Student Leadership at The Potter’s House: Serving with Courage and Conviction
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hen seniors Katelyn and Eli stepped into leadership this fall, they carried with them the prayers of their families, the lessons of mentors, and the encouragement of classmates who had seen their faith grow in real time. Both point to last summer’s Montana trip as the turning point that deepened their walk with God and gave them the courage to serve others at The Potter’s House. For Katelyn, The Potter’s House has been home since preschool. Her mom, Jeanne, taught in the K–8 building for many years, and today serves as an elementary educational specialist. The influence of Christcentered education shaped Katelyn’s journey from the start. By her junior year, she felt called to step beyond her comfort zone. That conviction grew stronger after Montana, and she began to see student leadership as a way to represent Christ in her school. “I just want to be able to represent Jesus to everybody,” she explains. “It gives me a great outlet to reach a lot of kids in different ways, to step away from my own little friend group and just be available to everyone.” Eli’s journey has been shaped not only by his own experiences but also by the testimony of his family. He has been part of The Potter’s House community since kindergarten, following the path of his two older sisters and his uncle, TPH alumni Kerwin Rodriguez, professor of Pastoral Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and PhD candidate at Baylor University. As a TPH student, Kerwin first understood and accepted Jesus through the guidance of his teacher Mark Van Zanten. Kerwin has publicly shared how that foundation prepared him
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to live out his calling. Today, his nephew, Eli now carries that same legacy forward. “Last year I was actually on the student council and I had a lot of fun doing that,” Eli says. “This summer I thought about it while I was in the Dominican Republic. That’s when everything clicked for me and I was like, “I think this is what I’m called to do right now.” “I can talk to anybody and connect with people. I think that Katelyn would be the perfect person to do this with because she has those gifts too. This would be a good opportunity for both of us to use our gifts of connecting with people and actually help and be the voice for the students.” For Eli, the Montana trip became a moment of recommitment. “It opened up a lot of doors for me, showing how I can use myself for good and for the power of other people,” he recalls. After prayer and reflection, he decided to run for student body president and invited Katelyn to join him as vice president.
Leadership in Action Both leaders emphasize that their roles are not about status, but about creating culture. Katelyn describes how leadership pushes her to notice people she might have missed before. “It helps me step away from just my own group of friends and be available to everyone,” she says. That means seeking out new students, encouraging those who feel left out, and building bridges across cultural and social groups. Eli agrees. “I want to make sure everybody’s being heard and nobody’s being left out. I hope we can create a space where everyone feels welcome, and that no one
hesitates to reach out.” As president, he sees his job as amplifying the voices of others. “I want to be one of those people who listens and hears other voices.” Day by day, that looks like helping classmates bring their ideas to life, supporting school events, and making sure decisions reflect the needs of the whole student body. “Being in this position gives me more of an outlet to talk to a bunch of different people,” Katelyn explains. “I want to represent Jesus to everybody.”
A Legacy of Multiplication The impact of The Potter’s House is seen in the way faith multiplies across generations. What began with faithful teachers, mentors, and families investing in students continues today through leaders like Eli and Katelyn. Both carry forward a heritage of Christcentered influence—Eli building on the example of family members who were shaped at TPH, and Katelyn following the legacy of her mother’s faithful service in the classroom. Together, their leadership reflects how God’s work at The Potter’s House extends beyond one moment or one person, shaping lives for generations. Together, they offer a vision of leadership that is rooted in humility and courage. It is not about spotlight or status, but about serving their classmates in the name of Christ. At The Potter’s House, this is what servant leadership looks like: Students who see their role not as privilege, but as responsibility. Through Katelyn and Eli, TPH’s mission continues to equip young men and women of every background to serve God and society to their fullest potential.