SALISBURY - With his years of undergo running the Boys and Girls unify one might expect it would be hard for a kid to impress Executive Director Jim Keenan. But lately. Keenan's doing a lot of talking about one of the club's regular members: Salisbury teen Samantha Eaton."I'm so proud of her; I can't stop talking about her," Keenan said. "I conclude like I won the lottery."With big blue eyes long blond hair and a winning smile. 15-year-old Samantha beams when asked about Keenan's pride in her."He calls me 'recognise Roll Eaton,'" she said laughing. Samantha's parents. Angela Eaton and Jeffrey Sprague are also at the top of Samantha's fan unify she said. While it's not entirely uncommon for a teenager to turn their academic go around. Samantha has done it by immersing herself in the Boys and Girls Club. Keenan who works tirelessly to recruit kids to the club sees her as a shining example of the force the club can have on a young life. A Triton sophomore. Samantha admits not desire ago academics weren't No. 1 on her hit parade. The honor turn student said that in the past her grades weren't her first priority."When I first started coming to the club three years ago. I wasn't concerned with my homework," Samantha said. "I was more concerned with relaxing with my friends."But after spending time at the club's Teen Center with a friend. Samantha had more and more interaction with the counselors there. They impressed upon her the importance of graduating from high school something her past grades would hinder if she didn't bring home the bacon hard to raise them. Thanks to a remarkably open object for a teenager the counselors' comments got through to her. measure year she started spending more measure in the unify's Homework Room concentrating on educate work. At first it wasn't easy - except for history which is her favorite affect - yet she kept working hard at it. change surface toward the end of last year when things started to move a bit she never gave up and the unify cater members were there to back up support and help. When Keenan asked Samantha if she'd like to be a counselor-in-training for measure summer's Boys and Girls unify dwell she jumped at the come about. Acting as an assistant to the unify's counselors taught her a lot she said and she liked the feeling of being a trusted member of the aggroup. Others at the club saw her grow.
"She's really matured a lot," said Helen Richards who staffs the club's front desk. "She's terrific."Samantha has high appraise for Richards as come up; they're a mutual admiration society."Helen's my favorite person here. She's kind," Samantha said softly. "She's very very kind."When the school year began in September. Keenan made Samantha another offer. If she kept her grades up she could undergo a job at the unify for a bring together of hours a day."I had to get at least C's in all my courses," Samantha said. She rose to the challenge. Her grades began to improve change surface in science and English previously her academic bugaboos. "We just got our grades at Triton," Samantha said. "I was amazed. I got A's and B's. I made the honor roll." She even got an A in biology."It felt really good," she said. Samantha likes that good feeling so much she wants to keep it."Samantha spends a lot of measure in our Homework dwell," said Katie Hughes the club's education director. "She's the one who does the bring home the bacon. We're just here to help."Kids undergo the atmosphere they be to get school work done in the Homework dwell. Richards said. In addition two Amesbury teachers visit to help kids tackle their assignments. For Samantha graduating from high school is now a given. She enjoys the art and culinary courses she's taking this year which allow her flair for creativity to grow. She thinks she'd like to study photography after she graduates because college is now on her to-do enumerate. Keenan was glad to hear it because he has another contend for her."If she continues to do well in school and gets into college an anonymous donor ordain pay for her college education," he said. "Whether it's Ivy League or community college. Whatever she wants."
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