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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Abbie Heaphy Finds Inspiration In Valley Nonprofit
By Emilee Mae Struss for The Weekly Sun
Abbie Heaphy, Wood River High School senior, is a busy student, juggling dance, tennis, three AP classes, volunteering and being actively involved in two clubs.
“I honestly cannot believe I am a senior this year,” Heaphy said. “It has been a blur because I keep so busy, but I like it that way.”
Heaphy is currently taking three AP classes—government, environmental science and statistics. She is also taking college English, and her favorite subject, zoology.
Heaphy started dancing when she was three years old. She joined Footlight Dance Centre a year later and has remained with Footlight ever since. She has tried many different styles of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz and modern. When she joined tennis her freshman year, she had to drop modern dance due to conflicting schedules, but continues to practice her favorite discipline, ballet, as well as tap and jazz.
“It was pretty random that I joined tennis,” Heaphy said. “But it turned out to be really natural for me and I made varsity my first year.”
Heaphy went on to attend districts and state finals in tennis the following two years. She hopes to continue playing tennis and dancing post-graduation.
“Ballet is the basis of everything,” Heaphy said. “From there, you can branch off into other styles.”
Her dance teacher (director and founder of Footlight), Hilarie Neely, creates a new dance theme each year. Some previous themes have included compassion and the mountains. Heaphy has performed in solos, including one called “Devotion” in which the dancers portrayed different Greek goddesses.
Heaphy is the co-president, along with her sister, Britta Heaphy, of WATER, an environmental club. Model UN is a club based on the United Nations that teaches students how to understand and search for diplomatic solutions between differing countries.
“Model UN can be difficult because you have to find a way to defend your country, even if you don’t personally agree with the country’s values,” Heaphy said.
Each week, the Weekly Sun will be profiling a local high-school student. If you know someone you'd like to see featured, e-mail emilee.struss@gmail.com.