Each month, we recognize a senior who is nominated by MCCS faculty and staff based on spiritual leadership, character, academic achievement or improvement, perseverance through trials, and other aspects of a student’s life and academic career.
Brynne Smith received the Student of the Month award for December. Read her interview below. Congratulations, Brynne!
What are your plans after graduation?
“After I graduate from high school, I plan on attending Liberty University and majoring in Business Administration, with a focus in digital marketing and advertising.”
What classes have helped you toward your potential career goal?
“My accounting and media class helped me with my future career choice, and my internship I just started with the marketing director at Mount Calvary is probably also going to be influential for me.”
What sports, clubs, or activities have you been involved in? Any awards or special recognitions?
“Throughout my high school career, I’ve done a handful of things: my freshman year, I played basketball, and then my junior year, I joined the soccer team due to a lack of players. I ended up enjoying that so much that I played again my senior year. I also did the musicals and plays from 4th grade up to 10th grade. I’m part of the NHS, and I’m secretary of the Student Council. I also do a student internship with Ms. Nye’s kindergarten class, which I really enjoy.
How have the teachers at MCCS made an impact on your life?
“The teachers at Mount Calvary are probably my favorite thing about Mount Calvary. If you take the time to notice, you can tell that they genuinely care about your well-being, your spiritual life, and your success – in and out of the school. Mrs. Aument, specifically, has made a really positive impact on my life. She continuously encourages me and others, and I look forward to seeing her in and around the school.”
What has God been teaching you?
“Some things that God has been teaching me are two ideas that are kind of similar that I’ve been trying to implement in my life: seek discomfort and courage over fear. While Mount Calvary has given me a safe place to practice my faith for13 years, my time here is running out soon, and I’ll be in a whole new chapter of my life.
At Mount Calvary, it can be easy to stay in your comfortable little bubble of a small group of people who, for the most part, have the same religious values as you. I find that, sometimes, I can be too comfortable, or I can have a fear of being judged by others, and that can have a negative impact on my life. If I wish to grow in my relationship with God and as a person, I can’t just stay in my happy little bubble. It’s hard to grow when you’re inside your comfort zone.
I think that God has given us a lot of great opportunities in life; whether it’s a new task or something as small as sharing your faith with a friend. And those things may not necessarily always be in my comfort zone, or I may be nervous of other peoples’ reactions, but it doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t take the opportunity that God has given me.
Doing the right thing isn’t always the popular thing, and doing the right thing isn’t always the comfortable thing. But God didn’t put Christians on this earth to be comfortable. When we’re pushed outside of our comfort zone, it’s not necessarily always a punishment but an opportunity to grow in our spiritual life.”
Do you have any advice for younger students?
“This goes along with what God has been teaching me, but I’d say, try something new! Even if it’s not always in your comfort zone, because it’s often rewarding. High school is the perfect time to try something new and break out of your comfort zone too. You should….join the soccer team if they’re low on players, or try out for the musical, volunteer when others won’t, or ask the new kid to hang out!”
