HP Graduates Serve Missions Globally: Part of a Growing Trend

PARK CITIES, Texas — Ten recent Park Cities graduates are taking Highland Park High School’s century-old motto — “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve” — far beyond the classroom. The graduates are among a growing number of Park Cities young people putting their college and career plans on hold to dedicate two years to mission service. They join more than a dozen fellow Highland Park High School alumni currently serving missions around the world.

The commitment of these graduates mirrors a broader national trend noted in recent surveys pointing to renewed interest among young people in faith, religious participation, and service-oriented missions.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5} These young graduates – volunteers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - routinely provide humanitarian aid where they serve, in addition to sharing messages of hope and love. They also teach language classes, help build much-needed schools and infrastructure, assist the elderly and disabled, and respond to hunger relief and natural disasters worldwide.

This group of Highland Park High School graduates are serving throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and across the United States. Most are learning second languages as part of their missionary training before departing for their assignments.

Cash Tanner, a recent HPHS graduate and former Scots football receiver and First Team long snapper, will soon serve in some of the most remote villages of Guatemala and Belize. Tanner says it’s his goal to “serve the needs of the people in any way possible by following the example of Jesus Christ.”

Teddy Alder, a standout member on the HPHS drumline, credits his church community and early morning seminary — an LDS scripture study program for youth — for instilling in him a desire to serve. He says, “it’s fun to see [others] grow and strive to become better. Everyone has struggles in life, but the gospel has answers to those problems, and it brings so much joy when you see people build a relationship with God.”

It is that same relationship that prompted Maile Orchard, a former four-year HPHS soccer player, to serve a mission. After spending a year in college, Orchard volunteered to serve and was called to Tokyo Japan. “As I began to consider serving a mission, I got more and more excited and had a strong spiritual prompting to teach the word of God to others.”

Wesley Reed, who was exposed to Mandarin while growing up in Shanghai before attending HPHS, will use his language skills during his mission to Asia. He says, “I feel fortunate to have seen how lives were changed in China by living the precepts of Jesus Christ. Now I want to share that experience with helping the people of Singapore and Malaysia.”

Matt Mathison, the ecclesiastical leader who works with these youth, says their decision reflects a growing desire among youth to find purpose and peace through faith. Mathison and his wife, Holly, have a daughter, Mary — a previous two-year lieutenant for the Highland Belles — currently serving a Spanish-speaking mission in Chicago. She is the second of their children to serve an LDS mission.

“In a world filled with problems — some overwhelming and paralyzingly large — our youth are turning to the gospel of Jesus Christ for answers, guidance, confidence, and peace,” Mathison said. “Many are choosing to sacrifice two years during a pivotal time in their lives to share that message of hope with others. I am in constant awe at our youth and their decision to dedicate their entire souls to serving, loving, and helping all people come unto Jesus. We are witnessing a rising up of goodness, and our community is blessed by so many youth participating in this great and important work!”

This current surge in young people volunteering to serve missions globally is drawing increased attention. Today more than 90,000 full-time missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are serving to meet a growing demand for missionary and humanitarian service around the world.⁶