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.