Even though people go through struggles in their lives, they can overcome the challenges. These moments in her life have “helped shape the person I am today,” said Jade Nunnally in her Chapel Talk, delivered virtually on March 2 at Amelia Academy. She also stressed that she has never been alone in her struggles. Her religious faith has grown stronger as she realized that God sends people to help her during difficult times.
Jade has played sports for many years and dealt with various minor injuries. However, two years ago, she suffered a bad sprain during a volleyball practice. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to play . . . if it was fractured,” she said. That night, she said a prayer for healing and the ability to continue playing volleyball. Jade also received support from her coach, Jason Morris, who helped her realize that playing with an injury could make it worse. “He taught me the attitude I should have when playing, what to let affect me, and how I should feel,” Jade said, in appreciation for his support.
During this time, her grandmother also helped her face the prospect of missing out on the volleyball season. “She wanted me to play, but she also understood that my health was more important.”
After a few days, Jade was grateful for an answer to her prayer as her ankle healed. She was able to resume playing and finish the season.
Jade shared the struggles she has faced with anxiety. “Everything made me nervous, and everything made me stressed,” she said. She worried about her school work and found it interfered with her social interactions. “I would overthink about what someone would say or do, and I would tell myself they didn’t like me for who I am,” Jade said. She developed a more positive mindset through the realization of God’s presence in her life. “I knew that God truly knew and understood how I felt,” she said. “God has taught me not to focus on troubles but, instead, on the good things that come out of those troubles.”
At the beginning of her senior year, Jade was surprised when she couldn’t focus on her school work. “I wasn’t myself,” she said, “It felt so different not being able to focus on anything.” Once again, she found support from her grandmother. “She had always taught me to have priorities and figure out which things to put first,” Jade said. Putting those lessons into practice, Jade found herself able to focus again in her academic and athletic pursuits,
Throughout the adversities in her life thus far, Jade has learned to rely on the people around her. And, she has learned that “God is always by our side . . . we are never truly alone.” Jade also realized that God sent people to help her through the struggles. She encouraged her fellow students to remember this when they face their own difficulties. “There’s a light waiting for you at the end of that dark tunnel,” she said.
During her years at Amelia Academy, Jade has maintained the highest academic standards. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has served as a class officer. As a student-athlete, Jade has played basketball at the junior varsity and varsity level and varsity volleyball for four years.
Special guests for Jade’s Chapel Talk included Geraldine Studdard, her grandmother, her aunt Crystal Overman, and her cousins Colin and Philip Overman.