Amy Mills

Peninsula High School senior shines in sciences and research, is all-around top academic

Amy Mills is among Peninsula High School’s top students academically, but an area in which she has really shined is science. Perhaps it’s not surprising, considering both her parents are science teachers. Mills hopes to enter a career involving biology or teaching.

“Since I was a little kid, I was into nature and applying sciences to everyday life,” Mills said. “When I started AP biology in high school, I really got into it.”

Mills scored 5 on the advanced-placement biology exam and a 5 on the AP environmental sciences exam. She is currently part of a team that is researching E. coli levels in the Burley Lagoon. The yearlong project entails going into the field every week to collect samples, incubating bacteria, checking the salinity, etc.

The result will be presented in a report to Pierce County.

Mills said she sees all her academic successes as a foundation rather than achievements. Her teachers say she’s a well-rounded, incredible student who has a good work ethic and learns how to learn.

“She made my job easy because she is so teachable,” English teacher Elizabeth Duffey said. “If I made a suggestion about how to write or read, she would instantly go out and try it in her writing, or apply it to her reading. She was humble in her abilities and was therefore always open to new ways to improve, so she did.”

Mills was among the PHS student ambassadors selected to travel during the school’s 2008 exchange trip to China.

“I learned a lot of things you can’t learn in school,” she said, adding that her favorite part was spending a few days with host families. She said she found the Chinese students to be “very welcoming and encouraging.”

Mills is ranked No. 12 in her class with a 3.937 grade-point average that includes many AP and honors classes.

“She does all the little things that make learning possible and enjoyable,” math teacher Patrick Gillis said. “Amy excels when tasks get difficult. She understands the effort needed when dealing with non-routine, challenging problems.”

Mills’ resume also includes being a Junior Olympics participant in water polo and volunteering for more than 100 hours with the Community Inclusion program. She also finds time for other community service activities and for a part-time job.

“She throws herself into her academics, her sports and her community work with a passion that is infectious,” Duffey said.

Amy Mills

Education: Senior, Peninsula High School

GPA: 3.937

Parents: Sheryl and Jim Mills

Activities/achievements: AP Scholar award; Community Inclusion Program student leader; exchange student to China; National Honor Society; Peninsula Outlook student newspaper; Junior Olympics water polo participant; SAVE Thrift Store volunteer.

Favorite teacher: Elizabeth Duffey, because “she showed me that the structure of language goes beyond English class,” Mills said. “I learned to make connections in literature, history, politics — everything. Her class inspired me to ... have curiosity to do more.”

Best thing about high school: “Peninsula takes you as far as you want to go — the students, teachers, courses and resources all reinforce an environment that lets you make high school as memorable and as successful as you want it to be,” Mills said.