Courtesy Photo Brook Hill honored the man who made the school what it is today, Stephen Dement. Long time friends and parents compared Stephen Dement's vision to build a college preparatory school in Bullard to Noah's daunting task of building the ark. Like Noah, Dement was met with skepticism when he announced to close friends that he was going to start a Christian school. And when he found land in Bullard to build what is now Brook Hill, people thought the dream would never work.

"I didn't think it would work," said, Ricky Clements, a parent who has had a student at Brook Hill for the last 10 years. "But it did."

Clements spoke at a moonlight and candlelit dinner that was outside on the Brook Hill campus. Dement was honored by several speaker in front of a large crowd as the new wing of the building was introduced to parents, students and contributors. Throughout the night, Dement was recognized for a vision that created a school with 37 students to a sprawling campus with boarding room, a football stadium and about 550 students.

Brook Hill is two-thirds of the way finished with a $13 million capital campaign, Headmaster Rod Fletcher said.

"Just like Noah's faith, Stephen had the faith to serve God," Clements said.

Brook Hill Board Member Mike Butler said it took courage to accomplish Dement's dream.

"It took courage to follow what God was calling him to do," he said.

The question people asked when Dement announced the idea of Bullard were frequent.

Butler said the Dement has not only made a strong physical foundation of buildings, but he has also made a spiritual foundation at Brook Hill.

Louise Ornelas, a friend of Brook Hill, said that her heart belongs to Bullard. She often thinks about how many children will have a good start because of Brook Hill.

"You're shoes would be impossible to fill and God bless you down the road as you lead this school," she said.

Andrew Kerr, who introduced Dement, said Dement's faith reminded him of Christ.

"No matter how far I could run away from life in general, Steve could always catch up to," Kerr said in tears. "He was often a couple of steps ahead of me… His faith does not waiver."

But Dement said the night was not about him at all.

"It's about the one we serve," he said.

Dement said that when he though of the idea for the school, that marketing analysis, wisdom and surveys probably would not have told him what he wanted to hear.

"But as Christians, we know that God tosses conventional wisdom aside," he said. "God was calling me."