A group of Maryvale High School students meets once a week to pray before school.

The True Identity Club met at 7:15 a.m. in a classroom on a recent Wednesday to hold hands and pray. It's a pretty small group -- only three students showed up -- but freshman Michael Gonzalez said it helps him cope with high school life.

"I thought it would help me to speak about my problems … and to help me in school," he said.

A March study by the Pew Research Center found that 29 percent of millennials don't associate with an organized religion -- the highest percentage for any generation in the last quarter-century. But that also means 71 percent do, such as teenagers at Maryvale High School.

True Identity says it is based on core Christian values but is open to everyone. But the group members' openness about spirituality has gotten mixed responses from fellow students.

"Nobody says, 'Oh, you're a Christian. Oh, you’re so stupid.' Nobody says that," said Jerome Jeffcoat, True Identity president.

Club vice president Alondra Morales said she has a different experience.

"Well, I actually have had those circumstances where people say, 'Oh you're dumb.' Or, 'Why are you doing that?' or whatever," she said.

But there's one thing everyone in the club could agree on: Maryvale needs more prayer on campus.

"Yes, definitely," Jeffcoat said.

"This school needs a lot of it," another member said.

But Christianity isn't the only religion represented at Maryvale. Noor Alhasany is Muslim and came to the United States from Baghdad in 2008. Even though her religion is different from the students in the True Identity Club, their premise is the same -- religion comes before anything else.

"It's like, No. 1 for me.  Like, it's really important. No matter what, I will keep it forever," she said.

Alhasany said she's received a few stares from students unfamiliar with Muslim customs – she wears long sleeves, pants, and a hijab every day. But she said her religion is worth it.
   
"People say my religion, kind of, is difficult, because there's a lot of rules and laws that I have to follow," she said. "But I feel comfortable with this religion. I really like it more than any other religion that I've heard of.  And I'm glad I'm a Muslim."

Alhasany said most kids at Maryvale are very accepting of her religion. Students ask her questions about her religion, and she patiently answers all of them. Then she goes home, and prays.