Jazzmine Booker

(Second in a series)

Florissant girl very active in community service

When Jazzmine Booker's father had a heart attack, she wanted to be ready for when he got out of the hospital.

The 10-year-old Florissant girl used her own money to pay for CPR and first aid classes. She earned a badge after taking Saturday classes.

But, that's only one of the accomplishments that earned Jazzmine a Gateway 2002 Young Achiever of the Year award this spring. She has done many Girl Scout, church and neighborhood service projects.

(Young Saint Louis.com is profiling four elementary and four middle schoolers given the 2002 Achiever awards. Jazzmine's profile is the second of eight. The announcement story [click here] was in the May, 2002, edition. The first individual profile [click here] was in the June, 2002, edition.)

(For more information about the Achievers program, log on to www.iln-gateway.org)

Jazzmine already has her career plans set. She plans to be an elementary school teacher.

"My favorite subject is spelling and I like to teach," she said.

She also thinks she'll be able to relate to young kids. She admits, "I get into a little trouble once in awhile."

"When I'm a teacher, I'll give kids one more chance if they get in trouble. But, if they use up that chance, they'll have to sit in the corner. And, I'll keep them in from recess," she added.

But, while disciplining kids, Jazzmine said she'll be trying to show them ways to be positive in their lives. "I want to help kids act positive, not negative," she said.

Jazzmine just finished the sixth grade at the Ames School in the city of St. Louis. That's a magnet elementary school on the city's north side.

Next year, she's going to attend the Carr-Lane Middle School. Both schools are a part of the Visual and Performing Arts program in city schools. In addition to regular classes next year, she will study dance, band, video taping and piano in her "arts block."

Jazzmine is very active in her church, The Temple of Judah Church of God in Christ.

During a recent church construction fund raiser, she raised $1,000 all by herself. "I was the best of the kid fund-raisers," she said. But, she admitted some adults brought in more. "Adults have more money," she said.

She solicited funds from teachers, people in the church and others in the neighborhood. "I went out every single day," Jazzmine said.

She also works at the church every other week during Adult Bible Study. She works in the child care department while the adults study.

"I help the kids with their homework and also play games with them," Jazzmine said.

She said she likes to help the kids with science. One time, she helped them make and test a water rocket. "The rocket only went up about a foot. Nobody got hurt and nothing got broken," she said.

Jazzmine also sings in the children's choir at church. She said the gospel and "old school" songs are her favorites. But, she said, "I'm too shy to sing any solos."

But, there wasn't any shyness in her church fund-raising or in her sales of Girl Scout cookies. For the third straight year, she was the leading cookie seller for Troop 1415. In the last cookie drive, she sold 450 boxes.

She also is a participant in the troop's April Showers drive to collect soap, tooth brushes and other bathroom supplies for the homeless and under-privileged. She's volunteered to go to nursing homes to be with the residents.

Since her father came home from the hospital, Jazzmine has helped around the house. "But, I wasn't very good at giving him a bath. I got water all over," she said. Her mother took over those duties, she said.

So far, she hasn't had to use any of her CPR or first aid skills. But, she said she likes to be prepared.

Another service she does is to baby-sit for a neighbor couple who has a young child. "I don't ask for any money. I bring over some of my toys and we play and watch videos. Then, I give her some cookies. She likes snacks before she goes to bed," she said.