Fort Bend Christian Academy Magazine January 2020

MAGAZINE FORT BEND CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

JANUARY 2020

Alumnus, Producer Connor Gould p. 19

20 Under 20

Celebrate the New Year with FBCA’s 20 under 20 list p. 13

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THRIVE SPIRITUALLY

THRIVE ACADEMICALLY

THRIVE SOCIALLY

THRIVE PHYSICALLY

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Fort Bend Christian Academy

exists to glorify God through excellence in collegepreparatory Christian education. It is the mission of Fort Bend Christian Academy to equip students to thrive spiritually, academically, socially and physically.

The FBCA magazine is published by the Department of Communications and Marketing. Submit content for consideration to krice@fortbendchristian.org.

Administration Joshua Gettys, Head of School Joel Hazard, Head of Upper School Melisa Carroll, Head of Middle School Margie Meyer, Head of Lower School

Board of Trustees Simon “Trey� Hendershot III - President Alicia Scala - Vice President Jeff Smith - Secretary Josh LaRocca - Treasurer Bob Page Chris Roberts Jessica Williams

Editors Kim Rice, Director of Communications & Marketing Brittney Byrd, Communications & Marketing Associate

Photo Credits Beast Williams (Cover) Steven Pahel L Frederick Hinojosa Sarah Fiore Robert Sanders

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TEACHER FEATURE

Q&A with Mrs. Asanwa Anthony Middle School Math Teacher

Let’s talk numbers. Give us some ‘data’ about you.

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rowing up, I had the privilege of living in five different countries; four of them are in Africa.

In my 17 years of teaching, I have taught more than 1,500 students, and I drink about 40 ounces of coffee a week.

How do you make math interactive and memorable?

I

truly believe math is fun and also very applicable to everyday life. I try to bring the reality of math in the real world to my students. If they can relate to what is being taught and presented to them, then I am more likely going to keep them engaged.

We do applicable activities for almost all the units covered. Sometimes, this will involve me bringing in snacks or us making a snack from a recipe we have worked on in class. We have also used Skittles to better understand ratios.

relatable

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On average, a child gets a smart phone at 10 or 11 years old. What have you noticed about cell phone use, and what is your advice?

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ost parents get their child a phone because they want to communicate with them when they are at a sporting event or activity or simply because of peer pressure. Ten or 11-year old children are not necessarily mature enough to set proper boundaries on cell phone use. Children that age are generally excited about social media and the ability to text their friends. Parents need to educate their children on how to appropriately use their smart devices. Parental controls and clear boundaries on screen time need to be set.

Children who are exposed to too much passive screen time (these are activities on a screen that do not require the child to think) of any kind, do not possess as much reasoning skills as the children who are exposed to the same amount of active screen time (activities or games that allow the child to problem solve).

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Senior Creates

Portfolio

for College Applications

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nspired by video games like Destiny 2, Chad Lloyd, class of 2020, has a passion for the art of video game storytelling and wants to pursue game design in college. He enjoyed the Advanced Placement computer science program, but he also wanted to take the new creative writing class to help hone his writing skills and create compelling story lines for games.

college

prep

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He sought the help of Mrs. Michelle Walker, upper school registrar, to select classes that would fit his individual interests and prepare him for his college coursework.

“

We realized a lot of the schools he was applying to were in a department that wasn’t engineering, and that the math class he was in was not a requirement for him,” Walker said. “So we put him in art with Mr. Ryan Baptiste.

My thought was that he could work on his story board ideas.”

For many disciplines, it is important to put together a portfolio of work to demonstrate one’s creative ability in a way that cannot be communicated via simple letter grades.

Teachers Mr. Sanders and Mr. Baptiste discussed what Chad could do to meet the art requirements while also helping him create a portfolio for college.

“He uses his computer science class to work on programming and development,” Walker said. “And sometimes he fleshes out ideas for stories in his creative writing class, depending on how much freedom there is in the prompt.”

