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Graduation 2005

Student eyes future as nurse serving God

Dasha Eyers plans to go to a religious college to help her achieve her goal of working in missions.

By VALERIE TAYLOR
Published May 20, 2005

Hernando Christian Academy valedictorian Dasha Eyers has a clear vision of where she's going in life. Some of the details may change along the way, but the 18-year-old believes that "serving God and serving others for him," is what her life's about.

Dasha has chosen nursing as a way to answer the call to missionary work.

She will start out at Southeastern University in Lakeland, because it's an Assemblies of God college, and that's the denomination of the church she attends in Brooksville.

The college also offers a biology premed track and has mission and ministry programs.

"I wanted to attend there to get a little more solid in what I believe in and get a good education while I'm doing it," she said.

That kind of focus is a "hallmark of her maturity," said Dasha's English teacher, Andrea Rinard.

"One of the things that sets Dasha apart from her peers is that she has a very clear vision of what she wants for her future and she's not willing to compromise the way some teenagers do, thinking, "oh well, I can cut corners and catch up later."'

Not one to take the easy way out, Dasha, with a 4.28 grade point average, graduates today from Hernando Christian Academy, just a little over two weeks after her graduation from Pasco-Hernando Community College, the result of dual enrollment for the academically talented young woman.

A year ago, she was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, and when she graduated from PHCC, she received that group's college honors for her academic achievements.

To get her registered nurse certification, Dasha is thinking about another Assemblies of God college, Evangel in Missouri, because of its partnership with a local college for a nursing program.

After that is when her life's work begins. She wants to join medical missions teams, working in a hospital that allows leave time for two to six months for the teams to take medical services where they're needed.

"It could be South America or Appalachia, or someplace like that," said Dasha. "You'd serve the people there with the medical attention they need, and anything else they would need. Then you come back and work your regular job until your next trip."

Helping is what Dasha's about, said Rinard, who sees how eager her student is to be of service for anyone with a problem.

"Dasha's always right there," said Rinard. "If we have a new student who might not be readily accepted, you can see Dasha sitting next to that student at lunch making sure that they're not alone. She's someone they can talk to and see in the hallways as a friendly face."

Rinard says it's difficult to think of more specific examples of Dasha's kindnesses because it's such a regular occurrence.

"She does this effortlessly and unconsciously, because she's just such a good person. It's just like breathing to her."

The valedictorian will face her nine graduating classmates today and says she will give her take on their individual gifts and how they can use those talents to serve God.

[Last modified May 20, 2005, 01:06:18]