Martina Preston attended other local Christian schools, then homeschooled online before she came to Covenant High School, just like her brother.

She figured, “He liked [Covenant], I’ll like it!” she said, laughing at the fact that she never even shadowed as most prospective students do. Not only did she have his positive experience to affirm her choice, but she also knew she would appreciate Covenant’s classical roots and English emphasis.

“I love the reading list, I love the availability of Latin,” she said. “I love the discussions, I love being able to do creative writing in classes…” Though she considered going to other schools briefly, she said she loved the focus on English and literature at Covenant because that’s something she’s really passionate about.

As a freshman, Martina said she was shy and introverted. Covenant pushed her out of her comfort zone yet she felt enveloped by the community.

“I had a hard time my freshman year embracing all of the opportunities that came to me,” she said. However, she learned to take advantage of those opportunities as her time at Covenant continued, driven by a love of learning.

“I’m a pretty creative, intellectual person,” said Martina. “I love learning.” The idea of being a “Renaissance Woman” had always appealed to her, she said, and she had a desire to be well versed in a variety of things.

“There’s a little bit of everything,” Martina said about Covenant. “I went in knowing that I didn’t sing, but found a great art community….There’s something for everyone here. You’ll find friends and a community that will come alongside you and help you learn.”

In the past four years, Martina has been an Ambassador, Student Council Secretary, served on House Council, and started her own club.

Outside of Covenant, she continues to fulfill her mission of being a Renaissance Woman. Martina has participated in the Tacoma Youth Symphony and been a member of the South Sound String Harp Ensemble since she was 10 years old. She has hands-on experience with writing working for Showcase Magazine for the past four years.

Next year, Martina looks forward to attending Northwest University on their full-ride Presidential Scholarship. Automatically ushered into their Honors Program, she plans to study English and potentially pursue a double major in User Experience Design, with the dream of entering the publishing world as an editor, enjoying writing on the side.

Martina said her primary goal is “to glorify Him and just to be willing to complete whatever He asks me to do.”

You can read more about Martina’s full-ride scholarship and the personal essay she wrote for Northwest University here.