Eighth in a series

Lots of changes in Illinois Achiever's life

Lydia Bishop

Lydia Bishop has changed her career goal and the school she attends since being named a 2003 St. Louis Young Achiever of the Year. But, her dedication to community service remains strong.

The Fairview Heights, Ill., teenager also has a much better grasp of how fragile a person's life can be. That understanding came while recovering from a serious swimming accident.

Fifteen-year-old Lydia is now a freshman at Belleville East High School. Last spring, she was one of four middle school students awarded a Young Achiever designation.

(For more about the Young Achiever of the Year program, see sidebar below.)

Then, she was an eighth grader at Pontiac Junior High in Fairview Heights.

At Pontiac, she was one of 100 students. At Belleville East, she's one of 3,000 students.

Despite the huge difference in size, Lydia said, "I like high school better." However, she has changed her approach somewhat.

In her former school, she did just about everything. Besides earning good grades, she was student council president, played on three sports teams and did lots of community service projects. She was captain of her school's unbeaten eighth grade basketball team

She also was convinced she wanted a law career as a prosecuting attorney.

As a freshman, she still works hard in classes. But, she's cut back on some activities. She isn't doing sports. The 5'3" Lydia said, "I decided I wasn't going to grow much more."

For now, she's put off getting into student government. "But, I'll run for council next year," she said. But, she is the sport editor for the school yearbook and is in French club.

Also, she's decided on a career as a high school history teacher.

But, one thing she hasn't cut back on is school and community service.

She served as a peer mentor and tutor ever since she was in third grade. Most of the tutoring was in math, science and English.

She said, "I get satisfaction from helping others." And she added, "I also get to review my own classwork."

That experience of teaching others helped her career-change decision. She hopes to go to either University of Illinois or Southern Illinois University to become a history teacher.

As the daughter of a Methodist minister, she was introduced to summer mission trips early. When she goes to Nebraska next summer, it will mark her fifth trip to work for poor families.

Earlier trips were to Mississippi, West Virginia, Montana and, last summer, to Michigan.

She said, "After the trips, I come back thinking I've made a difference in lives of others." She said her trip to Montana to work with Crow Indian families "was the best of all."

Another mission-trip benefit: "I realize I have it good and understand all I have at home."

As she gets older, she's looking forward to missionary trips out of the country.

Part of her heightened personal awareness comes from her close call in the swimming pool. That came when she was a seventh grader.

As she came to the surface, she was hit in the face by the heel of a boy were was coming off the diving board.

The accident broke her nose and jaw. She said, "They had to sew my nose back on."

What followed was over two years of treatment, including plastic surgery. In fact, she just got the braces off her teeth this fall. Her dad, Pastor Shane Bishop, said she's now got "a perfect nose and perfect teeth."

The only mark on her face is a slight scar on the bridge of her nose.

About that experience, Lydia said, "I certainly appreciate life more. I know you have to live life to the fullest while planning for the future."

One of the things she does for herself is lots of writing, mostly poems.

"I have a whole book of poems and other things that I have written," Lydia said.

Her life experiences so far have given her lots of topics for her writing...both the ups and the downs.

 

More about Young Achiever of Year program

Young Saint Louis.com has provided regular coverage of the St. Louis-area Young Achiever of the Year program for two years.

In May of 2002 and 2003, YSL.com started with a story announcing that year's winners. Four kids each from elementary, middle and high schools are selected.

Then, starting in June each year. we provided profiles of elementary and middle school winners. By using our Past Stories archives, you can read the individual profiles, starting in June and ending in following January.

The Young Achiever program is sponsored by the International Leadership Network (ILN). The group also has other programs aimed at St. Louis area youth.

For more information, go to the website at www.iln-gateway.org.