Every principal has a hidden wild side. Tonja Rasmusson’s appears to involve museums, efficient filing systems, and the occasional diagrammed sentence. She’ll happily tell you she’s “kind of boring.” We suspect that’s exactly what someone with color-coded spreadsheets would say.
Behind the dry humor, however, is someone whose calling has never been ordinary. After graduating from Union College (now Union Adventist University) with degrees in English education and religious education—and adding a minor in youth ministry because she wasn’t sure where God would lead—Rasmusson has spent more than 26 years helping young people reach their God-given potential.
Along the way, she has become convinced that education is about far more than academics. For Rasmusson, Adventist education is an opportunity to develop the whole person, recognizing that teachers influence not only what students know, but who they become. That conviction is one of the reasons she feels so blessed to serve as principal and teacher at Orangevale Adventist School, continuing its tradition of helping students know Jesus while pursuing academic excellence.
In her short time at Orangevale, one thing has stood out immediately.
“I have found the Orangevale church and school community to be incredibly caring and supportive—a wonderful example to its young people of how working together for God can be beautiful,” she said.
When she isn’t at school, Rasmusson enjoys traveling, camping, and making memories with her husband and family. She also enjoys learning for learning’s sake—which explains the museums… and perhaps the diagrammed sentences.
#nccsda #adventisteducation
