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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — When Treasure West was eight years old, her mother died of a drug overdose. At the same time, her father was in jail.
She and three of her siblings went to live with their cousin, Tonya Wade, whom they call aunt.
Wade and her husband, Coveak, went from a household of five to nine when custody issues were solved.
Tonya Wade told the children, "You have two mothers and two fathers. ... We're not your biological parents, but we are your parents."
The Wades instilled in the children the obligation to help the needy and be active in school and the community.
"All the kids are driven hard to be good citizens and be a good person," Tonya Wade said.
West, a soft-spoken 18-year-old with a steady smile, took the guidance to heart.
"I always wanted to stand out," the recent graduate of Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet School said. "I didn't want to just sit in class then go home. I wanted to be able to say, 'I did that in middle school; I did that in high school. I got involved.' That's what I want to do in college. I want to get involved."
"You would have no idea the things that she's overcome to be successful," said school counselor Connie Hensley. "She's always trying to jump in and help when she sees that help is needed.
"You know, a lot of us, when we have baggage or things we're struggling with, we turn inward, and we don't necessarily look and see how we can better where we are."
But, that's why Hensley thinks West stands out.
"It's hard to get on Treasure's calendar because she's got so many people she's helping and so much going on," Hensley said. "You know, we're doing something, Treasure's got to be up in it. No big surprise there."
It's a drive that led her to many titles, including varsity cheerleading captain; Ms. Firebird, chosen by the faculty for achievement in athletics and academics; homecoming queen; Ms. Pearl-Cohn, chosen by her fellow students; and student ambassador.
West is a volunteer at Preston Taylor Ministries, Hands on Nashville and the YMCA. She has served food to the homeless, mentored children, helped with cleanup at various facilities and created care packages for military personnel.
She also stays involved at the Nashville Zoo, where she served an internship in the alpaca and goat petting zoo, teaching children about the animals.
"I loved it. Some days they'll (the animals) get very irritated and headbutt you."
The internship fulfilled the community service hours for her capstone class, a program required of seniors that involves community service. The program fueled her desire to work with animals — she's remained a volunteer — and to pursue a career in marine biology.
"My mom always had a passion for dolphins," West said. "Well, when she passed, I took up the passion of her being with dolphins, swimming with dolphins. ... This is the reason why I can become a marine biologist — and live on her dream, too."
The Wades also made sure the children were involved in sports and school activities, even if it meant driving all over the city and dividing time to get the kids to everything.
"When (West and her older sister, Danielle) cheered, the kids were on the court," Wade said. "Sometimes me and my husband had to go in different directions, but there was always one of us there whenever something was going on with the kids."
As cheer captain, West was a leader on the team and bonded with her teammates.
"She kind of balanced out the other girls," said Tiffany Spicer, a cheerleading sponsor at the school. "...She kept the girls in line when she needed to."
West will be attending Savannah State University in the fall with support from Alpha Kappa Alpha and George Cate Civitan Club scholarships.
"I want to be that one person someone can look up to," West said. She wants them to think, " 'Regardless of what she went through, she stood out. She got through ... the hard times and things that should have knocked her down. She never got knocked down.' "
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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
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