The first week of dorm life at a boarding school can be a time of adjustment and learning for both the dean and the students. During study hall the first week of school, Seth Grow, senior resident assistant, checked rooms to make sure the boys were studying. As he opened the door to Osmar Bautista and Neptali Flores' room, he was taken aback. The room was quiet, and there was a small group of boys kneeling together in prayer. Seth rushed to my office, with a surprised look on his face, and relayed that the boys were praying and lifting up their burdens to God.

Osmar led out in a discussion about music choices; they felt the music they were choosing wasn't what God would want for them. Osmar suggested they pray, so he, Ken'yum Neal, Terrance Brown and Neptali formed a circle and prayed for the music's evil influence to leave. When they finished, one of the boys said he wanted to give his life to God and change the way he was living. The boys meet regularly to talk about issues and making the right choices for their lives.

It is such a blessing to see prayer happen when it's totally intrinsic motivation. This spirit is catching on throughout the rest of the guys' dorm and the entire Wisconsin Academy campus.

Shawn Sorter is the Dean of Boys at Wisconsin Academy in Columbus, Wisconsin. For information about the school, visit the school's website: www.wisacad.org; or call 920-623-3300.