Inside the unfinished auditorium and gym area, everything is primer-white. Voices echo off the bare walls and through exposed ducts in the ceiling.

In the middle of the room, Josh Hart, Mount Vernon Christian High School senior, stands with a look of amazement. Next to him, Jade Leek, friend and peer, takes notice of an addition, a scoreboard on the back wall — an item that is wearing out in their current building.

Construction is expected to be completed mid-July, a 42,000-square-foot replacement to a main building and several portables that now make up the k-12 school.

Though Hart and Leek will not have the chance to utilize the new building before graduation, Robert Adeline, elementary and middle school principal, said their legacy will be passed on through the plaster and new paint to the younger students for whom they have set a strong example.

“Josh and Jade represent ideally what we are about,” Adeline said. “Character-wise and faith-wise, they are preparing (younger) kids to be out there in God’s world.”

Adeline, said Hart and Leek may not be the school’s valedictorians or salutatorians, however, their overall outlook is one of passion whether it be in academics, leadership or faith.

“(Hart) is one of those students who has really been a blessing to have at MVCS. He exemplifies our mission in that he is willing to be of service to his fellow students, the staff and the broader community when called upon,” K-12 Principal Patrick De Jong said in an e-mail.

“(Leek) works hard at her studies and does a good job. She constantly has a smile on her face,” De Jong said. “She has a deep care and concern for her fellow students. (She) will be missed at MVCS.”

Throughout their years at MVCS, Hart and Leek both agree the school has functioned as an extended family always there to give feedback and support.

“You feel everyone has your back no matter what decisions you make,” Leek said.

She said her fondest memory was creating poetry books for class. Students were required to contribute a specific amount of poems and phrases each quarter. Leek said the project made her realize her creative limits were much broader than she had thought.

Hart said his fondest memory is participating in drama. His talents were seen primarily backstage where he acted as stage manager for several different plays. His favorite production was “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,” the story of a young girl’s quest to compete in a science fair despite the negative attitudes of both her mother and sister.

Leek and Hart also shared many memories from their senior trip to Poulsbo on the Olympic Peninsula. After a nominal fee and a full day of traveling, students spent a weekend at Island Lake, a Christian camp, engaging in various sports like paintballing, jet skiiing and archery.

Leek said after graduation she will miss simple moments with friends “throwing out random jokes.”

Leek plans to attend Skagit Valley College to obtain a transfer degree and move on to Montana State University. She said the idea of being a teacher is appealing but she isn’t set on a specific study at the moment.

“I’m still figuring out what to do and what God’s overall plan is for me,” she said.

Leek said her long-term goals are simple. She said she just wants to be happy with a family on whom she can leave a lasting impression.

“I just want to be thankful,” she said.

Hart said he would like to have a family and a job that allows him to spend as much time as possible with them. He said he has plans to attend the University of Washington, majoring in construction management.

He said he too has thought a lot about the decision of what to study during the past year. He said his major, along with a knack for math and science, will aid him in taking over the family business.