Savannah Guenzi was attending Heritage Christian School in Lakewood when she heard about Covenant from friends like Peyton Gomez. The oldest in her family, she had been looking at other local high schools, trying to make a decision about her 9th grade year. Upon looking into Covenant, Savannah said a few things stuck out to her: the environment, the friendly teachers, the unique schedule, and the literature the students were reading.
“It seemed like a challenging school and I really wanted that,” Savannah said. “I didn’t want high school to be easy; I wanted to be prepared for college. Covenant has definitely done that.”
Like most college-bound students, Savannah began looking at colleges and preparing for the SAT in her junior year. She remembers taking the SAT and being able to answer questions she specifically learned and prepared for while at Covenant. One section was on a book she had already read in class. Scoring higher than she expected, she said it “went smoothly thanks to Covenant mostly.”
In the past four years, Savannah has gotten to know her teachers well through classes, student life events, and leadership roles. She has served on Student Council, Honor Society, and her senior year, became Covenant’s Ambassador Director, leading other students in fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment.
Savannah has also been vice president, then president, of Covenant’s debate team, an after-school club. From learning and researching a topic, to coming up with arguments, to meeting different and smart people who know how to integrate Christ into their arguments, debate has been helpful in learning how the world works. It’s a life skill, she said. Savannah said it has been engaging to look at the world through the eyes of a Christian and see things that can be fixed and how they should be fixed.
This experience will prove valuable, as Savannah plans to attend Regent University and become a prosecuting attorney for criminal law, where she wants to incorporate her faith.
“Covenant definitely helped me because I got into my number one choice: Regent University,” said Savannah. In addition to being accepted to her top choice, she was invited to Scholars Weekend, where every student walks away with an annual scholarship. She was also invited to Honors College, which allows her to major in English and automatically minor in Biblical Studies. Participating in the 3in3 program, she will spend three years in her major/minor then go straight into their law program.
While Savannah has a bright new chapter before her, her four years at Covenant were not free of struggle. Sophomore year, Savannah said she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
“Being at Covenant though has really helped me to know that I am loved and I can do something to help the world,” Savannah said. “God can use me no matter what I do.” She reflects on hearing teachers apply Biblical knowledge in her classes, relating their subjects to Scripture. They reminded her that God created everything, and we should glorify Him in everything we do, she said.
“Covenant is a place where you learn but also learn about God.” Savannah said it is a community of people who genuinely love God. Seeing her peers grow in Christ is proof to her that Covenant really does help people grow in their faith, she said.