THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408260228
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 59 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Lou R. Elliott
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Lauren Abigail ``Abbi'' Sawyer is what some adults might call an overachiever - the 8-year-old member of the Brownies has earned so many badges she doesn't have any room to add them all on her sash.
She's even gotten a badge for selling Girl Scout cookies. She sold 100 cases of Girl Scout cookies in 1993 and sold 96 cases this year.
She's also an avid camper, going on Girl Scout field trips. This summer's camp out was memorable. ``We had lots of thunderstorms and when the big crash of thunder came, we were screaming in our tents,'' Abbi said. ``And we were running all around. . . . And there were frogs everywhere. And when we to our tents frogs were jumping around and one hit me. And I screamed.'' Frogs aside, Abbi says she still likes camping and will go again.
But to Abbi, there are other more important things. Like spending time with her sister Jessi, 5, who has a speech impairment.
``She's really fun to play with sometimes, like when she likes to roughhouse sometimes. She's really fun,'' says Abbi. ``yeah, I work with her. Actually I just talk in a normal voice so she can learn what I say. That's because she copies what I say and what I do.''
And there's volunteering, Abbi helps out the Dare County Volunteer Action Committee and in its projects. She's helped put put medals for a fund-raising triathlon, passed out brochures, helped sell T-shirts, doughnuts and sodas, and participated in March of Dimes projects.
The Arkansas native, who once belonged to the same church in Little Rock as President Bill Clinton and whose father sang in the choir with Clinton, has also become active in her Manteo church in the past year. ``I've been baptized,'' Abbi said of her acceptance of Christ. ``I've asked the Lord to come into my heart.''
Name: Lauren Abigail ``Abbi'' Sawyer
Age: 8
Birthday: May 2
Parent's names: Mary Jane and Chris Sawyer
Siblings: sister, Jessi, 5
Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas; lives in Manteo
Grade in school: third grade
Extracurricular activities: Play kickball and soccer - a little bit. I'm in Girl Scouts.
What do you want to learn from school this year: I want to learn lots more of math.
What do you like about school: The recess and I like math a little bit and science.
What do you dislike about school: I do not like social studies or spelling.
Favorite food: I like pizza, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, french fries and ice cream. In ice cream I like the mix - chocolate, vanilla and strawberry - and chocolate chip mint.
Favorite drink: Sunkist.
Favorite place to eat: Pizza Hut, McDonald's, KFC.
What is a perfect day for you? A perfect day for me is a Saturday because usually if it's not raining, we go swimming at a friend's house. And sometimes we cook out.
What is it that people don't know about you? Every night I sneak out of my bed and get down with my sister cause she wakes up all the time.
What are your best qualities? The best thing about me is that I'm very tan. My parents call me a tan bunny.
What are your worst qualities? It's that I hardly listen sometimes.
Favorite albums: I like Whitney Houston's ``Bodyguard,'' and I like Billy Ray Cyrus and ``The Lion King.''
Favorite movies: My favorite movies, The Lion King - . . . a beautiful movie . . . it's a wonderful movie . . . , ``Black Beauty'' and ``The Rerurn of Jafar.''
Hobbies: I like being a volunteer for DVAC. . . . I also like training my dog Maggie. Maggie's a little daschaund. My other hobby is singing. When I was a little girl and I lived in Elizabeth City and I used to go horseback riding.
Last book read? I'm reading ``Keeping Barney'' It's about a horse, a little girl keeping a horse.
Who do you admire most, or want to be like? I admire one of my friends, his name is Anthony. My hero is my little dog and my dad.
What do you want to do when you grown up? I want to be a veterinarian and help all the dogs. by CNB