Most opinionated: Krystle Taber was voted the girl with the strongest opinions by her fellow Lakewood senior class members. “I’m not a sheep,” Krystle said. “With my group of friends, it’s never a dull moment. We have huge political and religious debates. Lakewood’s student body is a politically conservative, so it’s good for me to bring my independent views to the table. I want people to think on their own.
Passionate genealogist: Krystle grew up in New Mexico and Colorado and moved to Lakewood in middle school. “I like it up here because it’s so much easier to know people.”
With a varied ethnicity — Korean, Mexican, Scottish, German — Krystle enjoys genealogy.
“I’m an old soul, so I love old things and history, whether I’m in a museum or an antique store. I’m hooked on building my family tree because I just want to know more about myself.
“It’s fun to pull up old census records and look for ancestors. My dad is getting into it now. It’s fun to see the trends in our family and the use of similar first names.”
Lakewood Cougars: Last year Krystle started a school club called Paws for People. The club’s first project was with Invisible Children, which seeks to stop the enlistment of children in the Ugandan army. “You see the photos and you can’t help but join in.”
The club, with a dozen members, raised $300 and sent 400 books to a school in Uganda. This year, Paws for People joined The Water Project to help people in the Sudan and Kenya build wells for drinking water.
Other interests: Krystle likes to draw, enjoys photography, is a “Star Wars” fan and has an interest in herbalism. She’s even made her own cough syrup using herbs. She enjoys all the sciences and would like to study theoretical and astrophysics in college. “My friends think I’m a nerd, and I guess I am. I love research and I’m always thinking.”
Overcoming adversity: Krystle deals with dyslexia, a learning disability, and doesn’t especially like to read aloud, though she loves reading. Despite some poor grades, she pushed herself and fought to be a part of the honors and advancement placement classes offered at Lakewood.
She loves English and her English teacher Jane Wyatt, who Krystle says understands her struggles and her successes. “My grades are not awesome, but a lot of famous people are dyslexic and they pushed through. It’s definitely a struggle, but my parents are adamant that I not use dyslexia as a crutch to not following my dreams.”
Off to college: Krystle will be the first person in her family to attend college. She has applied to Central and Western Washington universities. “My parents didn’t go to college, so there was no blueprint. We applied for financial aid a bit late; we got through it. Everyone is pretty excited for me.”
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Know a Super Kid? Write schoolfyi@heraldnet.com.
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