When the bell rings at the end of the day, typical students crash on the couch, turn on the TV or make a snack for themselves. One student takes a different approach on after school activities. She heads to a place where the average age of people in one place is 70. Senior Ellie Light helps her Nana at a rehab facility. She likes to spend time with family and friends and also helps out her neighbors to make some additional spending money.

“On weekends I love to see my Nana, aunt and friends. I also love to go to sporting events with them,” Light said.

Light likes to spend a lot of time with family because family means everything to her. Every day after school, she goes to her Nana’s physical rehab facility and helps her with every day things like making dinner or brushing teeth that some people take advantage of.

“I’m there for around an hour every day,” Light said. “She’s has been through a lot in the past year, so anything I can do to help brighten her day I’ll do it. If I’m just spending 15 minutes visiting or taking her outside to get some fresh air I know it will change a bad day to a good day then I’ll happily do it.”

Becoming friends with the neighbors wasn’t as hard as Light thought it would be. She now babysits for their family and loves it. She has become really close to them and has created a close relationship with them. The father of the child that she babysits for is a member of Florida Georgia Line and he gave her his guitar pick from a recent concert they were on.

“He is always on tour and has met some really famous people. He is always going to award shows and fancy events, but to the little boy he is just ‘dad’,” Light said. “They are such a sweet family and I have loved getting to know them.”

Light is known by friends to be understanding and a good friend. Every Friday, she goes out with friends and talks about what is going on in every one’s lives. Advice, laughs and hugs are shared with each other as they discuss what is going on in school and outside of school.

“We all go to Jose Peppers for dinner on Friday nights. It has turned into an expectation now,” senior Lani Sader said. “[Ellie] is always just so bubbly and fun to be around.”