Baptiste has consulted with friends who are in game design to find out what kind of story boards work best.

“Chad is a remarkable student with extreme talent and imagination,” Baptiste said.

“Through the course of the semester I have been teaching students elements of art that include the following: line, shape, space, value, form, texture and color. While some students have been working on the assignments based on a set outline, Chad has been working on assignments specific to his interest in game design. Chad has demonstrated the elements through a series of storyboards and character development. We have used different mediums with a heavy emphasis on graphic design. By doing this, we build confidence in skill and self-awareness.”

This specialized attention is the direct result of staff support and school culture or “supportive spirit” that Baptiste says is “alive at FBCA”.

“The student-teacher ratio allows an excellent classroom environment,” Baptiste said. “This gives me the opportunity to really focus on individual student’s needs. Plus, we have the resources. The class is filled with the right types of mediums necessary to foster creative talent.”

Chad has already been accepted to three colleges to study game design including his top contender, UT Dallas.

MAKING SCHOOL WORK REAL-WORLD READY 6

TEACHER FEATURE

Published Author, Mr. LaVohn makes Campus Seriously Fun ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HEAD

E

very teacher on the upper school faculty e-mail list knows Mr. Rob LaVohn, junior English teacher, values community and a positive work culture. He frequently organizes outlets for quality time, such as faculty athletic tournaments or the annual student “Java Jam,” a one-of-a-kind coffeehousestyle talent show sponsored

by FBCA’s National English Honor Society (NEHS).

Creative works

by Lavohn He does all he can to ensure that people do good work and work well together.

A Midsummer Night’s Midterm

“My goal is to help our English department improve, and I’m really proud of the team we’ve put together.”

The Smartest Woman in the Kingdom

Despite his sense of humor, LaVohn commands respect from students and sees simple rules, such as the dress code, as important to enforce in order to create an effective learning environment.

Murder at the Banquet

Setting Screens* The Shark’s Hightops *This full-length play was a Finalist in the 2007 Florida Playwrights’ Festival 7

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his March, LaVohn will present at the National Conference on Innovative Teaching Strategies, a sub-section of the Innovative Schools Summit.

His presentation is entitled ‘Shut Up and Teach: Turning Assessments into Teaching Tools’.

A simple way to think of it is that I want students to know more about a subject after taking a test or quiz than they did going into it.”

LaVohn says it is an outgrowth of project-based learning, a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic problem.

“The approach shifts the spotlight from the teacher and onto the student (or groups of students) through open-ended, real-world quiz questions, projects and tests,” he said.

As a published author, LaVohn enjoys the opportunity to teach Creative Writing again.

“I’ve been blessed to work with some great students in National English Honor Society, and my AP classes did a terrific job last year,” he said.

LaVohn was born and raised in Texas. He obtained a B.A. in English and Sociology from the most competitive college in the state, Rice University.

He also earned a masters in Creative Writing from Florida International University, and he is in good company of highly educated professionals. In fact, one in three FBCA faculty and staff members have obtained at least one masters degree, and every teacher holds a teaching certification.

Before working at FBCA, Mr. LaVohn worked at Westwood Christian School in Miami, Florida.

Having enjoyed drama in high school and college, he was inspired to found the school’s first drama club.

As it can be expensive to purchase the rights to performances, he began writing plays and skits for the club himself.

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“I have never known anyone who has as many lines of poetry memorized and who can readily recall something from the literature I mention,” said Mrs. Tara Longbottom, senior English teacher. “He and I enjoy quoting Macbeth back and forth. I think he knows the entire play by memory.”

With his many years of experience in Language Arts education, Mr. LaVohn is not afraid to challenge the status quo at the academy.

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The English department is pushing to have a wider variety of literature taught,” he said.

The changes he evokes have a positive impact, made evident by the high scores FBCA students earn on standardized tests.

Last year, FBCA seniors averaged a 580 on the Evidence Based (English) portion of the SAT. That is 70 points higher than the state average.

