Gavin Casey

Age 15/Mount Dora High School/Sophomore[divider_1px]

I’ve never had a Facebook account. I have Twitter, but I never use it. Although my generation is classified as techies, I want to be the odd one out and show people that we can do more than text. I prefer face-to-face interaction because communication isn’t all about what you say; 50 percent is about body and facial expression.

I love being a good big brother to my sister, Isabella, who is 11. We watch television together, play basketball, and ride bicycles. We don’t have a typical brother-sister relationship. Our family is shocked how well we get along.

I used to be verbally bullied at school. I fought back as a seventh-grader. It was the first time I ever fought at school and was suspended for three days. I’m happy I took a stand, but I wish I would have done it in a different way.

My superhero isn’t Superman or Batman; it’s Jesus Christ. I was 14 when I realized He was calling me to follow Him. I’ve never felt such an awesome presence in my life.

I’m proud of my 4.0 grade-point average. I made a 95 or above in all my high school classes.

I spend free time playing in a band and listening to music. My favorite worship band is Tenth Avenue North, my favorite country singer is Hunter Hayes, and my favorite rock band is Linkin Park.

I can’t wait to participate in a mission trip to Atlanta. I am going to reach out to Georgia Tech students by conducting Bible study classes and worship with them. For me, it is so easy to talk about my faith.

My future plans entail doing youth ministry and missionary work in future countries. As far as college, I want to earn a degree in ministry. Right now, I’m looking at Baylor University and the University of Kentucky. [divider_1px]

VITAL STATS

• President’s Award: for maintaining a 4.0 GPA from 6–8th grade
• First mission trip: Completed during his freshman year of high school
• Competes: on a traveling baseball team
• Awards: Freshman Cadet of the Year in ROTC
• Won: The Military Order of the World Wars medal
• Rank: In the top five percent of all cadets in his entire corps (including 9–12th grade)