Lindsey Mills

Peninsula High student described as an ‘academic dynamo’ with a positive attitude and caring heart

Lindsey Mills is a well-rounded student who has excelled in both academics and athletics. A Scholar Athlete, she has maintained an 3.914 grade-point average while taking rigorous courses and being a member of her school’s swim and water polo teams.

Mills’ favorite topic is science, and she plans to study environmental science in college in order to enter the alternative energy field. She thinks alternative energy will help the environment in the future, and she also has a passion for the outdoors.

“Lindsey earned her grades through dedication and effort,” said PHS science teacher Billie Thorson, who recalled Mills spending every free afternoon with a group of study buddies for her advanced-placement biology class, “going over and over the material.”

Mills took the class as a sophomore while most students take it two years later — and she received the top score of 5 on the AP test.

“She liked the challenge and was enthusiastic about learning,” Thorson said. “She has a very high aptitude for science, and she shared her understanding of the material with others in the class, raising the entire group’s achievement.

“She worked really hard to master the material and became a class resource for other students,” Thorson added.

Mills is an accomplished swimmer and a member of the school’s water polo team that competed at the state level. In 2006, she also participated in the water polo competition at the Junior Olympics in Ventura, Calif.

Mills has been described as a positive person who is well-liked by her peers and teachers.

“Lindsey is sunny and optimistic and gets truly excited about learning,” said English teacher Elizabeth Duffey, who added that Mills takes criticism with grace, learning and growing from it.

Mills is a well-rounded student with many areas of interest.

“I’ve had a good balance of school activities and outside activities,” she said.

She has spent more than 100 hours on various community service activities. Among them is the Community Inclusion Program, for which she served as a team leader.

Despite her busy schedule, Mills also kept a job at McDonalds.

“I learned a lot while working there,” she said.

She attributes her success to having good organizational skills, and she said she tries to take classes in which she is interested, because that makes learning more fun.

“Lindsey is more than an academic dynamo,” Thorson said. “She is bright and focused, yet not overpowering in her confidence.”

Lindsey Mills

Education: Senior, Peninsula High School

GPA: 3.914

Parents: Jim and Sheryl Mills

Activities/achievements: AP Scholar with Distinction; National Honor Society; varsity swimming; Scholar Athlete; Business Week CEO; Quill & Scroll member; varsity water polo, water polo Junior Olympics participant; Community Inclusion Program team leader; SAVE volunteer; The Outlook student newspaper; China high school exchange program.

Favorite teacher: Elizabeth Duffey. “The efficiency and volume at which I learned in Mrs. Duffey’s class is paramount to all my other classes; amazing class and amazing teacher,” Mills said.

Best thing about high school: “There is such an immense opportunity to learn rigorously in an environment mostly free of cliques and the typical high school drama. Everyone’s friends here, and we all get along.”