Potential Magazine Fall 2015 - Florida Edition | Page 41
teen spotlight
photography by Lauren Childs
stats
17, 12th grade at Loveless Academic Magnet Program (LAMP)
notable
Executive President of the student body; National Honor Society;
Spanish Honor Society; Arts Honor Society; Officer, Fellowship
of Christian Students; Lifeguard; Choir
how it began
At Loveless Academic Magnet Program, Naden Kreitz is the
Executive President of the student body, a member of the varsity
tennis and varsity track teams, and member of the National
Honor Society, to name a few of his accomplishments. He also
works as a lifeguard at the YMCA, teaches private swim lessons
and sings with the St. John’s Episcopal Church choir, Reflections,
and One Voice Choir at First Baptist Montgomery after school.
However, Naden says his mission is to encourage and heal
others. This summer, he had a chance to do just that.
Naden spent part of his summer working over 8,000 miles away
as a surgeon’s assistant in Ethiopia during a Medical Missions trip
with CURE International. CURE is a global outreach program
designed to provide medical attention to children with severe
physical disabilities like cleft palate and clubfoot, while also
evangelizing to them as well. While there, Naden had a chance to
get real-world experience working in his dream field of practicing
medicine. However, he says the real reason he teamed up with
CURE and traveled overseas was “to help spread the love of Jesus.”
Naden counts Jesus Christ as his greatest inspiration, and just
wants to follow his example and do the best for himself and others.
what’s next
Although Naden hasn’t specifically decided what he wants to do
after graduation, he knows for sure that whatever it is, he wants to
practice medicine.
naden kreitz
Montgomery, AL
PG (parental guidance) rating
Naden says his family has been reassuring and encouraging, “My
family is very supportive and loving in everything I do,” said
Naden.
parents’ perspective
Darren Kreitz says his son has a high work ethic and an ability to
relate to all types of people. It’s important to “lead by example,”
said Kreitz, who stressed that mentoring and communicating with
Naden has helped him navigate his path and live up to his potential.
parent-to-parent
As parents, Darren and Christy Kreitz learned to set
goals and then work hard to attain them. They believe
it’s important to instill within children a sense of belief
in themselves and not be afraid to introduce them to challenging
academic experiences.