Leigha’s last name is being omitted due to the nature of her job, but she is well known within the halls of Grace.  After graduating in 2005, she attended Dallas Baptist University where she earned her degree in Business Administration.  She originally believed she would put her education to use in politics and that is the path she pursued upon graduation.

When Leigha was a student at Grace her favorite overall memory had been the class trip to Washington, D.C. and she had often thought she would love the chance to live and work in the nation’s Capital.  As she explains, “the Lord opened a door, and I had the opportunity to work with the FBI and immediately jumped at the chance!  To this day, I haven’t looked back.”  Leigha says that her job has presented an opportunity to make close and probably life-long friendships.  As she and her colleagues work for their country, their jobs are complex whether “it’s looking for the child who went missing, responding to a terrorist attack, or simply helping someone achieve their lifelong goal of working for the FBI, we help people every day.” In fact, as Leigha explains, the focal points of the FBI are to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.

When asked what she values from her years at Grace, Leigha responds,” While people grow a lot from their time in high school to their adult life, and I’m very different now than I was in high school, Grace gave me quality leadership opportunities and experiences to grow from later on in life. As a multi-sport athlete and involvement in extra-curricular organizations, there were ample opportunities to get involved and lead.”  

Class of 2005

Bethany McGaha graduated from Oklahoma State University Honors College, after winning numerous research awards, including participation in the OSU Scholar Development Program at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, England.  “GCS helped me because when I headed off to college I felt very prepared.” She adds, “I was ready academically and grounded spiritually. The time management skills were also clutch.”   She then earned her Juris Doctor, from SMU’s Dedman School of Law in May, 2010.  While there Bethany participated in the European Court of Justice Summit, Luxembourg, as well as being a semi-finalist in the NYU Immigration Law Moot Court Competition.

Today, Bethany practices law at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Office of Legal Affairs in Dallas. Bethany explains her choice, “After deciding to go to law school, my primary professional goal was to practice healthcare law at a hospital system or university.” She further explains, “More often than not when people seek an attorney it is when things have gone bad.  Lawyers have the opportunity to help their clients navigate the legal system with compassion and integrity.”  She enjoys the fact that she truly does learn something new every day. As she explains, “The law is always changing, particularly in healthcare. The daily problem solving is also something that keeps me on my toes.”  She also serves as a mentor to young law students.

When not working, Bethany is grateful to be very plugged in with her local church where she serves as a home group leader for single women.  As she says with a smile, “I work a lot, but I do promise I have a real life outside of work!

Class of 2003