As we commemorate our 75th school year, we want to keep you apprised of all the celebrations we have planned. Join our email list, and we will invite you as we honor 75 years of education in the Long Beach community.
We want to hear from you! Whether you are an alumnus or alumna, we are interested in connecting with you and hearing your story. If you are a graduate of Bethany School, please click the link below.
Not an alum but still want to stay in the loop? Click on the Friends of Bethany link and you can get added to our email list too!
Bethany School has a long history of graduates. The 2022-2023 school year will mark 75 years in education. Check out some of their stories. We are so proud of them!
Kit
January 31, 2023
Kit (Tripp) Hittinger graduated from Bethany School in 1982. Carol Ann Tripp, her mother, was the Bethany School secretary for 40 years. Kit roamed the halls of Bethany from kindergarten to 9th grade. But being a student was just the beginning of her love for education.
She went on to teach at Bethany from 1986-1996. She has been an educator for 34 years and is currently the principal at Lutheran High School La Verne. Kit humbly believes that God put her on a path to help others.
Kit believes Bethany provided her with a great spiritual and academic foundation that prepared her to take on whatever challenges she has encountered.
Her 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Gray, inspired her to become a teacher.
Kit encourages middle schoolers to enjoy every minute of their experience and formulate study skills to help them be successful in high school. If you are academically sound, you will have time to participate in extra-curricular activities.
Bethany will always hold a large and special part of her heart.
James
November 30, 2022
Pictured here with his wife Lu, James Frost is a Bethany alum who attended Bethany School in 7th-9th grades, graduating in 1976. James remembers enjoying the time with his teachers, Miss Bandy, Mrs. Hurt, and Mrs. Henthorn. Some of his most memorable times were the bus rides with Ms. Hazel. He is also still close friends with his Bethany classmates 46 years later, which proves that Bethany relationships last a lifetime!
James’s years at Bethany helped him smoothly transition to high school and he developed great study skills.
James had a 31 year career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department before attending Talbot Theological School and becoming a pastor. James would encourage our current Bethany students to study hard, make friends, and always remain close to the Lord.
Brenden
November 1, 2022
Brenden DeLorto is a Bethany alum who is currently in his junior year at UC Santa Cruz. He is an economics major. Besides excelling in his classes, Brenden has learned to surf and cook his own meals.
Brenden enjoyed his years at Bethany, and he feels this is where he learned to have faith, even through the difficult times. He is also grateful for the best friends he made at Bethany, and they are still close friends today. A beautiful example of Bethany students becoming family.
Azalie
September 29, 2022
Azalie Adams is a Bethany alum who is walking the halls of Bethany School once again. Azalie spent 10 years at Bethany, preschool through middle school, graduating from 8th grade in 2014. Azalie was always a phenomenal student, and she recently graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences. She will be pursuing a career in nursing as a labor and delivery nurse. She is currently working as a Bethany Preschool assistant teacher in the Green Room! Her favorite memories as a student at Bethany were all of the amazing trips, from visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time, to traveling up the East Coast. Azalie is grateful for the impact her Bethany teachers had on her growing up, and now she has the opportunity to similarly leave a lasting impression on her students as a current staff member and basketball coach. Azalie is a Bethany alum who is helping guide Bethany students to a focused future.
Melissa (Missy)
August 31, 2022
Melissa (Missy) McCutcheon is a Bethany alum who attended our campus from 4th through 8th grade. She has many fond memories of Bethany, especially with her 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Allison. Mrs. Allison inspired excellence and exposed her students to so much beyond the classroom, like Van Gogh, Gershwin, and even science dissections.
Melissa took her new found exposure and went on to succeed at Artesia High School, Cal State Fullerton, and she received her Master of Education from WGU.
After homeschooling her own children, Melissa was called to the classroom, and there was nowhere better to start her career than Bethany School! She believes that Bethany is where she learned how to be a teacher, to have high expectations for her students, and to love the students and their families by meeting their needs and working together. Melissa McCutcheon is a Bethany alum who is teaching to inspire!
David
July 31, 2022
David O’Toole started at Bethany School in preschool and was a part of the 8th grade class of 2013. He went on to graduate from Valley Christian High School, where he was active in their Robotics Club. David is currently studying Sound Technology in the Fullerton College Theater Arts Program.
