Jennifer Bechtel hasn't idled away her free time.

She has traveled to Costa Rica this summer with fellow members of Calvary Church in Lancaster on a 10-day mission trip.

"We did English camps for the kids there. They are so energetic," Bechtel said. "We painted a church, and we visited a drug rehab center for Bible study."

Bechtel did have several days to explore the Central American nation prior to beginning her outreach work.

"All of the houses are different colors, and there are so many tropical flowers. One night, we got to stay with host families to experience a Costa Rican house. The food was really good."

The 17-year-old also dedicated some of her summer vacation working as a counselor for the Lancaster County Youth Conservation School in Denver for a week. She volunteered with junior high school students, teaching them about fishing, canoeing and even gun safety.

"We also get to camp out for a week, too, so it's fun. I was a counselor last year, and had been a student the year before that. I love being outdoors, so this is perfect."

Bechtel will be a senior at Warwick High School this fall. It is just her third year in public school. The teen made the transition prior to her sophomore year.

She had previously attended private school and was enrolled in cyber school and home school programs for the earlier part of her education.

"I wanted a new experience, and I really like being around people, so I wanted to go to Warwick," the teen explained.

"I like the structure of public school, so I transitioned very easily, and my grades are still really good."

Ranked 26th in Warwick's class of 2011, Bechtel carries a weighted grade-point average of 4.20.

She is a National Honor Society inductee and recently began researching her college options.

"I visited Penn State, and I went to a weekend college experience at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I also have to go through a lot of college mail."

The teen said she is undecided on a college major but is considering several ideas.

"Something with college or writing, like journalism," Bechtel said, adding that she has another option that she calls totally different.

"I'm also interested in physical therapy because I've had to have so much of it because of my many injuries. Plus, I would get to work with people, which I like."

Bechtel has had some interesting injuries. She sprained her shoulder playing Wii tennis, broke her elbow during a bike-riding accident and sprained her ankle by sitting on it incorrectly.

Her injuries have not kept her from participating on the Lititz Springs Swimming Pool swim team. She swims freestyle and breaststroke and is considering joining the Warwick varsity swim team this year.

The busy teen also works part time at Oregon Dairy. She uses her free time to add to her collection of poetry, short stories, and journals that she started while in elementary school. She is an avid reader, and she enjoys playing piano and taking bike rides near her rural Lititz home.

Bechtel, the daughter of Lynn and John Bechtel, has an older brother, Matthew, and two younger brothers, David and Andrew.