Young Alum Highlights

Spotlight on PC’s YOUNG ALUM

Adrian Fleming ’21 – Adrian attends Arizona Christian University and is majoring in Biblical and Theological Studies. Adrian reflected on his time at Phoenix Christian: “I am extremely grateful for how Phoenix Christian prepared me to be able to make the transition with the new Bible classes. I am also using my leadership skills I learned while at Phoenix Christian working in the admissions office at ACU.”

Howard Russell ’21 – Howard is a freshman at Eastern New Mexico University. Howard is a running back for the Greyhounds. Howard has enjoyed an amazing year and has been successful both on the field and in the classroom. Russell was fifth in the All-Lone Star Conference in rushing yards with 622 yards in nine contests. He finished the season with two touchdowns and averaged 69.1 yards per game.

Cassidy Clifford ’21 – Cassidy attends Providence Christian College in Pasadena and plays volleyball for the Sea Beggars. “Phoenix Christian prepared me so well for college and having the dual enrollment credits definitely helped! I am currently studying Psychology. Playing volleyball at Providence has been the biggest blessing and I owe it entirely to God and the amazing team and coaches I had at Phoenix Christian.” Cassidy transferred in 21 dual-enrollment college credits from Phoenix Christian.

Crystal Alvarado ’19 – Crystal

is a senior at NAU, majoring in Chemistry with an emphasis in Forensics and Criminalistics. Crystal transferred in 37 college credits which will allow her to graduate in three years. Crystal plans to continue her education to earn a master’s degree and hopes to work in a crime lab. Crystal shared about her time at Phoenix Christian. “Each class and teacher I had in high school prepared me for college, spiritually and mentally. They encouraged me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, prayed over me, taught me the value of education and most important, taught me what a relationship with God looks like, through their words and actions.”

Alice Zhao ’20 – Alice is a sophomore at University of Virgina, double majoring in economics and statistics with a minor in politics. Alice plans to pursue a PhD in economics and possibly become an economic consultant. Alice graduated from Phoenix Christian as Valedictorian, concentrating in STEM and Humanities. She shared about her college preparation. “Mr. deLaet and his AP Government and AP US History courses prepared me very well for college. Mr. deLaet did more than just teach the course content but also incorporated various components (watching the news, discussions, etc) to classes that turned out to be helpful for future studies. I still remember how watching CBS This Morning was always the very first part of the class, and how Mr. deLaet encouraged us to read news from different sources. All these are super helpful for social science students like me (and even for anyone) because it gradually develops essential social science intuition and critical thinking skills that are helpful in all stages of studying and life in general. Also, the amount of readings for AP US history prepared me well for college readings too.” Alice also reflected that her four years of Bible classes were very impactful to her life. Her freshman year at PC was the very first time she learned about God. “At church, I am able to resonate with the sermons more and share during Bible studies because of the detailed and contextual knowledge I learned from the meticulous Bible reading assignments during my freshman and sophomore years.” Alice keeps busy with her studies in addition to involvement in Student Council International Student Affairs Agency (organize bonding events and engagement opportunities for international students at school), Data Science Club (study coding languages and work on various interesting projects, such as capturing mistakes in restaurant orders data and analyzing cancer data), and Club Running.

Ainsley Ebert ’21 – Class of 2021

Valedictorian attends Arizona Christian University. Ainsley transferred 28 dual enrollment credits, studying elementary education with plans to earning a master’s in administration or education. “My heart lies in the heart of the inner city to I would love to teach in a school in an at-risk community. Maybe one day I will be a part of even running my own school!” Ainsley reflects on her unique experience at Phoenix Christian. “Mr. Hibbard’s Pre-Calc and Statistics classes had a huge impact on me. Mr. Hibbard challenged me in my work but also was intentional in the time he spent helping his students - beyond the math lessons. Being in Mr. Hibbard’s class taught me how to persevere despite getting stuck on a problem and how to think for myself. Apart from the actual curriculum, he demonstrated what it really means to care for your students. I had some amazing life talks with Mr. Hibbard. As someone who is an aspiring teacher, I hope that one day my students will be able to say the same about me. Another class that prepared me for college is very specific to my major. My senior year, I was able to be a teacher assistant for Mrs. Ross and her kindergarten class. I not only got a taste of what it is like to be in the elementary classroom setting and study her different methods of teaching, but I also experienced a sense of confirmation that I’m pursuing the right career!