The average ACT English score in 2019 at FBCA was a 26, whereas the national average was 20.

74% of FBCA students passed the English AP Exam which means many of these students got to skip out on introductory English courses in college, potentially saving thousands of dollars.

These stellar results reflect the outstanding teaching of LaVohn and the rest of the English department.

“

Mr. LaVohn offers options/choices for his students concerning their assessments, and I think that his openness to different ways of assessing students prepares them for 12th grade and for college,” said Longbottom. “He is mindful of letting students find the best way to express how much they have learned.”

The

DIVINERS

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demonstrating the love of Christ through

inclusivity

Theatre and American Sign Language (ASL) teamed up for a shadow performance. It was the first ever performance of its kind in Houston for the Deaf community by a school.

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DIVINERS cont.

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heatre and American Sign Language (ASL) performed side-by-side, giving the Deaf community an opportunity to experience the arts at FBCA. “The Diviners” is a story of a disturbed young man and his friendship with a disenchanted preacher in Indiana in the early 1930s. This performance was the first of its kind in Houston for the Deaf community by a school..

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My goal is for FBCA to be a deaffriendly campus. Providing a play that is also available in ASL is a great way of doing that,” said Tony Slate, ASL teacher. “This was a great night for our theatre students, ASL students and Deaf community.”

Student Nyah White made a standout performance in “The Diviners”.

“It was a challenge learning all the signs and trying to apply concepts to certain parts of the play,” she said. “It was also difficult figuring out where the signers needed to stand so that the deaf audience could see us clearly.”

Nyah said she enjoys being able to communicate with others in a language that relies on hand motions and facial expressions.

“I joined the ASL program because I saw students around school using ASL, and I thought it was very interesting,” she said. “I heard that it was a fun class and Mr. Slate was someone students really bonded with and enjoyed having as a teacher.”

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ASL

highlights

ASL IV/V signed the National Anthem at the Sugar Land Skeeters’ Constellation Field ASL Club spent the day at Texas School for the Deaf in Austin for their homecoming ASL celebrated their 10-year anniversary of Deaf Socials at Chick-Fil-A, Sugar Land

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20 UNDER 20

In celebration of the year 2020, faculty and staff nominated students who make a difference in the classroom, in extracurricular activities and in the community.

These students represent the values of FBCA and are thriving spiritually, academically, socially and physically.

There were many nominations. Finalists were selected by administration based on outstanding achievement and character.

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Damisi Akinpelu Damisi is a senior who holds numerous officer positions in school organizations including President of Student Council. He’s an all-star athlete on the basketball court, and he is a core member of the theatre department. Damisi has won multiple acting awards including Honorable Mention at district competition, and starred in musicals, carrying the cast with his incredible voice. Damisi has composed, performed and recorded music for school plays, served with the praise band and consistently participated in community time worship sessions, either singing or playing piano for the group.

Aly Gregorek Aly is a well-rounded middle school student and a key member of Students Active in Leadership Training (SALT).

She starred in the middle school musical, participates in Praise Band, swims for the school and maintaines a strong grade point average. She placed 4th in the Private Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA) state competition in onsite drawing, and she won a 1st place award in the 2020 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Competition.

Gracely Tyler As one of the youngest on the list, Gracely, and her horse, Kronk, earned the rank of Grand Champion in competitive horseback riding in her age division. She is part of the Greater Houston Hunter Jumper Association. Gracely maintains straight As in all her classes.

Jessica Crocker Jessica serves as the school mascot, Swoop, helping students of all ages laugh and feel proud to be an Eagle. She excels academically, competes at the varsity level as FBCA’s soccer goalie, and on top of it all, has a job outside of school.

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Tyler Thompson Tyler excels academically, participates in soccer and track and has been the drummer on the praise team since 6th grade. He often volunteers his drum skills at River Pointe Church and has performed for First United Methodist Church for so many years that he is now on staff. He made it to All State jazz band competitions for percussion as a 9th and 10th grade student and won first in state for jazz drummer. He leads the school drumline which won their first competition in 2018.

