At a very young age, Kelly Siedhof began strengthening her leadership skills.

She joined the Girl Scouts as a Daisy Scout in kindergarten and continues her involvement with the organization today.

"I'm an Ambassador, and we get to do activities like camping trips, service projects, and cookie sales with the younger scouts in other troops", the 17-year-old explained. "There are so many great experiences that are diverse, and we learn discipline while having fun."

Siedhof is getting additional experience as a leader this fall.

The Garden Spot High School senior is one of three drum majors for the marching band.

"I am so honored to do that. There were auditions, and three of us were chosen to be drum majors," the Narvon teen said.

She also mentors elementary students in the Eastern Lancaster County School District in their music classes.

Siedhof plays in concert band, jazz band, and with the Garden Spot Performing Arts orchestra. With plans to attend college to major in music education, Siedhof said she hopes to major in music education at West Chester University.

"I actually just started playing the saxophone two years ago," the 17-year-old said. "But I did play the flute for six years too."

Siedhof is solid in the classroom as well. She began the current school year with a 3.6 grade-point average. She tackled A.P. music theory and European history in her junior year.

Siedhof, along with her parents Mark and Shirley, and brother, Clinton, have been involved with The Seeing Eye program for 15 years. They have fostered 12 dogs, training the puppies to be service animals for the blind and sight-impaired.

"We get the dogs when they are about 7 to 8 weeks old, and we have them for up to 15 months. We train them basic commands like sit, down, rest, come, and forward as well as social manners like no barking, to stay off the furniture, and no people food."

Siedhof said the dogs then return to The Seeing Eye in New Jersey for their formal training to learn how to watch for traffic and guide people.

Not all dogs pass the final test because of health or social issues. But the teen said she was able to adopt two of the dogs that failed their final exams.

"We adopted a golden retriever, Vanita, and a German shepherd, Cheynne. She was the hardest one that we would have had to give up. She's the one dog we've had who got really attached to me the most, so I was glad to get her back," Siedhof said, adding that it is sometimes difficult to give up the dogs after they are trained.

"But, you know they are in good hands and are doing a good thing for people, so it's OK," she said.

The teen, who enjoys hunting with her family in Sullivan County, is a two-year member of Garden Spot's rifle team.

"I've been shooting .22 rifle with my dad all of my life," Siedhof said. "On the rifle team, you have to control your nerves and stay still, and you're also scored on marksmanship."

The teen is a member of Bridgeville Evangelical Congregational Church in Narvon.

She works part-time at Churchtown Bed and Breakfast.