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Christa Finley

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: The highlight for Christa Finley was when she first learned of her acceptance into the program. She was in eighth grade in her hometown of Plymouth, Indiana, leaving a play rehearsal, when she was “pleasantly surprised” to find her entire family waiting in the back of the auditorium “holding a huge, prestigious-looking envelope.” She eagerly ripped it open and read the letter: “You have been accepted as a Young Scholar.” Four years later Christa still called the experience “surreal.”

Profile: Christa grew up in a wonderful little town in the heart of north-central Indiana. A well-rounded young lady, she loves sports, music, and hanging out with her friends, but she has always been an animal lover. She hates to see them suffer and hopes someday to become a vet. When did this love affair start? As early as she can recall when she’d help treat her grandmother’s cats for ear mites, or brush the teeth of her dog. When Christa was 13 years old, she and her grandmother attempted, unsuccessfully, to save a baby bird that fell out of its nest. “It was hard to come to grips with my failure when it died,” she recalled, but the lesson she learned was that she couldn’t always be successful; animals will die. It was a sad lesson, but an important one.

Inspiration: Her parents have always been there in support. “Even when we might not be able to afford something, if Mom thinks I need it to become more educated or well-rounded, she makes it possible.” As far an inspirational teacher, one comes to mind, Dr. Jacquie Erwin, Christa’s “Imaginative Writing” instructor at Culver Academies. “I learned how to re-imagine my point and correct holes in my arguments. Dr. Erwin taught me to rehash my work, and the final copy exemplifies the significant impact she’s had on my writing process.”

Aspiration: To be a veterinarian.

Making a Difference: Christa’s a long-time volunteer of the Special Olympics, March of Dimes, American Red Cross and American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Her work with the Red Cross is especially important for Christa because of a personal experience involving her grandmother who had emergency surgery and was kept alive only because the hospital had a supply of blood. “This showed me how vital blood banks are to the healthcare system. For my senior service project, I organized both the fall and spring blood drives. With the help of three team members, an adult supervisor, and the American Red Cross, we collected 51 productive units of blood in the fall drive alone. We publicized the drive, sent reminder emails to donors with appointments, and supervised donors as they recovered.”

Accolades: She was a member of both the Fine Arts and Spanish Honor Societies at Culver Academy as well as consistently on Honor Roll.

Interesting fact: Christa says she is “terrified” of homophone errors. Homophones are words which have the same pronunciation but different meanings and sometimes different spellings.
 

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