Anyone who works with young people knows that the awesome part of just sticking around is the privilege of watching them grow up. I peeked into my archive to find these gems of Kira, back from the first years of me owning a big-girl camera. She was still in elementary school—in Children’s Ministry and thus not on my radar. She was just another cute nugget that needed piggyback rides when we went pumpkin picking. Fast forward many years and she’s about to leave for dorm life.

When Kira was younger she was quiet and not typically the first kid to jump into the fray. She quickly grew to reveal a thoughtful individual: driven and strategic with a quick tongue, sarcastic humor, and an oddly strong sense of self. She’s taken to the young adults’ love of board games and will frequently gather peers to play—desiring not only to build community, but also to swiftly crush them all.

As a new chapter in life comes, may you grow in wisdom, compassion, joy, and peace!