Senior Spotlights

We are proud to spotlight two of our awesome seniors from Rogers!

Mariano Mendez of Heritage High School lives in Rogers with his mother, stepfather, and younger brother. In fall 2009, Raul Rodriguez, Ozone Director of Hispanic Relations, met and formed a relationship with Mariano. Since then, Christ has changed Mariano’s life. He began participating in Ozone activities in 2009, and attended Camp War Eagle for the first time in 2010.

Over the past year, Mariano has become a positive influence to all with whom he interacts. He actively reaches out to his peers, often crossing social, economic, and racial boundaries, and has sought leadership positions in his school. He is actively involved in his church's youth group, his high school's cross country team, FCA, and Ozone. He has set high standards for himself in both academics and athleticism, and was recently awarded a full tuition scholarship at the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. He will be the first Hispanic student from Heritage to run for the UAFS Cross Country team!

Ministry is an important part of Mariano’s life because he is passionate about helping others know Jesus the way he does. He spent Christmas break in Mexico playing with and teaching kids and helping translate for a local church’s mission team. He plans to spend spring break on another mission trip to Honduras. He has expressed an interest in becoming a youth minister in the future. We are blessed to witness God’s amazing work in this young man’s life.

Juliette “Juju” Brashears is also a student at Heritage, and she lives in Rogers with her mom and younger sister. She has been a CWE camper for five summers, has been involved in Ozone since fall 2009, and has been a part of the CWE Mentoring Program since fall 2010. Juju has demonstrated significant growth since attending CWE in 2009 and committing to make Christ a priority in her life. She has made a concerted effort to lessen the time she spends on popular activities like online social networking, and instead has set her focus on activities that will make an enduring impact on her character and community.

Juju is committed to seeking growth in her relationship with God. In addition to her personal study of the Bible, she spends time weekly with her mentor discussing and memorizing Scripture and attending church with her family. In addition to her own personal growth, Juju spends her time serving the community. She volunteers weekly at the Rogers Public Library, and has also participated in various service projects with Ozone. Finally, Juju is pursuing academic excellence. She was recently awarded a $500 college scholarship for an essay concerning the effects of digital media on teenagers. She will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall. In addition to her more serious life pursuits, Juju can often be found enjoying time with friends participating in various leisure activities. Some of her favorites include cooking and baking, knitting, and playing Quidditch!

Both Mariano’s and Juju’s choices continue to demonstrate their commitment to Jesus and to set them apart as a leaders among their peers. Their influence has impacted the students of Rogers Ozone in a positive way. We are thankful for them and can’t wait to see where God will lead them next in their journeys!