Sarah Burgamy Named Epiphany Scholar

 

During the Epiphany Chapel service on Wednesday, January 27^th, Sarah Burgamy ‘21 received her award as this year’s Epiphany Scholar. Established in 1991, the award is advanced by the Rector of Christ Church Episcopal to honor a student who exemplifies commitment to Christian values through worship, sensitivity, and outreach to others, and it certainly seemed that Sarah was a more than deserving recipient.

 

Her close friend Sara Grace Sierra ‘21 said when she found out that Sarah had been chosen for the award, she was so happy she could not stop smiling!  The girls first met at a CCES football game when Sarah was a new, incoming sixth grade student.  Over a shared love of soccer, they instantly became friends!  “Sarah exemplifies the qualities of this award through her friendships and relationships,” said Sara Grace.  “She is someone that I know that I can count on if I need someone to talk to. She is always willing to listen.  She was a [cross country] captain that everyone felt comfortable talking to whether it was about running or just about their day.”

 

John Mark Elliott, Middle School Chaplain, Religion Instructor, and Cross Country Head Coach echoed Sara Grace’s comments.  “Every so often I run across a person who radiates an inner light. These people can be young or old, quiet introverts or extreme extroverts, rule followers or risk takers. I cannot wholly locate what makes their light so visible, but they seem deeply good. They are humble not by virtue of their lack of self-confidence, but because they are so others-focused. They are joyful not by virtue of their good fortune or circumstances, but because they possess eyes to see the world as a gift. And they tend to have faith, not by virtue of some hyper-spirituality, but because they are keen to see their relationship with God and God’s children as an ongoing process, a moral adventure. And they are usually just fun.

 

“Sarah is such a person.

 

“Sarah has an ora, a spirit, a soul, that seems implanted with a certain element of God's own Spirit and divine energy, what the Christian mystics and Quakers call an ‘inner light.’ It’s something we all possess. And Sarah is not unique for having it; she has simply rehearsed not hiding it. The Epiphany scholar award is given to someone who is a light to our community. Epiphany meaning to illuminate. Sarah’s light reminds me of a line in the song “this little light of mine”. Hide it under a bushel. NO! She’s gonna let it shine.”