Hailey Mullins, Age 8, attends Clintwood Elementary School; Clintwood, Virginia:
“[About growing up in the mountains] I think it’s pretty beautiful. You can’t get tornadoes! There’s not a lot of bad weather, I don’t think.
[Favorite part of school] Math, because I think it’s very interesting, and you can use it when you’re older. I like to read books. I like to read chapter books about all sorts of things. [favorite books are] Probably about magic! Well, you can use it for a bunch of different things.
I do [like to write], I know how to write in cursive. I’m actually working on [a story]. It’s about a girl who sees a ghost and she’s really scared. [I love scary stories], because they’re very exciting.
[On whether she’s seen a ghost] I think it was a dream, He [the mean ghost] stabbed me,
Outside, I like to exercise. I don’t ride a bike. I jog, run and walk, because I think that it’s better than riding a bike, and you can get more exercise so that you don’t just get worn out and stuff. So you’re healthier and your body grows better.
[On getting someone to visit Clintwood] I’d say Clintwood’s a really good town! I’d tell them that it’s very beautiful and that it has all sorts of flowers and different kinds of animals and plants --- cats, deer, dogs, bears. [Saw a bear that was] ‘bout to that roof, maybe a little smaller. Probably as big as you!
I think I’d like to be a vet. I actually have two [animals] myself. I have a dog and a cat that hate each other! My dog’s name is Prudence, and my cat’s name is Butterscotch. It’s a golden retriever, I think? And then it’s a bunch of all other sorts of stuff mixed together.
My dad weeds and mows and cuts down trees. He plays music! He plays music on the guitar. I love when he writes songs. He writes very silly songs and I like them. He makes up songs for me,
My favorite food is strawberries. My mommy is helping me cook. She’s teaching me how to make scrambled eggs. And I already know how to make it and I don’t know what I’m gonna make next. I’m gonna see if I can help with anything else to make.
My mom says I have to be 25 before I can date a boy. I’m eight. I told her why not 18, ‘cause my dad said 18 and she said nope, 28. And then she changed it to 26, and I’m like ‘noooo!”