Juliette Montes

First Priority is making its presence in PPCHS in pursuit of bringing the hope of Christ to the students here on campus. The main goal of this club is to open up students to the word of God and share uplifting messages that can be applied in their daily lives. Along with weekly meetings, lessons, and games, this organization has seen an incredible growth that continues to open the door of faith to students in Charter.

First Priority is a place every student is invited to in order to relieve the stresses that can be caused by the daily life of a student. High school is often filled with assignments, tests, extracurricular activities, and responsibilities that pile on creating an anxious lifestyle. First Priority has recognized these situations and has given students resources that can bring hope to their lives in stressful situations. In order to avoid being engulfed in these anxieties, students are encouraged to come together under the lead of First Priority  to explore the encouraging word of Christ.

Adriel Gonzalez and Savannah Hawkins are PPCHS Alumni who are mentoring this club for the first time in this 2023-2024 school year. As club mentors and past First Priority members, they have come to lead the club, share their testimonies, plan events, and give the weekly bible lessons. Coming from their youth group, Unashamed, Adriel shares their purpose for wanting to become part of this club. “We are on a mission sent by God, to go out into our communities, and share the ultimate truth of reality with the world. We don’t offer religion here, we want to offer students a genuine and real relationship with God.” Every meeting, Adriel shares a special bible message with a verse to go along with it. However, he finds the best way to connect with the students is to have an open and honest conversation in which everyone can feel comfortable in expressing their thoughts and feelings. 

In addition to our club mentors, First Priority is led by student leaders who take their own time to plan the lessons and teachings for their peers. Junior Co-President, Hannah Flores, has taken the initiative to build this club from the ground up. As a junior, she agrees high school can get frustrating at times and students can often feel pressured by the struggles of life as a growing teenager. Yet, she finds comfort in these beliefs that she hopes to open the eyes of others to. “Through taking leadership in the club, I hope to help students in need develop their own support system through faith and build their passion for helping the local community!” she exclaims. Junior Secretary, Santiago Delgado, expresses something similar, “As an officer, I hope to make the process of spreading the word easier, so we can make a big impact on our student body.” First Priority allows students to get their foot in the door and serves as an introduction to a new perspective. From there, it provides students with ways to get more involved in the community such as by joining a local church and volunteering to help others in need. The First Priority student council continues to seek this goal. 

First Priority has a meeting every Wednesday in room D115 at 2:10 p.m. for anyone who would like to participate. This opportunity to grow in a relationship with Christ and meet other people that are part of the same journey is an opportunity First Priority is pleased to establish. First Priority’s goal will remain the same: To Take the Hope of Jesus Christ to every student!