Ellie Rieger The youngest to make the list, Ellie is already an internationally-ranked golfer. She was chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2019 European Championship in Scotland where she finished first in her age group and qualified to compete in the World Championships at Pinehurst (August 2020). She has been invited to play in a tournament on every continent of the world (minus Antarctica!). She has more than 50 first place finishes and received the award for U.S. Kids Player of the Year for the past four seasons. Miss Rieger’s uncle, Cody Baker, graduated from FBCA in 2011.

Kathryn Weinstein Kathryn is a member of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and is on the All-A Honor Roll. With a heart for philanthropy, she worked tirelessly on a recent school supply drive. Under her leadership, the middle school collected more than 170 pounds of school supplies for children in Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela.

Nathan John Nathan serves as an Eagle Ambassador on campus and goes above and beyond to help others. He is a member of National Honor Society, Rho Kappa and Mu Alpha Theta.

Nathan attends the International Bible Church where he is the worship leader, piano instructor, photographer, social media manager and the mentor for middle school youth.

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Lauren Lauer Lauren Lauer is an accomplished Taekwondo athlete and has won multiple awards including 10 gold medals. In 2019, she received a bronze medal at the national competition in Florida, earning the rank of third in her weight and belt division. Lauren is active with Hilltop of Hope, a non-profit organization that trains women who have been rescued from human trafficking in the red light district in Nepal and Mumbai. At school, she is on the All-A Honor Roll, excelling in two upper level-classes as an 8th grader.

Naviah Dixon Naviah has enrolled in New York University where she will attend the Tisch School of the Arts Drama program in the fall. Her goal is to be on Broadway. Her strengths are vocal performance and dance. At FBCA, she has been involved in theatre and cheer. She was part of the cheer squad that earned first in state in 2019.

Caroline Kubala Caroline is a horseback rider and was the reserve champion in the jumper category. She is also the historian for the National Junior Honor Society. Miss Kubala is in upper-level courses and has all As. She actively serves as a member of Students Active in Leadership Training (SALT).

Luke Dibble Luke is the upper school yearbook editor and has worked with the publishing company to improve the book. As an Eagle Ambassador and FBCA “Lifer”, he has taken prospective parents on tours of the school. Luke is a member of National Honor Society, Interact, Rho Kappa, Science National Honor Society, American Sign Language Honor Society and National English Honor Society. He was the stage manager of “Into The Woods,” “Wizard of Oz” and upcoming musical “Beauty and the Beast”. In addition to all that, he has served as the captain of the athletic training team for three years.

Outside of school, he is on the leadership team at Grand Parkway Baptist Church.

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Kyra Whitman Kyra was selected as a Scholar Aide for the DeBusk Enrichment Center for Academically Talented Scholars (DECATS) program where she helped teachers mentor younger scholars in their chosen courses. Her involvement and commitment contributed to her receiving 97 hours for her NJHS service project. Kyra was the district cross country champion for all three years of middle school (2017, 2018, 2019). She holds multiple records in track and field as well, including district champion in the high jump (2019).

Stephen Campbell Stephen won the 2019 TAPPS Golf State Championship and accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Oklahoma. He has numerous golf achievements outside of school as well, most notably being selected to play on the Junior Presidents Cup team in Melbourne, Australia, where the United States won (Dec 2019). Stephen is ranked 25th in the country by the Rolex American Junior Golf Association. He is very grateful, often making time to worship God through the organization College Golf Fellowship.

Chase Hubbard Chase has been cheering for the past 13 years, and she accepted an athletic and academic scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana for their competitive cheer team.

She has won 19 national titles and has competed at the cheerleading world championships. She has served as a staff member at Fellowship of Christian Cheerleader cheer camp, and is also a member of National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, the Culture Club, Science National Honor Society and the Medical Club.

