We’re back with another Family Spotlight feature: the athletic, animal-loving, always-on-the-go Sawyer Family! The Sawyers have been part of Faith Academy since 2014. Dad Darin works in management for Sirius Computer Solutions, while mom April is an Engineering Specialist at Textron Aviation. The Sawyers’ three kids—Carter, Paige, and Blake—are all students at Faith Academy. The family lives in west Wichita and attends First Mennonite Brethren Church. Their long list of family pets includes a dog named Belle, two parakeets (Abby and Cutie Pie), three saltwater fish tanks, and even a horse!
Sixteen-year-old Carter, the Sawyers’ oldest, is a sophomore. He enjoys science, math, and cooking, and wants to either be an engineer or a chef. An accomplished athlete, Carter is a 1st-degree black belt and expert swordsman. Currently on staff at Airstrike Martial Arts, he’s won top prizes in international competition. Carter also swims competitively with the YMCA Neptunes and is an active member of Boy Scout Troop 736, where he’s working toward his Eagle Scout. An avid outdoorsman, Carter spent a week this past summer on a sailboat in the Florida Keys and is looking forward to a 100-mile backpacking adventure next summer. “Carter wants to see and do it all,” his mom says.
At age thirteen, Paige is an eighth-grader at Faith Academy and is a lover of the animal kingdom. This past summer, she was thrilled to finally be old enough to volunteer at the Sedgwick County Zoo, and also participates in the Wichita Riding Academy’s Hands On Program. An accomplished gymnast, Paige competed at the local and national level with the YMCA Saltos before transitioning her athletic pursuits to horseback riding. She competes in local and regional shows in Western Pleasure and Equitation, and her love for the sport has brought a new member to the Sawyer family: a bay Morgan horse named Bold Moves. Blake, the youngest at ten, is in fifth grade. He loves swimming, video games, and watching movies, and his mom says he has a special gift for making people smile. An active member of Boy Scout Pack 736, he holds the rank of Arrow of Light and is looking forward to crossing over to Troop 736 in February. As for future plans, the sky’s the limit for Blake. “Time will only tell what he wants to be when he grows up,” April says.
With three kids constantly on the go, there’s not much downtime at the Sawyer house, but given the opportunity, they love family game and movie nights. The Sawyers also love to travel and sneak in family vacation time with their kids’ competitions and activities, which have taken them all over the United States. “And you can’t forget Disneyland and Disney World,” April says. “They are a Sawyer family must.”
God led the Sawyers to Faith Academy five years ago, and they’ve been thrilled with their time here. “Faith Academy is not only making the children smarter in subjects like science, English, and Math,” April says, “but it is helping them understand and be able to defend their beliefs in God. The confidence Faith Academy has instilled in our children will benefit them the rest of their lives.”
We’re blessed to have the Sawyers as part of the Faith Academy family! Give them a friendly wave and a smile next time you see them and stay tuned for more Faith Academy Family Spotlights!
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