By Pam Teel
Twelve-year-old Kathy Heller is in the eighth grade at the Millstone Middle School. Kathy is energetic and loves going to school. She loves to be involved in many different things in school. She is part of the band, chorus, cross country and track team, art club and Eagle Productions. She likes the times she spends with her friends in school and in after-school activities.
Her favorite subjects are Language Arts and Social Studies. She really likes history and learning about the past. She also likes art class where she can explore her creative side. Kathy puts her best into everything she does and her school grades reflect that. Her favorite books that she likes to read are horror and mystery novels. She also likes the Percy Jackson mystery books. Her favorite television show is the Ghost Whisperer and she likes to listen to pop and rock music.
Kathy’s favorite place to visit is Sedona, Arizona. She loves the beautiful red rock canyons and all the wildlife there. She also loves going to Ocean City for seafood and to collect shells on the beach. She remembers the beauty of the Cayman Islands when she visited in her younger days. Kathy lives with her mom and dad and eleven-year-old brother Drew. All four of her grandparents live about an hour away. Her uncle and aunt live in Arizona and she is very close to her second cousin who is nine days older than she is. Kathy has two cats, Bella and Panther, four hermit crabs, and two African dwarf frogs.
Her favorite holiday is Christmas because she gets to see both sides of her family. Thanksgiving is a close second. One of her favorite activities is art, from sculptures to painting. She also loves being on the cross country and track teams. Her favorite food is seafood and loves the crab cakes she gets in Ocean City.
What she would like to be more than anything is an author. Kathy loves to write short stories and even submitted one into a writing contest sponsored by Historic Philadelphia. She was one of thirteen winners and was interviewed on WHYY. She also got to read her story out loud to tourists in the historic district on a “Once upon a Nation” storytelling bench with a professional storyteller. It was one of the best days of her life.
Her hobbies include writing stories on Wattpad, reading books of any kind, sketching everything from animals to anime, playing the flute and acting. If she had but one wish, she would want to be a bestselling author and have a book-signing in New York. She has many ideas for new novels and has already started on one.
Kathy is trying to learn Japanese and is currently memorizing the alphabet. She loves Japanese music and anime. She wants to understand what the characters are saying in the original programs and songs, as the English translation sometimes makes no sense.
Kathy and her best friend, Becky Klein, have been running “Perler to Pups” for the past two years. They raise money for the AWA Animal Shelter where Kathy’s family has adopted from in the past. They make small figurines out of fused craft beads and then sell them, giving all the proceeds to the shelter. Last year they put sixty hours into a project per person and made $145.00 that went to the shelter. This year they made $180.00 for the shelter.
I have no doubt that with Kathy’s ambition and writing ability that she will succeed in her future goals. The best of luck to you Kathy. Keep on writing!!!!