By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

Aaron Hill is busy with his own studies, but enjoys helping kids with theirs. He advises those he tutors and mentors to “enjoy life. ... Life’s too short not to laugh.” -- Staff photo by Poehl

May 11, 2006 - Twenty-year-old Aaron Hill lives his life mentoring other kids. Hill, who is from Arlington, is a sophomore at Baylor University and is a Community Leader (CL), a Student Teaching and Reaching Students (STARS) and is involved with Antioch Community Church.

A CL is a resident of the dorm halls that act as a leader and friend for the other student residents living on that dormitory hall. Hill is the CL for 52 students living in Penland Dormitory.

“We all come together and hang out. I love to see the guys play video games together and play sports together,“ Hill explained. “I like to challenge the residents to mature in their relationships, studies and faith. It‘s great to be on the ground floor of seeing the guys change over a year.”

Getting picked to be CL for a year “was a long process in which I had to be interviewed with 400 other people applying for the position,” Hill said. “This year they picked 50 new CL’s and I was one of them.”

Although Hill enjoys being a CL and making relationships, he will no longer be a CL next semester.

“Being a CL is great for relationship building, and I just feel like I need to get outside of the dorm so I am able to build those relationships more,” said Hill.

During the second part of his summer vacation, Hill is going to India with a group from Antioch church. During the month that he will be in India, he will supposedly live in huts with lots of other people and

children. He will also help the missionaries that are in India and build houses for the local people.

Hill is also in the Starts program through Antioch Community Church, in which he tutors inner city kids. Hill has been involved with Stars for one semester.

“I have tutor a 12-year-old boy that I call D. We meet each week and study and talk about everything,” explained Hill. “We come to Penland and eat a slice of pizza and he and his brother and I play basketball or football. It’s a great way to reach the inner city kids.”

Hill is busy with his studies as a business major, but he finds the time to mentor others and befriend other kids.

“If there is anything that I could tell kids out there, it’s to enjoy life and never take life too seriously,” Hill said. “Life’s too short not to laugh.”