Channahon Teen Eryn Frye Dedicates Her Spare Time to Helping Others

One of the first things you notice about Eryn Michele Frye is her smile. She is always smiling, always cheerful and always has a kind word of encouragement for others.

“I don’t think anyone should have to be sad; I think that everyone should be as happy as possible, which is why I do my best to try and help people,” said Frye.

Frye, 14, graduated from Troy Middle School this past May and believes of all the things she has done, spending her time doing community service is the most important.

“I think volunteering is important for kids my age; a lot of the things in society that need to get done wouldn’t be able get done without the help of volunteers,” Frye said. “I get to experience different types of events in the community in a different way than people that just attend them."

Eryn has volunteered on multiple occasions for Senior Services Center of Will County, helping to promote community events that benefit seniors citizens. She also donates her time through her church’s summer camp program, helping 1stthorugh 6th graders with various crafts and activities.

"I get a good feeling inside knowing that I helped do something,” she said.

When Fry isn't volunteering, she spends time getting involved in school.

Throughout her time in junior high and middle school, Fry participated in the honors program, where her favorite subjects were English and Writing.

“I like being able to read something and then react to it, and being able to express my thoughts and opinions through writing” said Frye.

During her time at Troy, Frye explored writing and literature beyond regular coursework through her contributions to the school’s literary magazine, the TMS Times. These included poetry and book reviews as well as serving as the magazine’s editor this past year.

Frye was also a member of the TMS Literacy Club, where students come together to read and discuss different styles of books and examine their plots and characters. Also through the Literacy Club, Frye participated in a mentoring program for 5th graders, to assist them with reading activities that help to prepare them for middle school.

"I liked that they were all willing to learn and to do different activities to help prepare them; they were all huge fans of reading, which I thought was really cool,” said Frye of her mentoring experience.

Helping is a recurring theme for Frye who was also voted most helpful team member of the TMS Dance/Poms Team of which she was a member for two years.

“All of the sports teams at TMS, (cheer, poms, basketball, volleyball), were all united, always there to encourage each other," she said. "Teamwork is very important; when teamwork is involved, everything is easier because everyone’s working together for the same common cause."

“Competition has taught me that everybody has their own way of doing things, each team was talented in their own way, differences are what make each team’s style unique,” she said.

In addition to poms, Frye has been dancing since the tender age of 3, when she started taking lessons at La Danse Acadamie in Joliet. 

“Ever since I took my first class I’ve enjoyed it," she said. "Dance has been a part of my life for so long, with each and every class I notice improvement in myself and my colleagues.

"We work together and have become like a family."

This fall, Frye began at .

Frye is excited about exploring all of the new opportunities that high school has to offer her this fall.

“I am looking forward to musicals, as they include my two favorite hobbies: singing and dancing," Frye said. "I really want to participate in student council, because I think it would be great to get a say in what happens and be able to voice your opinion."

Frye lives with her mom and dad in ; she has one older sister and a brother-in-law.