High School: A Lifetime Impact... Mr. French

I've been taken by surprise by my recent feelings about our school ministry. Without a doubt I've become much more passionate about that aspect of our ministry over the past few years and it's led me to analyze exactly why.

With my increased influence in the school program, I've taken a higher interest in what the ministry is accomplishing. And my standard of measure of the outcomes I desire are directly related to the outcomes my high school education has helped me achieve. When I look at who I am today, the abilities and strengths that have been developed in me, I trace a lot of them back to my high school education and a few specific teachers that took the time to invest in my life.

David French, Art Teacher - I don't consider myself an artist in the most compromised definition of that word, but that one semester or year of art my Senior year has had a lasting impact. For it was Mr. French who encouraged me to be creative, not to be afraid to go against the norm if that's what I felt led to do. This was most captured in a class project that year. We were to bring an empty soda can to class, crumple it up and create a pencil drawing of the crumpled can. I watched my classmates all crumple their cans that while each would be unique, they'd all be similarly crumpled. I approached Mr. French with a different idea, draw an uncrumpled can then crumple the drawing instead of the can. The end product didn't produce the effect I was going for, but from the get go, Mr. French encouraged me to pursue the concept. It was a stupid soda can, but it's stuck with me for close to two decades.

In spite of my odd intricacies, he gave me the freedom to create. When he gave the class the option of drawing a part of a human skeleton, I of course chose the pelvis and along with all the other pieces, it too hung at the main entrance to the school for all guests, staff and students to admire. So too did the green/blue faced and red-eyed Ayatollah Khomeini and a collection of red cows.

Following Mr. French's example, I love the opportunities to encourage our students to be creative and pursue their ideas.