ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
Our latest Fund the Future winner is an assertive leader in her classroom teams at school -- but she doesn't mind sharing the credit for her scholarship, since she didn’t enter her own name in Fund the Future."My mom did," said 16-year-old Service High School student Jamie Wooding.
Wooding considers student government class a free period -- not because she's not working, but because she gets to do all the work her way.
"This one is mine, this one is mine; I don't want you guys to feel like I'm not doing my job as the community person," Wooding said.
"When you have a very dynamic person and they are planning projects, sometimes they are stepping on toes," said student government advisor Greg Huff. "And you also have to have Teflon, because people might be upset about how you planned it or if you didn't involve them."
Wooding wouldn't call herself controlling, just involved -- in pep assemblies, clothing drives, fundraisers, anything that needs a volunteer.
"I do it because I want to, not just to be popular; I'm not really one of the popular kids," Wooding said.
As a child, Wooding would get in trouble for rushing through her work to help the other kids. High school has thrown in a new mix of challenges, but nothing has really changed -- even homework is often put on the back burner for community service projects.
Wooding, a self-described teacher's pet, knows exactly what she wants to do when she grows up.
"I really want to get my elementary education degree -- I really want to get hands-on learning," Wooding said.
But the girl known for helping everyone else may need a little help getting there. Wooding applied for other scholarships without results, and before she can get into college she'll need to pull her grades up.
"Algebra II can be difficult, so that's one thing," Wooding said.
Her mom, Jennifer Wooding, usually helps her with the math, and will probably help with the tuition too. They do almost everything together now, and Jennifer says there's no reason for that to change as Jamie goes to college.
"Jamie is stronger than she thinks she is -- definitely independent, definitely stubborn, but has a good heart," Jennifer Wooding said. "I think she's taken after all the women in my family that are very caring."
"They get so excited and I'm probably not the only one who does this, but I always think I am -- they do a lot, and nobody notices unless you are, like, the governor and have to notice," Jamie Wooding said.
Wooding notices people who do a lot, which she shows by running at least a dozen cupcakes to Fire Station 12 each month -- and a simple thank-you from the firefighters lets her know she's appreciated too.