Hana Acord Hana, a 4th grader, has already earned her Black Belt and ranking of Cho Dan in Soo Bahk Do Karate. Another way Miss Acord practices the art of discipline is through her dedication to practicing the piano. She is a member of the traditional Vietnamese Music Troupe and plays multiple percussion instruments, giving her the opportunity to performing at many charitable events around Houston. Another hobby of hers is art, and she has studied under Master Artist Gopaal Seyn at the Sugar Land Art Center for four years. In addition, Hana maintains straight As. 17

Grant Klatt Grant holds all eight individual and three relay FBCA swim records. Some of his awards include TAPPS Division II State Boys Champion 100 Fly, TAPPS 1st Team All- State Swimming Boys 100 Fly and the TISCA All-State 1st Team Boys 100 Fly. Grant is in all advanced classes and is involved in Spanish Club, Young Life, Young Men’s Service League and Student Leadership University (SLU). He has even had the opportunity to swim overseas while he lived in Trinidad.

Brooke Coleman Brooke has been participating in track and field since she was six years old, running for the local club team Track Houston. As a sprinter, she ran in the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympics seven seasons in a row competing against the top youth runners in the county.

She is a 6x National All American, 17x Regional Medalist, 13x Area Medalist and currently ranked in the top 15 14-year-old sprinters in the country via athletic.net.

YoungLife is her favorite club.

Joshua Ashiofu Joshua, a middle school student, is a member of the high IQ society, Mensa, a distinction that means he attained a score within the upper two percent of the general population on the approved intelligence test.

He is the president of National Junior Honor Society, and he earned 1st place in the Scripps Fort Bend County Spelling Bee. In addition to stellar academic performance, Joshua has volunteered at Mother’s Love Childcare Facility and American Financial Loans.

Holden Hagelberger Holden is in middle school, but he has already had a professional paid job in fine arts. He performed in the San Antonio regional production of Matilda, starring as Nigel. He also performed in the Seussical Jr. musical at FBCA and various musicals at Inspiration Stage. He is on the A/B Honor Roll.

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Connor Gould Alumni Feature

2016 CLASS OF

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It’s Who You Know L.A. Producer

W

HEN MEETING CONNOR GOULD, the first thing he will ask is if he can get you a cup of coffee.

A few years of cliché intern grunt work in Los Angeles helped him retain a sense of kindness and courtesy, despite now having an esteemed career in the entertainment industry. For most people, it can take decades to get their big break, if one comes at all, but Connor has been on a fast track to success. At just 22, Gould has worked with awardwinning production teams on projects featuring some of the biggest names in pop culture including Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Chris Brown, Halsey, Future, Hailee Steinfeld, David Crowder Band and many more.

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It’s all about networking,” he said.

“If you love what you do, you are excited to tell people about it.”

As the maxim goes, it’s who you know, but, Gould is proof that connections may get you there, but it takes talent, confidence and commitment to stay.

“I’m a go-getter,” he said. “I can sense someone’s passion instantly.”

Connor says he can sense passion, but what he really means is he can sense

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anyone’s and everyone’s passions, from the mailman to a cashier. After taking a leap of faith by moving to L.A. to pursue his dreams and things not initially going as smoothly as he had anticipated, Gould was at a restaurant and struck up a conversation with the waiter.

“I could tell we had a lot in common,” he said. “We discovered we knew a lot of the same people. He was also a Christian, and when he offered me an opportunity to move into his house of similar-minded roommates, I knew it was an opportunity I had to take—God’s plan.”

Through this string of connections, Connor was able to meet well-known industry professionals, such as director Hannah Lux Davis, someone he had admired from afar for years. These relationships eventually resulted in job opportunities and collaborations with London Alley Entertainment and Legacy Content.

Some days were surreal for Connor, such as when he assisted on the set of a music video for one of the highestpaid celebrities and one of the most influential people in the world (Time, 2019).

L.A. Producer cont.

