Anyone who has ever grumbled about “teenagers these days” has obviously never met Alex Webb.

Born and raised on a hobby farm in Huntsville, Webb is an active, compassionate, intelligent, friendly young woman who knows what she wants out of life: to help others.

The 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Huntsville High School (HHS) plans to be a family doctor someday, but she’s not waiting until after university to make the world a better place.

Last summer Webb travelled to Tarapoto, Peru with her church youth group for 10 days. There, she helped build a wall to close in a compound.

“We learned in one day how to lay bricks and then went for it,” she recalls with a smile.

Webb was impressed by the tools workers made by hand and the goods available at the local market. Most importantly, she says, the experience changed her perspective on what she had and what she needed.

“We went there thinking we were going to help them out and we had all these gifts for them, but they gave so much back to us,” she says.

That’s why she is part of the HHS group travelling to Ecuador for seven days in March to volunteer through Free the Children.

“I can’t wait. It’s an amazing group of students and teachers going, and we will have a lot of fun,” she says.

Webb has made her mark on the local level as well. This is her second year as a member of the HHS Link Crew, a group of senior students who are trained to help Grade 9 students with the transition to high school.

“My first day of high school (when there was no Link Crew) was horrible,” she says. “I didn’t know many people, and it was a big jump from a school of 350 people.”

Webb has nothing but praise for the program, saying it not only helps the new students, but teaches Link Crew members to be leaders.

“It has a way of making you think about how the decisions you make now will follow you through the rest of your life,” she says.

Webb is also an active member of the Interact Club. “It’s a young Rotary Club,” she explains. “Our goal each year is to do something within the school, community and globally.”

On top of all that, Webb competes with her school’s cross-country running and skiing teams, teaches swimming,  tutors younger students and enjoys hanging out with her friends.

“It’s crazy, but it’s been fun,” she says of her time at high school. “The time has flown by.”

Webb is quick to credit her parents, especially her mother,  for being a positive influence on her.

“My mom has always been involved in my life. I tell her everything,” she says, adding proudly that her mother received her Bachelor of Education two years ago.

“She’s a real role model about planning time wisely and making sure you still have time for yourself and the people around you,” says Webb. “When it comes down to it, school is not as important as the people around you.”

 Webb says her heart breaks for kids whose parents haven’t given them a strong foundation in life.

“I've been so lucky,” she says.

She notes that her generation as a whole faces challenges understanding how to communicate with others.

“There’s a lack of respect, and a lot of people don’t have personal relationships anymore,” she reflects. “Technology doesn’t help with this because you can be so fake when you’re not face to face with someone. This isn’t setting us up to have good relationships with our spouses and children down the road.”

At the same time, she says, “Teenagers get shafted sometimes. We’re not all the same. We’re not here to bother people. There are good people out there who are teenagers and want to help. We can do things to help the community, and we want to be involved.”