Ross County Christian Academy senior graduates as National Merit Scholar

CHILLICOTHE— Senior Emily Howie will be graduating from the Ross County Christian Academy this year as part of the top 1% in the nation as a National Merit Scholar.

Howie is a student at RCCA a private school in Ross County. RCCA currently has three campuses with over 400 students. While they are not affiliated with any specific church or denomination they are centered around Christ and aim to give students a strong foundation. 

"We really want to equip these kids to go out into the world and be a light," said Head of Schools Dr. Valerie Jones.

This Christ-centered mindset is one of the biggest reasons Howie has stayed at the school. She is one of the first students to graduate from RCCA having spent her entire academic career at the school. Howie has been a member of the church her whole life, she is also a member of a youth group that sometimes helps to lead services in front of the whole congregation.

While faith is very important to Howie, so are academics. She scored a 34 on her ACT and achieved straight A's during her entire academic career.

"Education has always been really important to me," said Howie.

Due to her academic success, Howie was named a National Merit Scholar this year. A National Merit Scholar winner must score within the top 1% while taking the PSAT. While around 16,000 students qualify nationwide through test scores, only around 7,600 of those qualified will become finalists and receive a scholarship.

Academics is not the only thing Howie has focused on while in school. She has made sure to involve herself in many different activities as a way to break out of her shell. Howie was once very shy and afraid to talk in front of people, she credits the school for helping her become more outgoing.

"She has always challenged herself," said principal Jarod Lloyd. "She has grown a lot over the years." 

Howie has been a member of the RCCA band since sixth grade playing the trombone. She loves performing in the concerts the band puts on.

"Music has been a very integral part of me and my life," said Howie.

Not only does Howie enjoy playing an instrument on stage, she also enjoys playing as different characters. She has played in many shows with the school as well as with a local group. Her first big role was in seventh grade and she has loved performing plays since then.

Offstage Howie enjoys creating art. Her main medium is painting but she also likes to experiment and try different techniques.

"I like to try new things with art," said Howie. "I've tried resin casting and wood burning."

When it came time to pick a college it was very important to Howie to find a place similar to RCCA where she could continue her educational and spiritual growth at the same time. After some consideration, she ultimately decided on Mount Vernon Nazarene University, a school of which her mom is an alum. This college helps to teach students and mold them into people that will, as their mission statement says, "change the world with the love of Christ."

During her time at Mount Vernon Howie will be pursuing a degree in biology while minoring in music. This major and minor will allow her to continue learning about science, one of her favorite classes, while still being able to participate in the more performative activities she enjoys. Her ultimate goal is to be a clinical researcher and work to find treatments for various ailments.

"I just really feel led to help people," said Howie. "I knew I wanted to serve God and help others."

Being almost two hours away from friends and family will be an adjustment for Howie. She says she will miss spending time with her family, their dog and friends. She will also miss exploring downtown.

Despite being nervous about the change and sad at the thought of missing friends and family Howie is excited to see what the future holds for her. She is looking forward to more personal growth and becoming more independent while in college.

"I'm really glad God has taken me this far," said Howie. "I'm only 17 and I'm excited to see what comes next."

The Ross County Christian Academy will be holding its graduation at 7 p.m. May 20 at the high school campus.

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com