ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, August 12, 1996 TAG: 9608130039
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Extra credit
Name: Kimberly Dawn Kidd
Age: 17
School: Allegany High School, Covington
Year: Senior
What she does: What Kim doesn't do would be a shorter list. From president of the Student Cooperative Association, Youth and Government Club, National Beta Club and Future Educators' Club to secretary of SADD and the National Honor Society, Kim might seem to spend all her time at school. She thoroughly enjoys it, though, and believes she has gained back at least as much as she has given.
Kim somehow has found time to volunteer at Alleghany Regional Hospital during the past two years. ``It's very rewarding. I really enjoy working with the general public. When I come home I feel like I've done something good in my hours there,'' she said.
``Kim is enthusiastic about whatever she does,'' said Sue Markley, director of Volunteer Services, who, along with several volunteers, nominated Kim. ``She throws her everything into whatever she does - church work, volunteer work here, school projects.
``Whenever she volunteers, she makes someone's day, whoever she touches.''
``Kim takes advantage of all the opportunities her community offers young people,'' the volunteers wrote in their letter of nomination. ``She has given a great deal to her community, school and church. This is enlightening when many of the nation's youth suffer from boredom and apathy.''
Kim recently represented her school at the Presidential Classroom's 1996 Flagship Program in Washington, D.C. She joined more than 300 students from 40 states and several countries in ``a hands-on political science experience,'' meeting government officials and learning about the political process.
She served as her school's ambassador to the Virginia Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation Leadership Conference, where she was a finalist, and attended the 1996 YMCA Model General Assembly, where she was selected to attend the YMCA Christian Values Conference.
She also finds time to be active in Central United Methodist Church's youth group and handbell choir.
``I have to maximize my time. I don't have a lot of time in the afternoons for homework, so it forces me to pay a lot of attention in class. I also have to be careful about taking care of myself.''
Why she does all this: ``Lots of things are very important to me. I find personal reward in it if I can help others. It's the maximum yield for the minimum investment. I can't seem to do enough of it.
``In all of it, I try to be myself, which takes a great deal of courage some days.''
What she's learned: Kim was chosen to attend governor's school programs in field biology and in the humanities. ``Governor's school was amazing, not only as a learning experience, but to be around 400 students who were so talented and so concerned for each other. It was so comforting for me to be around people who cared about their world and about each other.''
I would like people to think of me as: "someone who holds true to her values and acts as an individual. I like for people to realize I work very hard to do the things I need to be doing.''
In my free time I like to: ``read, be around friends, write letters and talk on the phone. I've met so many people from so many places, my phone and postage bills are huge.''
What I'd like to change about the world: ``I think the biggest problem is people being very indifferent. If there was some way I could get people more involved.''
What I'd like to change about myself: ``Sometimes I can be not necessarily shy, but quiet in voicing my opinion. Sometimes that's good, but sometimes I need to speak up more.''
Most important issue facing teen-agers today: "Teen-agers especially can fall victim to apathy. Growing up is a hard thing to do.''
My major goal in life is: ``I'm not so sure career-wise. I'm interested in education, especially of the gifted. I have some interest in medicine and considerable interest in political science.''
Most important lesson I've learned in life: ``I had to learn that if I'm going to be involved in a lot of things, you wind up working all the time. It was hard at first, but it's very rewarding.''
People I most admire: ``That would be a long list. Of course I admire my parents. I appreciate their hard work. Some of my teachers have been excellent; the faculty at my high school is really supportive.''
Future plans: ``I definitely want to go to college, but I'm not sure where yet. I'm thinking about [the University of Virginia] and Roanoke College, but that could change. I have too many directions right now.''
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: color.by CNB