Students at Monterey Bay Academy have a new motivation to hit the books this year. Last renovated in 1965, the Hoskins Memorial Library has been updated.

“The new library is amazing,” Principal Tim Kubrock said. “This is a place where students want to be now. Everything from the technology to the furniture to the expanded views of the Pacific Ocean makes the library a desirable place to study.”

Meshach Faaeteete, a senior from South San Francisco and the class president, has found the library to be a great place to study and escape from the hustle and bustle of academy life. He’s even adjusted his work schedule so that he can spend an extra hour there every day.

“I like the fact that everything’s brand new. Mostly though, it’s just a great place to go on campus for a nice quiet atmosphere,” Faaeteete says.

The Prayer Journey

“Five years ago we had a tremendous facility problem. We saw infrastructure and buildings in need of repair and renovation and had no idea how to fix it,” says Jerry Page, conference president and MBA board chair.

Around the conference, the prayer partners began to regularly fast and pray for the academy’s needs. MBA staff and students stopped their activities at 4 p.m. each day to pray for God’s will in their lives and their school. The biggest surprise was resources and gifts from friends of Adventists and alumni. “We see this as a tremendous miracle!” Page says.

The library renovation is one of several recent capital improvements. With the support of alumni and friends, the academy has updated the dorms, cafeteria, music department, and classroom technology in the past five years.

This past year, the academic buildings and church received new roofs and the administration building was outfitted with new windows thanks to a generous benefactor who is a friend of an alumus.

“Our facilities and teaching areas are being upgraded dramatically, and our goal is really to make sure that we will have a quality learning setting that will match our beautiful natural setting,” Kubrock says.

Development director Gina Jett reports that on May 15, MBA’s supporters successfully completed the most recent fundraising campaign, Matching the Promise, by raising $500,000 in six months in a raise-it-or-lose-it challenge from the same benefactor friend. This $1 million campaign will help make possible the renovation of the Math and Science Center, a new student center and repairs and upgrades in staff housing.

“It is humbling to be a part of these wonderful enhancements to our campus, because ultimately it’s not just about the academics and buildings, but about the change that happens to our students,” Kubrock says. “The character education that happens here will last them through eternity, and anything we can do that will help prepare our students to be good citizens and prepared for heaven will be our top priority.”

For more information about Monterey Bay Academy, contact Jason Mustard at info@montereybayacademy.org or call 831-728-1481.