Latham Christian Academy is privileged to have four graduating seniors during the 2020 – 2021 school year. Half of those in the Class of 2021 have attended LCA for a long time, and all four have become good friends during their time here. We will be highlighting one of the seniors each month in an article published in our Knightline newsletter. We continue this week with senior David Arthur.
David’s father, Reginald, was born in Karachi, Pakistan. His parents had been educators there, but came to the United States with a desire for a better life. They moved from Pakistan to Troy when Reginald was 11 years old. David’s grandmother’s sister, whose sons attended LCA, had married an American and sponsored the family’s move. David’s father graduated from Troy High and went on to the University at Albany. After working for several financial institutions, Reginald eventually settled in working for New York State, where is still employed today.
David’s mother, Shana, was also born in Karachi, Pakistan where her mother was a nurse. Shana and Reginald had known each other for many years through family connections. They got married in Pakistan and then moved back to Troy. David’s older brother, Joshua, LCA Class of 2018, came along in 2000, and David joined the family in 2003. After staying home to raise her boys, Shana went to work as a dialysis technician while she studied nursing. Today Shana is a Registered ENT Nurse and works through Albany Medical Center.
The family moved to where they live today in Albany in 2003. A few years later, David started at LCA in kindergarten with Mrs. Mein as his first teacher. David has been a student at LCA for 13 years!
That same year, David met his classmate and longtime friend Caleb Desnoyers. Thinking of him, David simply asked, “Where do you start with Caleb?!”
David thinks of Caleb as strong (not just physically but also mentally), a good friend and partner in crime, and a “good person to do dump stuff with”! They even created a YouTube channel together, “Shamu and Sundu.” This channel details some of the things the two did together and now has 17 subscribers! David recommends you check out their “World’s Nastiest Cereal” special!
One time, the two of them were doing some target practice with a BB gun when David decided to hold up a shovel as a target for Caleb. Fortunately for both of them, David’s father intervened before the shooting could begin! David also remembers Caleb intentionally running into open lockers for fun, just to see what would happen. Perhaps the most interesting of his memories was a time Caleb was staying at David’s house and the two of them partially deflated an air mattress and had David sit on one side. When Caleb jumped onto the other side, David ended up hitting the drop ceiling in their basement!
When asked to think of his teachers at LCA, David told two additional stories. In Mrs. O’Rourke’s class one time, David ended up eating a dog treat thinking it was beef jerky. He had been so proud of himself for handling the tough meat until learning what it really was! David reports that the class did not get any more work done during that class period!
One time, Mrs. Parker asked the class what kind of wax was used in candles and David quickly responded, “Ear wax!” David reports that no more work got done the rest of the day!
David’s best memory of elementary school was in participating in the NYACS Fine Arts competition when he was in fourth grade. He entered the preaching competition and ended up with a love for preaching that has only gotten stronger to this day. When David realized the impact he was able to have on others, he reports, “You just want to keep doing that.”
David keeps very busy today. He loves his job at Texas Roadhouse, one he has had since the restaurant reopened in June 2020. He enjoys running trays of food out to his customers and plans to become a server once he is old enough.
In addition, David loves music. Mrs. Mansfield’s mother instilled a deeper love for music which has been further kindled by two other close friends. David sees music as a type of therapy and says he is always either thinking of music or making music. He especially loves Gospel music and prefers instrumental music as he studies the piano and guitar himself.
David’s spiritual testimony is very important to him. He grew up in a Christian home. His father had been a preacher when he was younger and his great-grandfather had also been a preacher. Sometimes his grandmother would play a CD with Gospel music in the car and David would sense a peace with this kind of music. Eventually he approached Mrs. Walter, his pastor’s wife, and said that he wanted to accept Christ as his Savior. Mrs. Walter gave David a tract which helped him understand the message of salvation and David was saved when he was 8 years old. He was baptized by Pastor Walter when he was 11 years old.
David plans to serve as a pastoral intern at Electric City Baptist Church this summer until college begins. He hopes to become a server at Texas Roadhouse to earn money while he attends Northeastern Baptist College in Bennington with either a major in Pastoral Ministry or in Church Planting and Evangelism. His goal is to attend Dallas Theological Seminary after completing his undergraduate work. David has a burden to serve as a travelling evangelist, maybe even around the world and would want to host large crusades.
David’s life verse comes from 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” David also loves 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”