JOPLIN, Mo. — We’ve got a new Golden Lion Award, an outstanding student from Carl Junction High School.
She’s a senior in high school, but Autumn Sewell loves spending time helping younger students.
“On Tuesdays, we go to the two-three and I go work with a class. I work with Miss Winters class, and I just help these, normally do the timetables like the little charts,” said Autumn Sewell, CJHS Sr.
Just one of the projects she’s in through her Service Learning class. There’s also a special art project.
“Right now we’re doing a mural for the little kids. It’s really cute. It has a bunch of books and like little the easy book the characters, like The Pigeon and Fly Guy and all that.”
But Autumn also volunteers her time outside the classroom.
“There in Carthage, we do a Community Service Day, I do face painting. And with my dad, he’s there. And he basically, just like we cook out for everyone. We have a bunch of other vendors come there.”
She remembers going as a young child and loves that she now gets to help put it on as a volunteer.
“My dad actually has always preached community service to us. And he’s always just said give back to community even though they can’t give back to you. So I’ve kind of always followed that after that,” added Sewell.
There’s also helping Watered Gardens with its ministry to the homeless, raising funds for breast cancer patients, and volunteering through the Shop with a Cop program.
“It was really fun. We would just go get a couple kiddos and we would go and they would have $100 budget and just connecting with them. And I know I am very fortunate with my family but like just helping others that don’t have the same life as me is very inspiring to me.”
Carl Junction teacher Rhonda Wimmer isn’t surprised Autumn is a Golden Lion Award winner.
“The main word I think of when I think of Autumn is “service.” She has a servant’s heart like no other,” said Wimmer, CJHS Teacher.
And Autumn already knows what happens next after graduation.
“I plan to attend Missouri Southern and I am going to be majoring in healthcare administration,” said Sewell.
