Aubrey Dew: Christian Leader of the Future

We had the opportunity to ask Aubrey a few questions and was so encouraged by her answers!

 

Being a Christian means that you have come to the knowledge that you are a sinner, you have repented of your sins, and have faith in Christ because of His sacrifice on the cross. To me, this means that because Christ suffered and died in my place, I must do all that I can to bring glory and praise to Him and I must make His name known above all else. I want my life to be salt and light to this world and that people see the love of Christ in me. 

 

 

I am involved in the Medical Science Club, Book Club, and Jackson Symphony League Sub-Deb. I also frequently volunteer in the Children’s Ministry at my church and teach a Wednesday night preschool class at church. I attend youth group and Bible studies each week as well. I work at Rankin Nutrition because I love loaded teas and getting to know people. I also read outside of school for fun and write reviews on Instagram!

 

My parents encouraged me to apply for this scholarship but I also noticed that former Hartfield students, Victoria Rogers and Sarah Sunday Holmes, were finalists for this scholarship so I knew I should try to apply. I was deeply encouraged by their hearts for the Lord. 

Mr. Jeanfreau and Dr. Groves probably encouraged me and impacted me the most. Although I only had their classes for one year, every single day I knew that they were teaching for the glory of God and that they wanted their students to know the Lord more because of what they taught. 

In Mr. Jeanfreau’s chemistry class, I began to understand the complexity of our universe and that God carefully designed all things in such an awesome way. On days that we finished class early or had a free moment, Mr. Jeanfreau loved to discuss the Bible and biblical ideas with his students and I learned so much from brief conversations with him. 

In my Junior Bible class with Dr. Groves, we learned about the Biblical worldview from just the first three chapters of Genesis. We read and reread Genesis 1-3 almost every day and although it may seem redundant, I think that it is honestly so awesome that we can learn about why we are here, how we got here, what went wrong, and how to continue to live from such a small portion of the Bible. I was encouraged by Dr.Groves’s class because I learned to think deeply about Scripture. 

I started Hartfield as a second-grader and so I have been shaped in many ways for such a long time. In elementary and early middle school, Hartfield shaped my personal faith by laying a foundation for knowing the Bible. I can remember learning about Genesis through the Gospels in my Bible classes and I can truly say that the Lord used this to plant a seed of wanting to constantly know more of Scripture so that I can know more of Him. In late middle school and throughout high school, I was introduced to apologetics, theology, and worldview in various ways in my Bible classes, which sparked my interest to learn more about these things on my own. I am so thankful that Hartfield prioritizes pouring Scripture and Biblical conversation into young students because that has been such an important part of my own faith.

I am far from perfect and fall short in so many ways. Elizabeth Elliot popularized a poem by an unknown author and every stanza ends with “do the next thing.” This has been such an encouragement for me because although I do not know what God’s will looks like for me, I do know that every moment and opportunity I have was given to me so that I may bring Him glory. Whether I have a big decision to make, or a minor task to complete, I can live for Jesus every day by “do[ing] the next thing” to honor Christ and share His love with others. Practically this looks like studying even when I do not feel like it, respecting an adult even if I disagree, and showing kindness even if it may not be received back.

I immediately felt so much excitement and thankfulness! I could not stop smiling and thinking about what an honor it is to be named a Christian Leader of the future. 

I plan to attend Mississippi College in the fall. I am not sure what my major will be yet, but I look forward to making new friends, rushing for a tribe, and joining a campus student ministry!