It was Dec. 22, in between takes on the “7 Rings” set that Connor noticed a cute dog and looked up to see his owner.

“

There is Ariana Grande, shining in the light,” he said. The two discussed her dog, Toulouse, and segued into a conversation about the Steelers. He asked if she had ever been to Pittsburgh. It was admittedly a silly question.

“Well, of course she’s been to Pittsburgh,” he said. “She tours. She might of had a couple of concerts there. She went out of her way to be so friendly. She is an angel.”

Another memorable experience for Connor was working with producer Jack Winter at Stagecoach to coordinate a music video for award-winning artist, Diplo.

“Little did the world know, the first performance of ‘Old Town Road’ was about to be performed during Diplo’s set at the festival. I accompanied Diplo in his golf cart to his performance that night. We wanted to capture a shot of Diplo walking around backstage. I picked up one of our lights and held it up so the shot would be properly lit. The camera was following him around, and I was trying to keep my distance so the lighting wouldn’t be too harsh. Diplo noticed me trying to keep my distance and started to follow me around wherever I moved. Come to find out, he was just messing around with me.

I was right there, in the center of the action as Diplo, Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X hit the stage for this crowd-deafening moment in history.”

Not every day was glamorous though, and Connor remembers the struggles of living and working in a fast-paced and stressful environment.

Once, as a production assistant, he was driving a U-Haul in Beverly Hills, making a delivery to set.

“There’s no parking; it’s hectic,” Connor said.

“Half the coffees I’m delivering spill.”

Gould held on to faith in his calling and used every opportunity he could to make a connection.

When he noticed one coffee belonged to Scott “Scooter” Braun, a record executive, he decided to hand-deliver that one himself.

I REMEMBER SITTING IN 5 O’CLOCK TRAFFIC, REALLY QUESTIONING IF I COULD DO IT . . . IF I COULD HANDLE THE INDUSTRY. WHAT GOT ME THROUGH IT WAS THE NEXT DAY. I JUST WOKE UP AND TOLD MYSELF IT’S A NEW DAY. “I just wanted an excuse to talk to him. I addressed him as ‘Mr. Braun’, but he told me to call him ‘Scooter’. He asked what I wanted to do in the industry and genuinely listened.”

Despite the kindness he encountered from big names like Braun, Gould faced discouragement from long days and the nearly two-hour commute.

“I remember sitting in 5 o’clock traffic, really questioning if I could do it . . . if I could handle the industry,” he said. “What got me through it was the next day,” he said. “I just woke up and told myself, it’s a new day. Being acknowledged by people who aren’t obligated to talk to me make a huge impact. I remember Trevor Jackson from Superfly stopping to say ‘Hey, I see you, thanks for being on my set today’ and moments like that make me love my job.”

His personal, biblically-inspired code of ethics, which he calls, “professional kindness,” helps steer his attitude and behavior.

“

If you go out of the way to be kind to the people, people will want to work harder for you,” he said. “This is not a Christian industry, but I try to be kind to people and plant that seed. Simply saying, ‘I’ll be praying for that,’ makes them pause and think about faith in general.”

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“

This is not a Christian industry, but I try to be kind to people and plant that seed.

Simply saying, ‘I’ll be praying for that,’ makes them pause and think about faith in general.

PRAYER

t he Po w er of

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L.A. Producer cont.

Millions of views across major projects After middle school, Connor was encouraged to attend Fort Bend Christian Academy in the Houston area to help build the upper school’s student broadcast program, Eagles on the Air. There, as well as at his church, The Bridge Fellowship, Connor learned cabling and other technical aspects of video, audio and media.

“

Connor was one of the most media tech savvy students FBCA has ever seen,” Chris Henderson, FBCA teacher and owner of Hendyamps said.

“He was a pleasure to teach and constantly dedicated himself to being the best person he could possibly be every day, making himself indispensable to a large number of departments and organizations.

