After finishing high school last November, Brianna started her own home bakery, where she decorates cakes and cookies. Her time is also occupied with a part-time nanny job, and this year she looks forward to continuing to grow her business, meeting new people and growing new relationships, and hosting a local National Bible Bee group this summer.
Fun Facts about Brianna:
- She has 10 siblings
- She lives in a barn
- She has a mouse named Bambi
- She competed in NBBC for 11 years
Brianna has an enthusiasm for learning about God through His Word and sharing it with others. “My favorite part of studying God’s Word is being able to take something that He shows me and use it to motivate myself and others to go out and tell other people about Him! When He shows me something I’ve never seen in a passage before, it makes me want to go tell someone about it!
“The National Bible Bee challenged me as an individual and pushed me to be more responsible and self-motivated. There were many ups and downs, but every bit was worth it because God used it to draw me closer to Himself and to show me the incredible value of studying and memorizing His Word.”
For Brianna, the most difficult time while competing in NBBC was in 2020, when the National competition went virtual- but she learned a valuable lesson through it. “I wanted so badly to advance to semi-finals, especially since it was my last year and I had never made it that far in the competition before. I was so stressed out about it, and it was affecting other parts of my life because it was such a big thing for me. God eventually led me to make the decision that it wasn’t worth all of the anxiety it was giving me and that I needed to focus on Him instead of the competition.”
Brianna’s favorite Scripture is 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 because, “It reminds me that no matter what my circumstances may be, God will carry me through.”
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;” (2 Cor. 4:8-9)
How does this passage encourage, comfort, or challenge you in your current circumstances?
Written by NBB Alumna: Ruth Derby
