Keagan Morganthal came to JRHS as a shy Freshman. After being in the same school for eight years, she was interested in spreading her wings and decided to look into JRHS. It was the culture and the yearly Mission Trips that made her want to be a part of this community.
A class that has significantly formed her was her Junior year Anatomy class with Mrs. Trudeau. Keagan adds, “Because of this class, I have found an interest that God has given me, and also a career that I will be pursuing. Taking and studying Anatomy has helped me with my future career of studying health and nutrition! I am excited to use my interests and gifts to help others and serve God.”
The Mission Trip that impacted her the most during her time at JRHS is the trip to Haiti her Sophomore year. “On this trip, I grew in many ways, and God opened up many doors in my life. This trip helped me to get out of my comfort zone, such as praying for people at the medical clinic, and also the scary critters... especially the tarantula but that's a long story... Being part of this trip also strengthened the bond between everyone on the team, and also my relationship with God, and the children in the orphanage. I realized how blessed I am with what I have in my life. Also, the children in Haiti taught me a lot as well. I learned and saw from their character and personalities that they are extremely grateful and blessed with what they have in their lives, which is not much. Just being there to hug them and play with them made them smile, and also made their day. Through this trip, I felt God's calling for me to continue to do mission work for him, whether it is international or even in this community,” said Keagan.
The teacher that impacted her the most her Freshman English Teacher, Mrs. Cyr. She believes Mrs. Cyr was instrumental in helping shy Freshman come out of their shells, which encouraged the class to grow stronger in their relationships with each other. Keagan said, “Mrs. Cyr was always helping us when we needed it, and she was always allowing opportunities for each of us to be creative, especially on the papers that she would assign us. She was always making us laugh and smile, which made me participate and enjoy the class even more.”
Keagan committed to the University of Maine, Orono, to study Human Nutrition and Dietetics. She shares, “I am excited and looking forward to how God is going to use me for the future years to come. A few of my goals for the next few years of my life are to continue to pray and follow God's path for me, help at least one person find God in college, and also to travel because that has been one of my dreams.”
When asked what her life verse is, Keagan answered, “I know this is a common verse, but a Bible verse that has impacted and encouraged me through these years is Phillippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." This verse helps me remember that even though the tough and challenging times in my life, God is always there. With God, nothing is impossible. Even when there are circumstances in life that just do not seem possible to ever overcome, trust, and stay close to God, because with Him anything is possible.”
Keagan’s advice for the underclassmen is “Some advice that I would give to the underclassmen is to enjoy the time you have now because soon enough, you will be a graduating Senior, ready to be released into the world. Also, never be afraid to speak up for yourselves. If any of you have a question or problem with someone, speak up, because keeping it to yourself will only make it worse. Another piece of advice is to never give up. I know how hard the workload is, we all know, but set goals for yourself, and manage your time well because that will serve you all through high school and also for the rest of your life. Also, spend time with your peers as much as you can because, in the blink of an eye, all of you will be on your own separate ways, and thinking back and wishing that you had more time to spend with your friends in High School. So, enjoy each other now, and help each other and support each other till the end. Friendships are so important, and also super impactful on how you live your life.”