From creating promo videos for athletics, coordinating A/V applications across campus, to assisting in pro audio applications with the worship team and chapel, Connor left a lasting and impactful mark on FBCA for many years after his graduation.”

Gould obtained his B.A. from the Los Angeles Film School in less than three years.

Long term, Gould wants to produce a Christian film after his name is more established in the business.

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Currently, Gould works as a producer for Catcher Creative and has accumulated millions of views across the productions he has produced.

Recently, he has been producing and managing commercials, music videos and social media content for some of the largest influencers in the world. He has collaborated with mega companies such as Victoria’s Secret PINK, Nike, Best Buy and Toyota. His arsenal of talent goes beyond sound and film as he also excels in the art of photography. Whether it is a portrait or action shot, Gould can capture it. He has photographed Jason Derulo, 21 Savage, Walk The Moon and more*.

Connor has hired multiple fellow Fort Bend Christian Academy alumni for projects that he produces.

To connect with Connor, offer to meet for a coffee, or maybe three, which he claims is the magic number to get him through his long days. *Photos feature Marshmello, an electronic music producer and DJ, and X Ambassadors, a rock band known for songs “Renegades” and “Unsteady”.

PHO

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TO S

BY C

ONN

OR G

OUL

D

EAGLES FOOTBALL

F

ORMER NFL PLAYER JORDAN BLACK served as Fort Bend Christian Academy’s Head Football Coach this year.

“Jordan has the ability to evoke positive change in our young men and in our school culture,” Head of School, Joshua Gettys said. “He is highly disciplined and understands how to achieve a desired outcome.

Coach Black is the epitome of a difference-maker.”

Black played at the University of Notre Dame from 1998 to 2002, which culminated in a successful 10-year career in the National Football League playing for the Chiefs, Texans, Jaguars and Redskins. During Jordan’s career in the NFL, he was elected as a Board of Player Representative in the National Football League Players Association.

Since 2013, Black has continued to be involved in football through coaching young athletes. He also owns a Snap Fitness Gym and has served in different ministry roles, including weekly leadership training through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) International and guest speaking and church consulting across the country.

The FBCA football program faced adversity during the fall of 2018 due to multiple injuries of starting players, resulting in an early end to the season. However, passionate football fans and Booster Club parents believed in the importance of a strong team and coaching staff, leading FBCA to a professional like Black to rebuild the program.

“

Coaching football is a ministry opportunity,” Black said. “Not only is it teaching a game that I love, but it is teaching young men about biblical manhood.”

The team made it all the way to playoffs against Regents School of Austin, ending the season with a 5-4 record.

Building a Culture of

EXCELLENCE

I

N an effort to highlight the growing prestige of the athletic program at Fort Bend Christian Academy, Kelly Carroll, Athletic Director, partnered with VYPE - Houston to photograph and promote the teams. Vype is a sports-centered media company with a market based in the south. The partnership is just one initiative of many for Carroll.

“I strongly believe in Kelly Carroll’s ability to promote and sustain a thriving athletic program that aligns with the mission and vision of FBCA,” Mr. Joshua Gettys, Head of School said.

Coach Carroll has worked diligently to create a cohesive culture of excellence within the athletic department for Eagles of all ages.

“The FBCA Athletic Department seeks to glorify God while developing student athletes,” Carroll said. “We teach Eagles to have a competitive spirit in the athletic arena while maintaining excellence in their spiritual lives, academic endeavors and social responsibilities. Our coaches are intentional and purpose-driven leaders.”

Booster Club has also made strides to promote school spirit and athletic participation. They created the Swoop Club, an opportunity for the lower school kids to run the field before the Homecoming game. They raised nearly $50,000 and purchased volleyball poles, swim parkas, softball infield tarp, golf polos and more.

Photos by Vype Houston

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ALUM

HOMETOWN HERO

BLEEDING COUGAR RED SINCE CHILDHOOD 29

Kati Ray Brown Cougar Softball H-TOWN HIGHLIGHTS

K

ati Ray Brown, class of 2018, has enjoyed her first season playing softball for the University of Houston Cougars in the American Athletic Conference.

