For Pahrump Valley High School senior Jace Wulfenstein, high school has been filled with memorable moments, lifelong friendships and lessons that stretched far beyond the classroom. As he prepares to graduate and begin a new chapter serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Wulfenstein is reflecting on the experiences that shaped him and the path that unexpectedly led him toward service.
Looking back on his high school years, Wulfenstein said many of his favorite memories came through athletics and the relationships built alongside teammates and friends.
“I think the most memorable moments were probably playing sports with all my friends,” he said. “I think that helped me grow a lot as a human.”
During his time at PVHS, Wulfenstein competed in football and track and field, while also spending time around basketball. Even after suffering a knee injury that sidelined some of his athletic opportunities, he continued staying involved by serving as a volunteer manager for both wrestling and basketball teams.
“I did that just for fun,” he said with a laugh.
Outside of sports, Wulfenstein also participated in student council, spent three years working on the yearbook staff and remained heavily involved in church activities. He said being involved in a variety of activities allowed him to connect with many different groups of people throughout high school.
“I just like to be involved with everyone,” he explained. “It was a way for me to be around a lot of people and a lot of different people too, not just one group.”
While he may not point to trophies or awards as his proudest accomplishment, Wulfenstein said simply reaching graduation feels meaningful after navigating personal challenges and moments where motivation became difficult to maintain.
“Honestly, just finishing it,” he said. “I kind of lost a lot of motivation throughout the middle of it, but I’m just glad I was able to finish it thanks to all my teachers and coaches especially.”
For much of high school, Wulfenstein envisioned a future centered around football. By the end of his sophomore year, he had begun receiving interest from smaller college programs and felt excited about the possibility of continuing his athletic career at the collegiate level. But after suffering a serious knee injury during his junior year, those plans suddenly became uncertain.
“I was super excited about that,” he said. “Then junior year I blew my knee out and I was like, ‘Well now what do I do?’”
Although he initially hoped another season might reopen those opportunities, Wulfenstein said things did not unfold the way he had expected. During that difficult period, conversations with a close friend currently serving a mission helped him begin considering a different path.
“I talked to my friend Garrett Oakley, who’s on his mission right now, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do,’” Wulfenstein said. “He was like, ‘Just go on a mission. Just come out and do it.’”
Those conversations eventually helped shift his perspective. Rather than focusing on disappointment or uncertainty, Wulfenstein said he began seeing a mission as an opportunity to focus less on himself and more on serving others.
“I think it’s a good two years just to lose yourself, kind of,” he said. “When you’re out there, you’re there to serve other people and you start thinking less about yourself. It becomes more about what can I do to help the people where I’m at.”
Wulfenstein has been called to serve in the Johannesburg South Africa Mission, where he will spend two years serving others, teaching about his faith and immersing himself in unfamiliar cultures and environments.
“The biggest goal is just to make sure you can serve God’s children,” he explained. “Yeah, you want to draw people closer to Christ, but some people might not want that in their lives right now, and that’s okay. What we’re there to do is just help them in any way we can.”
When he first learned he would be serving in Johannesburg, Wulfenstein admitted he felt both excitement and nervousness.
“I was a little nervous and excited at the same time,” he said. “I just feel like since God called me there, He has me there for a reason and He’ll keep me safe.”
As he researched the area, some of the headlines and information initially felt intimidating.
“The first thing I read was ‘crime capital of Africa,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool,’” he joked.
Still, he said his faith and trust in church leadership have helped calm many of those fears. Missionaries follow strict safety protocols, remain with companions and work closely with mission leadership who know the area well.
Beyond Johannesburg itself, Wulfenstein is especially excited about the possibility of serving in Lesotho, a mountainous, landlocked country in Southern Africa completely encircled by South Africa.
“I’m excited to serve there because it’s really different,” he said. “I was seeing pictures of missionaries there and it snows there and everything. I was honestly surprised by that.”
While Johannesburg offers a more modern city environment, Wulfenstein said he has become increasingly excited about the more uncomfortable and unfamiliar aspects of mission life.
“In some of the southern areas, there’s dirt floors that you’ll be living on,” he said. “I’m more excited for that stuff honestly. I didn’t think I would be, but I’m kind of excited for the uncomfortable things that I have to go through.”
He believes those experiences will help him grow personally, spiritually and emotionally while also exposing him to cultures and lifestyles very different from his own.
“It’ll be a big culture shock for sure,” he said.
Family has also played a major role in shaping Wulfenstein’s journey. He described his family as extremely supportive while also allowing him the space to make his own decision about serving a mission.
“What I love about them is they didn’t pressure me into doing any of this,” he said. “They wanted it to be my decision.”
He especially connects with his father, who served a mission in Jamaica. The two have bonded over discussions about culture, food and what life as a missionary might look like.
“Last week he took me to a Jamaican place just to go see what he ate,” Wulfenstein said. “I was eating oxtail and I was like, ‘Dang, this is so different.’ It’s kind of surreal just to see how different parts of the world can be.”
Wulfenstein also credited his parents and grandparents for teaching him the importance of hard work and personal responsibility throughout his life.
“My whole life I was taught that nothing is given to you,” he said. “You have to work for yourself and the blessings will come.”
That mindset helped carry him through high school, especially during moments where things did not come easily.
“Nothing was just going to be given to me,” he said. “I had to actually do my work and get it done.”
Although his immediate focus is on his mission, Wulfenstein said he still hopes football remains part of his future after he returns home.
“My goal is I want to come back and walk on somewhere to play college football,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m done yet with that stuff.”
For now, though, he is preparing for the next chapter ahead. Wulfenstein begins home Missionary Training Center (MTC) preparation June 24 before heading to the Provo MTC on July 1. Shortly after, he will fly to South Africa to begin his service.
As graduation approaches, Wulfenstein leaves PVHS carrying lessons from sports, school, faith, setbacks and family — all experiences that helped shape the person he is becoming as he steps into adulthood and into a journey centered on service to others.
