Seth Norman, a Chattanooga native, graduated from East Hamilton High School in May 2024. Seth is also a scholar with a profound interest in biblical studies, which he credits to his high school Bible teacher, Mr. Jeff Fairbanks.
East Hamilton High School, a Hamilton County public school, is committed to excellence and to preparing students for the future. One way they accomplish this is by providing access to programs and courses that help students become well-rounded, well-read, and well-prepared citizens. This includes a robust Bible education program taught by Mr. Fairbanks. Students, like Seth, can elect to take two different Bible courses for credit during the school day at East Hamilton High School. When taken in addition to the three middle school Bible courses taught at Seth’s local middle school, East Hamilton Middle School, students have the opportunity to graduate from high school with up to five years of Bible education and potentially six hours of college credit through the local dual credit program.
Seth grew up in a close-knit faith community and recognizes the unique benefit he received as a Bible student who was given the opportunity to study the importance and significance of the Bible from a literary perspective. Seth enrolled in the Old Testament Bible course his freshman year and the New Testament Bible course his sophomore year. The stories and connections he discussed in those two classes with his teacher and peers were meaningful to him. Seth said, “I’ve really seen it make a huge impact on my classmates as well. The [Bible] alone really had an impact on kids.”
Seth also speaks highly of his teacher, Mr. Fairbanks. Jeff Fairbanks has been teaching the Bible for 14 years. Seth said, “He impacted me, and I saw him impact his students. He really cared for his students, and he was patient with them.”
Mr. Fairbanks’s care and dedication to teaching inspired Seth to continue studying the Bible after high school and to pursue a college experience that will provide him with this opportunity. After high school, Seth plans to move to Chicago to study at the Moody Bible Institute.
Seth is a direct beneficiary of the community gift presented to Hamilton County Schools every summer, which fully funds the public school Bible program at no cost to taxpayers. Last year, over 5,700 students, like Seth, elected to study the Bible in Hamilton County public schools. The generosity of the community provides the funds that make this Bible program possible. As a result, every year, graduates of Hamilton County public schools step out of the classroom and into the world as biblically literate adults.