David’s love for all things sound and stage started at Bethany Church and School, where in Junior High he learned to run lights, camera, and sound for both school and church services. He continues to work the sound booth for Sunday morning church services and has even been a guest DJ for some Bethany School Jogathons. David has also worked on the production team for Hume Lake Summer Camp and more recently with Musical Theatre West in Long Beach.
Lauren
June 30, 2022
Lauren Whygle is the math teacher for Bethany Middle School. Her Bethany story began many years ago, when she was an elementary student at Bethany, strolling the halls from 1st through 5th grade. She has many fond memories of her time here, but she was most proud to be the principal’s granddaughter! Her grandfather was Mr. Henry Fuller, principal of Bethany School from 1973 to 1991.
Lauren went on to receive her degree in liberal studies from CSULB. She was destined to teach, and where else would she start her career but at Bethany! Lauren has dedicated her time here teaching and being the PTF president. She wanted her Bethany legacy to continue with her own kids, Emily and Eli, who will be in 4th and 2nd grade next school year.
We are so grateful for this Bethany alum who continues to dedicate her time and love to Bethany students.
Kamren
April 30, 2022
Kamren Miller is a freshman at Millikan High School. She is in the Laureate PEACE program where she has maintained a 4.0 grade point average this school year. A few other achievements from her first year of high school are being chosen as Student of the Month, becoming a member of the Black Student Union, and she is a member of the JV Golf Team.
During Kamren’s years at Bethany, she learned that intelligence and wisdom do not always come with age. Her middle school years taught her the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone, and she learned how to communicate with her teachers and peers. Kamren learned the power of her voice. Through classroom debates and discussions in her language arts and history classes, she gained confidence that is helping her achieve in her high school career. We look forward to seeing God’s plans for Kamren in the years to come.
Joshua
March 31, 2022
Joshua Nget is a Bethany alum who graduated from Millikan High School with high honors. He is currently in his sophomore year at UC San Diego, where he is majoring in the field of biology. He is following in his mother’s footsteps by pursuing a career in medicine. He wants to practice primary medicine in the future. Paging Dr. Nget!
A recent achievement for Joshua is developing his culinary skills. He is grateful he can cook for himself and not rely on drive-thru, greasy food daily!
Joshua has many fond memories of Bethany. He believes Mr. Dorsey trained him to be as strong as Samson and he knows he was Mrs. Cecil’s most memorable and favorite headache.
Joshua’s years at Bethany taught him the importance of maintaining a relationship with God in all aspects of his life. He gives honor to God for the productive young man he is today, and he is grateful for the many achievements and accolades he has received.
Isaiah
February 28, 2022
Isaiah Dorsey is currently a junior at Los Alamitos High School. In the summer of 2021, we brought you news that Isaiah was playing with USA Basketball in Portugal and Spain. While there, he received the 2021 Athlete of the Year award, and Isaiah has not stopped excelling since his return. He had a stellar football season and earned the award for Defensive Player of the Year for the Sunset League. His moves on the court and the field are undeniable, but Isaiah is also making impressive moves in the classroom! He recently received the Scholar Athlete award for his 3.8 GPA. He was also selected to attend the NYLF Business Innovation summer program at Yale University. Isaiah has had the opportunity to visit several colleges and he has an HBCU tour scheduled for the fall. Isaiah says he is looking forward to the fun he will have his senior year and all that God has planned for his college career. This Bethany alum is truly living his best FUTURE FOCUSED life.
Kristen
January 30, 2022
Sometimes our life journeys take us right back to the place where it all began. Kristen Huff is a Bethany Alum who returned to teach at Bethany School after finishing her college education at Cal State University Long Beach. She has been the Education Specialist at Bethany for 12 years. She has been a valuable support to so many students and their families over the years. Kristen holds so many positive memories of her childhood years at Bethany, and most of them are connected to a Bethany staff member who invested in her life. She remembers playing football and kickball at recesses organized by Mrs. Ransom. Kristen vividly remembers learning how to sew and embroider with her fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Linda Pryor. Her third grade teacher, Mrs. Hittenger, used to serenade them with her saxophone. Kristen also notes getting to have Mrs. Rosalind Porter as her first grade teacher and she feels Mrs. Porter had a huge impact on her life. Kristen’s kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Betty Frank, and this is where she met her best friend that she is still friends with 30 years later! Kristen is now raising her own future Bethany Alum. Her daughter, Olivia, will be walking through the preschool gate into Bethany Kindergarten next year! This is truly a full-circle experience as the love for Bethany School is passed from one generation to the next.
