For two years now, I have been consistently making the mistake of asking Emily how her senior year is going. Two years. Finally, she is really a senior so I can stop embarrassing myself. But, the reason I would always forget is because she is mature beyond her years. Since I’ve known her, I’ve known that she is smart and caring and has a confidence that isn’t common for the typical sophomore high school student. So, it was easy to wrongly assume she was a senior. Emily has a heart for people. I think her heart beats for the sole purpose to seek out people and care about them really well, and I think it beats faster when a person starts to believe that she is worthy of being cared about– when she believes that she is loved.

Next year, Emily has her eyes set on the west. She wants to move across the country and start fresh in the mountains. She is applying to a few schools in Colorado and also to the University of Cincinnati. Whether she goes far or stays close to home, she’ll forge a path made of purpose and passion and others will follow on it. I’m excited about that.

I am a big people pleaser. I will do anything for others and always say yes. Sometimes I do need to work on it and realize it’s okay to say no, but I feel like that’s a big part of who I am.

I LOVE hanging out with the kids involved in Young Life Capernaum. They are so much fun and make me so happy! Just spending time with friends and family gets me excited, I also LOVE to adventure and like the outdoors.

My life motto is, ‘always do what you’re afraid to do.’

I hope to be remembered as the girl who just really loved on her friends and did anything for them when they needed it. I also hope people see Jesus in me and become curious about Him!

Emily, you are needed. If there were more teenaged girls in this world that have been consistently getting confused for seniors for two whole years because of the way they boldly care about friends and strangers, I think we’d all know more about what this life has to offer us. I think we’d all believe the good parts about us and this world, too. You are valuable and radiant and make other people feel valuable and radiant, and I believe that’s one of the most important things we can do on this side of heaven.