By Mary Kathryn Whittle
Christian education has played a crucial role in my life, helping shape me into the person I am today. That shaping started at home, where my parents modeled day in and day out what it means to follow Jesus. Their faith wasn’t separate from the rest of life — it flowed into everything: work, relationships, church, the ordinary parts of daily life.
Their practical faith showed up in ways I didn’t fully understand until I was older. When I was being recruited to play basketball at Mississippi State, I was coming from Mt. Salus Christian School — a small school, not exactly a pipeline for Division I athletes. People wondered why I’d stay somewhere so small instead of transferring to a bigger program with more exposure.
But my parents believed a Christian education at Mt. Salus was worth more than any recruiting advantage. Their conviction was simple: If God wanted me to play college basketball, He would make a way. He did. Watching that play out is just one of many ways I saw their faith in action.
That same foundation was reinforced throughout my 13 years at Mt. Salus, kindergarten through 12th grade. I received an education that taught me to think critically about God and His world, in an environment that supported me far beyond academics.
I had teachers who knew me and cared about me beyond the classroom, who challenged and encouraged me as I grew. By high school, teachers were showing me how my faith and the truth of God’s Word answered the biggest questions I was wrestling with.
What stayed with me most was the joy that came from faculty and staff — a joy that flowed from their love of Christ. At Mt. Salus, the seeds of my faith grew deep roots. It equipped me to go out into the world and live out my faith in practice. For other students, it’s a place where those seeds are planted for the first time.
I’m forever grateful that my parents placed such a high value on Christian education because of how deeply it has impacted who I am.
Things have come full circle, and I’m now the head of school at Mt. Salus. I’ve been blessed to witness seeds of the gospel be planted for the first time and help cultivate that truth in the lives of students who, like me, are wrestling through what it means to practically live out their faith in every area of their life.
With degrees from Mississippi State University and Reformed Theological Seminary, Mary Kathryn Whittle has served on both faculty and staff at Mt. Salus Christian School in Clinton before stepping into her current role as head of school last year. Mary Kathryn is dedicated to offering a Christ-centered education that shapes minds, forms hearts, and transforms lives through a biblical worldview. She and her husband, Hunter, have three children. Mary Kathryn enjoys spending time with her family, listening to podcasts, mowing her yard, and investing in her school and church community.
