-3.png "Alena DeMott | FCS Senior Spotlight Header")
Senior Spotlight: Alena DeMott, Class of 2024
In what grade did you start attending Faith?
In the middle of ninth grade
What activities were you involved in while you were a student at Faith?
Soccer, volleyball, basketball, Debate Club (secretary), La Mesa (vice president), Veritas, Ministerium, Fides, Juice Club (president), Secretary, Treasurer, and honorary vice president of Chocolate Milk Club
What might some of your favorite memories be?
In ninth grade, I was in Spanish 1. It was an interesting class, to say the least. I vividly remember Señora Lusk reprimanding us for not taking the class seriously and behaving poorly (in hindsight, we were terrible). When she was at the height of this unfortunate smackdown, Lailah dropped a whole pack of Skittles all over the floor – they went everywhere. While helping her pick them up, I couldn’t stop laughing, nor could Lailah. She got kicked out of class, but you could hear her laughing outside in the hallway.
What is your thesis topic and why did you choose it?
The title is “The Heavens Declare: Reflections on the Transcendent Power of Music.” My thesis topic is about how music brings peace. I remember talking with Mrs. Ridge in tenth grade, and she said, “There’s something about music that makes me feel incredibly close to God.” Her comment started my search for the inherent peace that music can bring.
What do you feel have been some of the academic benefits of attending Faith Christian School?
Faith Christian School has always taught me to connect everything to Christ. It is not simply God who enters our story, but rather we enter His.
Has there been a teacher at FCS that has impacted your faith, education, or personal growth in a significant way? If you were to say thank you to this person, what might you say?
I’m not ashamed to say that math has never come easily to me. Ask me to write a five-paragraph essay? Done. Ask me to solve this quadratic equation? Give me three to four business days. Mr. Muench has taught me Algebra I and Geometry, and I can truthfully say that those were some of my favorite classes. It was also because of him that I chose to study Johannes Kepler in my thesis. Mr. Muench never missed an opportunity to bring up God and the Bible in every class. He influenced the way I read the Bible, teaching me to connect things to God in a way I never thought of before. In other words, thank you, Mr. Muench, for teaching me how to ask smart questions, not only in class but also in prayer. I also want to thank him for helping me understand quadratic equation; it was no easy task for him, I’m sure.
What do you feel have been some of the academic benefits of attending Faith Christian School?
Traveling through Paradise with Dante was inspiring. Battling the Trojans with Achilles was awesome. Learning how Euclid proved the Pythagorean theorem through geometry was incredible. However, if we merely defined classical Christian learning as learning done in the classroom, we would be selling ourselves short. To be classically trained is to find the patterns of mankind and learn from their mistakes. But to have a classical, Christian education is to find the footprints of God and learn from His pattern of love. Classical and Christian education does not stay in the classroom but leaves with you; it becomes a way of thought. To put it metaphorically, Faith Christian School has taught me how to walk along the beach, next to a vast ocean of knowledge. No matter what I am learning, reading, or studying, there is always one of God’s footprints hidden in the sand, waiting and ready to be followed.
What are some things you would like to tell younger students as they continue their education at FCS?
Abigale, my kindergarten buddy, you told me once that your favorite movie was The Little Mermaid. Do you remember when Ariel sings the song “Part of Your World”? She was so enamored by what she wanted that she forgot to look at what she had. It is good to want, it is good to be excited for what God has planned for you, but don’t forget what He has given to you now. As a senior, it's hard for me to wait at FCS when I know God has so much planned for me once I graduate. However, remember that each day that you are here is a gift from God. Don’t be too eager to grow up.
And to Mia, my little sister, your favorite Taylor Swift song is “Long Story Short.” It's a beautiful song about life and its highs and lows. In the last verse, she sings, “Long story short, I survived,” and for once, I may have to disagree with Taylor Swift (shocking, I know). God did not give us this life just so that we can just survive it; He wants us to enjoy it, he wants us to find the bits and pieces of Heaven that he has left for us here on Earth. For example, I have found Heaven in getting to drive you to school every day, playing volleyball with you in the summer, dancing to Taylor Swift in the kitchen when we were home alone. I have found Heaven in each and every moment that I have been able to spend with you. Long story short, I love you.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After high school, I will be taking a gap year. I will be staying in Tennessee for four months, helping refugees. Then, hopefully, I will go to the Dominican Republic for four months, helping some missionaries build churches. After my gap year, I want to go to college, however, I’m not sure which one yet. I’m sure that whatever God has me doing, I will be fulfilled and joyful in it all.
