Abigail Sisson, 11, will be featured as a "Discovery Girl" in the August/September issue of Discovery Girls Magazine.
THE DAUGHTER of Capt. George Sisson (Station Commander at Fire Station 38 in Centreville) and Anne Sisson will attend sixth grade at Willow Springs Elementary this fall. She enjoys writing, and outside of school she is involved in both swimming and cheerleading.
Discovery Girls Magazine is an international magazine geared towards girls ages 7 to 12. Since it was founded in 2000, the magazine has featured 12 "real girls" from a different state or Canadian province each month. Girls who wish to be considered must fill out a questionnaire on topics such as, "What are your dreams for the future?" and "If you could invent anything at all, what would it be?" The questionnaire suggests that applicants put thought into their answers and that they should be creative with their questionnaires, to make them stand out.
"We look for girls who have something interesting to say, who have enthusiasm and personality, and a certain spark that we think our readers can relate to," says Sarah Verney, senior editor at Discovery Girls Magazine. "We want our audience to realize that "real" girls are stars in their own right; you don't have to be a celebrity to be an interesting person or do great things in life." The magazine also tries to feature girls that vary in looks, ethnicity and body type. "We want all girls to feel like they see themselves on our pages," says Verney.
AS A SUBSCRIBER to Discovery Girls Magazine, Abigail received the questionnaire in the mail and responded by creating a scrapbook. "I wanted to enter because I thought it would be really fun, and I wanted to meet new people from the area," says Abigail.
The winners were notified in late January. "I think one of the reasons that Abigail was selected was her honesty," says Anne Sisson. "We are very proud of her."
Once she was selected as a winner from more than 600 applicants, Abigail and the 11 other "Discovery Girls" met with Catherine Lee, the founder and editor of Discovery Girls Magazine.
The girls met in Washington, D.C., where they visited the Lincoln Memorial, the reflecting pool, and the World War II Memorial. The next day, the girls attended a photo shoot in Silver Spring, Md., and the 12 "Discovery Girls" exchanged email addresses. As a "Discovery Girl," Abigail will contribute to the magazine for the next several issues by writing opinion articles and advice columns.
Perhaps the best evidence that Abigail exemplifies a "real girl" is her response when asked what her favorite part of the experience was. "The photo shoot," she immediately responds. "I liked it when they did my hair, and I got to select my own wardrobe."