It amazes me to look back and realize I viewed ?high school? as the constant worry iin receiving a high score on a national board exam for an AP class or scrambling to finish an English assignment due in five minutes. I filled my years with academia and struggled to understand how high school would affect me later in life.

After being away from campus for five years, ?high school? reminds me of a chapter in my life where the culmination of my experiences with the Lord, teachers and methodology of FC prepared me for the rest of my life.

To provide some background, I graduated from FC as one of three Valedictorians in the class of 2002. Going beyond the borders of Fresno County, I attended the University of California San Diego with a major in bioengineering.

After my graduation in 2006, I expanded my boundaries further by going to St. George?s University School of Medicine, where I will hopefully receive an M.D. in 2011.

Over these past five years, I had the opportunity to look back on how high school affected my experiences in college and medical school.

My time in high school prepared me for the many opportunities that I had to express my faith freely among fellow teachers and students. This allowed me to examine my beliefs and gave me a stronger spiritual foundation for what lies ahead.

During my college experience, I found people who challenged the validity of the Bible. Yet when I mentioned the name of Jesus or the idea of creation, the amount of negative social pressure I received dramatically increased in college and even more in medical school. I was put down many times by my peers and professors put me on the spot in front of 300 people during lectures.

If I did not possess a strong foundation of biblical knowledge and my personal relationship with Christ, I would not have made those stands for Christ. My relationship and knowledge of the Lord would not be at its current depth.

I learned that professors, most of the time, do not ask students if they understand the material. Instead, the student must make the time and effort to talk to professor in order to succeed. By being free to talk to my high school teachers on a frequent basis, my confidence when approaching professors increased, which allowed me to understand course material faster.

I never realized the benefits of chapel on Tuesdays, senior retreat and the short prayer time in Lonnie Godfrey?s math class. As a result, I attend college fellowships twice a week, went on retreats which emphasized spiritual growth and had devotions.

I encourage students, especially the seniors, to take advantage of the awesome opportunity FC provides. Challenge your mind, befriend teachers and deepen your relationship with the Lord.