Hawaii, Ocean, and Service

Teaching and inspiring are common words when it comes to leadership. The late Vietnamese monk and father of mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, taught that you cannot transmit wisdom and insight to another person; the seed is already there. A good teacher touches it, allowing it to wake up, sprout, and grow.

As teachers, we long to instill in our students’ hearts the immensity of their potential, to awaken and nurture the seed that is already there. Their hearts and passions might be hibernating, with no clue on how to grow. Cumorah Academy’s deepest desire is that every student feels loved, supported, and guided on campus. We not only teach them so they can have great classes inside the campus, but our focus extends to their emotional and intellectual progress. We love and cherish each student individually.

With that in mind, Cumorah Academy has a special couple to assist us in achieving such an ambitious goal this semester. Meet the Grows – currently living in Provo, Utah. Kate and Bret have thoroughly embraced this new chapter of listening to and supporting young adults from different countries. Their son, Chadwick, has joined them for the semester.

Some fun facts about the Grows: Bret has nine siblings (yes, nine), and Kate loves creating with molten glass. They met at church and got engaged two weeks later, making them a fairy tale couple. Bret and Kate Grow left their hometown in the United States to embark on this three-month adventure to serve students from different cultures and backgrounds.

Graduates of BYU-Hawaii, Bret, and Kate share a love for mentoring and service. Bret has over twenty-five years of experience in leadership and business management, while Kate teaches at BYU-Hawaii and is pursuing her MBA at Utah Valley University. Needless to say, both of them love the ocean. In the Czech Republic, however, there are no beaches, let alone the sun like in Hawaii, but, on the other hand, the students’ love for them will wholeheartedly warm their hearts. “I already love them! I came up with a new idea just during the first session. I feel like they will help us a lot this semester,” says Anastasiia from Ukraine.

As an Advisory Couple, Bret and Kate will focus, along with other roles, on supporting students in their personal development, including creating a Life Vision. In Cumorah Academy’s vocabulary, a Life Vision plan is when a student sets goals and projects for the years to come. These might include objectives in several areas, not only intellectual or professional. They do it at the very beginning of the semester so that the experiences ahead of them might influence their plan.

Bret and Kate will ensure that each student is at the helm of their life. Glayce, from Brazil, says, “They bring a vision to young people here, from a growing family, and help a lot on our spiritual side.” Bret and Kate are inspiring students so they can grow their seeds. They may not see the fruits of their labor now, but they will thank them for their sacrifices in the future. Kate shares a few words about serving students from different countries, “We love them, we encourage them. We help them develop a life vision and hold them accountable to it.” Kate and Bret, welcome to Cumorah Academy!

Watch Kate and Bret’s words about their experience in the program:

If you want to be a part of this community, click here to apply for the next semester. 

Written by Fernando Ferreira Jr. Supervision: Kamila Uberto Fullmer.