Why Four Generations of One Family Chose Dock Mennonite Academy

What one family's story reveals about Christ-centered education and the lasting impact of a Christian school community.

Families often ask what makes a school become part of a family's story for generations. At Dock Mennonite Academy, a private Christian school near Lansdale, one graduating senior recently provided a remarkable answer. When Anna Landes crossed the stage at Dock's 71st Commencement, she became the school's first fourth-generation graduate, highlighting nearly seventy years of one family's commitment to Christ-centered education and the enduring value of a strong Christian school community.

When Anna Landes ('26) crossed the stage during Dock Mennonite Academy's 71st Commencement, she celebrated more than earning a high school diploma.

She became the first fourth-generation student to graduate from Dock Mennonite Academy, a milestone nearly seven decades in the making.

The accomplishment carries special significance for the Dock community. The Fall 1997 issue of Lamplighter featured Anna's father, Austin Landes ('01), who had just become Dock's first third-generation student.

The Lamplighter feature traced the family's history through his mother, Diane (Zook) Landes ('80), and grandmother, Lorraine (Clemmer) Zook ('59). Nearly thirty years later, another generation has continued the story.

On the surface, it's a remarkable milestone.

But after hearing Anna's Senior Presentation and reflecting on the conversations High School Librarian Laura Martin ('06) captured in her recent Lamplighter article, What Is This Place?: A Second Home for Generations, it becomes clear that this story isn't simply about four generations.

It's about what keeps bringing families back.

Check out our entire "Generations at Dock" series, featuring interviews with the Landes family and three other multi-generational Dock families who share why they continue choosing Dock Mennonite Academy generation after generation. 

More Than Tradition: Why Families Continue Choosing Christian Education

If family history alone explained it, every graduate would eventually send their children to Dock.

That simply isn't the case. Families return because each generation experiences something for themselves.

Austin described it this way:

"While Dock is synonymous with community, it also provides a solid education, depth of experience and supportive faculty and staff that is not found elsewhere."

His mother, Diane, remembered many of those same qualities from her own experience after transferring to Dock as a sophomore.

"The teachers were caring," she said. "They really were helpful, sensitive, and supportive."

Those responses could have come from almost any decade in Dock's history.

The names change. The buildings change. The experiences look different. Yet the themes remain remarkably consistent.

For many families searching for a Christian school in Montgomery County or a private Christian school near Philadelphia, those same qualities continue to define the Dock experience today.

Finding Community at Dock Mennonite Academy

One of the most striking parts of Anna's Senior Presentation was that she never relied on her family's history to tell her story.

In fact, her path to graduation looked very different from what many might expect.

Anna spent time being homeschooled, attended a Montessori school in upstate New York where she was the only high school student, enrolled in public school, and eventually transferred back to Pennsylvania midway through her junior year.

The transition meant leaving behind familiar routines, friendships, and a community she had come to know.

Yet it also brought her back to one that had been quietly waiting.

"As most of you know," Anna shared, "I attended Penn View from Pre-K up until first grade, and many of my family members have attended Dock for generations, therefore I was not a complete and total stranger to the Dock community."

Even after more than a decade away, she found familiar faces.

"There were still familiar faces," she said, "which made getting to know people a little less overwhelming."

That simple observation echoes something heard repeatedly throughout this year's Senior Presentations, alumni interviews, and conversations with parents and grandparents.

People often describe Dock as a place where they are known.

How Christ-Centered Community Shapes Students

As Anna reflected on her final two years of high school, she spent surprisingly little time talking about grades or accomplishments.

Instead, she talked about people.

She thanked her grandparents for opening their home to her during a season of transition. She spoke about teachers who challenged and encouraged her, Touring Choir becoming one of the unexpected highlights of senior year, and classmates who quickly became close friends.

Most of all, she described how those relationships helped reshape her faith.

"My faith is no longer something that simply surrounds my life," she shared near the end of her presentation. "It has truly become the foundation of it."

It was a reminder of something that surfaced again and again throughout this year's senior speeches. Students rarely remember only the classes they took. They remember the people who helped shape them.

That kind of faith-based education has long been a defining characteristic of Dock. As a Mennonite school rooted in Christ-centered education, Dock seeks to prepare students academically while also nurturing spiritual growth, meaningful relationships, and lives of purpose.

Why Christian School Families Return Generation After Generation

When Anna was asked what it meant to be a fourth-generation Dock student, her answer wasn't about making history.

"I appreciate the history my family has at the school," she said. "I love that many of the faculty and staff know my family, had my parents as students, or even went to school with them. It's fun to hear stories about them in high school."

Perhaps that's what makes this milestone so meaningful. Four generations don't simply represent longevity. They represent trust.

For nearly seventy years, the Landes family has continued returning because each generation found something worth passing on: a place where students are challenged academically, encouraged spiritually, supported by caring adults, and surrounded by a community that genuinely wants to see them flourish.

Legacy may open the door. But every student still has to make Dock their own. Anna did exactly that.

Her family's story brought her here, but it was her own experiences—with classmates, teachers, Touring Choir, chapel, and mentors—that transformed Dock from part of her family's history into part of her own.

Experience the Dock Community

If you're exploring a private Christian school, Christian high school, or Christian private school near Philadelphia, we'd love to help you experience Dock Mennonite Academy for yourself. Schedule a campus visit, attend an admissions event, or connect with our team to discover why families have continued choosing Dock for generations.

📌 Schedule a campus visit today at dock.org, attend an open house, or learn more about how Dock partners with families to support student well-being, academic growth, and meaningful community. Schedule a tour today!