Crista Smidt

Years At OCCS:  1987 - 1990 (teacher), 1991 -- 1992, 1996 --to present (guidance counselor).

Education Background:   BA in elementary education from Northwestern College -- 1985; MA from Morningside College -- 1991.

Professional background  I taught for two years in a combination classroom of grades 4th -- 6th at Ocheyedan Christian school in Ocheyedan, Iowa. In 1987, I  moved to Orange City Iowa, and continued my teaching career in grades four and five at Orange City Christian School. In 1990, I went back to school full-time to get my master's degree in school counseling.

In 1991, I was employed by Northwest Iowa’s  Co-op of Christian schools (NWICCS) to serve as a guidance counselor within the schools.  I served in seven Christian schools in 91 -- 92. The following 4 years, there were two counselors who served the 13 Christian schools in the Northwest Iowa area. From 1996 to 2001, I once again became the only counselor to serve three schools that wanted to continue services after the discontinuance of NWICCS: Inwood Christian, Orange City Christian and Sioux Center Christian. After 2001, I continued serving only at Orange City Christian school and Sioux Center Christian school. From 2019 to the present, I have made a full circle and now only serve at Orange City Christian School as their preschool – fourth grade guidance counselor.

Faith Statement: It is my desire and hope to empower the students that I work with to have strong relationships with God,  each other, and their families. This hope stems from Jesus's reply in Matthew 22:37 – 39  which states: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  I pray that my life also models  the above-stated desire and hope by personally being obedient to  this commandment and nurturing strong relationships with my Lord, friends and family.