Whiz Kid: The Flower Power of Lily Arnett

Lily Arnett

• Age: 13
• School: , Eighth Grade
  
• Accomplishments: Born and raised in Ferndale, Lily is a dedicated, diligent eighth grade student; she serves as President of the Ferndale Middle School National Junior Honor Society. She also excels in mathematics, studying at in its 10th grade Honors Geometry class. Lily is very proud of her volunteer work at the Animal Welfare Society of Southeastern Michigan, where she has logged over 300 hours in the past three years, helping to care for the shelter's rescued dogs and cats.
• Lily is an amateur photographer, with flowers being her subject. Her passion for photography started at the age of eight in backyard flowerbeds and she has since turned this hobby into a small business, selling her photos at area art fairs. She donates a portion of the proceeds to local animal shelters, and regularly donates her work to charitable causes. Her photography has garnered her awards, including several first-place ribbons from the Michigan State Fair and a "Jury Favorite" award from the Holland Tulip Festival. Lily had her first gallery exhibition last year when she was included in an all-flower show at the River's Edge Gallery in Wyandotte.
• Lily was featured in the Artist Alley exhibit at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, and participated in the annual fundraiser "Dining with the Masters," to benefit the Henry Ford Health System Transplant Institute.
• Lily is a team player, playing soccer since the age of  four, and currently serving as a goalkeeper and defender for her travel team, the SOCS-STORM. She also enjoys playing on the middle school volleyball, track and swim teams.
• Key to awesomeness: "I love a challenge. If I'm not learning or accomplishing something, then why bother… and the harder, the better!"

To check out Lily's photographs, check out Flower Power here.

Each week, Ferndale Patch seeks suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Ferndale Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail Terry.Parris@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

• Nominator's name and e-mail address
• Whiz Kid's name, age and school
• Whiz Kid's accomplishment
• Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

Follow us on Twitter or "like" us on Facebook for Ferndale updates.