NARSEF is one of the most prestigious regional science competitions in the state, bringing together some of the brightest young scientific minds in North Alabama. Each year, middle and high school students submit original research projects that are rigorously evaluated by panels of professional scientists, engineers, and academic experts. Competitors are judged on the quality of their scientific inquiry, the strength of their research methodology, their ability to analyze and present data, and their overall command of their project from concept to conclusion. This is not a casual competition. It demands critical thinking, creativity, months of disciplined preparation, and the kind of intellectual confidence that only comes from doing the work.

This year, thirteen of our OAA scholars stepped up to that challenge — and they did it with excellence.

Representing OAA at NARSEF 2026

We are incredibly proud to recognize the following students who participated in this year's NARSEF competition, representing two outstanding programs, the Research Apprentice Program (RAP) and the STEM Success Academy (SSA):

Research Apprentice Program (RAP)

• Jada Alcock

• Carroline Anderson

• Samuel Beaubrun

• Joshua Johnson

• Davin Matthew

• Janaia Vanterpool

• Jordon Vanterpool

• Journi Wise

• Blake Woode

STEM Success Academy (SSA)

• Vanessa Davis

• Mia Bellamy

• Christopher Jackson

• Christina Kwarteng

To each of these scholars, you walked into a room full of some of the brightest young scientific minds in the region and you represented Oakwood Adventist Academy with excellence, confidence, and purpose. 

Please note that participation in NARSEF was recognized as an excused absence because this is education. This is curiosity in action. This is exactly what we mean when we say we are preparing our students for the world beyond these walls.

A Special Congratulations to Janaia Vanterpool, 3rd Place Finalist!

Among our talented competitors, sophomore scholar Janaia Vanterpool earned a remarkable 3rd place finish, a distinction that speaks volumes about her dedication, her intellectual rigor, and the heart she poured into her research.

Janaia, to place in that environment, as a sophomore, is extraordinary. You walked in prepared, you presented with confidence, and you walked out with hardware. We could not be prouder to call you one of our own. Your 3rd place finish is not just a personal achievement, it is an inspiration to every student at OAA who is still discovering what they are capable of.

There is something powerful about a group of young men who understand that their gifts extend beyond the game. On April 25, 2026, the Oakwood Adventist Academy 5/6 grade boys basketball team demonstrated exactly that by stepping off the court and into the community to serve, encourage, and minister to those who needed it most.

A Morning of Worship, An Afternoon of Service

Following the morning worship service at First Seventh-day Adventist Church, the team went into the neighborhoods and homes of seniors and sick and shut-in members of the community who often go unseen and unvisited. Armed not with a ball, but with a spirit of compassion and a willingness to give their time, these young men showed up where it mattered most.

The visits, which lasted no more than two hours, were simple in structure but profound in impact. The visits included prayer, words of encouragement, and a short AY program.

More Than Athletes

It would have been easy for this group of boys to spend their Saturday afternoon doing what most kids their age do after church. Instead, they chose service. They sat with the elderly. They sang with those whose world had grown quieter. They prayed with individuals who may not often have someone to pray alongside them. In the living room and care space, the OAA boys basketball team representing something more greater than their school.

This is the heart of a Christ-centered education. It is the belief that we are not simply raising good players or even good students, we are raising young men of purpose, empathy, and faith. 

There is a particular kind of joy that only happens outside of a classroom. It lives in the noise of a crowd, the crack of a bat, the shared excitement of something unexpected and on a spring day in April, students in grades 1 through 6 at Oakwood Adventist Academy got to experience all of it firsthand at a Rocket City Trash Pandas game.

And from the looks of the photos submitted by Mrs. Lee's 4th grade class, they had the absolute time of their lives.

Taking Learning Beyond the Four Walls

Field trips have always held a special place in the rhythm of a school year, and for good reason. When students step outside the familiar walls of their classrooms and into the broader world, something shifts. Curiosity deepens. Connections are made. Concepts that lived on a page suddenly have a heartbeat. A baseball game may seem as pure fun on the surface, and it absolutely is, however, it is also a living classroom.

From the mathematics of a batting average to the physics of a pitch, from the history and culture woven into America's pastime to the social experience of navigating a large public event alongside peers, teachers and chaperones, outings such as this offer layers of learning that no worksheet can replicate. More than that, they create memories. The kind that students carry with them long past the final bell of the school year.

Oakwood Adventist Academy invites all mothers, grandmothers, guardians, and women who stand in the gap for our children to join Moms in Prayer, a monthly time of intentional prayer and encouragement.

Held on the second Sunday of each month at 9:00 AM, this virtual gathering creates sacred space to lift up our students, families, teachers, administrators, and school community before God. Together, we pray for wisdom, protection, strength, and unity, trusting God to move powerfully in and through our children’s lives.

Moms in Prayer is more than a meeting; it is a moment to pause, connect, and align our hearts with God’s purpose for our families and our school. Whether you are a seasoned prayer warrior or simply desiring to grow deeper in prayer, you are welcome to join us.

Meeting Details:

• When: Second Sundays at 9:00 AM

• Where: Zoom

• Zoom ID: 510 476 9768

We encourage you to come as you are and invite others who share a heart for covering our children in prayer. There is power when we pray together. We look forward to joining in faith with you.