FRCS Alumnus: Andrew

Uncovering Your Identity

When I reminisce of my two years at Front Range, although my tenure was short, the memories are many and fond. Prior to Front Range, I had attended a smaller private school. Looking back, I really had nothing negative from my time spent at that school, but what I did know is that it wasn’t home to me. At the time I was smack dab in the middle of my high school completion, staring straight ahead to my Junior and Senior years. I knew if there were any sort of ideal time to make a move, it had to be then. I had already developed many friendships at the former school, so I knew leaving would be no easy task. Although I knew no one at Front Range at the time, I knew I was seeking a higher level of relationships, education, athletics—and most of all, wanted to follow God’s lead. After embarking upon my new scholastic endeavor, it almost seemed like a matter of days before I knew I had found home—the perfect fit.

Allow me to be frank: making the switch to Front Range for my final two high school years was a big decision. I left everything I knew to be familiar; I cashed in all my chips. I needed to make a change, and whether Front Range turned out to be a boom or a bust, I knew I had to make a decision and stick with it regardless. To my benefit, the former held true. Almost instantly, I found everything I was looking for—lasting relationships, a meaningful education, a higher level of athletics, and seeing God amidst it all.

Lasting Relationships

We’re created to be related. It’s not about where you go, but about who you’re with. No matter how you look at it, relationships hold the most impact in any experience. I remember August of 2005. I was brand new, the start of classes was a few weeks away, and football camp had just begun. After meeting with the coaches, their expectation of me was high—both as a leader and a player. The first day of camp started at 6am. 6:37am rolls around, my cell phone rings. Groggy and tired, I roll over in bed, pick up the phone, it’s Coach. I’ll spare the details of the conversation, but the best way I could explain is that he killed me with kindness, yet held me to the fire. I lived across town, so it was no quick task getting to the practice field. Knowing I was painfully late already, I stretched the speed limit, hardly slowed down for turns, and the rest of that drive was a blur. As soon as I arrived to practice, the coaches I hardly knew were undeservingly forgiving of me as I sat and watched the rest of the team run (for what seemed forever) because I was late. You can imagine how awkward this was for me, as I seemingly dissolved any sort of respect the coaches could’ve potentially had for me, and burned bridges with players who were supposed to be my soon-to-be friends. Despite how badly I messed up and let everyone down, it humbly paved the way for me to form incredible relationships with my coaches that year, and longstanding friendships with many of the players I’m still friends with to this day. That experience alone tells the story for the remainder of my time there—amidst my imperfections, I was surrounded with many people that pushed and challenged me to step up and thrive in my role.

A Meaningful Education

I was sitting in AP Literature class, it was my last hour of the day, we were weeks away from summer, and I was dreaming of blue skies, white sand, and crystal waters. “Narcles, wake up!” Literally, I was asleep and dreaming. I was notorious for hanging out late with friends and never getting a fair amount of sleep, thus I formed a terrible habit of ‘Zzzzzzzzzzzzz’ come the final class hour. This birthed my nickname for that class of “Narcles,” short and personalized for Narcolepsy. Although funny to look back on, that was never something I was proud of. But that class pushed me harder than most, and was certainly one of my most memorable. We were required to think out of the box, formulate our own opinions and perspectives, and were challenged to take on a work load that could only help you grow. In any case, the circumstances could seem overwhelming. But when coupled with a top-tier teacher who has our best interests in mind, it was a class I’ll never forget. If you’ll allow me to throw a twist in Matthew 26:41, my mind was willing, but my flesh was weak. Naturally, I was tired and spent when the final period of the day rolled around. But when you have a teacher that’s passionate, relational, enjoyable and knowledgeable, it’s amazing how easy it was to overcome my tendencies. That experience alone tells the story for the remainder of my time there—amidst my weaknesses, I was surrounded with an educational atmosphere that pushed me to my potential.

A Higher Level of Athletics

Throughout my entire life, sports has been a huge interest of mine. From football, to basketball, to baseball, I loved it and played it all. Front Range gave me the opportunity and flexibility to really pack my schedule and maximize my time. I recall countless times being called out for not hustling enough, running a play wrong, etc. I also recall that every practice started with prayer and devotions. I came to find that the intersection of God & competition was a pretty amazing place! It really brought to life “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) Practicing my will to win, while giving credit to God for everything was such a rewarding experience. Sports for me was a time of maturing and honing. It required me to endure physical hardship, learn how to function well with people who were all so different, and adapt to situations as they came. Whether it’s choir, drama, athletics, etc., I believe the extracurriculars are lived-out learning experiences that shape us to persevere and continue growing in atmospheres that are unexpected and ever-changing.

Seeing God Amidst it All

It seemed like just yesterday that I was a timid high school kid with no direction, and now today I’m a Financial Planner with more vision and God-given drive than I could’ve ever imagined. Front Range helped bridge that gap for me. I believe that high school age is such a defining time to uncover your identity. You look back at being a kid your whole life, and look forward at the opportunity to grow up. It’s a time to begin developing your talents and gifts, eventually paving the way for where God takes you. It’s exciting in the sense that opportunity begins knocking at the door. It’s terrifying in the sense that you have no idea what the future has in store. You’re at a fork in the road faced with many options: Where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do? Who am I called to be? If we knew all the answers to these questions out of the gate, then there would be no need for faith. The beautiful thing is I came to find that I didn’t necessarily need to know those answers right away. But I knew that with time God would open doors, and it was my job to be obedient and not miss Him. Front Range really helped push me to my potential in any and every aspect, allowing me to be open to receive and be prepared when God’s timing came. After completing four years of college at Northwestern, I’m now a Partner at a comprehensive financial planning firm called Wealth Concepts. Besides love, the topic Jesus talked about most in the Bible was money. For a living, I help people be wise stewards of their resources, and help them uncover potential for the future that they never thought possible. Upon accumulating wealth successfully, the call to generously give into God’s kingdom couldn’t be bigger. The vision God has given me is to fund and further His kingdom—what a rewarding and humbling career! Looking back on it all, I’m so thankful for the foundation that was built in my life, and for me it all started at Front Range.