NEW BERLIN — Rebecca Mapes is a little like “Sound of Music’s” Maria Von Trapp. This wave isn’t going to stay upon the sand.
“Life is full of opportunities,” she said. “You have to go out and meet them. Waiting for things to happen is not the best way to experience life.”
Then there’s her love of music, knack for working with children and a whole lot of “confidence in me.”
A Mifflinburg Area High School senior, Mapes was praised by her principal, Glenn Fogel, and assistant principal, Kristina Tice, for leadership in volunteer activities that help others.
As a New Berlin resident, she has helped out for the past four years in organizing children’s games and activities for the annual New Berlin Day.
She also has worked on highway cleanups and helped out with the New Berlin Fire Company’s fundraising dinners. As a Girl Scout, she orchestrated the rededication ceremony for the New Berlin Community Center.
Naturally, Mapes sings in the choir at school. But she also plays the alto saxophone in the marching band. One suspects piano lessons “since age 4” help her liven up any party where a keyboard is handy.
Wait, there’s more. Mapes started working on the award-winning school yearbook in her sophomore year and now is co-editor-in-chief.
With about a 3.8 grade-point average, Mapes hopes she qualifies for her top college choice: Penn State. It’s sort of a family tradition.
“I’m really a big fan. ...” she said. “A lot of my family have gone there, including my dad. I was just raised around Penn State-loving people.”
She said she would be proud to go there. She plans to major in elementary education, perhaps with a minor in music.
She’ll make a loyal Nittany Lion, too. “The first time I went to a Penn State football game, I was 5 years old,” she said.
As a hobby, Mapes collects flattened pennies from wherever she goes. “You know, you put two quarters and a penny in a machine and the penny is smashed into an oval imprinted with the name of the place.” She got one recently in Niagara Falls. “They’re the cheapest, coolest souvenir,” she said. “I have about 50 of them.”
Mapes thinks highly of the New Berlin area — “It’s a nice place to raise a family” — and she likes having a circle of friends, most of whom she’s known since fifth grade. But a lot of them are not city people, she said, and she is fascinated with New York City. “I’d like to live there for a couple of years, just to experience city life,” she said. “Living in a city would open up your eyes to different things.”
She also would like to se a little more of the world outside of the United States, she said. Her first trip to another country was a National Honor Society trip to Canada. Next, she’d like to see Germany.
“I have family in Germany, so I should go see it at least,” she said. While Mifflinburg has a Christkindl market, with crafts and community events, each holiday season, she said she’d like to see a real Christkindlesmarkt in Germany, where there are traditional parades and much more.
Mapes said she isn’t passionate about politics, but sees some good ideas coming from President Barack Obama and “we should give him a chance.”
She thinks drug use among teens is a scary problem. “Drugs are everywhere,” she said. “I don’t know of anyone that does drugs, but I know they’re out there.”
If she could change anything about the world, she said, it would be to make it more peaceful, end wars.
Drugs and wars are daunting problems, but Mapes said success in life, or anything, has a lot to do with your attitude.
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Mifflinburg senior has can-do attitude
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