This weekend, students will gather from across New England for the Tenacity Challenge—an academic competition where high school teams present their work in math, literature, history, and the arts. For Josiah Owowoh ’28, the moment is both a culmination and a continuation: the result of months of preparation, and the latest expression of a leadership journey that’s been shaped across LCA.
Josiah helped launch LCA’s Tenacity Team just last year after seeing an opportunity to start something new and inviting others to build it with him. After approaching Mrs. Noh with the idea, he was met with encouragement, support, and the green light to move forward.
What began as a small group of five has grown into a larger team, ready to take on the competition with intention and creativity—including a literature video project they are proud to present. Yet the confidence and clarity he brings into this weekend didn’t develop in isolation.
It’s been formed in other spaces, too.
In chapel each week, Josiah sits behind the piano or plays the violin as part of the worship team. What started this year as a new opportunity has become a place of deep growth—musically, spiritually, and as a leader. Learning to listen to his team, adapt in a quick moment, and be in tune with God’s voice has shaped how he approaches leadership.
For Josiah, leading worship begins with humility.
He describes it simply. “You can’t lead from a place of performance or pride. It’s not about how it sounds—it’s about serving.”
Whether rehearsing during the week or gathering in chapel, Mrs. Mathew teaches the Chapel Band that worship extends far beyond music. It’s found in prayer, in attentiveness, and in the way they show up for one another as a community.
That posture—humble, attentive, others-focused—carries into the other places Josiah leads.
This year, he also stepped into a leadership role in Model UN, where the skills look different but the purpose feels familiar. Instead of music, the focus is on public speaking, research, and negotiation. Instead of leading worship, he’s helping students find their voice—guiding discussions, encouraging collaboration, and preparing delegates to step confidently into conference settings.
At first, Josiah wasn’t sure he was ready.
He remembers stepping into leadership with questions—wondering if he was capable, if he could truly guide others. But with encouragement from Mrs. Witmer and Ms. Lujan, practice in leading meetings, and creating space for others to grow, he began to see it: this was possible. And he could do it with excellence.
Watching his peers develop as speakers, thinkers, and collaborators has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience for Josiah. At a recent conference this spring, several students earned recognition for their work—but for Josiah, the real success was the growth he had already seen behind the scenes.
That same investment in people is at the heart of The Tenacity Challenge Team.
As his team prepares for this weekend’s competition, Josiah isn’t just focused on results. He’s thinking about the process—the collaboration, the creativity, and the shared commitment to building something meaningful together. The team hopes to place among the top competitors, but they’ve already created something they’re proud of that they have accomplished together.
At LCA, that kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s cultivated in classrooms, on stages, in clubs, in service squads, and through mentors who encourage students to step forward—even when they’re unsure. Josiah is quick to point to the teachers and leaders who have walked alongside him, offering both guidance and encouragement along the way.
Because of that support, he’s been able to step into spaces that stretch him—from chapel to Model UN to Tenacity—and discover what leadership looks like in each one.
This weekend, as Josiah and his team take part in the Tenacity Challenge, they carry more than just their projects with them. They carry the lessons they’ve learned, the community they’ve built, and the confidence that comes from being given the opportunity to lead.
And at LCA, that’s exactly what students like Josiah are learning to live out as they become the young men and young women God has created them to be. This is just the beginning.