Brown has more than 14 years of softball experience. She lettered three years with FBCA’s upper school team, which is one of the best in the Houston area.

“Kati Ray has bled Cougar red since she was little,” her former coach, Kelly Carroll said. “She commands the field from behind the plate and scares pitchers when she is at bat.

She has the whole package: champion, strong, smart and an amazing leader.”

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Last season, Cougar softball made it to the 2019 Texas Regional. Now, the team is focused on conditioning.

“The fall workouts are one of the toughest physical and mental training workouts I have ever been through, but this is when a team is formed, and we all become closer,” Brown said.

“Two-a-days allow us to feel the same struggle and help each other through it.”

Coming from a close-knit family, it was important for Kati Ray to attend college somewhere her family could easily come see her play. Academics are also important, and her coaches push the girls to maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher.

“ H

OUSTON has always been one of my favorite cities,” Kati Ray Brown said.

“I love that there is such a variety of things to do.

I love all the restaurants, museums, clothing stores and art scenes. One of my favorite things in the city is a restaurant called Empire Cafe that my sister, Kendall, and I love to call ‘our spot’. Overall, I could not ask for better teammates, coaches, field or city to represent on my chest.”

ALUMNI UPDATE | VICTORIA TORRES, CLASS OF 2010 FBCA alumna Victoria Torres is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Mississippi. Last January, Victoria married Robert Reyes. Former FBCA alums Crystal Teague (formerly Buraruk) and Lauren Herb (formerly Quirch), were in the wedding party (entire party not pictured).

“Although we have enjoyed the change of scenery and met some delightful friends, upon completion of my graduate degree, we hope to return to Texas as we miss being close to our sweet family and friends and miss eating good Tex-Mex food.�

Read more at fortbendchristian.org 31

ALUMNI UPDATE | DREW FOWLER, CLASS OF 2006 Fowler obtained a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University in 2010 and a master’s degree in Renewable Natural Resources from Louisiana State University in 2013. He met and married Katie Vahle, originally from Indiana, while they both lived in Louisiana. The couple share two daughters, Adelynn (6 yrs.) and Amelia (2 1/2 yrs.). Drew and Katie have been active in their church communities wherever God has placed them, in particular serving in ministries for emotionally or mentally challenged youth.

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t’s said that nature is the art of God, and some, therefore, feel a sacred duty to protect it. From an early age, Drew Fowler developed an interest in and admiration for the great outdoors, and this passion led him to nearly a decade of postsecondary education.

After graduating from Fort Bend Christian Academy, Class of ’06, Drew studied wildlife ecology and conservation at Texas A&M University, where he developed a strong interest in wetland systems, water birds and their integrated management. He enrolled in a master’s degree program at Louisiana State University and conducted his master’s degree research at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico.

After obtaining his master’s, Fowler worked for Delta Land Services in Baton Rouge for

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14 months before once again heading back to school. In November 2018, Drew received his doctorate from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, where he researched heterogeneity in the spring body condition, survival and seasonal origins of snow geese, with applications towards population management.

Immediately following the completion of his Ph.D., Drew began work as the Waterfowl and Migratory Game Bird Research Scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Madison, Wisconsin. Now, Drew directs statewide research regarding waterfowl and wetland conservation and management.

Drew attributes his success in post-secondary education to the great foundation and mentorship he received at Fort Bend Christian Academy.

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BCA surrounded me with empathetic and patient mentors eager to teach me academically and personally from a Christian worldview. Now, thirteen years removed from high school, I am extremely grateful for teachers who became mentors and friends, like Tony Slate, who weekly demonstrated the gospel of Jesus Christ to me from 7th grade and beyond my high school graduation.

Principals, nurses, coaches and other teachers did the same. FBCA gave me sound teaching while also instructing me how to think.”

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