. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on upcoming stories.