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Mormon MSM student grounds her day in prayer, service

Senior took comfort in Scripture after diagnosis forced her to give up some activities

Published: May 27, 2015   

By Elizabeth Hambuchen
Special to Arkansas Catholic

Elizabeth Hambuchen

Natalie Hiatt was homeschooled before she started attending Mount St. Mary Academy. She will attend Brigham Young University in Utah this fall.

Elizabeth Hambuchen

Natalie Hiatt was homeschooled before she started attending Mount St. Mary Academy. She will attend Brigham Young University in Utah this fall.

Mount St. Mary Academy senior Natalie Hiatt has a strong commitment to service that is deeply rooted in her faith.

Unlike most high school students who often have trouble getting up early enough for school, she begins her day by meeting for Bible study with members of her Mormon church at 6 a.m.

“It’s just like how some people begin their day with yoga,” she said, “I cannot imagine a better way to start off my day than with Jesus.”

Her Bible study includes reading Scripture at home at night and discussing it with her class in the morning.

“It’s just how the saying goes,” she said. “If you want to talk to God, you pray; if you want God to talk to you, you read Scripture.”

Her favorite verse is John 14:27 (“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid), which she has called on during difficult times in her life, including when she developed Calve Perthes Disease at 13 years old.

The hip condition happens when the head of the thigh bone loses its blood supply, inhibiting running or jumping. This forced Hiatt to give up gymnastics. However, she kept a positive attitude and found a new passion.

“I knew I still wanted to stay active so I thought, ‘What can I do that doesn’t require running or jumping?’ And I then I realized, swimming of course.”

She has been swimming competitively since and will continue to swim recreationally when she enters college this fall at Brigham Young University in Utah.

She also took comfort in Scripture to ease her fears for the future.

“One time, not shortly after my injury, in Bible study my teacher taught a lesson that was about how after death we will all be returned to our perfect form,” Hiatt said. “So this condition is only temporary in the grand scheme of things; I’m not worried.”

Hiatt, one of five children of Roger and Cary Hiatt, was home schooled until attending Mount St. Mary Academy beginning her sophomore year.

Hiatt, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said she decided to attend Mount St. Mary Academy because she had many Catholic friends.

“I also like the Catholic community because it is very laid back and accepting of other religions,” she said.

She has been involved in several organizations on campus and done service throughout the community. One of her favorite projects has been tutoring a younger MSM student every day after school this year.

“Seeing the progress she has made throughout the year” was rewarding, Hiatt said. Even though she is graduating, Hiatt will continue to tutor the student until she is on summer vacation as well.

Another favorite project was when she went on a mission trip with other Mormon youth to Belize for three weeks in 2014. The project included nine-hour shifts of laying foundation for a school for future missionaries to complete. The most shocking part was “realizing how similar all of humanity is.”

“Whether it’s boy problems or illnesses or school, we all go through the same human problems daily,” she said.

Hiatt will leave for college in June. She said she will miss the love that MSM has given her but is excited because she knows Brigham Young has the same atmosphere.

“Mount has been a place where you can just tell people are filled with the spirit. I chose BYU because when I visited I could tell it would be the same way,” Hiatt said.

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