The 147 seniors in the Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) class of 2023 have garnered more than $13.1 million in scholarship offers. PCA honored the seniors at a special ceremony this morning, including three students who have received full academic scholarships.
Ben Smith received the Honors College Scholarship from Texas A&M Commerce. He participated in an interview process that rated him on educational skills, ability to think critically and creatively, and ensuring he would be a good fit with the University. “Ben has used ingenuity to create a small business with a few of his friends that focuses on character creation for video games,” said Amber Beckles, PCA Plano Guidance and College/Career Counseling Lead. “His entrepreneurial spirit will be a great asset to Texas A&M Commerce. I know that Ben will use the talents and gifts he has been given to glorify God and impact the culture for Christ.”
Isaiah Lawshe was awarded the Williston Jones Diversity Leadership Scholarship at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Historically the scholarship is awarded to the top five percent of the applicant pool for Coe College. “Isaiah has dedicated himself to both his academics and swimming throughout his high school career,” said Beckles. “His commitment and strong work ethic have brought him to this very moment. Isaiah’s heart for the Lord and desire to serve others is evident in all that he does. I look forward with excitement to seeing how God uses him at Coe College in the fall.”
Brody Douglass will attend Harvard University on a Navy ROTC Scholarship. He went through an extensive application process with Harvard in addition to the completion of a rigorous scholarship process for Navy ROTC. “Brody has been determined and extremely diligent all throughout his high school career,” said Beckles. “He has developed a strong passion for learning and education. I have no doubt that Brody will leave a lasting impact on the community at Harvard and in NROTC. I believe that he will continue to follow in the footsteps of the legacy that was set before him, keeping Christ at the center of it all.”
The strong scholarship offering follows the school’s announcement of its historic number of National Merit Scholar Finalists. Four seniors, Benjamin Anderson, Brody Douglass, Ian Graham and Matthew Huang placed in the top 1% of more than 1.5 million students across the nation.
The Prestonwood Christian Academy School System is made up of six schools serving students across the Dallas Metroplex and virtually throughout the world. More than 2,000 students are enrolled at four campuses: PCA Plano (Pre-K3 through 12th Grade), PCA North in Prosper (Pre-K3 through 12th Grade), PCA Hybrid (a three-day in classroom/two-day at home program) and PCA Online. St. Timothy Christian Academy in Plano serves students with learning differences, and The King’s Academy provides a Christian education to students in South Dallas. The PCA School System has been recognized as having one of the strongest Christian education programs in the country providing intentional biblical worldview training and integration. PCA places great value on the growth of students’ spiritual health in addition to their scholastic endeavors and co-curricular activities. Tantamount to its Spiritual Development plan is PCA’s rigorous Liberal Arts academic program. From the first graduating class in 2002 through the class of 2022, graduates have been offered more than $169 million in scholarship for academics, arts and athletics from universities and other institutions of higher learning. PCA is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year. Go to prestonwoodchristian.org/admissions for more information.