Alumni Stories: Brandie (Rice) Horst

Today we’re talking with Brandie Horst (formerly Brandie Rice), Class of 2011. Brandie lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York with her husband, Jonathan, and their children, Emery and RosieAnn. She attended PCA for all four years of high school, and while the transition wasn’t easy at first, her time at PCA became a defining period in her faith and personal growth. From meaningful friendships and faith-based experiences to her journey as a teacher and now as a mom and community leader, Brandie’s story reflects how God’s guidance shapes life in unexpected and beautiful ways.

How many years did you attend PCA?

I attended PCA for all four years of high school.

At first, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it. I had gone to the same school from first through eighth grade, and all of my close friends were planning to attend the public high school. It was hard to think about leaving them. But my parents made the decision, and I am so thankful they did. PCA truly helped build the foundation of my faith.

I grew up in a family that went to church occasionally, but not consistently. My parents wanted to raise good kids, and in their minds, good people went to church. I knew the basics—what Christmas and Easter were about—but I didn’t understand the deeper meaning or that Jesus wanted a personal relationship with me.

When I first came to PCA, I was intimidated. Some students had been there since preschool and could recite Bible verses I’d never heard before. But watching the way the faculty, staff, and students lived out their faith made a profound impact on me. My freshman year, I committed my life to Christ—alone in my bedroom one night—because I wanted what I saw in them, even though I didn’t fully understand it yet.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time at PCA?

Sports were a huge part of my high school experience. I loved being part of a team—not just the games, but the bus rides, the pre-game devotionals, and the friendships that came with it.

I was also part of Mrs. Gamble’s Wednesday Morning Girls and Mr. Beale’s lunchtime Bible study. Those opportunities to connect with teachers and other students in faith-based settings were so meaningful—something I never would have had in a public school.

I’ve stayed in touch with a few close friends from those years. I still talk with Sarah Pease and Megan (Connelly) Colby from my class, and also Julie Pease, Sarah’s younger sister. Julie stayed with us a few times when she was raising funds for her mission work in Rochester, NY, which was really special to be able to support her work in that way and to hear all God was doing in her and through her.

After graduation, where did life take you?

I went to St. John Fisher College (now St. John Fisher University) in Rochester, New York. I’d always felt called to be both a teacher, so I studied elementary education.

After earning my degree, I spent a short time back in New Hampshire doing a long-term substitute position in the same public school district I attended as a child. It was wild—I was teaching alongside some of the teachers who had once taught me!

Eventually, I moved back to New York and began the long process of finding a full-time teaching job. It took about a year and a half—longer than I expected—but now I can clearly see how God used that time to prepare me. What He taught me in that waiting period equipped me for the teaching position I would hold for nearly ten years before choosing to stay home with my daughter, Rosie, in 2023.

You mentioned teaching for ten years—what age group or subject did you teach?

I taught special education, working with students from kindergarten through sixth grade, and even taught high school math for part of a year.

Most of my time was spent teaching students with social, emotional, and behavioral needs—children who often struggled to function in a typical classroom environment. Many of them had already been labeled “difficult” or “unmanageable,” but I learned that what they really needed was patience, structure, and love.

In New York, I worked through a cooperative program called BOCES that supports students with higher needs across multiple school districts. It was definitely a high-stress environment, but it was also incredibly rewarding. I felt like I was living out my purpose there.

What led you into that type of teaching?

Honestly, it was a God thing.

When I first started substituting, I didn’t realize what I was signing up for. The secretary warned me, “Do you know what class you’re covering today?” I said no, and she just wished me luck! I quickly found out it was a very challenging special education classroom—kids with serious behavioral and emotional challenges.

That first day, I was bitten, spit on, and completely exhausted—but I loved it. I went back to the office and said, “I’ll do it again.” They were shocked! Over time, I became the go-to sub for that classroom and eventually transitioned into a full-time role. Looking back, I see that God was preparing me for that exact position, giving me the experience and heart I needed to thrive there.

That work sounds both challenging and deeply meaningful. How did your faith influence your teaching?

My faith shaped everything.

In a classroom where frustration and burnout were common, I tried to bring a sense of calm and compassion. The kids I worked with had value and purpose, even if the world didn’t always see it. I believe God created them intentionally, and my job was to help them grow into who He meant them to be.

That peace and patience people noticed in me—it wasn’t mine. It was God’s. Without Him, I would have been just as frustrated as everyone else.

You mentioned staying home with your children now. Tell us about your family life and community in New York.

My husband, Jonathan, and I live in between Rochester and Syracuse NY with our 2 year old daughter, Rosie, and our baby boy Emery, who’s four months old. Jonathan and his dad own a construction company, so we’ve done a lot of home projects ourselves—most recently a full kitchen renovation while I was pregnant! It was definitely an adventure. And we are embarking on a new adventure in 2026 – we are opening a hardware store and lumberyard!

We attend Cross Creek Church, which is part of the Free Methodist denomination. We’ve hosted small groups in the past, and now, with small children, we each attend separate men’s and women’s groups every other week. It’s been such a blessing to have that community of other young families walking through the same stage of life. I’m also heavily involved in the children’s ministry at our church- mostly behind the scenes preparation during the week. It’s so cool to see the way God uses different seasons of life to shape me and opens doors for different ways for us to serve Him.

If you could give one piece of advice to this year’s graduating class, what would it be?

Keep an open hand with God’s plan for your life.

It’s easy to think life will follow a checklist—graduate high school, go to college, get the perfect job, meet the perfect person, get married—but life rarely goes exactly that way. God’s timeline is different, and it’s always better.

I thought I’d get married sooner, have kids sooner, and find my career sooner, but looking back, I can see how God was working all along shaping me, preparing me, and weaving a beautiful story I couldn’t have written myself.

Be obedient, trust Him, and keep your hands open to whatever He has planned. His story for you will be amazing.

Also, enjoy each season you’re in. They by so fast. It’s easy to waste a season waiting for what you want to come next. But there is so much joy, beauty and purpose in each season. I’m so grateful for the years of singleness I had because in those years I rediscovered my faith (which I unintentionally walked away from during college). I had the opportunity to grow the roots of my faith even deeper and build a community around me that continues to support and encourage me and my family. I wouldn’t trade the life I’m living now for anything and I also wouldn’t change the journey God brought me on to get here- even if I didn’t always understand it in the moment.