20 Apr 2015 CCS students honor principal with special gift

by Megan Ledbetter

The relationships formed between students and faculty at Conway Christian School are unique.

Billy Crow has been serving as the CCS High School principal since 2011 when he took on the role mid-year after the tragic death of former high school principal, Fred Ramsey. Crow was able to provide the healing that CCS needed after such a loss. Not only did he have a passion for the school, but the students grew to have a unique compassion and love for him as well.

The current CCS Senior Class has an especially strong bond with Crow, which began when he served as the speaker for their eighth grade promotional luncheon in 2010, although he wasn’t employed at CCS at the time. In addition to serving as principal, Crow dedicates one period each day to teaching Bible to the senior Bible class. This is a special experience for students because Crow tailors the course specifically to the needs of that class.

The past four years, Crow has also been investing his time into earning his doctorate through Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta. Crow recently realized that his doctorate graduation and the 2015 CCS High School graduation would fall on the same weekend, but despite trying to move the CCS graduation to another weekend, no other date would suffice. “I really wanted to go,” he said of his doctorate graduation. “It’s kind of a big deal to me.”

According to Crow, the dilemma between which graduation to attend was not a difficult choice. “It was an easy decision,” he said. “I would graduate anyway, and our graduation is my favorite thing that we do here at CCS.” As the speaker for the graduation each year, Crow plays a vital role in creating a personal, unforgettable experience for the graduates, and that was not something he was willing to give up in order to attend his own graduation.

In keeping with the personality of Conway Christian’s graduation, it is typical for the senior class to present their principal with a gift. These gifts over the years have varied greatly, often depicting the relationship between that class and their principal. This year was no exception.

As the dilemma of the conflicting graduations continued, it became apparent that the only possible solution would require a private flight as no commercial flights were available. “There aren’t any flights,” he said. “There was no way I was going to be able to go.”

Providentially, one of the parents of the Class of 2015, David Jones, who flies private aircraft for a living, offered to take Crow by private flight to his graduation in Atlanta. Within a week, the idea had emerged into a fully funded plan to privately fly Crow and his wife, Meggin, to his graduation with full expenses paid for by the Class of 2015. All of the pieces fell together perfectly.  

On the morning of senior cap and gown pictures in early March, the class successfully gave him what he called the biggest surprise he has ever received. When he came to the room, the students began a skit that consisted of the students getting into a plane and stepping out of the plane to receive a diploma. Even after the skit, Crow had no idea what was unfolding. “I just thought they were staging my graduation and were going to hand me a fake diploma,” said Crow. He was astonished when he opened the “diploma,” which read:

To Dr. & Mrs. Billy Crow,
Description: Expense paid trip for two including private flight, transportation in Atlanta and meals. Paid for with love. Go graduate and get back for our graduation!
Much Love,
Conway Christian Class of 2015

“I cried in front of them,” Crow said. “It was overwhelming they would care so much. It was amazing what they did for me.”

Crow expressed his feelings of overwhelming gratitude throughout the following days by posting some of the following tweets:

“I will remember this week with fondness for the rest of my life. Thank you seniors. Graduation is coming soon & thanks to you, I am going.”

“An educator hopes to impact his students. Tonight I ponder the phenomenal impact that students have had on me.”

“I am sure the day I receive my doctorate will be special, but it will have a tough time being better than today.”

Crow said the senior class represents a special group of Godly men and women. Many were in preschool together at Conway Christian and have grown up together. “I wish they were my kids,” he said. “They are a special group to me.”

Crow describes the gift as a selfless act. “It was a neat thing they did for somebody else,” he said. “I love them, too. We have a good relationship.”

The gift perfectly expressed to Crow what he means to this graduating class while his willing sacrifice displays what this class means to him. Crow’s first action as Dr. Crow will be shaking the hands of all 22 graduates as they walk across the stage to receive their high school diplomas.

Megan Ledbetter, a member of the 2015 Conway Christian Senior Class, is planning to attend Harding University and major in journalism.