Unlike most high school seniors, Westminster Christian School’s Susannah Forbes did not have to worry about where she was going to college. Forbes was free from the worry that consumes most high school seniors because she verbally committed to Palm Beach Atlantic University when she was a junior.
Her strong volleyball skills made Forbes attractive to Palm Beach Atlantic. Forbes made the Miami Herald All Miami-Dade First Team for the third year in a row. The Westminster team had a great year and won their first state championship.
“We went to the state tournament three years in a row and didn’t make it into the finals,” Forbes says. “But this year we made it to the finals and beat the team that beat us the two years before — Westminster Academy.”
The entire school celebrated the big win at the next chapel. “They made a video and we had to go on stage when they announced that we won,” she says.
“They made the state champion trophy mini-sized and we all got one. We also got medals from the state championship tournament.”
Best of all, the girls were presented with their championship rings at the ceremony.
At five-feet-six-inches tall, it might seem that Forbes is on the short side to be playing college volleyball. But she says her position as Libero/Defense Specialist is the only one that doesn’t require height.
“I only play defense, so I don’t have to be tall,” she says. “That position is the player with the different colored jersey. That means you can sub in and sub out without having to tell the ref. I normally play back row for the middle hitters because they don’t play defense.”
After a short break, Forbes joined the soccer team, but hurt her knee and had to have surgery. When she finishes rehabilitation, she says she will be ready to leave for college, where she plans to study nursing and take additional classes that will allow here to become a nurse practitioner.
“I’ve always liked helping people and talking to people,” Forbes says.
One way she has helped people is by volunteering at Old Cutler Presbyterian Church at the Vacation Bible School and participating in mission trips to the Cayman Islands.
“We worked with the kids and had a vacation bible school there,” she says.
As a result of her work on the missions, Forbes says she realized that she wants to travel to Third World countries to help others.
“And just help all these kids who need food and who need to learn about God and help them improve their life,” she says. “I want to keep going on the mission trips as I get older. I don’t want to stop.”
At Westminster, Forbes is president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“We hold weekly meetings and bring in speakers to encourage the athletes,” she says. “We also hold bake sales for the Children’s
Miracle Network, Paralyzed Veterans and World Vision, where you buy a goat or chicken and give it to people in Africa for food. They can raise them and use them for food or for agricultural things.”
Forbes followed in her sister’s footsteps as president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She took over when her sister graduated and has been president for two years.
She is also in the National Honor Society. The club holds meetings once a month and work on community service projects. Club members also work on the school-wide blood drives.
— By Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
