“My name is Lexi McClelland (Beaver) and I attended Providence from 8th grade until I graduated in 2015. I went to Harding University, and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education in December of 2018. I played tennis for HU during my freshman year, and also had the honor of being president of my social club, Pi Theta Phi. Since then, I have been gradually taking courses online through Harding while I am teaching to get my Masters in Reading with a Dyslexia endorsement. I teach second grade at Elm Tree Elementary in Bentonville, and I love every second of it!

I just moved into our first house in Bella Vista, with my wonderful husband, Max, and our dog, Eddie. We have been married for one year and we like to spend time outdoors, go to the movies, and play lots of board games together. 

Providence definitely prepared me for college. With the workload from high school and traveling a lot for tennis, I gained great time management skills and learned early how to balance a social life and academics! My favorite classes at PCCA include Worldviews with Mrs. Brinson and Latin with Mr. Janicke. 

My advice to current students at Providence would be to stay strong in your faith and solidify it now before going out on your own in the real world after graduation. Know what you believe and why you believe it! I also think that if you have a passion for something, ask others who have careers in that field about it. I ended up going into a career that was not on my radar at all when I started college, so never say never because God always has crazy plans specifically designed for you! 

Lastly, try not to compare yourself to others! I feel like it is so hard to avoid that with social media in our world today, but comparison is a thief of joy. When you are full of joy, it allows others to feel more comfortable around you, giving you endless opportunities to share your faith and make some connections with others that can last a lifetime!”