Faith, family, and community guide Ed Lipowski in life and in his new role as the head of Portage Christian School. Lipowski knows he wouldn’t be the man he is today without God’s plan and the support of his wife and four children.
Lipowski had a love for history from a young age and wanted to teach the subject. His simple interest and dream began to flourish into reality when two teachers at J. Sterling Morton East High School significantly influenced his life. His English teacher and physics teacher saw potential for him outside of the blue-collar environment of Cicero, Illinois.
“That's when I knew I wanted to make a difference in kids' lives instead of being like ‘It'd be cool to talk about my history stuff,’” Lipowski said. “The two teachers I had really changed the course of my life in terms of helping me to grow and to see my potential.”
The support Liposwki received from his two teachers followed him when he furthered his education at the University of Illinois Chicago, National Louis University and Governors State University. His teaching career started in Bremen High School District 228 in Illinois, where he spent many decades in different faculty and administrative roles.
Lipowski and his wife, Carolyn, moved to Northwest Indiana in 2002 to help plan a church in Hobart. A faith-based education and a family-like environment for their children to flourish in was important to the couple, all of which they discovered at Portage Christian. Lipowski never envisioned running the school himself, but he knew he wanted to be a part of the team and give back to the school.
“I always remember thinking to myself that at some point, when I get deep into my career, I would love to be able to contribute in some way, shape, or form,” Lipowski said. “I thought about being a part of that team, sharing what I learned through the investments that were made in me as a teacher and pouring into the school that my family loved.”
When the opportunity arose for Lipowski to contribute as the principal, he sought the support of his family. He remembers Carolyn telling him he must accept the role he always talked about and wanted. While Lipowski’s eldest children — Anna, Josh, and Grace — were also supportive of his decision. As a junior at Portage Christian, the opinion of his youngest, Katie, mattered the most. She told him if he believed this was what he was supposed to do, she wanted him to do it.
Success doesn’t happen alone. Liposwki doesn’t believe there’s something special about him — he attributes his achievements to God’s plan. Acknowledging his failures and striving to make things right helps him to continue doing what God calls him to do. The support from Lipowski’s family has also been crucial in his ability to excel in his professional and personal life. He sees himself first and foremost as a husband and a father.
“As much as I love the job I have and the work I do, those two roles are the most important things that I'll do in my life,” Lipowski said. “I want to do them well, and I want to do them with integrity. I want my family to know that they're my number one priority. Having their support is so important for me to be able to do anything, especially this kind of work.”
Parent volunteer opportunities and weekly chapels were part of the school's routine before Lipowski started his role, and they still are. In addition, he has taken charge of initiatives to enhance the Portage Christian community. Lipowski instituted a parent advisory council to maintain a good connection with parents and get their feedback. A student council was started to give students a voice in school matters and events. The school is also building events, like a Fall Festival, to bring students and parents together.
Not only is Lipowski growing the team he wanted to be a part of for years, but he’s also helping to nourish students. He fulfills the biblical call to love others when he assists in the growth of children and serving families. The larger community also benefits from Lipowski's humble role.
“If I can pour into kids, help kids, grow them, and help them to be able to be everything that they can be, I know that I'm making the community better,” Lipowski said. “I'm making the place we live better because these kids are going to be better. If we all work together to pour into people who are in front of us, our communities become stronger and it's a better place to live.”