When people ask me what I did immediately after high school, I kind of smile and think if only I could really explain what The Honor Academy is and the incredible things that happened in my life while I was there! Throughout my year at the Honor Academy, I learned incredible leadership; not just how to lead people, but how to love and follow Jesus in a way that enables others to follow Him while they follow me. It brought me to the end of selfish leadership and taught me how much my life can affect the people within my sphere of influence.
Before going to the Honor Academy, I had a plan of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it throughout my life. I wanted to help people, but I wanted to meet their physical needs. During my time working with Teen Mania, I learned that my career and my everyday decisions made a difference and that meeting people’s physical needs was just a doorway to meeting what really matters and will last: their spiritual needs.
After my second year at the Honor Academy, I went immediately into finishing my Associate of Arts degree and afterwards progressed to Liberty University. During my first semester of moving into a new place with new people all over again, I began nursing school and took 21 hours of classes. Throughout this semester I applied the time management skills, deep rooted character, and devotion that I learned at the Honor Academy to my everyday life.
I have remained devoted to the Lord, although it is not always easy, because of His grace and the spiritual training I was taught while at Teen Mania. I came back to my home and community with a wealth of knowledge and experience that motivated me to remain faithful and take every challenge that came my way with perseverance and true joy. My life was changed by the Gospel at the Honor Academy, and that is something that I know without a doubt will always lead and guide every choice I make for the rest of my life.