Both in the community and in the classroom, Lake Grove Elementary fifth-grader Suri Kern is a leader whose actions better those around her.

Nominated by Lake Grove principal Yolanda Heidelberg, Suri is the Federal Way Mirror’s October Scholar of the Month.

“Suri Kern is an amazing Lake Grove Leopard with an infectious smile and demonstrates positive behaviors,” Heidelberg said.

Suri is a Leopard Leader at Lake Grove and is also a proud member of the Lake Grove Girls on the Run team, through which she collects pet food, toys and blankets to give to the Auburn Valley Humane Society.

As winter and dreary weather rolls in, Suri is creating activities for her classmates to participate in during rainy day recess. She serves as team lead for her fifth grade class and encourages others to be active learners in the classroom.

Suri is an avid reader and because of this, she has motivated her peers to want to read for enjoyment.

“She is a role model for the class,” Heidelberg said. “Often you will hear Suri asking and motivating her classmates to take a chance to answer questions.”

She has been at school on time every day, and consistently follows Lake Grove’s three personal standards of showing respect, solving problems and making good decisions.

“Her leadership in her classroom and school community is one to admire,” Heidelberg said.

For Suri, helping others feels like second nature because “if you help them they can get to know the subject better so they can keep going in school.”

By helping others, Suri said she feels more confident in class and also makes herself feel good.

When it comes to advice for other students to help them achieve their best in school, Suri urges her peers to “always focus and study and try to learn the subject at home” and “try to go above and beyond.”

Suri’s teacher Ms. Watson has helped her reach for the sky because “she always tries to challenge me,” Suri said. “She knows I’m good at math and reading so she always gives me new math to study.”

Suri wants to be a surgeon when she grows up and said is interested in learning about anatomy and space.

“I’m really excited because it’s a very big deal for my family,” Suri said of her Scholar of the Month honor. “I know that I’m accomplishing something in life.”

Criteria to be a Scholar of the Month includes perfect attendance, GPA of 3.0 or better, and demonstration of positive and productive behaviors in schools.