My experience at MGCS provided a foundation for my identity that would hold up under the weight of reality. The knowledge I gained in Math, Science, English, and History was important in equipping me with the facts I needed to succeed academically and professionally but without an identity to frame the application of those facts, my education would have fallen short of truly equipping me to face reality. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.”

Who are you? Not your name…Who are you? Not your job or role in your family…Really, Who are you? We begin working to answer this question early on in life, without realizing how complex the answer will be or how far we have to travel to find the answer.  As an adult, your response to this question reveals much about yourself and how you view the world. 

I began my own journey to answer this question in the 4th grade. That year, my identity was rocked for the first time.  We had just moved to Wilmington.  I’d left behind the only home and community I knew.  I had to start with a new home, new church, and new school. Who did I want to be? What did I want my identity to be? What role did God and faith play in my life?  MGCS gave me a safe place to explore the answers to these questions. 

At MGCS, I began learning that God had gifted me uniquely and intentionally for his purposes, rather than my own. I could be confident in both my strengths and my weaknesses. My true measure was in Christ, not a report card. It was important to learn this concept in the context of a community of students, teachers, and staff who prayed for me, encouraged me, and pointed me to God’s truth. Together, we all learned to walk through the uncertainty of life while being rooted in our faith.  MGCS gave me a solid start on my journey…a journey that continues today.