BY JESSICA LORENZETTI, Junior
BLYTHEWOOD -- Although Bethany Mitchell graduated Blythewood High School last year, she has been sure to leave a lasting impression on everyone she came in contact with.
“Bethany has a heart for people and always gives off a warm welcome to everyone she meets. She never meets a stranger and is one of the sweetest and funniest people I have ever met," junior and former choir member, Taylor Farmer stated.
In addition to choir, Mitchell participated on Blythewood’s cross country team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society and helped lead a youth group.
“All of my extra-curricular activities have made me a better rounded person and provided a way for me to grow in the areas I already enjoyed,” Mitchell said.
She truly has a heart to share with the world and is inspiring to everyone in the community.
Her genuine love for people is rare to find and cherished by all who meet her.
“I always admire how caring and compassionate she is to everyone around her,” Farmer said.
“On a trip to a chorus competition, I got on the bus where I was left to sit by myself because I didn’t know anyone and the people I did know wanted to sit with someone else. Bethany saw that I was by myself so she left her seat, where she had been with one of her friends, just to sit by me and keep me company,” Farmer recalled.
For her senior project in Honor’s Forum, Mitchell was solely invested into making her service count in the community, not just as a project.
“My most memorable moment at Blythewood was organizing and hosting the benefit race for ‘Be the Match’ during the spring of my senior year! I loved seeing the community come together to support such a great cause,” Mitchell stated.
She later mentioned that the race for “Be the Match” was her greatest accomplishment.
Mitchell graduated Blythewood with the honor of being valedictorian, something that she highly deserved, but she always remained modest.
“She always does each assignment with integrity and she does her best at all that she does. She never brags about how well she did or her class rank but instead is very humble about her gifts the Lord has given her,” Abigail Byrd, CIU college student and fellow Blythewood graduate, shared.
“I just think the most interesting thing is that not a lot of people from our friend group even knew that she was valedictorian. They knew she was smart, but she never bragged about the fact that she was top of the class,” Byrd continued.
Leadership was a main priority of Mitchell's and she has had no hesitation in getting involved.
"We became friends through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership and our leadership with Village Church," Byrd stated.
Mitchell has always enjoyed participating in anything that showcased her faith and love for the Lord.
“I loved being on the leadership team,” she stated, “it allowed me to open up to public speaking and also reaching out to people I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet otherwise!”
Mitchell continued to bring inspiration to others in her caring nature and leadership as well as her faith and service.
“She has inspired me to live out my faith in all aspects from my friendships to the classroom at all times,” Byrd stated.
The perseverance and hope she encouraged in those around her remains a memorable part of who she is.
“She has influenced my life through helping me keep an open mind with everything and to stay positive no matter what was going on,” Farmer said.
Mitchell remains humble through any praise she is given and is always quick to praise others in return.
“I strive to be an encouraging person and I love doing things like sending random encouraging texts and writing notes to people to make them feel special and know that they are loved,” she shared.
Service is one of her great virtues and something Mitchell remains committed to aid her community as well as do missions for others outside of her community.
“I was a part of a yearly mission trip to Mississippi with my youth group (the summers before her 9th-12th grade years) where we put on a Vacation Bible School for children in an impoverished town. I loved being able to love these kids and show them how special they are,” Mitchell said as she explained how important her service was to her.
She described her desire for service as part of how she wished to be remembered and the legacy she wished to leave behind.
“I would love to have left a legacy of a girl who loved those around her, was patient, kind, joyful, peaceful, and gentle. A girl who was humble while trying her hardest to succeed in all she did,” she stated.
