Meet Nazareth's "Whiz Kid" Becca Busby

Whiz Kid's Name: Becca Busby

Whiz Kid's Age: 14 

Whiz Kid's School:

Accomplishments:

• Becca has maintained honor roll since grade 5 at .
• Becca has been involved with the swim teams at the Nazareth and Easton YMCAs since she was 4 years old.
• In 2010, and again in 2011, Becca joined the Lehigh Valley Aquatics swim team and qualified for the Junior Olympics and Senior Champs.
• Keeping up with her athleticism, Becca is active in cross-country at NAMS and ran in Easton’s Big Brother Big Sister 5K run in October.  Becca has competed in two 5K runs.
• Becca has been a member of the NAMS color guard for the last two years.
• She is also artistic. Becca has been involved in the Art Club at NAMS since the 6th grade. Two years in a row, Becca’s handmade greeting cards were presented to residents of Gracedale.  She also had the chance to sing and greet the residents during the holidays.
• Becca has had three poems published in the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.
• As an 8th grader, Becca has been selected to participate on the NAMS Science Olympiad team, which will head to Kutztown University this month to compete against other Pennsylvania middle schools.

Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?): 

Despite undergoing major surgery on her shoulder in April, Becca can still be found on the sidelines and at practices cheering on her teammates.

During her 5K races, Becca would finish her run and head back to finish the race again with a slower runner, encouraging them until they finished.

Becca has a ton of spirit and sportsmanship.  She makes sure to high five her teammates and opponents, in addition to thanking all volunteers and officials after each swim and cross-country meet.

Becca is also an active volunteer in her community.  She has offered her time at local hospitals and at soup kitchens on Christmas and New Years Day. Becca has collected numerous stuffed animals to give to hospital units dedicated to children, and has made several donations to the Third Street Alliance.

This past summer, Becca visited Van Dyk Nursing Home in Montclair, New Jersey, every other day to talk to and read to patients.  This is also where she spent time with her grandfather who is a resident at the home.

Becca is a vegetarian and has been since the age of 5 when she realized a turkey was a live animal. After learning about slaughterhouses and their effects on the environment and on individuals’ health, Becca and a classmate proposed “Meatless Monday” to NAMS’s principal and to the Nazareth Area School District supervisor of foods.  Becca’s proposal worked and “Meatless Mondays” are currently in effect. 

At the age of 13, Becca had a Bat Mitzvah and performed two Mitzvah projects. She collected school supplies and sent them to Ethiopian Jews in Israel who did not have money to purchase the needed supplies. She also collected money and donated a portion of her Bat Mitzvah and birthday money to the National Parkinson Foundation, to the Susan Komen Breast Cancer foundation, and to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, which she made in honor of her grandfather, who suffers from both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Becca does gracious things and gets involved with her community, but never wonders what’s in it for her. Becca is modest and humble about her actions, but has reached the highest level of tzedakah (charity) that one can perform.

She does it all without the attention and glory. She does it quietly and every day.