Shining moments: Driven for excellence
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He has coached her for years and watched as she excelled in the classroom and among peers. By his observation, Anna Light is so driven for excellence that she will either lead her basketball team to an Olympic gold medal, or she'll discover a cure for cancer.
Given her track record, she may do both, believes her basketball coach at Governor's School for Science and Technology.
At 16, Anna is a Laurel in the Young Women of the Roanoke 2nd Ward, Roanoke Virginia Stake. "There's something about her," said her mother, Melody. "I can't explain it. She's highly motivated to doing good and she's willing to speak up and take the lead when she sees a need. There's no one big project. For Anna, it's one continual good deed after another."
Her goodness toward others is reflected in the acclaim others return to her. As a ninth grader in junior high school, Anna was honored by teachers as the epitome of leadership, service and academics. She was also chosen by peers to serve as a student guidance counselor because of the confidence and understanding she radiates.
Anna spearheaded a project to collect soda pop cans and donate proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House. As vice president of a high school club, she persuaded friends to give up a casual Saturday morning to gather debris alongside the highway. She's eager to read to children in the oncology ward of a local hospital, and she finds personal pleasure in demonstrating her basketball technique to wide-eyed little girls during summer sports camps.
"Her hands are full," said her mother. "She's willing to sacrifice the activities of other teens, like hanging out at the mall or watching television, for the joy of participating in worthy causes. She's always ready to help others."
Another in a series of "Shining Moments."
Illustration by John Clark.
