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By Chase Davis

Grace Kelly, a graduating senior at Lafayette Christian School, worked hard on performing well in her academics and strengthening her faith throughout her four years of high school. Those years of work finally paid off, as Kelly will graduate at the top of her class as the 2022 valedictorian.

For Kelly, while the academics were very challenging, she always found that the teachers were very supportive and truly cared about her success as a student.

“A lot of teachers try to make learning hands-on. We do a lot of debating, and we use the Socratic seminars to delve into deep theological and philosophical questions.”

While at LCS, Kelly was heavily involved in both chorus and drama. Recently, she starred as Jasmine in “Aladdin Jr.” and Sharpay in “High School Musical Jr.” While attending multiple region and state literary competitions, Kelly performed monologues and sung in trios. She took first place at state with her monologue from Francine Rivers’ book, “The Atonement Child.”

Kelly also played several sports, including soccer and cross-country. For her, cross country was not only a fun way to meet new people, but it also served to further develop her faith.

“One of the things that we are taught is that everything in life is a reflection of things in the Bible. For me, running is like your race for Christ. The pain that I am feeling while I run is like the trials and tribulations I may go through on earth, and the finish line is like the end goal of Christ Jesus. I know that he doesn’t give me anything I can’t handle or overcome, which is why I try not to veer on the path or slow down, both in my races and in life.”

Kelley’s biggest piece of advice for incoming high school freshmen is to make friends who will support you in the good times and the bad, and to try to find joy in every moment.

“I know a lot of freshmen get really stressed out in their first year, but I would say that they really need to try to find joy in every situation, even when it’s hard,” she said. “When you’re anxious, you’re not able to glorify God because he tells us not to worry or be anxious. If we put our trust in him, he will always gives us the time and strength to push through.”

After graduation, Kelly plans on attending Shorter University to pursue a bachelor’s in Nursing. From there, Kelly wants to become a pediatric oncology nurse so that she can both help and minister to children who are battling cancer.