From the bench to broader responsibility
At Stillwater Christian School, senior Levi Fladager became known for a role that is more about tone than statistics: the varsity basketball team’s “hype man”. He played center on the team, but what teammates remember most is his energy — the loud, consistent encouragement that kept momentum alive when games and practices ran tough. That vocal support began after he noticed a teammate rallying the bench and the crowd during a come-from-behind stretch; Levi adopted that example and made it his own, deliberately choosing to lift others even when he felt drained.
How pep morphed into campus leadership
As the season wore on, Levi’s squad encountered a lull: wins were still coming, but the level of play dipped. Rather than step back, Levi amplified his presence — shouting during games and checking in privately afterward — and that persistence led teammates and coaches to select him as a varsity captain his senior year. That same drive moved off the court. When a gap opened in the school’s peer-assisted learning program, Levi organized and ran the Cougar Den Peer Tutoring initiative, a program that pairs older students with younger learners and coordinates with teachers to target classes that need extra attention. He described the tutoring effort as a deliberate attempt to sustain and deepen relationships between the high school and elementary students, ensuring continuity across grade levels and reinforcing community bonds.
Roles that expanded his abilities
Following encouragement from classmates who had seen him energize crowds, Levi applied for and won the role of House Captain. In that capacity he led group discussions, planned a service project, and organized events — experiences that forced him to practice public communication and to feel comfortable in unfamiliar social situations. Those duties sharpened his ability to coordinate, delegate, and represent peers in school-wide conversations, turning instinctive empathy and relatability into practical leadership skills.
Growth through vulnerability and faith
Despite a reputation for vocal support at games, Levi says his most meaningful personal development came when he stepped into vulnerability. His first religious testimony, delivered before the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, marked a turning point: speaking about his faith publicly taught him empathy, encouraged him to ask for help when needed, and made him more willing to reach out and share beliefs with others. That moment helped him balance the outward confidence of an emotional leader with an inward acceptance of imperfection and interdependence.
How he defines leadership
Even with multiple leadership titles, Levi prefers to describe himself not as a traditional leader but as someone who connects with others. He emphasizes relationship-building: listening, relating, and influencing through genuine contact rather than by imposing authority. That approach explains why peers entrusted him with responsibilities ranging from peer tutoring to house management; his influence stems from accessibility and authenticity.
Plans beyond graduation
Levi will graduate after attending Stillwater Christian School since fourth grade. He plans to study pre-med at Covenant College in Georgia with intentions to attend medical school. His academic interests align with his extracurricular passions — biology-related courses were his favorites — and his career ambition is to serve as a missionary surgeon, traveling to developing nations to provide surgical care and to combine medical service with sharing the gospel. That goal reflects a consistent theme in his activities: blending practical help with spiritual conviction.
Commencement and community
The school’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 30 at 4 p.m. on campus at 255 FFA Drive, where nineteen seniors are set to receive diplomas. Levi’s story is one of small, steady choices — barking encouragement on the baseline, offering tutoring in school hallways, and standing before peers to share personal testimony — that together shaped a clear direction for life after high school.
Throughout his time at Stillwater Christian, Levi transformed the fleeting role of a morale booster into sustained service: he took initiative where none existed, fostered cross-age connections, and translated on-court enthusiasm into a vocational aim grounded in compassion. Whether shouting from the bench or preparing to operate in a field clinic, his focus stays on lifting others and responding to need with both skill and faith.
