Patti Fennesy
By Linda K. Eaves –
Patti Fennesy, an incoming senior at Foster High School, recently earned the Gold Award, the Girl Scouts’ highest honor. For her project, she worked to revitalize the landscaping at Austin Elementary School. “I wanted something that would benefit the whole community, and the school needed landscaping. I like that years from now I can drive by and see all of the plants grown up, and remember that I was responsible for starting it.”
Patti led the project from collecting donations and planting to watering and thank you notes. During the summer, she watered 16 crepe myrtles and five live oak trees between her morning and afternoon marching band practice where she played the trumpet.
Patti enjoys volunteering at the Wildlife Center of Texas. “My favorite time is between the owls and baby squirrels. The baby squirrels have lots of energy, but it’s very relaxing to feed them. They crawl all over you. One time we were all focused on feeding the squirrels; it was very quiet. A lady blurted out, ‘Can someone get this squirrel off my back?’”
“We use little syringes with a nipple on the end and some formula, and we have different formulas for different ages. The bunnies have to be held tight so they don’t bounce out of your hand. It can take an hour to feed one because they sit there and stare at you.”
“The owls are so beautiful. The barn owls are my favorite. The birds of prey seem to have their own look and personality. I really love being around animals. It’s fun; I can learn a lot because I want to work with animals in the future, so it’s a good experience.”
Patti also enjoys fostering kittens for the Houston SPCA. She and her family foster kittens that are too young, sick, recovering from surgery, or have been there a long time and need to get out of the shelter. “We provide the TLC until they grow to two pounds to be returned for adoption. They’re usually adopted within a few days.”
They also foster kittens that need help getting used to living in a house and being held and played with. “Some are rough, and others are relaxed and super cuddly and sweet.”
Last summer, Patti attended Texas A&M-Galveston Sea Camp for marine biology. “I learned a lot, and it was really good to live in the dorms and make new friends.”
She’s working on her senior red belt in Taekwondo. At Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Patti is active in the Youth Group, works in the nursery and is an altar server.
At Foster, she’s a member of the marching band, basketball, Foster Friends, Foster Book Club, Life Chain and PowerSET. Following graduation, Patti hopes to attend Texas A&M-Galveston to study marine biology.
Her advice: “It’s always really good to be a part of things, or at least one thing. As long as you’re doing what you like, even if it’s taking your time and effort, I think you’ll be happy.”