Parker County Today February 2020 | Page 128

Madison Bunting — Freshman at Rice University  Madison graduated as valedictorian from Aledo High in 2019. She is now studying cognitive science and computational and applied math. “What I do and what I have achieved are not so interesting as the ‘who I am’ motivating it. I am passionate about almost everything I join, and I find I have trouble doing anything ‘half- way,’” she explained. Most people don’t know that Madison can do the splits. She loves to pay it forward by getting involved in mentoring or hospitality programs wherever she finds herself. “I believe it is important to invest in people younger than me, since so many people have put their time into helping me grow.” Madison hopes to be an accurate reflection of Jesus and love the people around her well. Courtney McKeown — Director of Missions and Advancement at Weatherford Christian School  Courtney has always been passionate about teach- ing, and besides her official title, she also teaches ninth-and-tenth-grade girls Bible, and sponsors junior high and high school Interact (Rotary for High School) clubs. “Serving as the director of missions, I have learned more about our great Parker County community and the amazing orga- nizations we have that support those in need,” she explained. “Teaching high school girls Bible has given me the chance to show these young women that they are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made.’” Courtney loves to pay it forward by introducing and connecting her students to charities. “When you encourage students to love others deeply as Christ loves us and provide continuous opportu- nities for them to serve others, you are helping to plant a seed in their heart that hopefully will impact the way they live their lives in service to others.”  126