|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Westminster Christian School senior Natan Rowlands started the Youth Ambassador of Christ Club at school.
“It’s drawing in people from the community bringing them to Christian events,” he says.
“Every month there will be a Young Life Club event.
There will be games and things. And every week there will campaigners, which is Bible Study.”
Rowland’s club has 85 members, of which about 50 are active.
He says for the events they know are weekly, they remind everyone in the group chat and make arrangements for rides to and from the event. They also help students who are at different schools with rides to the events.
“Palmetto is probably the biggest one that is not Westminster,” he says.
He is a student leader for Wyld Life.
“We go out and help, to the middle schoolers that participate in Wyld Life,” he says.
The student leaders become friendly with the middle schoolers and function as mentors.
“We try to be their role model. If they have a question they can ask us. (Middle school) can be a rough time so they might not have a sense of community just yet,” he says, adding that it gives those kids someone to talk to.
His community service includes assisting with the Entrepreneurship Academy. He goes to the elementary school to teach students how to become entrepreneurs. That includes business planning, creating a business and taking it to the Entrepreneur Fair.
He and his friend also taught special needs kids at Cutler Bay Middle School those same skills.
Rowland is a member of the WCS Model United National Club. He’s attended three Model U.N. conferences at the University of Miami, at Palmer Trinity School, and Florida International University.
He credits Model U.N with helping him feel more comfortable speaking publicly and in professional settings.
“I also do theater at my school,” he says.
He’s been in theater since seventh grade, starting at Mater Academy in Cutler Bay. He switched to Westminster in his freshman year. He’s been vice-president of Thespians for two years.
This year’s play is Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway version. He’s been cast as Gaston for the March 7 and 8 play. Rehearsals are starting now that everyone is back from Thanksgiving break.
Thespian members have finished their local competitions, and Rowland says they fared well, with superiors that qualified them to got to the state contest in March.
“I had all superiors,” he says. “I had two monologues. We had a large group number, and we have a small boy’s group that got superiors.”
Rowland also participates in sports. He played varsity basketball for three years but stopped to focus on track all year round. He’s been captain of the track team all four years.
He runs track for both the school and an AAU club. He hopes to run track in college, even if he has to walk on.
His events are 400 meters and 800 meters.
“I’ve won three district championships,” he says. “Two four by four relays and one 400-meter race.”
His goal this year is to go to the state championship.
He has talked with a coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He must achieve certain times in his races to qualify. He has to finish the application to the school and turn it in by January 31.
He’s also applied to the University of Geogia, the University of Florida, the University of North Carolina, Wake Forest and the University of Southern California. His major is still undecided. He’s considering either Business Management or Theater.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
