As many of you know, I am an overachiever when it comes to my wife. Here is part of an article Dr. Moore wrote about Angie in 1990.

“Angie Berry came to Oneida in the sixth grade. Seven years later she is a 17-year-old senior. This special person has been molded in the fire of many hard knocks.

“When Angie came to Oneida, she needed a home as well as a school. Her father and mother had already divorced. Two years after entering Oneida, Angie learned her mother had died an untimely death at age 38. Earlier this school year, her 19-year-old sister died in similar fashion.

“Unlike many of today’s teenagers and adults, Angie has resisted the temptation of alcohol and drugs. Angie says about it all, ‘I accepted Christ shortly after coming to Oneida in the sixth grade. Understanding more fully the commitment I had made, I rededicated my life in my eighth-grade year. I am determined to do what God wants me to do.’

“Angie’s remarkable accomplishments in academics, sports, the fine arts, and her spiritual life reveal the special person she has become. Beginning in her middle school years she proved to be quite the scholar. She was the ‘top’ student from the sixth grade through her sophomore year and near the top today.

“When Angie reflects on all her accomplishments she is modest and unassuming. ‘I couldn’t have done all of this by myself. My being at Oneida gave me many opportunities I would not have had living where I used to live. God surely brought me here. I came from a bad situation and I overcame a lot of things with God’s help. It seems I have a gift for understanding the sciences. Maybe He wants me to be a doctor, a pediatrician. If He gives you talents, then you should use them to glorify His name and help others. Maybe I can find the cure for AIDS or cancer.’

“Angie’s goals also include an active life outside whatever her professional career may be. She says, ‘I want to be involved in church activities and a Sunday school teacher. I’ve learned many things and I am determined. It makes me feel good to be able to think that I can help other people someday. One person can change the world going forward with determination and using the talents God has given to them. I can help others in this world. God allowed some bad situations in my life knowing that I could learn from them and help others.’”

While Angie has not found the cure for AIDS or cancer, she is now having an impact on many young lives who might one day do so. Thank you for helping change Angie’s life and also the lives of many, many more.

Larry Gritton is the president of Oneida Baptist Institute.