Bethany Salgado, 14

Why nominated

“Bethany is a hard-working, motivated student who always strives to do her best,” wrote Bethany’s science teacher, Andrea Conder. “She is truly a role model in her eighth-grade class this year. I have had the privilege of knowing Bethany throughout both her seventh- and eighth-grade school years. During that time, she has shown great character and displayed a true passion for learning. She maintains straight A’s, is part of our Gifted and Talented program, and is involved in many after-school activities.

“Because of her exemplary academic record and character, she became involved in the National Junior Honor Society and currently resides as president of NJHS. This society is new to our school, but she has already participated in making a float for the Veteran’s Day parade and helping to run a Read-a-Thon at school.

“She also entered a poetry contest last fall, sponsored by Creative Communications, and was chosen among many students to have her work published.

“In addition to her academic success, Bethany stays busy playing both volleyball and basketball. She was named captain of her volleyball team in both seventh and eighth grade due to her great leadership skills. Overall, Bethany is a wonderful individual and in my eyes, Bethany is truly a ‘Great Kid!’”

Bethany’s last day of eighth grade at Banning Lewis Ranch Academy was June 9, and she will attend Pine Creek High School in the fall.

Her parents are Rod and Cari Pemberton, and Jessie Salgado and Dawn Wisdom.

Q&A

How do you feel about starting high school soon?

“I’m really excited about it. I’ll get to get together with some of my friends who I went to elementary with. I’ll get to pick my own classes.”

A few of the classes she chose: concert choir; Spanish I; honors world geography and algebra II.

What’s your favorite subject?

“Probably math.”

What’s your least favorite?

“I’m not a huge fan of science. I love the teachers I get, but the subject is not my favorite.”

What is the gifted and talented program you’re in?

“The Iowa Test of Basic Skills has a battery section, and the students who have high enough GPAs take that battery test … We get to do different creative-thinking projects. Like we did an egg-drop project this year where we had to construct something that would protect eggs dropped from different heights. Another one, we were making bridges out of toothpicks.”

What are your responsibilities as president of National Junior Honor Society?

“This past year was the first year they got it going, and I was elected president at the beginning of the year. The honor society is kind of based on doing community service, and well-being-of-the-school kind of projects. And in the beginning of the year we created a float and were in the Veteran’s Day parade and later on we did different projects — we did a read-a-thon in our school, spirit week, we did a blanket drive for a children’s hospital.

"It just kind of teaches a lot of responsibility for the students, and you get an idea of how to serve your community and become a leader.”

Will you continue NJHS in high school?

“I hope to. You’re not allowed to be in the Honor Society your freshman year, but you can your sophomore year. And as far as I know if you’re already a member of the Honor Society, you’re automatically in it.”

What, in your opinion, is a big problem kids your age deal with?

“I think probably peer pressure is something that a lot of kids my age have to deal with. Middle school is — according to my teachers, and I would have to agree based on my three years here — is one of the hardest parts of schooling because there’s just a lot of drama and people trying so hard to fit in, and being pressured into having to do something they don’t want to do or becoming something they’re not. I think it’s a good thing when you can find true friends because then you can steer yourself away from peer pressure and just be who you are.”

Did you make true friends like that?

“I found quite a few really good friends the past three years.”

What do you do for fun?

“I’ve been horseback riding since I was 6. I haven’t gone recently because I don’t have a lot of time and I don’t really have a teacher at the moment.

“And I’ve been captain of my volleyball team for two years, which is really fun.”

What are a volleyball captain’s responsibilities?

“As volleyball captain, I primarily am just an encouraging person for the entire team, like leading in warm-ups, being helpful on the court, teaching people more — like how to correct themselves — and just kind of being there to support everyone.”

What do you want to do after high school?

“I’m thinking I’d like to go into maybe political science or something like that, but I’m not completely sure at the moment. I’ve actually been involved in the Eisenhower Foundation People to People international program, which is a leadership program. In 2008 I went to Washington, D.C., (for) a leadership forum. I got to tour Washington, D.C. I met with a ton of different political dignitaries. … I got to meet a bunch of new people, and I love traveling so that was really neat for me.

“The end of June-beginning of July I get to go down to New Orleans with them; I’ll be going to rebuild some things that were lost during Hurricane Katrina.”

Among notable people Bethany expects to meet during the nine-day community service project are Condoleezza Rice and Spike Lee.

Bethany said the participants will stay in the dorms at Tulane University. “There’s going to be about 200 students down there, I believe. For the People to People program, you have to be nominated by your teachers. I was nominated by my fifth-grade teacher to go to Washington, D.C.”

After being nominated once, Bethany said, a student has her foot in the door to go on other trips.

“I think it’s exciting to go on the People to People trips … I love traveling and seeing new places.

“The trips aren’t cheap — both of them are about $3,000 apiece — so I’ve had to learn how to manage my time, be on top of my paperwork, and how to raise money doing yard work, baby-sitting, just little jobs.”

Do you ask friends and family for funding help?

“Both times I’ve asked family and friends if they would donate some, and I’ve gotten quite a bit from them. My grandma helps a lot and I also do a lot of work around my neighborhood raising money for it.”

Is there a place you’d like to travel more than anywhere else?

“I’d like to go to Australia; I think it’d be really interesting.”

What advice would you have for a student just starting middle school?

“I would just say: Stay true to yourself, and don’t let others change who you are.”

What are your summer plans?

(In addition to the New Orleans trip) “I’m going out to Nebraska … just to visit family. … I’ll be doing a lot of volleyball camps over the summer, I’ll be visiting my grandma in Kansas.”

What else should people know about you?

“I’ve been in a lot of church activities lately — my church has some service projects. We have yearly garage sales, and I’ve helped with setting that up. … It’s just a lot of fun being involved with church activities because we get credits and we get to go on fun trips, like to Elitch’s or bowling.”