First Chapel of the Year: Ask a Senior

If you want to set the tone for a school year, this is how you do it.

PAA's first chapel of 2026-27 was Ask a Senior, and it was everything. Seniors sat up front and opened themselves up to questions from Pastor Fernando, and what followed was one of those chapel moments you do not forget.

The advice and wisdom that poured out of these young people was remarkable. They spoke about academics and how to actually approach them. About connecting with teachers and why it matters. About the courage it takes to open yourself up to new friendships and new experiences. About trying hard things, making goals, and doing the work even when it is uncomfortable. About spiritual growth and what it looks like to pursue a real, personal relationship with God, not just going through the motions, but actually showing up for it.

And they did not just share their wins. They shared their regrets. Their struggles. The things they would do differently. That kind of transparency and vulnerability from students to students is rare and powerful, and it set a tone for this community that words can hardly do justice.

This is the senior core value of concern lived out loud. Not as an assignment or a box to check, but as a genuine expression of who these young people are and who they are choosing to be. In that chapel, they cared enough to be honest. They cared enough to be vulnerable. They cared enough to put their own experiences on the table so that someone else might find their path a little easier. That is concern. That is exactly what we hope to see, and they delivered it beautifully.

This is what senior leadership looks like at PAA. Not just holding a title, but pouring into the people around them. Strengthening the culture. Passing on what they have learned in the most generous way possible.

We are so grateful for these seniors. So grateful for this community. So grateful for the staff who nurture it and the students who show up for it, year after year.

What a way to begin.