by ZOË HUTCHINSON
Class of 2023
This list was adapted from a talk originally presented by Zoe on Wed., May 10, 2023 at Covenant School Chapel.
1. Your relationship with the Lord is the most important relationship you will ever have. Your possession of Christ is the greatest attainment and is infinitely more satisfactory than anything temporal. Get to know your Creator and spend time with Him. Who you surround yourself with will influence you – surround yourself with the Lord and you will become more and more like Him.
2. Again, who you surround yourself with matters exponentially. Your friends will naturally influence you and you will influence them. Seek to be the friend you desire to have.
3.The Lord is always faithful. He has provided for Covenant and the Covenant families in big and small ways, especially in growing our school! And He will never stop providing for us!
4. Be a bearer of light in this school to mirror Christ. Some of the fondest memories I have at Covenant are those in which I tangibly saw Christ’s light in His people through their encouragement, service, and joy. Seek to promote joy in all that you do to shine God’s marvelous light. Through your mirroring of His light, you have the opportunity to minister to those around you. Search for glimpses of God in every aspect of this school and share the joy found in them with others
5. Your teachers deeply love you. They want what is best for you and your soul. They will push and challenge you to do what will bless you and honor God. They long to help you and care about you more than you could ever imagine. When it comes time to leave Covenant, like I am, you will grieve the day to day simple joy of being taught by teachers who love you for who you are and not for what you do academically. Just when they became my friends, it was nearly time for me to graduate. Get to know them now and cherish God’s gift of giving us our beloved teachers.
6. We are so privileged to get to attend this school! There is no other school like ours and it is a gift to be apart of the Covenant family. Never take this precious school for granted.
7. The books you get to read, like The Divine Comedy, The Giver, and Charlotte’s Web, are foundational to assist you in learning to love reading good books that are bound to bless you. The books I have read while at Covenant are much more memorable and cherished by me than any others.
8. Being a student is hard, especially with the endless responsibilities we have as siblings, church members, athletes, musicians, readers, and friends. But, God designed you to be a lifelong student of His teaching. While you will not always be in school and a student in this way, you will always be learning about God and His Word. Being a student in a busy world is difficult, but seek to rest in the Lord and use your responsibilities as opportunities to worship God. For example, when you are playing soccer and score a goal, thank God that you have legs that are strong enough to kick a soccer ball into a net. Thank God for allowing soccer to be an instrument for you to display His joy and artistry.
9. Work hard and try your best in all that you do, but do not strive for an unattainable perfection in your school work. It is important to study for your tests and do your homework but it is also important to rest. It is crucial to have a balance between your life in and out of school.
10. More important than perfect grades is a good character. Covenant not only prepares you for academic life when you leave, but to be a bright light in a dark world, to respond with love and grace when people angrily disagree with you, and to minster to others by your fruit.
11. There will be subjects that you do not like. For example, I do not enjoy math. Mostly because it does not make sense to me in the way a history textbook does. But math, and the subjects you do not enjoy, will bless you (even if you don’t see it right now). You have the ability to worship the Lord in aspects of your life that you don’t necessarily enjoy. Your least favorite subject is apart of the Covenant curriculum because it will bless you and, although you dislike it, it is a way to worship God. Often before a math test, I pray and ask the Lord to help me see His design in math problems and to remind me that He is the Greatest Mathematician. Because I am made in His image, I have some of His math skills in me too!
12. I have had anxiety for my entire Covenant career and yet God has never left me, even in the midst of the deepest anxiety and turmoil. And my teachers were kind to provide a safe environment for me; they were beyond gracious. If you have anxiety, my heart laments with you. But anxiety provides a testimony to God’s kinds to be with us in our fear because He felt it too! You are not alone in your fear but are actually embraced by the God who gets it. God will use your fear for His glory and your good! Embrace your anxiety as a means to show the love of God.
13. One of the sweetest things Covenant has taught me is that creating small groups, such as electives, house, and book club, is so beneficial to creating lasting bonds and community between different grades. Without house, I probably would have never gotten to intimately know some of the coolest people at our school! Shout out House Tertullian! It is such a gift to create small groups to unify the student body.
In conclusion, I urge you not to take for granted what we have here. What a gift it is to attend this school, that is unlike any other.