Sydney
December 31, 2021
Sydney Powell is a Bethany alumni who was an honor student at Millikan High School. She is currently in her sophomore year at the University of Southern California. Go Trojans! She is doing research on the cardiovascular health of postpartum women at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. One of the many foundations Sydney learned during her years at Bethany is to trust God in everything, even when times are difficult. She believes that the more she grows, she has realized that life doesn’t always go as planned, but God has a purpose for everything. Sydney’s future is so bright, and we look forward to seeing how God uses her in the medical field.
Abbigayle
November 30, 2021
Abbigayle Greiner is a graduating senior at Sato Academy of Mathematics & Science. Throughout her high school career, she has been a high achieving, honor roll student, even through the pandemic. At Bethany, she learned to develop her voice and this has lead Abbigayle to earn several leadership awards at Sato. She is heading to Cal State University Long Beach next fall where she plans to study law with aspirations of becoming a criminal defense attorney. From her years at Bethany, Abbigayle remembers learning to read in Mrs. Francisco’s first grade class and hating every minute of it, but as the years have gone by, she has learned the value of her Bethany education. She now reads over 50 books a year and has earned an A in her English courses every year! Abbigayle is destined for success, and we look forward to seeing how God directs her throughout her college years.
Parker
October 30, 2021
Parker Hamilton is a current 10th grader at Sato Academy of Math & Science. Sato is ranked #2 among the high schools in LBUSD! Parker is in the Bio Medical Pathway. His favorite classes are anatomy and big history. He is future focused on graduating in 2 years and plans on attending Cal State University Long Beach. Parker learned many skills while attending Bethany School from Preschool through 8th grade. He is grateful for learning study skills, note-taking, and Socratic seminars with Mr. Stewart. Parker has always displayed God-given intellect and aptitude, and we look forward to seeing how he flourishes in the near future.
Taylor
September 30, 2021
Taylor Koet is a recent graduate of Bethany Middle School. She was accepted into the P.E.A.C.E. Laureate pathway at Millikan High School. Go Rams! Taylor has started her freshman year with stellar academics, softball, and activities with various clubs. She recently became a member of the Best Buddy Club. She was Student Body President of Bethany School during her 8th grade year, and she is continuing that legacy of leadership by becoming a member of the Female Leadership Club. This busy freshman also carves out time to continue to grow in God’s Word as a part of The Way, the Bethany Church High School group. Taylor’s favorite classes are Social Justice and Honors English. She believes that her studies at Bethany prepared her very well for high school. Taylor feels she received a strong writing and math foundation at Bethany, and this is helping her achieve academically this year. She is also grateful for the learning beyond the classroom she received at Bethany from activities and projects she completed with Mrs. Miller, class trips to serve at Gleanings for the Hungry, and serving at the Long Beach Rescue Mission. We look forward to seeing Taylor continue to believe, achieve, succeed, and lead in the future.
Rebecca
August 31, 2021
Rebecca Bishay is a former Bethany student who is entering her freshman year at the University of California Irvine. Go Anteaters! She is majoring in public health. She has always been a focused and dedicated student who graduated from Millikan High School with a 4.0 unweighted GPA. Rebecca was not only a top-notch student, she invested her time in the Christian Club on campus and was the President of the Speech and Debate Club. Bethany School produces well-rounded individuals! In her years at Bethany, Rebecca learned to serve others, always put God first, and to trust his ways over her own. We look forward to seeing how God continues to bless Rebecca as she serves others in her future career.
Mikeala
July 31, 2021
Mikeala is entering her senior year at McBride High School. She is a part of the Criminal Justice Investigation pathway.
Throughout her 3 years at McBride, she has been an accomplished Honors Student and maintained a 4.0 GPA. She has used her leadership skills to be on Student Council(ASB) for two years, and her determination helped her receive a perfect attendance award her freshman year. Mikeala is a true scholar, successfully completing three Advanced Placement courses, with four more scheduled for her senior year. She is most looking forward to Advanced Forensics.
