(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks, 17, is a recent high school graduate who was home schooled throughout his academic career. He will be attending West Virginia University at Parkersburg in the fall with the goal of getting a computer science degree.

PARKERSBURG — Faith has continually guided Davey Brooks throughout his life and continues to do so as he looks to the future.

Brooks is a 17-year-old Parkersburg native just recently graduated from high school having been home schooled all of his life. He is active at his church at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Parkersburg where he regularly plays piano, helps to run the church’s audio/visual control board and is involved in the church’s youth group, the Upside Down.

“I have been going to the same church for my entire life,” Brooks said. “I grew up in the church.”

His favorite Biblical verse is Philippians 4:13.

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” he said. “I just think it is a good verse to have in mind.

(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks of Parkersburg has worked at the Vienna Chick-Fil-A for almost a year. He is pictured here during a Christmas promotion.

“It is nice to remember that no matter what, I can do anything through God.”

His youth group has regularly made lunches and served people at the Salvation Army.

“We like to serve the community for God,” Brooks said. “It is really inspiring to be able to feed people and be able to change their lives little by little.”

Brooks is the oldest of six children born to his parents David and Rebekah. His siblings include Cortney, Tyler, Jonathan, Matthew and Carly.

Music is also a large part of his faith.

(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks of Parkersburg plays piano at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Parkersburg. He has been playing piano for the past 10 years.

“A friend of ours gave us a piano and our parents wanted us to start taking lessons,” Brooks said. “I started 10 years ago. I enjoyed it so I have just continued with it ever since.”

Once he felt he was good enough, he stepped up and began playing it at church every Sunday with the Praise Team in 2022. He regularly plays a variety of songs from week to week.

“Every once and a while I will play a bigger piece or a solo on the grand piano,” he said.

At Christmas, one of his favorite songs to play is “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

Brooks does the church’s control board and runs the online video.

(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks, 17, of Parkersburg, surrounded by his family as he recently graduated from high school. Brooks has been home schooled his entire life. He is surrounded by his parents David and Rebekah and his siblings Jonathan, Tyler, Carly, Matthew and Cortney.

“I like all the technical stuff,” he said. “I thought it would be fun. They needed help.

“It is another opportunity to be able to serve my church.”

He was selected to perform at the West Virginia Music Educators Association Conference State Solo and Ensemble Recital at the Charleston Civic Center in February. He played a piece for the piano titled “Flight of the Monarch” composed by Melody Bober.

“The piano is my favorite instrument,” Brooks said. “I just love the way it sounds.

“I like playing it with two hands with each hand playing different parts. I like being challenged with reading the music and trying to play it at the same time.”

(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks, of Parkersburg, sitting at the keyboard with Rich Shawver on the guitar at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Parkersburg. Music is an important part of Brooks’ faith.

Being home schooled throughout elementary, middle and high school was a decision his parents made as his mother was home schooled.

“She wanted to keep the tradition going,” Brooks said. “I liked home school so I wanted to keep doing it the rest of the time.”

Recently he has had a dual enrollment at West Virginia University at Parkersburg where he had been taking classes for high school credit. He will be continuing at WVUP this fall.

“Now I am going to do full-time college,” Brooks said.

He is planning to get a degree in computer science with the goal of going into software engineering.

(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks, 17, of Parkersburg, runs the audio visual control board at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Parkersburg. Brooks is active with his church running equipment and playing the piano during services.

“I have always had a fascination with computers, coding and creating stuff,” he said. “I thought it would be really cool. I like to create stuff like that.”

He has an idea to possibly design a video game as a side project, but he doesn’t want that to be the sole focus of his career. His favorite games are Red Dead Redemption 2 and Hollow Knight.

Brooks has been working at the Vienna Chick-Fil-A for almost a year as he has his own car that he pays the insurance on.

“It is a good experience to be able to serve people and to be able to work as a team,” he said. “It is a lot of responsibility.”

Brooks’ faith continues to guide him in everything he does and how he approaches his life.

“Over the years, I’ve worked hard in school, dedicated time to piano, served at my church, and started planning for the future,” he said. “But through it all, one thing has stayed the same: I’ve always tried to keep Christ at the center of everything I do.

“As long as I’m living for Him, I know I’m on the right path.”

(Photo Provided) Davey Brooks, of Parkersburg, was selected to perform at the West Virginia Music Educators Association Conference State Solo and Ensemble Recital at the Charleston Civic Center in February. He played a piece for the piano titled “Flight of the Monarch” composed by Melody Bober.