teen spotlight
photography by Shelby Shubird
stats
17, Senior at Alabama Christian Academy
notable
Received the Presidential Award
Achieved over a 4.0 GPA
Completed over a hundred service hours
Attended a medical conference for future leaders
quotable
“Do today what others will not, so tomorrow I can do what
others can not.”
his story
Andrew shared that his favorite thing about attending Alabama
Christian Academy is the ability to grow relationships and
make connections with people around him. He expressed, “I
love being able to put smiles on people’s faces and making a
difference, even if it is a small one, in their lives.” He has devot-
ed over a hundred hours of service to different organizations.
He spent over 50 hours helping patients in the hospital and
attended a medical conference for future leaders in medicine in
Boston, Massachusetts. He wants to be remembered as some-
body who lived for others, as a friend, and somebody people
could rely on. He would tell other freshmen, "even when times
are tough, it will always pay off to never sell yourself short;
always do the work. When you look back you will be glad you
did.”
what’s next
andrew burns
Alabama Christian Academy
Andrew plans to become a pediatric neurosurgeon. His interest
in neuroanatomy began when he was in the fifth grade.
PG (parental guidance) rating
Andrew stated, “I am proud of my parents who have been great
role models. My dad has spent years serving in the military and
has been deployed several times. My mom went back to school
and became a physical therapist, and now she helps people
everyday." Andrew shared that his Granddad inspired him the
most.
parents’ perspective
Carla and Matthew acknowledged that “Andrew has always been
mature and wise beyond his years. He is humble and kind, yet
fiercely driven to reach his goals. His sense of purpose and direction
in life and his willingness to work hard to achieve his dreams is truly
inspiring. He genuinely cares about everyone he meets and his ability
to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds is remarkable.”
parent-to-parent
The Burns family encourages parents to “be deliberate.
What we feed grows. Feed their learning, adventure, and
curiosity, and it will grow. Teach them that their brain is capable
of learning anything and do what you can to facilitate real world
experiences as they begin thinking about a career path.
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L24
| Spring 2020
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