Barbeque. Hurricane. Canoe. Though you may not realize it, these commonly used English words—among many others—originated from the language of the Taino people, indigenous to Puerto Rico and several other Caribbean islands. Beyond language, the Spanish culture has deeply influenced our society today. Chips and salsa have become so popular they are now one of the highest-selling snacks in the U.S., according to Interexchange.org. The rise of soccer as a popular sport in America can be partially attributed to its popularity within the Spanish culture. Famous Latin names are easily recognized, such as musician Jennifer Lopez, film star Antonio Banderas, actress Sofia Vergara, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and sports star Cristiano Ronaldo. And, so, for these—and many more—important contributions to America’s story, each year the U.S. government recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month.

Often, we wonder, “What does it take to be a good Christian?” In response, we may think about right versus wrong: saying the right thing, doing the right thing, thinking the right thing. Christianity is, however, more accurately summed up as love. It is our response to the love that God has for us that should compel us to want to do the right things, say the right things, and think the right things—not the other way around.

The goLEAD program has officially launched as a two-year curricular program, designed to prepare servant-leaders by teaching leadership principles, collaborating with community and school leaders, and providing authentic experiences for students to learn, practice, and reflect on their leadership. The thought of doing leadership intentionally was the spark that created a leadership-development program that incorporates a balance between learning about leadership and actually experiencing it.

What does it take to create a successful football program? How can smaller high schools and private schools nurture and sustain a culture of winning? Championships are the goal of every program and finding the formula for achieving that goal is the challenge for every high school football program. To help define and reach this goal in a tangible way, 15 Strong was born.

Picture yourself on a Saturday afternoon in September. Where are you? Sanford Stadium? Bobby Dodd Stadium? Your friend's living room with three TV’s hooked up for all the big games? How about the month of March. Are you constantly checking scores on your lunch break to see which team will be “The Cinderella Story” on the way to the big dance? The same could be said for June as we are watching softball and baseball Championship Series being played or in July on an Olympic year. We all have a team that we are rooting for to win for a variety of reasons.

Choosing a college that is a best fit academically, socially, and financially is an enormous decision.  Some students go for a school with an easily recognizable reputation, while others choose based on practicality of location and/or finances.  While there are many factors involved, one factor is often overlooked: choosing a college that will support and encourage a student’s faith while challenging him/her to apply faith to their studies. 

GUEST MPCS STUDENT AUTHOR

Earlier this year, Mount Paran Christian School won “Best Private School” in Cobb County. The school as a whole strives for excellence and commits to do everything as unto the Lord as He calls the Christian community to do. The MPC athletics program is no exception. As part of the MPC Way set of core values, our student-athletes also continue to strive for success on the field and on the court. Each team takes pride in the work they put in the off-season to prepare for competition. In our sports community, there is no greater-established tradition of attaining a higher level of excellence than that of our championship cheer team who embodies our fifth core value- “commitment to excellence.”