When Church Farm School administrators Margaret van Steenwyk and Chet Blair were pondering a speaker for Parents’ Weekend, they thought back to some of the most impactful speakers they had ever heard.

Robb Armstrong, creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip JumpStart, immediately came to mind as both van Steenwyk and Blair had listened to him speak at his alma mater, The Shipley School. They knew his story of courage, risk-taking, resilience, determination, and loyalty would resonate with CFS students.

As a result, CFS invited Armstrong to be the guest speaker at a Parents’ Weekend luncheon last month. Armstrong spoke to parents, faculty, and staff, relaying highlights and struggles from his own journey, including adjusting to being one of only a few Black students at his private school, the death of his mother, and his passion for drawing Peanuts character Charlie Brown.

Armstrong’s love of Peanuts led to his own interest in art and, eventually, a friendship with Charles Schulz, who gave his character Franklin the surname Armstrong in Robb’s honor. Armstrong’s award-winning comic strip JumpStart is published in the Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Daily News, Boston Globe, and more than 350 other newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. Also, Reader’s Digest published his memoir, Fearless: A Cartoonist’s Guide to Life.

At the beginning of his remarks, Armstrong said, “Church Farm School is an excellent school. How do you achieve greatness? Take everything you learned at that excellent school … and apply it to your new life as a graduate.”

Student Body President Frangel Soriano said talking with Armstrong changed his life, with one particular quote resonating: “A lot of people will look to you for your capacity and talent because you have something great. But don’t get distracted. Go for what you love and are meant for.”

Armstrong’s journey from bright-eyed young man to accomplished artist is not unlike the path many Church Farm School students follow. Born in West Philadelphia and raised by a single mother, Armstrong earned a scholarship to Shipley in seventh grade that enabled him to cultivate his passions, learn from mentors, and build a strong peer group.

That “brotherhood” became the theme for a custom mural Armstrong created for CFS’s Student Life area, a new space created as part of the school’s $15.5 million modernization.

Armstrong has spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institute, and Syracuse University, where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. He has also visited numerous colleges and high schools across the country, using his incredible life story to inspire others.

Church Farm School is fully open for the 2021-2022 school year, with 100 percent of its faculty, staff, and students vaccinated. The private boarding and day high school for boys is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Learn more about CFS and its mission of providing a financially accessible, college-prep education to high-achieving young men.