Meet Roman and Leilani from Christ Greenfield School

March 25, 2026

Meet the Anderson family in Gilbert, Arizona. Roman, fourth grade, and Leilani, second grade, both attend Christ Greenfield School. Initially, the siblings were in the Arizona foster care system. Timothy and Annie Anderson began as their foster parents. It was a happy day when they were adopted by the Anderson’s this past September and they all found their forever family.

Between what Roman and Leilani had gone through with their biological family and foster placements, the Anderson’s felt it was important for Roman and Leilani to receive a strong education in a faith-based environment. They were thrilled not only to find a Christian school for the children but also to keep them in Lutheran education. Timothy is a Pastor, and Annie is a Youth Pastor and Christian preschool director at another local school.  Both Tim and Annie have an excellent relationship with the education team at Christ Greenfield and a thorough understanding of the school’s education goals and mission.

Roman finds that the teachers at Christ Greenfield are better suited to fit his educational needs than at his previous school. He appreciates the extra support services that help him improve in classes where he struggles. Roman’s favorite subjects are Math, STEM, and Choir. He is thankful that with the help of some extra math tutoring, his math grades have improved drastically this year. He also loves learning how things work and how they get put together, so anything STEM-related really grabs his attention. The CGS choir was going to sing the national anthem at a Diamondbacks game and Roman decided he wanted to join the choir as he is a big Diamondbacks fan. However, what he discovered was a love for singing and the performing arts – what a homerun!

Leilani appreciates all the clubs and activities at Christ Greenfield. She loves her teacher this year and is thankful for the ways she gets to study math, English, social studies, social-emotional learning, music, and art.

Both students are also involved Junior Eagles, Christ Greenfield’s intramural program for younger grades. Last spring, as a third grader, Roman even placed in one of his track meets. Outside of school, they enjoyed soccer and karate classes.

Roman says he wants to be President of the United States of America or the Allstate “mayhem guy” when he grows up. He has also considered becoming an actor or a YouTube social media influencer. Leilani wants to be a veterinarian or a zoologist.

From Hannah Drager, Leilani’s teacher – Leilani brings such creativity and joy to our classroom! Her love for learning shines through everything she does and she is always the first to look out for others’ needs. Her kindness, respect, and desire to make her family proud truly make her a special student!

From Maddy Haase, Roman’s teacher – Roman is such a joy to have in our classroom! His drive to learn and continue to grow is evident in how he works hard and cares for others. He is someone to volunteer to help the classroom and his classmates! Roman is an amazing student and friend to those in the classroom. 

Roman and Leilani’s parents said they are so thankful to the Arizona Leadership Foundation for their support of students in our state. By providing these scholarships, not only are families able to choose the best educational environment for their children, but the financial strain of choosing a private school is significantly reduced. For kids like ours that need more specialized attention because of their life story, having the flexibility and financial support to make the best decision for our kids and family means everything.

“We could not be more thankful for the financial support that gives us the freedom to choose the school we think is best and allows us to allocate other financial resources towards growing together as a family,” explained Tim and Annie Anderson.

About Christ Greenfield School:

Christ Greenfield School partners with parents to inspire students to discover their purpose in Christ, develop their gifting through a high-quality whole child education, and deploy their calling to love, lead, and serve others in the community. For more information visit them at: christgreenfield.school