Mikeala is spending her summer getting her college applications all ready. She is applying to CSULB, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, Howard University, and Penn State University. She plans to major in forensic science with a minor in creative writing. This FUTURE FOCUSED alumna has big goals and dreams!
Mikeala is grateful for the years she attended Bethany and the many skills she learned, specifically organization and computer skills she learned from Mrs. Smoot and Mrs. Morci. Two of her favorite memories are reading Pilgrim’s Progress in Mrs. Porter’s second grade class and the East Coast Trip. Mikeala is thankful for all of her Bethany teachers who invested in her education and her spiritual growth. We look forward to seeing her achieve great things during her college years to prepare her for success in the future.
Kennedy
June 30, 2021
Kennedy, our featured alumna this month, is a 10th grade student at Los Alamitos High School. She is a Principal’s Honor Roll student for two consecutive years, and she is scheduled to take Advanced Trigonometry and AP Chemistry in her junior year. She also finds time to be a member of the JV softball team. Next school year, Kennedy has been elected to be an ASB Member. Another recent accomplishment is getting her driver’s license so she can drive herself to class each day. Every parent’s dream! Kennedy is grateful for the time she had at Bethany and the friends she made over the years. Her most memorable event was the 8th grade East Coast trip and laying the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We look forward to seeing Kennedy continue to believe, achieve, and succeed.
Kayla
May 29, 2021
Meet our alumna, Kayla, who is currently a sophomore at Valley Christian High School. She is a National Honors Society member with a 4.2 GPA. When she is not hitting the books, she likes to spend time on the volleyball team and the varsity soccer team. She is definitely an accomplished student athlete! This school year, Kayla had the opportunity to be a soloist in Valley Christian’s annual Broadway Showcase. In spite of her busy schedule, Kayla still found time last year to come back and do service hours at Bethany. She feels that Bethany taught her to always keep her focus on God no matter how busy or stressed life becomes. We look forward to see what else God has in store for Kayla as she continues to walk in his will.
Niles
April 24, 2021
Niles is one of our more recent graduates. He feels blessed to have attended Bethany from preschool through 8th grade. He is currently a 9th grader at Wilson High School, and he is excelling in the Distinguished Scholars Leadership and Public Service Pathway. He has enjoyed practicing with the Wilson Basketball team, and his favorite class this year is Introduction to Law. His most recent accomplishment is earning a 4.0 GPA for his first semester. He is grateful for all of the knowledge and skills he received at Bethany that he will use throughout his high school career!
Paige
March 27, 2021
Meet our Bethany School alumna, Paige! Paige is currently in her sophomore year at Long Beach Poly High School. Go Jackrabbits! She attended Bethany from preschool through 8th grade. She is in the nationally known PACE program and maintains a 4.0 GPA. When she’s not studying, she spends time on the soccer team and in the jazz band. Paige developed a heart to serve others at Bethany, and she continues to do this in high school. One of the highlights of her freshman year was participating in the Best Buddies Program. She would meet once a week at lunch and hangout and play games with students with special needs. She also spends time in the Christian Fellowship Club where she is encouraged by Christian friends on campus. We look forward to seeing Paige continue to succeed in her academic goals and her love for God.
Isaiah
January 30, 2021
We would like to take a moment to shine some light on a Bethany School alumnus! Isaiah Dorsey has earned an opportunity to play basketball in Portugal/Spain to represent USA. The opportunity will afford him the opportunity for leadership development, traveling abroad, and an overall unique experience. Isaiah has a strong character, is an excellent student, and enjoys playing basketball.
Sebastian
February 28, 2021
Meet our alumnus, Sebastian. He attended Bethany School from Preschool to 8th Grade. He then went on to Wilson High School where he has spent the last 4 years in the Distinguished Scholar Technology Pathway. He played varsity baseball and football and was the VP of his Lions Heart chapter where he gave back over 100 hours to the community. His most recent accomplishment was being named Valedictorian for the Wilson Class of 2021.
In the next few weeks, we will learn where his next journey begins. He has applied to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UCSD, UCLA, UCSB as well as Cal Lutheran. His most respected and most important accomplishment is never wavering in his faith and following God’s path for him.
