GARYVILLE — Angelica Carter is enthusiastic about keeping herself and her classmates active and healthy.

The recently graduated eighth grader served as student leader of Fuel Up to Play 60 — a health program at Garyville/Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School.

Principal Rosalind Davis said Angelica exemplified leadership, adding she is a student always looking for ways to serve others.

Davis has known Carter, 14, for three years.

“We are a national Fuel up to Play 60 school, and Angelica is an ambassador for the program,” Davis said. “It’s a program that promotes healthy eating, healthy living and, at the core of the program, is leadership.”

Students’ last day at the Magnet School was Wednesday.

Davis said Angelica worked closely all year with the school’s health and physical education teacher to make the program “come to life.”

Angelica said students jumped rope, and played kickball, football and volleyball.

“I was in sixth grade when Mrs. Perkins, the leader of the program here, told all of us about it,” she said. “After hearing a little bit about the program, I decided I wanted to be involved in it.”

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an NFL campaign urging children to stay active for 60 minutes a day.

“We wanted the program in the school because just having P.E. doesn’t cut it,” Davis said. “Normally P.E. is only 45 minutes of your day. We have different campaigns to get kids active, like Jump Rope for Heart and we have Ramp Up for Recess so kids don’t just sit around and talk during recess — they play football and basketball and stuff like that.”

Students get things like basketballs, jump ropes and other items to play with at recess instead of standing around and not being active.

“Even though you’re having fun, you’re also exercising and getting fit at the same time,” Carter said. “The whole school is involved with the program. The middle school kids love it, but the younger kids love it even more. It’s fun being outside and away from class for a little bit.”

At first some were skeptical of how students would respond but Carter said soon everyone realized it was a good way to get fit and there are a wide range of actives to do.

“Being active is important because when you just sit around doing nothing it’s easy to gain weight,” Carter said. “In 60 minutes and taking time away from just sitting down, you can have fun and play around outside and lose weight. As the school’s ambassador, I’m the leader and it’s my job to teach kids about the program and get them active. It’s about getting fit and having fun all at the same time.”

Along with working with Fuel Up to Play 60, Carter is also concerned about doing well in school, Davis said.

“Angelica works really hard in the classroom,” Davis said. “She is an academic scholar. Angelica is always giving it her best, and she will seek assistance. If she knows that it is something that she needs, she is going to go and get that help.”

Carter, who has been on the A/B honor roll multiple times, said she does her best to pay attention in class. She said she tries to get at least Bs on her tests because she knows how are important they are.

Carter said she wants to be a lawyer because she feels there are many people who are incarcerated for no reason and she wants to prevent that.