![Madi Scealf, Class of 2013]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1549300649/gcaramsorg/jntlulaci97kehpaqg8m/MadiScealf.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1549300649/gcaramsorg/jntlulaci97kehpaqg8m/MadiScealf.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1549300649/gcaramsorg/jntlulaci97kehpaqg8m/MadiScealf.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1549300649/gcaramsorg/jntlulaci97kehpaqg8m/MadiScealf.jpg","width":802}])
"They (GCA teachers) really wanted each of us to succeed in all aspects of our life, especially spiritually. I loved that everyone knew everyone at school and how it felt like one big family."
What was your favorite thing about Grace Christian Academy?
My favorite thing about Grace Christian Academy was how small the school is. I loved how much the teachers cared about me and every student. They really wanted each of us to succeed in all aspects of our life, especially spiritually. I loved that everyone knew everyone at school and how it felt like one big family. I’m so thankful that I got to be super involved in sports and student council while being at GCA! I am so blessed to have been a lifer and went all thirteen years to an amazing Christ-centered school.
Describe one of your favorite teachers from GCA and how they impacted your life.
One of my favorite teachers from GCA was Dr. Peni Hirt! She is an incredible teacher and she truly loves each student and her job! She taught me Anatomy and Physiology my sophomore year of high school. I knew I always dreamed to do something medical with my life, but taking her class made my dreams more of a reality. I learned all body systems and how God designed them and I knew I wanted to be a nurse. Her class was always so interesting and it was my favorite class I have ever taken. Dr. Hurt’s class prepared me for Anatomy and Physiology in college and all my nursing classes! I kept all my notes from her class in high school and carried them all through nursing school. She taught each system in a way that I could understand it and I cannot thank her enough for making learning fun and easy for me!
Grace Christian Academy seeks to help students develop a Biblical worldview. How has this mission impacted your personal and professional life?
I believe that going to GCA prepared me for college and how to truly be a Christian. I went to two public universities and met many people with different world views. I made it an effort to go to church and get involved in Christian organizations while in college. I wouldn’t have become a registered nurse without Christ. He constantly encouraged me through his Word and other believers while in nursing school.
Now I am out of college and a registered nurse at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and I take care of newborn babies. Working in the medical field, you cannot judge anyone at all and that can be hard at times; however, I try to live out my faith daily at work. One of my jobs is to do the first initial assessment of a newborn baby and I make it an effort to pray for every baby I come into contact with. I pray that each baby will grow to love the Lord, be successful in everything they do, and have an amazing life ahead of them. I truly love my job with all my heart.
How did Grace Christian Academy prepare you for life after graduation?
Grace Christian Academy definitely helped prepare me for college. I took a lot of AP classes in high school and taking those classes taught me how to study hard and effectively. When I went to college, I already knew how to work hard and study. I made the dean’s list every semester of college and I definitely give credit to GCA for teaching me a firm academic foundation.