Ignited for Impact

Elliott’s Story of TeenPact Transformation

Elliott Rodriguez still remembers the four-hour drive to Tallahassee for his first TeenPact One Day Class. Eight years old at the time, he didn’t know what to expect. The trip felt impossibly long, and he wasn’t yet convinced it would be worth it.

But that day sparked something in him.

“It didn’t necessarily inspire me or set this fire in my belly,” Elliott recalls, “but it was the perfect opening—the first step in keeping me interested, engaged, and not closed off from it.”

That first class was just the beginning of a journey that would shape his faith, his leadership, and his understanding of the world around him. It was also the first of many long drives to TeenPact events—each one leading him deeper into a ministry that would change his life.

SET THE FIRE

At almost 13 years old, Elliott attended his first Four Day State Class. This was the experience that took him from a curious observer to an engaged participant.

“That class really set the fire going under me,” he says. “It made me start pursuing the Lord on my own, for myself.”

TeenPact wasn’t just another activity—it became a place of transformation. The challenge from his Program Director stuck with him: Don’t just go home and be stagnant. Engage. Think about what you’re doing. Be intentional. So he did.

He started looking at faith differently. He stopped seeing it as something inherited and began making it his own. He took responsibility for his spiritual growth. “From that point on,” he explains, “it changed the way I looked at faith and individual growth. I started fostering my own environment to continue pursuing Christ.”

Then came Rendezvous, a nightly time during State Classes and Alumni Events where students and leaders gather to reflect on what they’ve learned and experienced that day. Often, these moments of group sharing and personal vulnerability become some of the most spiritually significant parts of the week.

“I started seeing the impact you can have simply by being there with one another, being willing to share and be vulnerable,” Elliott remembers. “That was another moment of, holy cow, this is something I’ll look back on for a long time and be grateful for.”    

DECLINED, THEN DETERMINED

By the time Elliott attended his third Four Day Class, he knew he wanted to apply for TeenPact Staff. But when he submitted his first application, he received a letter of declination. 

For many, that could have been the end of the road. But for Elliott, it was fuel to try again.

“That was when I realized, I actually am ready for this,” he says. “I see myself serving as a student, and I see myself leading other students as a student. The impact I can make will be so much greater if I get to Staff.”

So he applied again—and this time, he was accepted.

That year, he experienced the full circle of leadership. As a Staffer, he wasn’t just receiving from TeenPact anymore; he was giving back. And through that, he realized something powerful.

“TeenPact comes home with me,” he says. “It influences the way I make decisions at church, on my swim team, and on my Classical Conversations’ campus. After that first year of staffing, I really realized the impact you can make just by being intentional with the conversations you’re having and the decisions you’re making.”

It wasn’t just about politics or public speaking. It was about shaping his entire approach to life.

A LAUNCHPAD FOR LIFE

Looking back, Elliott sees TeenPact as a before-and-after moment in his life.

“I don’t think TeenPact is a necessity,” he admits, “but in the lives it touches, it’s almost always a turning point. It sets the stage. It gives you a new lens to continue growing and looking at everything differently.”

TeenPact, he says, is a launchpad.

“There are a lot of launchpads out there,” Elliott reflects, “but not all of them work as consistently as [TeenPact] does. It really fosters a place where you can learn to lead well—without having to fall hard first.”

AN UNEXPECTED IMPACT

Elliott’s most unexpected transformation came through an opportunity he didn’t seek out himself—writing thank-you notes as part of TeenPact’s Operation Thank You team.

“Well, I signed up because my mom told me it was a great opportunity,” he laughs. “At first I didn’t want to do it. I thought, ‘My handwriting is terrible, my grammar isn’t great.’ But she said, ‘If you can’t write 12 thank-you notes in six months, I haven’t set you up well for success.’”

What began as a small monthly task became a life-changing perspective shift.

“Operation Thank You transformed my understanding of gratitude. It’s not just an exercise—it’s a mindset,” Elliott says. “It reminded me that my life change was made possible by other people’s generosity. And there’s no one else to thank for that—other than the people who gave and supported TeenPact.”

TOOLS TO BE INTENTIONAL

Now preparing for college, Elliott is confident that TeenPact has uniquely equipped him for what’s ahead.

“TeenPact gave me the tools I need to be intentional in every setting,” he says. “I can engage culture with a heart to reflect Christ, even in places that don’t share my beliefs.”

Without TeenPact, Elliott believes he wouldn’t be ready for life at a large secular university. But now, he sees his upcoming college experience not as an obstacle—but as another opportunity to lead with purpose.