Discus Awards

Community Service

Community service is a major driving goal for me. I have received so much from others; I want to pass my blessing on. Through my local 4-H club, I have helped with trash pick-ups, donating food to children’s homes, creating gift bags for the children of military personnel, and donating 300 hours for a local hospice care provider. I have helped build tables for a low-income area school, and for 3 years I have volunteered at a camp for inner-city kids.

Through my Honor Society, I have logged over 169+ volunteer hours at my local zoo where I clean, care for, and educate the public about the animals.

Community service is not something I do for my own glory; I volunteer because I truly care about what happens in my community and, following the 4-H motto, I want to “Make the best better”.

Arts

The arts, both performing and visual, are an important part of my life. Dancing for 13 years, in everything from ballet to square dance, I have participated in several demonstrations and workshops, as well as being a youth helper in younger classes. I have been in a circus camp that allowed me to both act and learn stunts. Over the past 6 years, I have participated in sewing classes, workshops, competitions, and field trips, and have been able to help lead a sewing project group. I have designed knitting patterns, even leading a meeting at a local knitting guild. I have participated in spinning and knitting demonstrations to educate the public about those arts. I have also helped start a band that has a main goal of expanding musical growth in each of the member's lives.

Academics

As a homeschooled student, I take pride in my self-motivated academic life. I have attended 2 week-long camps at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, participated in classes that will allow me to graduate with 18 college credits, and have received an ACT score of 28. My goal at becoming a better writer has been helped by taking a novel-writing class, receiving critiques from a published author, and receiving encouragement from the Dean of Humanities at a state university.

A trip to Washington D.C. showed me history in a new light and I was thrilled to tour the National Cathedral and Mount Vernon with a former Pentagon employee. The trip reinforced my motivation in educating the next generation about all aspects of American life and has helped steer me towards a career in Agriculture Education.