Athena of the Month - Amanda

By: Jennifer Heath

Athena Magazine for Girls is proud to
recognize Amanda for our Athena of the
Month. The birthday girl this month is like
many other 13-year-olds girls who like to
knit, crotchet, play basketball and go
camping. It’s what she does with her
fabulous crafts, however, that make her so
unique and worth distinction among her
peers.

Back when she got started in girl scouts,
she realized the importance of community service. She enjoyed the
activities and projects that actually helped people the most. This gave her
an idea, she asked herself, “what other ways can I help people?” She began
making hats with her younger sister and mother to donate to a local women
and children’s shelter. (The hats are quite impressive; a true mix of talent
and LOTS of practice and patience.) Then, she got her extended family
involved. “Soon other people in my family wanted to make hats, like my
Nana, Aunt and now even my best friend,” Amanda says with a chuckle. It’s
not hard to wonder why others find her inspirational.

Along with Girl Scouts, Amanda has been largely influenced by her mother’
s sense of compassion and service for others. As a nurse, Amanda’s mom is
no stranger to helping others. Her mom always told her, “be grateful for
what you have, a loving family.” Amanda shared that the family has plans
to bring a “Mother’s Day” theme of pot painting into a nearby nursing
home. And “last weekend my family and I noticed that a local pond had
trash all around it, so we spent a lot of time cleaning it up.”

When asked if she has any advice for other girls who want to get more
involved in their community she declares, “Don’t turn any opportunity
down! I could have thought the hat making project was too hard, but I   
didn’t. The hats really help people. If more people helped out, imagine how
much better the world would be.” We at Athena Magazine agree! Thanks
Amanda for all your hard work, we can’t wait to see what other important
projects you start in the future!