School: Avanti High School in Olympia.
Parents or guardians: Marta Hontas and Joel Taunton.
Best personal achievement: I would say that I’m proudest of how I’ve turned my life around. I’ve figured out my future: who I want to be, how I want to live and I’m working on how t o g e t there.
How I spend my time: I have school four days a week, and two days a week I have work. I also try to volunteer and intern in my free time. Other than that, I do homework, read, write, take pictures, draw, paint, edit pictures, mess around with music and hang out with friends.
Favorite subjects: Algebra because I’m able to move through it at my own pace so I can really understand what I’m doing; Advanced Placement (AP) English because we have discussions that really are engaging, and everyone participates and really is into what we’re doing; and my relaxation, stress reduction, and meditation class because it is helping me deal with all of my tension .
Favorite movie: At the moment, it’s a tie between “Across the Universe” and “Adventureland.”
Favorite book: I don’t have a favorite book, but my favorite author is Francesca Lia Block. Her stories have this feeling of melancholy and hope . I’ve never read anything so otherworldly, and yet it makes you feel like you understand this world better.
Dream job: I wish to get through school, and go freelance for a while in New York, then settle in some section of fashion or costume design, maybe backstage for Broadway, with my best friend who wants to do hair and makeup and synthetics.
Someone I respect: The person who inspires me in where I want to take my life is an older friend of mine who graduated from The Evergreen State College as an art student and went on to be successful in the art world.
The hardest part of being a student is: Avanti. I came from a world with daily assignments, long hours, and less responsibility. Suddenly, I’m in this school that is a little more accommodating of my needs, but also is asking more from me in return. “Alternative” barely describes it. Each student’s experience is unique, and it encourages responsibility. I have to say it’s the best thing to ever happen to me.
My future ambitions or career aspirations include: I will graduate high school, go to Evergreen or a state college in New York, and then work my way into the world of fashion, drama, and art.
Someone famous I would like to meet: I’m going to school with the future famous people of America; I can wait.
Someday, looking back on my life, I’ll be able to say: “Yes.”
Biggest challenge facing teenagers today: For me, it’s figuring out how we fit into the world, where we’re going, who we are, who we want to be, and what we are.
One thing in the world I would change if I could: Our discoveries. Every step we take “forward” takes us two steps back. We created “education” because we’ve made our world so complicated that we have to teach ourselves how to figure it all out. We say everyone is equal, everyone has to know all the same things at certain times, but not everyone has the same rights, and there’s so much discrimination. Oh well, this world takes care of itself; we are just a passing wind.
Nominated by: Mathematics and physics teacher Todd Thedell.
He wrote: “Lila is a new student at Avanti and has been a positive addition to our student body. She is a visible student by participating in fundraisers for field trips and being involved in many other aspects of the Avanti community.”
