Covenant News - Back to School Roundup for Covenant Students

Covenant News

Back to School Roundup for Covenant Students

CHICAGO, IL (August 18, 2003) - Students from congregations in the Evangelical Covenant Church are getting ready for school and many of them have a lot to look forward to. Here is a short list, organized by conference and region, documenting what they've been up to recently.

CENTRAL

Calumet Park, Illinois: Community Covenant Church has a host of teens that are active in their schools and congregation. Keisha Wheaton, an incoming senior at Hyde Park Academy on Chicago's south side, will attend the University of Illinois in Champaign and will pursue a law degree with a minor in business administration. She runs cross-country and track at her school and is a senior girls counselor and assists incoming freshmen as they enter school. She's also an honor school and is part of a student mentoring relationship from John Marshall School of Law. She is part of the youth choir and serves as an usher. Senior Donielle Davenport competes on the Homewood-Flossmoor High School girls' track and field team. Her sister Donesha has played basketball and run track and field and cross country at the same school. Keneesha Edwards from Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, serves with the church choir and is the usher leader at church. She ran track and cross country in high school and participated as a cheerleader. The church's youth program, directed by Stan McDavid, helped with food drives for the homeless and assisted with a one-week series of evangelistic services.

EAST COAST

Naugatuck, Connecticut: Hillside Covenant Church's Vanessa Wood, a Yale University student, was recently honored as the first winner of the Dana J. and Verna A. Blackwell Award from the Naugatuck Historical Society. She received $500 for the award, which honors Dana Blackwell, the Historical Society's initial president, and Verna Blackwell, a retired teacher.
Lexington, Massachusetts: Beth Oliver of Trinity Covenant Church, along with her friend Sarah Stuntza, are headed to Timisoara, Romania, to serve at an orphanage for a year. Oliver served as a lifeguard for Pilgrim Pines Conference Center, a Covenant East Coast Conference camp, this summer. They'll serve with a parachurch ministry called iTeams. After their one year of mission work, Oliver will attend Wheaton College and Stuntz will attend the University of Virginia.

MIDWEST

Clyde, Kansas: Joel Erickson of Brantford Evangelical Covenant Church had an interesting summer, earning honors in 4-H and baseball events in his state. At the Clay County Fair in Clay Center, he received a Reserve Champion award and a blue ribbon for electrical projects he entered and also received Grand Champion honors for a swine project he coordinated. Erickson also played baseball for a Clifton-Clyde team that advanced to a state baseball tourney after winning district and regional events. Two others from Brantford Covenant also earned honors from 4-H club projects. Allie Danielson earned awards in gardening, woodworking, and photography, among other divisions at the Cloud County Fair in Concordia. Jonas Danielson received blue ribbons in photography, foods, arts and crafts, and plants and gardens projects.

NORTH PACIFIC

Kent, Washington: Kent Covenant Church's Johanna Schiffelbein spent time in Romania on a short-term mission project, the second such endeavor for the fifteen-year-old.

NORTHWEST

Dawson, Minnesota: Tanner Ulstad of Dawson Covenant Church was selected as a member of the West Central Tribune All-Area baseball team as a pitcher/third baseman. He was 5-1 and struck out 52 in 40 innings as his Lac qui Parle Valley High School team tied for the conference title. He also hit .400 in earning conference co-Most Valuable Player honors. Following his spring baseball season, the senior was selected to play in a four-team All-Conference All-Star tournament in Bird Island.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST

San Andreas, California: Maggie Erbeck and Preston Tuschall of San Andreas Community Covenant Church spent the summer working with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Tijuana, Mexico. Two others with church connections are headed out of the country this fall for mission works. Caroline Roberts will work in Germany beginning in September. Daniel Zmak is headed to Mexico next month as well.

SOUTHEAST

Miami, Florida: Palmetto Covenant Church's Joslyn Fabian finished her studies at South Ridge Senior High School with a host of accomplishments, serving in numerous leadership organizations and earning academic honors as well. She earned awards in Computer Science, was on the Leadership Club and was part of Essence of Sisterhood Club, which mentored girls through connections with Girl Scouts of America. She is also the president of her youth organization at her church and sings in the choir. Another student from Palmetto Covenant, Latrice Wiggins, was active at Coral Reef High School before graduating this spring. She was an honor student and participated as a flag girl, in oratory organizations, and with a sign language group called "Anointed Hands." She also sings in both the school and church choirs. Both students plan to attend college this fall, said a youth representative from the church.

ELSEWHERE

Medellin, Colombia: The children of longtime Covenant missionaries Gary and Mary Lou Sander will be busy in the coming months. Leah, an incoming senior at The Columbus School in Medellin, is playing volleyball for her school team and is co-editor of the school's yearbook. Skye, a sophomore at the same school, has played for three years on a local club soccer club team called Alexis Garcia. Both are among the top students in their class. Meanwhile, the Sanders' two eldest children are in college. Lissa is attending Fresno State University and directing the drama department at Kingsburg High School, her alma mater. Leslie, a recent graduate of The Columbus School, will attend UC-Berkeley as a psychology major.

To find out more about what is occurring at Covenant churches and in the lives of Covenanters, check www.covchurch.org. To phone in information or newsletters to Covenant Communications, call 773-907-8333. Emails can be sent to newsdesk@covchurch.org.

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