schoolsthatrockHead Boy Windhoek Gymnasium. In our series on schools’ head leaders for 2023, Schools That Rock talks to Levalle Underhill. Levalle, Head Boy of Windhoek Gymnasium Private School for 2023, tells us more about himself and his leadership.
“My name is Levalle Underhill. I am a child of God and strive to reflect Him through everything I do. I try my best to let His love and grace flow through me out of the sheer abundance of it. The Word tells us that to lead, is to serve. That is what I, as well as the rest of my team, will do as we follow Christ’s example that He set like when He washed His disciples’ feet.
I played rugby from quite a young age. Through that I was taught of what a huge impact unity can have. I was also blessed enough to be part of several national teams. That led to me traveling to South Africa, Lesotho, England, Australia and Japan. There I was able to grow in the talent that God blessed me with. However, God then took me into a new season of my life. Due to an injury I stopped playing rugby. This was actually a blessing in disquise as I was then able to tap into my cultural talents. I joined the school’s choir group and started leading our school’s worship band. Through this i can now shine even brighter for Christ.
Youth confused
The youth of today is so confused and bombarded with so many different demerit deeds. As a result of this we see how more and more teens end off every weekend blacked out or high. However, we can and should make a change in the lives of our peers. They are the countries future parents, doctors, leaders etc. We can only do this with Christ as it is only by His grace that they can be saved.
One of my biggest goals for the year is to be a vessel. That is a tool that God can use to make a change. Not only to make synthetic changes, but to plant seeds in the youth and equip them to the point where they are able to water and grow those seeds so that these seeds may become the Fruit of the Spirit. These learners, then use their fruit to plant these seeds in the lives of others and follow suite of what they were taught.”
What are your goals for your school for your term of service? “This question in a way links to what my personal goals for the year is. I would like for the learners to not just know of Christ, but to walk with and live for Christ. With that, all other problems are solved. We will love one another more, appreciate each other more, have more grace upon one another and want better for each other. With that we would be able to stand even more unified.
Bigger challenges
One of the bigger challenges that I have experienced at our school is an unfortunate addiction that has not only taken place at our school but virtually every other school and that is vaping. It grabs ahold of one from a very young age and has become a norm in the society and becomes harder and harder to stop and prevent. However, together, with persistence and determination we are working on that matter. Another problem that our school could bring adjustments to is equality between the importance of our sport and cultural codes. As a former rugby player and now cultural learner, I have experienced times where I couldn’t attend choir practice due to it clashing with the rugby practice. This is caused by our rugby practices being on Tuesdays and Thursdays, our sport days, as well as Mondays and Wednesdays which are supposed to be our culture days.”
What stands out most to you at your school? “We are not scared to show others that we follow Christ. We have Praise and Worship as well as Jesus Our Teacher sessions every Monday morning, we pray on the sport field before our sport matches, we end off every school day with prayer in class and I was blessed to be part of the outreach team when we went to an old age home and blessed them with some care packages after we had a time of Praise and Worship with them.
Mentorship
For inspiration or mentorship I firstly look up to Christ. He sets the perfect example for us and we were also blessed with the Bible which is what my foundation is. Whenever I find myself in an unpleasant situation or feel like I am standing before a Goliath, I know that I can get on my knees and pray. I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and that He will provide the rocks and sling needed to take down any Goliath that may come. Secondly, my parents, Lloyd Underhill (my dad) and Ronel Underhill (my mom). I am who I am today because God blessed me with the best parents I could ask for. They brought me up to be a disciple and they have showed me how to love as God loves.”
You’re a kitchen article? What are you and why? “I’d say that I am a spoon. I say this because just as one uses a spoon to serve the food, I can be used to serve others and be a vessel that Christ can use to share what He has prepared for others.”
Friends
How would your friends describe you? “For this question, I reached out to a few of my friends and asked how they would describe me. This is what I received in response: child of God, outgoing, patient, kind, inclusive, prioritize others above self, a people’s person, pick up other’s emotions well, able to rely on other’s strengths, encourager and loving. However, no one is without blind spots. So I also asked them to tell me in which areas I can work in. This is what I received in response: I don’t enjoy conflict which means that I sometimes (only sometimes) leave a problem rather than sort it out, I could become disruptive in certain situations as I enjoy talking with people and I am also working on not procrastinate so much.”
Goals
What motivates you to achieve your goals? “Knowing that I am not doing it for myself but rather to bring glory to God I would have backed out of so many things if it weren’t for this. I say this because as soon as I am doing something for myself, I would worry about what I like or what I sound like. But as soon as I do something to honour God above man, I give it over to Christ and then it’s in His hands which are far more capable than mine.”
Why would you advise learners to also become part of your school? “Logos, Pathos, Ethos—our school logo. “Logos means the Word of God, where we find the truth and wisdom we need. Pathos means ‘way’ or ‘path’ – the path that we follow as a result of the truth and guidance that we find in the Word of God. Our ways must be within God’s will and plan for us. Our lifestyle must send a positive message to the world.
Ethos is a common feeling of moral values that bind us together as a community. If someone in our community suffers, we share our sympathy, and if someone is blessed and achieves success, we share in his/her joy and pride.” We are foundationed in the Word, we are led by Christ, and we care for one another. This means that trials and tribulations may come as they please, by the grace of God we will stand unified in love and will not be shaken.
Mr Danie Junius
My favorite teacher is Mr Danie Junius. He doesn’t teach me in any of my current subjects, but the first day at school of my grade eight year he came to me and told me that I would be head boy some day. I believe that He saw Christ in me and was drawn to that as I was drawn to Christ in Him. Since that day he has always checked up on me and prayed for me.
After I finish school, my future goals are to take a misionary gap year at TMT, a Bible school. I’d then like to study Bcom at Stellenbosch University and then come back home and work for the family business and start a family of my own. However, my biggest goal is to continue growing in my relationship with Christ. From that I can continue spreading His Word. From that He can continue to bring people to salvation through me. I can also continue growing in Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self control. From that there is provision of daily bread. So whether everything or nothing goes according to my plan, I know that it is unraveling according to God’s plan which is to prosper me and not to harm me. I find contentment in that.”
More school news: https://schoolsthatrock.co.za
https://www.curro.co.za/schools/windhoek-gymnasium-high-school/
Photo supplied
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