Gulliver Prep junior Morgan Mills was on the Gulliver girls’ soccer team that was having a dream season until they lost in the regional finals. The team won 55 straight games and Mills, who plays midfield and forward, was good enough to be mentioned in the newspaper for her play.
“I had two goals, so they mentioned me for that,” she says.
Mills says say the team has the potential to do well in the upcoming season. Although the team lost several seniors, that loss was mitigated by gains by experienced freshmen.
“It (the team) will have a good balance,” she says.
Many of the players play club soccer, as does Mills. She has played for Miami Premier Soccer, which has a fall season starting in October. Soccer is a winter sport for high school. Although she is a terrific player, Mills says she is not planning to play when she goes off to college.
“I’ve talked to many people who do it in college and I have no interest,” she says.
When she is not on the field, Mills is on the board of Symphonettes, a service club that sends members to volunteer opportunities. Members usher at music events and raise money for music organizations.
“I usually sign up for the Fairchild things,” Mills says. “We always go to the kids section and help them there.”
She joined Symphonettes because of her mother.
“My mom was a member when she was young I wanted to join too,” Mills says.
Last year Mills worked on the silent auction that is a big part of the club’s fashion show, which is their major fundraiser.
“I organized it,” she says. “We sold almost everything. There was only one basket left. We set up the entire runway and we set up all the baskets being auctioned. We had more than 100 baskets.”
The fundraiser was a huge success and the club donated the money to a variety of charitable organizations.
At school, Mills is vice president of the Fishing Club.
“It helps raise money for less fortunate kids so they can go fishing,” she says
This is now the club’s third year. The first two years were spent organizing and fundraising in hope of being able to organize a fishing field trip for needy kids. Club members have researched appropriate locations. Mills says the club was started by Austin Wood, who has a strong passion for fishing, as does her brother.
“I’m not really into fishing as much as my brother and Austin, but I think the club has a really good cause,” she says.
Mills’ passion is art. She has taken a variety of art classes, including drawing, painting and ceramics. Last year she made five projects, including a vase, tea pots and pots.
“We used pinch pot techniques and coils,” she says. “You build up the coils up until it forms a vase shape. You make a base and start coiling it up from there.”
Mills’ community service includes volunteering at Vacation Bible School at First United Methodist Church.
“I’m a volunteer counselor there,” she says. “Basically the kids go to a class each day. You go with them and help the teacher out. When they go to recess you watch over them and you play games with them.”
By Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
