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| Editor's Note: Every month, AMG features a young woman making a difference in her community. If you would like to nominate a young woman you know to be our next Athena of the Month, click here! Athena of the Month - Elise By: Clover Lee When I asked why Elise, 16, enjoys playing soccer, she hesitates for but a moment and replies, “Because I like to run around!” Her free-thinking, enthusiastic spirit has done her an incredible amount of good in her education-driven and active lifestyle. Elise Ewing, a junior, is a varsity member of her school's soccer team and mainly plays striker. She hopes that she can continue to play soccer during her college years and beyond because, “It’s a lot of fun.” Her enthusiasm and positive energy towards her activity goes further than a varsity sport. In a rapidly evolving world where the words “it looks good for college” is more commonly heard when about extracurricular activities, Elise holds onto the pure reasons for her extra- curricular activities. Other than her soccer playing, Elise is an active member of her high school’s Rotary Club funded Hands to Honduras Program, part of the Interact Club, where she has for two consecutive years spent time doing volunteer service building a kindergarten and plumbing a bathroom in two different facilities in the Pesh Villages. She is not afraid to get dirty if it is for a greater good. The Hands to Honduras Program is a program that brings together North American and Honduran communities to provide compassionate aid along with educational, technical and cultural support. It is a way to not only create lines of communication between cultures, but an important character building opportunity for Elise and her friends. What Elise thought was really cool was that she had gone on the trip with an adult chaperone that didn’t speak any Spanish. She had the amazing opportunity to try out a foreign tongue and expand her Spanish speaking skills. Many of us know that trying out a foreign language is frightening and embarrassing, more props to Elise for taking the initiative. She is glad to have grown up in a close knit community; however she claims that this invaluable experience to Honduras made her realize that there is more to the world culturally, and she would like to experience it first hand when she goes to college. A girl that seeks cultural diversity is a girl who is open minded and forward thinking and this is in essence the positive direction that the United States as a whole should move. Many people are afraid to leave their comfort zone in their knowledge of cultures and customs and therefore negatively disregard the diverse spectrum of individuals residing in this country, but not our Elise. This Athena of the Month is going places. Elise hopes to study mathematics or science and is currently leaning towards Tufts University in hopes that she can branch out culturally and socially. In her free time Elise enjoys photography, skiing and sledding in the winter and watching movies with her multitude of friends. We are inspired by girls like Elise who are active in a multitude of healthy activities and are helping society progress. We wish Elise only best and expect great things from her in the near future because I think Elise is actually running towards her goals. |
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