While her peers may have been tanning, boating and relaxing on one of the area lakes this past summer, Alexandra Gream was remodeling a rental house. It may not be a common dream for a high school student, but Gream said the project gave her the sense of fulfillment she seeks in all her work.

Gream, a senior at Mayfield High School, has experience working at her father's industrial tooling business, child care, soccer coaching and running her own vegetable stand. She opened the stand behind her dad's store last summer and put out the produce along with a lock box, requesting the community use the honor system when picking out sweet and savory selections. The money wasn't the main goal, but it was a welcome addition, she said. She tended her tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers almost every day, and she loved every minute of it.

When her friends go out on Friday night, Gream said she'll often opt to work with her dad for a few hours. Her social life is important, but she enjoys the feeling of accomplishment.

Alexandra Gream, daughter of John and Jennifer Gream, is the Mid-Continent University Teen of the Week. Each Monday, the Sun features a different MCU Teen of the Week selected from nominees that high school guidance counselors throughout western Kentucky and southern Illinois submit to the Sun. Mid-Continent University will provide each Teen of the Week with a $2,500 annual scholarship to its university, which is renewable for four years.

In the spring, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners and will receive a full four-year scholarship to Mid-Continent University, currently valued at up to $55,000, or a cash reward of $2,500 paid through the Paducah Sun if the student selects another college to attend.

Gream is an athlete, entrepreneur and a family-oriented person. She wants to study somewhere close to home so she can maintain her tight relationship with her large family. As a twin, Gream said she learned the value of helping others early.

She plans to become a high school math teacher, and she's already had some experience helping friends and her boyfriend. Gream is enrolled in both AP Calculus and AP Statistics this year. She said she didn't mind taking the difficult classes her senior year because it could allow her a more relaxed schedule in college.

Outside academic and work life, Gream enjoys playing and coaching soccer. She hopes to carry that on in her position as a math teacher. She's been a very active member of the Future Business Leaders of America group at Mayfield High School. Though she did not compete her freshman year, she's won regional and state competitions, even getting to go to the national competition.

Gream said she's always been interested in a variety of activities and she's a natural leader in those activities. Her experiences, especially soccer, have taught her she can do anything she wants to. She'll carry that attitude to her college career. Where that career will start, she said, is yet to be determined.