Not yet graduated from high school, and Brittany Clough already has a reputation for being a whirlwind community organizer and arts performance diva.
The Grade 12 GW Graham student goes out of her way to seek volunteer opportunities in Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley, in recognition of which she recently won the title of Miss Teen Fraser Valley.
Since being crowed, Clough has fortified her fundraising efforts. She has already raised $6,300 for Free the Children through events such as a city-wide scavenger hunt, and a fashion show, and hopes to reach $10,000 by July.
This community leader's first love has always been the arts. Clough is an assistant instructor at the Chilliwack School of Performing Arts, and has performed in or helped organize just about every dance and music production that her school has put out, including GW's Got Talent this year. Clough even choreographed, wrote, and directed her own musical years earlier.
Come fall, she will be pursuing a Bachelor in Fine Arts at University of British Columbia, with a focus on acting and creative writing.
The straight-A student is frequently out of the house morning to night, has commitments back-to-back, and finds herself eating meals on the way to the next meeting.
Clough loves her busy life.
"It makes you experience life a bit more," she said. "I love everything that I'm doing. When you love doing stuff, it's not a burden."
She believes that every teen should experience new things and stay connected to the community, while pursuing their passion.
This summer she'll compete in the Miss Teen nationals in Toronto in July, a competition she respects for shining a light on inner beauty. Earlier this year, Clough brought several dozen girls together to forgo makeup and hair products for one week in an effort to combat low self-esteem among teenaged girls.
Clough will use the Toronto trip as an opportunity to hop across the border to see musicals in New York, keeping true to her form of carefully balancing community life with her passion for the arts.