teen spotlight photography by Shelby Shubird
stats
17 , Senior at Saint James School
notable
National Honor Society Mu Alpha Theta ( Math Honor Society ) Latin Honor Society Selected to attend Boys State for Saint James Student Pilot
quotable
“ No man is free who is not master of himself .” - Epictetus
preston phillips
Saint James School his story
When asked his favorite thing about attending Saint James School , Preston shared , “ The teacher to student ratio being small enough to form close relationships with all of the teachers , as well as the close and proud community of students ." He is very involved at Saint James . He is captain of the Cross Country Team and Boys Distance Team , a Governor ' s Cabinet member of the YMCA Youth in Government Program , Member of Varsity Golf Team , Student Pilot , FCA member , Co-Founder of Finance and Economics Club , Political Campaign Intern , Student Ambassador , and School Peer Leader . He shared that , “ Most people don ’ t know that I met President George H . W . Bush when I was four months old and took a picture with him beside Air Force One .”
what ’ s next
Preston shared that he wants to be a pilot , first for the military in fighter jets , and later possibly in the commercial flying arena . He is currently a Student Pilot about to take his check ride for Private Pilot ’ s License . His parents were both pilots in the air force , one of whom has now become a pilot for FedEx .
PG ( parental guidance ) rating
He shared “ My parents have provided the most inspiration in my life , as they have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and have provided me with the resources and information that I need in order to do so .” parents ’ perspective
Preston ’ s parents , Benjamin and Melissa Phillips , shared , “ We both admire Preston ’ s work ethic and discipline . He ’ s great at setting goals , and then taking deliberate steps to achieve them . For example , in the summer he gets up and runs at 5:30 am to beat the heat of the day and before anyone else in the family is even out of bed yet !” parent-to-parent
Benjamin and Melissa had this advice for other parents , “ To help kids reach their potential , sometimes we as parents need to take a step back and see how our student does on their own . It is one of the hardest things to do , but also the most rewarding when you see your child thrive all on their own .”
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L12 | Fall 2022 www . potentialmagazine . com