Throughout his high school career, he has participated in multiple activities, which include being a candidate for the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) Seymour award, acting as CSF president, serving as News Editor for The Feather, competing as a two season athlete, and being known for performing magic wherever he goes.

Due to his academic excellence, senior Brady Lee will be presented as the salutatorian for the class of 2012.

Before he moves on to attend Biola University, where he will major in Christian Ministries and train to become a pastor, Lee contemplates the valuable lessons and experiences he has obtained during high school.

Yee: Who or what inspires you the most?

Lee: I would say God inspires me the most and that might sound funny cause he’s not like a regular person I can look at. But through reading the Bible and prayer and just getting to know God, He inspires me to act and motivates me to live in a way that glorifies Him. I think my view of God and my desire for him motivates me and inspires me to do everything else.

Yee: How does it feel to be Salutatorian?

Lee: It feels a little weird because I wouldn’t think of myself as a Salutatorian or Valedictorian because I don’t feel like I’m that kind of person who is totally crazy about school work. I’ve always tried to get A’s and do my best and just tried hard at school and have always enjoyed school, so it’s an honor to be a Salutatorian. I wanted to be a Salutatorian or Valedictorian so I could give a talk at graduation. That was my motivation for it, but it’s an honor and pretty cool.

Yee: Everyone at FC knows you as the “Magic Man.” How has your love for magic contributed to your high school experience?

Lee: Magic has definitely opened up all sorts of avenues for me to talk with people, to get to know people and to build really cool relationships here at FC. Also, with different schools that we play in sports, I think that’s the best thing about being able to perform magic tricks in that it opens up doors, it’s a really good ice breaker and just throughout my jr. high and high school career I’ve been doing magic to people and it’s just been really awesome. I probably wouldn’t know people like I do if it hadn’t been for magic.

Yee: What motivates you to be involved with all of the activities you participate in?

Lee: I want to leave an impact on Fresno Christian in the best way I can. I want to give back to the school, I want to minister to people, I want to get involved and not regret my high school experience by not participating in things that I would look back on and say I wish I would have done that. I wanted to see how it was being a leader in the CSF context because I want to go into ministry, so I will be leading there. I thought it would be good to lead a group of people and see how it works. I also thought it would be fun and I’ve been doing CSF forever.

Yee: What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

Lee: Right now my favorite Bible verse is Psalm 86:11. I like this verse because when I heard the part, “Unite my heart to fear your name,” I thought, “whoa, my heart can be united to fear God’s name?” I think it’s really important to view God in a way that’s in awe and in reverance. I pray that God would unite my heart to fear his name.

Yee: What advice would you give to the upcoming seniors and underclassmen?

Lee: Be a person of humility. Don’t be entitled or prideful. Be a person who looks after the needs of others and ultimately seek Christ above all things in your life, and everything will flow from that. Abide in Christ, be teachable and seek out godly mentors. Right now in life, we think we are invincible and we think we know a lot of things, but really we can always learn from those wiser than us, like teachers and parents.

Yee: What is your favorite memory from this year?

Lee: I have a hard time deciding between Homecoming and defeating Caruthers on Senior Night. Homecoming was so memorable for me. It’s not every day that I get to be dressed up as a punk rocker. That was crazy. I also had a blast performing the King Dance with my buddies. However, the overtime win against Caruthers was probably the biggest highlight of my basketball career. That game was such a nail biter. When the final buzzer went off I was totally exhilarated. It’s hard to describe the rush that went through my body as our fans stormed the court.

Yee: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Lee: I like playing ping pong with my dad and reading in my bed. I enjoy reading my Kindle, Bible and all sorts of books because that’s just a way for me to relax and get lost in a book, but still learn things and enjoy it. My parents raised me to read and read to me at a young age, and I’ve always enjoyed it.

Yee: What did you enjoy the most about high school?

Lee: Definitely the relationships I have made. The close knit community at Fresno Christian is amazing. I have friends in high school, junior high, and elementary school. I have been able to cultivate special relationships with my teachers as well. One of my past teachers is now a mentor to me. We meet for breakfast and talk about faith and life. It’s been such a blessing to attend a school where I can make so many good relationships.

Yee: What was your favorite class this year, and why?

Lee: I really enjoyed being a part of the worship team this year. Even though I don’t sing or play an instrument, Mr. Martens allowed me to be part of the team. It was special for me to be able to speak in different chapels. When the band was rehearsing I spent my time working on weekly devotions, nourishing my soul, and having good conversations with Mr. Stobbe. It was an all around awesome year in worship team.

Yee: What will you miss the most about FC?

Lee: I’m going to miss the people here the most; the relationships that I have made throughout the years, the friends that I have, the causal talking in the hallways, the high fives, all those different things that make this Fresno Christian community so special to me and close to my heart. It’s been a really unique experience to be friends with so many different people here and I’m going to miss that, going to Biola where I don’t know that many people.

Yee: What are you looking forward to as you enter into college?

Lee: I’m excited to take a new step in life and to be able to interact with a whole new group of people, a whole different community. I’m excited to grow in my walk with God through weekly chapels almost every day, godly professors that I can go over to their houses and eat dinner with and just meeting really cool people there. Majoring in Christian Ministries will be really nice because it will prepare and help me enter into my future career of being a pastor.

Graduation for the class of 2012 will be held May 24 at 7 p.m. in the People’s Church sanctuary. A short reception will follow immediately afterwards in the Peoples Church gym.

To see Lee’s contributions to The Feather, check out his staff biography and archive page.

For an interview with the valedictorian, read the May 24 article, Profile on the valedictorian: Kendall Wheeler.