Picture this: Think of your favorite activity to do as a child. Was it football? Theatre? Tennis? Playing an instrument? Baseball? Imagine your family not having the money to pay for a football, tennis racket or music lessons. You probably wouldn’t be where are you today.

Senior Lexi Zintel spends a great amount of her limited time giving back to kids who have not have the advantages that she has.

“At a young age, I learned that serving others is something I love and want to keep doing throughout my life,” she said. “It brings me happiness to know that I am helping someone else make changes in their lives to become healthier and happier.”

As a kid, Zintel would always join her mom in service projects, but didn’t start making a difference herself until she joined the Canyon Chapter of National Charity League. For the past six years, she has been an active participant in organizations such as Special Olympics, Boys Town, the children’s programs at the RSM Library, Laura’s House, Students for Safe Water, her own on-campus club Heart for Dance and her self-run dance club at the Boys and Girls Club.

Her dance-centered service is an offshoot of Zintel’s passion for dance. She started dancing at 3 years old with basic lessons and progressed to competitive dancing until she joined the SMCHS dance team her freshman year. After four years of being on the team, she is now the captain.

“My passion for dance was something I wanted to share with others, especially those who wouldn’t normally be able to experience this art form,” Zintel said. “By bringing my love of dance to children, I hoped to inspire them to lead healthy lives, expose them to the arts and also teach them skills to be great leaders, team members and positive role models for others.”

Zintel encountered many challenges while trying to find an organization that would allow her to teach it to others. She contacted several agencies and pitched her vision and long-term goals for the class. However, the answer remained the same from all of them: “No.” She was considered too young to coach the children and was sent away until the Boys and Girls Club saw true potential in Zintel and her program.

“The RSM chapter of the Boys and Girls Club couldn’t be more perfect for me,” Zintel said. “The director was completely open to my idea about creating an arts program.”

She didn’t stop there. Aside from dance programs, Zintel is involved in organizations worldwide. One of the highlights of her service work was when she traveled to Pentaquilla, Nicaragua with Students for Safe Water in 2011. While there, she and a group of three other people assisted in building latrines and clean water units in rural villages that did not have toilets or even running water.

“It was an experience of a lifetime,” Zintel said. “My favorite moments involved all the children I met whether it was dancing with them in the entrance area of our make-shift hotel  or watching their faces light up when we went to a local bakery and bought them their favorite Nicaraguan pastries.”

Zintel continually pushes herself to the limit. From the countless hours she spends at dance practice to the late coffee-infused nights rushing to finish IB essays, she is determined to use her God-given gifts each day.

“It takes some sacrifice, but honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Zintel said. “I love keeping busy and being able to be a part of different organizations and clubs I am passionate about.”

However, when the going gets tough Zintel always turns to God for the strength, wisdom and knowledge she needs in order to get her through her day.

“I feel that God is present in every project that I am involved in,” she said. “I hope that God continues to lead me into more opportunities to serve others while in college and as a young adult.”

And with that said, Zintel has a very bright future ahead. She has recently been accepted to Georgetown University where she plans to major in International Health.

“In five years I see myself graduated from Georgetown and either moving towards graduate school or hopefully working with a public health organization and traveling,” she said.