Student Life

STUDENT LIFE Faith Works Returns

On April 28, MDCA's entire campus participated in Faith Works Day, an event that had not taken place since before the pandemic. At its core, Faith Works Day is a day of service across the community. Every grade level has the opportunity to participate in serving others. Students wrote cards, picked up trash, sang at the Russell Home, helped Lake Cares Food Pantry, visited the Mount Dora Police and Fire Department, volunteered at Central Florida Bible Camp, and much more. MDCA is thankful that all of our students have the opportunity to serve on campus and in the community.

"They were so appreciative of what we were doing. I saw God in our group. No matter how small...we are impacting the kingdom on a greater level, and had fun while doing it. We were cleaning out the gutters and laying sod to create an easier water flow, knowing we are doing work for a place where people will learn about Jesus." ~Caleb Romano

"I saw God in the joy of the people who were at the Russell Home. A lot of them came from bad situations, but you wouldn't be able to tell. During the worship service, they were all dancing and smiling, and it was really nice to see." ~Rachel Horsford

3rd Grade wrote cards for the Mount Dora Police Department. 1st Grade wrote positive affirmations all over campus. Seniors went to Central Florida Bible Camp to lay sod, clean gutters, and prepare for summer.

5th Grade picked up trash around all of our athletic facilities. 2nd Grade planted flowers at the Mount Dora Fire Station. VPK visited our security office with handmade cards and treats.

Junior Rachel Horsford spent her summer break a little differently from the average student. Horsford is currently involved in MDCA's Biomedical Sciences Institute program, which allowed her the opportunity to intern in the Utilities Department of the City of Tavares. "I would go in first thing and do the morning tasks like checking temperatures, calibrating the machines, and dishwashing. Then, I would start the analysis. For the analysis, I would run pH and Chlorine, Total Suspended Solids, Nitrite, and Ecoli checks." Laboratory Manager, Donna Christopher, states, "Horsford was interested in everything and was not fazed by the tasks required of her. She was very quick on the uptake. As we are a state-certified laboratory, she had to master certain analytical methods and perform a demonstration of capability to prove competency before analyzing independently. She mastered three methods within a short space of time, which helped us tremendously. She also performed non-certified methods and all tasks requested of her no matter how menial. She was helpful, polite, and dependable." Horsford says, "Being a part of the BSI program definitely helped me a lot during my internship at the lab. Being in the program for two years now has allowed me to understand how to work in groups, with a partner, and by myself in a lab. It has also allowed me to develop the skills and knowledge of how to do the tasks that I was asked to do during my time at the lab. I don't think that I would have been as successful at anything if it weren't for the BSI program and Mrs. Barker's help." Horsford is one of five students who will receive her white coat at the BSI White Coat Ceremony in October. The BSI program is geared toward those interested in the medical field and is a great opportunity to earn a higher GPA, improve college applications, and learn critical thinking skills, collaboration, and communication, which will be necessary for success in the future.

Fresh Look on Campus

Several areas of campus got a facelift over the summer. Our grounds and maintenance teams worked extra hard this summer to prepare for the upcoming school year. The Marie Bolles Wright Elementary Building had its entire air conditioning replaced, causing some of our employees to relocate to other parts of campus to continue to work over the summer. The air conditioning had not been replaced in this building since its opening in 2000. The secondary office has been completely remodeled with fresh paint, new furniture, and a new countertop. The auditorium looks brighter with new paint and our new globe logo decorating the wall. The preschool lobby is also in the process of being remodeled with new carpet, paint, and decor. Right now, the Preschool Director Shannon Davis's office and the preschool lobby bathrooms are complete.

These are just a few of the updates that welcomed our students and faculty to campus. We look forward to updating more of our original buildings in upcoming years.

One of the preschool lobby bathrooms The Secondary Office The Auditorium