Student 

Home:  Edinburg, Virginia

Activities:
Recently transferred to Middleburg Academy (midway through junior year); National Merit Commended Scholar (top 2% of juniors who took 2010 PSATs); First Honor Roll; St. Julie Billiart Companion Award for 175 hours of community service; Varsity Lacrosse; banjo

What motivates me to do so much community service:
It’s fun.  I think a lot of the time people think it’s a pain to do community service, but in reality, I usually have a good time.  One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed community service is because I get to do many different types of work.  That way I’m never bored, and I get to work with a variety of people.

How I manage all of my responsibilities/interests/service hours:
Even with school and extra-curriculars, I still have a lot of free time, especially during the summer.  During the school year, I volunteer more on weekends.

Volunteer activity I enjoy the most and why:
My favorite activity is Parish Youth Ministries.  PYM is a group of about thirty high schoolers from the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia who lead retreats for kids from 6th to 12th grade.  We meet about once a month to plan and lead our retreats.  I love PYM because the committee is entirely youth-led, so we get to decide and create what happens.

Why the banjo:
I first started playing the banjo when I was eight.  I knew I wanted to play guitar or banjo, but since most of my friends played guitar, I chose banjo.  I think it’s great that the banjo is becoming more popular, especially in alternative music.

What it was like transferring midway through the year:  
The first few weeks after starting were definitely tough academically, but my teachers were willing to make the extra effort so I was up to speed in all my courses.  The students were friendly and outgoing, which made my acclimation  much easier.

What I enjoy most about Middleburg Academy:
I love that the teachers take a definite interest in their subjects and their students.  They are always willing to meet during lunch or after school to help students prepare for tests or finish homework assignments.

Career(s) I see in my future:
It’s really too early for me to narrow it down, but right now I’m interested in astronomy, physics, and maybe the medical field.