From Sunday School to Higher Ed

Donovan Hawthorne grew up in the Poe Mill neighborhood, where he witnessed firsthand the hardships and complexities of the area throughout his childhood.

Despite having access to the influences that usually steer kids in the wrong direction, Donovan chose a different direction and pursued a relationship with the Lord.

Donovan started coming to Griggs when he was hardly old enough to walk or talk. Roger Sexton, a leader at Griggs for over 40 years, would pick him up on the church van every Sunday. Despite his occasional behavior issues (which were sometimes his brother’s fault) Roger continued to show up every Sunday and ensure Donovan got to church. “That made a big impact on me,” Donovan said as we publicly recognized his graduation from high school earlier this year.

Donovan standing in front of a Griggs Church van, which he rode to church as a kid. Photo by IsaacCropsey.com

Donovan kept coming off and on through upper elementary school and middle school. In his later high school years, Donovan started attending Griggs regularly of his own volition, pursuing a one-on-one relationship with the Lord.

We have all been impressed and uplifted by his dedication to serving others and attending Sunday morning service. Not only has God opened his heart, but God has opened doors for his future that our whole community is excited about.

While Donovan may initially come across as a strong, sports-only-minded kid due to his phenomenal wrestling skills and muscular physique, he’s found art to be an important way of expressing himself.

He started attending the Greenville School of Art his junior year and received a scholarship to attend Newbury College to pursue a degree in graphic design!

They say it takes a village to raise a child. We’re glad that, in this (mill) village, we get to be the church that comes alongside awesome parents, like the Hawthorne’s, and contributes to “raising up a child in the way he should go.” (Proverbs 22:6)

For many of us attending Griggs at this point in its history, Donovan is one of the first kids we’ve seen enter into adulthood. He serves as a reminder that each child who comes through Griggs’ doors will soon be an adult in our community and we have a chance to influence these future leaders right now.

This article origionally appeared in Griggs Church’s community newspaper: Saltbox Quarterly.