Senior Spotlight: Pioneer Academy’s Faith Key has the Confidence to Change the World
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Fri, 04/21/2023 - 9:51am
This month’s student senior of the month from Pioneer Academy, Faith Key, is not the kind of person to sit around and watch when something is not right. Faith would rather create some change and help make a positive difference for the world around her.
Currently finishing up her senior year at Pioneer Academy, Faith is planning to attend Western Nevada College next year and would like to earn a degree in ecology and wildlife conservation.
She hopes to one-day travel to many different countries and help save the planet by focusing on endangered species.
When she’s not working on solving today’s environmental issues, she likes to fill her time baking, perfecting gluten free items. She also pours her energy and feeling on to a canvas by painting, a hobby she’s been doing since she was little, and she says it’s one of her favorite ways to put her feelings into tangible media for people to experience.
Faith didn’t always have the confidence to tackle the world challenges. She struggled with her self-esteem, and it affected her self-confidence. Faith says Pioneer has done wonders for both her grades and self-esteem and has helped her learn how to work though challenging struggles. Faith said she would second guess herself even when she knew she was correct.
“I didn’t have much confidence in myself when it came to academic and social situations, but I’ve really been able to break out of that shell since transferring to Pioneer. I especially thank Mrs. Gingrich for helping me work on this and giving me confidence in myself.”
After transferring, she stated she was able to reach a potential she didn’t think was possible. She was inducted into the National Honor Society as well as becoming Pioneers Speech and Debate Club captain.
“The teachers here are some of the best people I’ve ever met. I’m especially thankful for Mrs. Allen, Ms. Harris, Mr. Lorion, Ms. Daykin, Ms. Kliman, as well as Mr. Zona for always allowing me to speak my opinion and concerns and responding with kindness and encouragement. All of the staff at Pioneer are extremely wonderful and I don’t think I’d be where I am today without them.”
She is particularly appreciative of her Speech and Debate coach Mrs. Shufelt, and said she helped her immensely in so many ways by always being available for her when she needed someone.
The teachers and staff aren’t the only ones Faith says have helped her over the years. She credits her mom for much of her success.
“She’s the strongest person I know. She helped push me through and allowed me to reach my full potential. She always took care of me even when she herself was struggling.”
Pioneer teacher and Speech and Debate coach Mrs. Shufelt said, “Faith is an amazing person and an excellent student. As a captain of the Speech and Debate team this year she did a wonderful job supporting and helping her teammates. She is a ray of sunshine in an increasingly dark world, and I am grateful to have been able to work with and mentor her. She gives me hope for the future because she is not the kind of person to sit and watch when something is not right. She is an example to her peers of positive action for change.”
The faculty and staff couldn’t agree more. The Pioneer family looks forward to seeing what Faith will do next and we are confident she will accomplish great things in her future.
