Young Girl Spreads Cheer Through Giving

San Diego Country Estates resident Sybil Back is an 8th grader at Olive Peirce Middle School. Her favorite subject is math because it challenges her, and she uses logical and strategic thinking. When she isn't at school, she loves to help animals and tries to help in our town when she is able to donate her time. She volunteers for the community through the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and some local animal rescues. In addition, she has attended animal events at the International Equestrian Center. This busy young lady is also involved in the garden club.

"Although I'm in NJROTC three days a week, I am also in a leadership class titled NJHS or National Junior Honor Society with Mrs. Cerruti," says Back. "We do all kinds of stuff." Within NJROTC, she is involved with Basic Leadership Training; academic competitions called brain brawls; community service such as helping with Veteran's Day poppies and cleaning up after the high school football games; volunteering to help different elementary schools with events; company field meets; parties; and field trips. She got to spend the day on the USS Pinckney and went to Disneyland for a day.

"I also love to help support students with special needs at school, with their track meets, ski trips, and outings to the zoo!" says Back.

Back plans to be involved with the NJROTC through High School and enjoys everything about it. She likes the club because it is a welcoming group and an amazing opportunity to get involved in the community. Diego Solis is her platoon commander, and he is always supportive and makes being part of NJROTC really fun. "There are fun projects. Last night, Isabelle Munoz and I got to build a model ship with a helicopter pad. It was so much fun!" says Back. She has learned important leadership qualities as well as how to be a team player and plans to join the Navy once she completes High School. She wants to be in gun fire control systems and, later, a k-9 officer.

Back has also played volleyball since she was 8 years old and is one of the setters for San Diego Volleyball's 14-2 team. She wants to play high school volleyball for Ramona. Her father was her coach for the Ramona team for the last two years before she started playing club. He used to coach college volleyball, and Back has been going to the gym with him since she was one week old.

At home, Back has three dogs, two horses, and a pet cow. She is an equestrian and has been around animals her whole life. Her grandfather has a ranch in Colorado and has taught her that each animal sees the world differently and you must adapt to how they see it.

In the years past, Back has volunteered around Christmastime at Ramona Food and Clothes Closet with her mother and another time with the Ramona Volleyball team to help pack boxes of holiday meals.

"For Christmas and my birthday, I have asked for donations instead of gifts for rescues like Frosted Faces, Rancho Coastal, and Helen Woodward," says Back. All her grandparents typically donate to her fundraisers because she asks for donations instead of presents. This year, she requested donations to her favorite rescue, Little Bitty Animal Sanctuary in Ranchita. The family that runs it used to live next door to her family in the Estates. They care for rescue horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, cows, and dogs. "If anyone is interested in giving, they could think of Little Bitty," says Back.

Being a giving person makes her feel warm-hearted to know that she is giving to her community, whether cleaning up or distributing food. Her work is always fun, and she loves being involved with the community. She always gets to meet cool people and animals, too.

Even at a young age, Back has her future mapped out, and she is reaching for the stars. Her mother, Stacey Back, said that although her daughter loves to volunteer, she still spends the majority of her time just being a kiddo. Let us be reminded by Back's example that there are opportunities all around us to do good and help our neighbors.

Photos courtesy of Stacey Back and Heather McGhee.