Meet our Princi(pal) Mrs. Ike!

Written by Shayla Alexander

Mrs. Ike is the Principal at Briercrest Christian Academy. During her time at BCA, she has seen God faithfully change lives. Get to know her below:

Quick Facts

Name: Deb Ike

Where are you from? Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Yemen; England; Greater Vancouver Area, BC; Caronport, SK

What is your favorite food? Without question, seafood pasta and white chocolate—though not together

Favorite hobby? spending time with my family; watching movies, drawing/painting, and music

Briercrest Christian Academy Highlights

How did you end up at BCA? I had been teaching in Abbotsford, BC at a large public school for five and a half years when the Lord directed my attention to Briercrest. The Lord opened a door for me here when I least expected it. I left my job, my family, my friends, my life, and my condo, and moved out here to Saskatchewan in the summer of 2001. I was just planning to take a one-year leave of absence from my teaching position at Yale Secondary, but, 20 years, a house, a husband, a daughter, and countless amazing experiences later, I’m still here—and will be, until the Lord redirects my path.

What is your role at BCA? In my years at BCA, I have taught ELA B30, Creative Writing 20, and Christian Ethics 30, along with the full French as a Second Language program, grades 9 – 12. Since the 2007-2008 school year, I have had the privilege of being the principal of this unique school and its wonderful students! I continue to have the joy of teaching Creative Writing 20 on a semi-regular basis and of leading the STEAM (Science. Technology. Engineering. Arts. Mathematics.) Club. As a result, my work includes organizing, planning, teaching, counseling, encouraging, supporting, directing, encouraging—and a lot of listening.

VIDEO: Get to know Mrs. Ike and BCA's vision a little better.

What is your favorite memory about your job at BCA? I have a plethora of priceless memories from my time thus far at BCA! Working with a group of colleagues who love the Lord and who love teenagers is a daily gift to me. Spending time with students as they walk through both joyful and challenging moments is an honor. But there are a few moments that have an extra-special place in my heart. I humbly recall the moment when I received a phone call, late on a Friday afternoon as I was leaving my office, from a former student whom I had required to stay in after school on a very regular basis to make up time for his very regular tardiness to class; his phone call came years later, from Cambridge University in England, to say thank you for investing in him, for believing in him and for holding him accountable. He is now on the cusp of finishing his Master’s Degree and becoming a vicar. I had a similar experience with a student who struggled with matters both philosophical and substance-related as a teenager but who has since become a youth pastor and lives to glorify the true God. I couldn’t have known when he was a student, wrestling with his own tragedies, that the Lord would heal him and lead him into a very significant youth ministry; he became the recipient of our BCA Alumnus of the Year Award one year. Every single student has a story, and I’ve been so deeply grateful to have a small part in many stories.

What do you believe is the most important thing about your job? At BCA, we seek to set our course according to Luke 10:27: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” My primary goal is to do whatever I can do, in the context of my work with our colleagues, to tear down barriers that stand in the way of kids coming into a deeper relationship with the Lord in every area of their lives. Whether it is support for a learning issue to strengthen a mind; a conversation about personal struggles to encourage a heart; a Bible verse or story in the right moment to speak to a soul; or a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s afternoon to comfort a shivering “strength”, I ask the Lord each day to help guide our words and our actions with our students for His glory.

Check Out Our Video Viewbook and Campus Map

Ever been to Caronport, Saskatchewan? Explore our campus virtually with our interactive campus map and learn more about all aspects of life at Briercrest with our video viewbook.

Video Viewbook Campus Map

How have you seen students' lives changed as they encounter God at BCA? I believe that every single student’s life is changed as they encounter God at BCA. Change is a funny thing—sometimes, it overtakes us suddenly, and, sometimes, it works within us gradually. In our work with teenagers, we recognize that we are interacting with God’s children at what is, perhaps, the most challenging, stretching, awkward, frustrating, confusing, promising, and intriguing time in a person’s life. We’re in their lives for perhaps months or, at most, four years. We are not the destination stop; we’re just one part of what is a significant, life-long journey. I believe that students are changed in every moment when they consider who God is, and who they are in relation to who God is. Our goal is to foster and deepen those crucial moments so that the seeds of change and transformation can take root and grow in the days and years to come.

Meet Mrs. Ike's counterpart and the Vice-Principal at BCA: "Vice- Principal, Athletic Director, and Math Teacher - Meet Mr. Zacharias"

Find out more!

Curious about what a future at Briercrest could look like?
Fill out this form to have a Recruitment Representative answer all your questions!

Shayla Alexander is an alumna of Briercrest Christian Academy who returned to BCA as a teacher after completing her Bachelors of Education at the University of Saskatchewan. Her high school experience at BCA was marked by caring teachers, life-long friendships, and dorm dance parties. As both a Teacher and interim Recruitment Representative, her goal is to help young people have the same great high school experience she had.