Haili Kemble shines with compassion

When Haili Kemble writes her name, she boldly draws a star over each of the i’s.

It is as if to tell the world what she intends to do with her life – shine brightly in whatever she pursues. And according to Haili and those who know her best, there is no doubt she will succeed.

“When I grow up, I really want to be a nurse practitioner,” said the bubbly 11-year-old. “I think it is important to get a good job and be able to take care of yourself. But you also have to have fun doing it.”

Listening to Haili speak, one would believe that college is just around the corner instead of seven years away. But time has not stood in the way of Haili setting long-term goals.

“I want to get a scholarship and play basketball for the college in Missoula,” she said. “Then I will finish college and get a good job.”

Haili loves to share her enthusiasm for her favorite pastime – basketball.

“I’ve played my whoooole life,” she said.

Currently on a team for the Parks and Recreation Department, Haili hopes to join the more competitive Amateur Athletic Union league soon.

“I like both offense and defense, but most of all, I like stealing the ball,” giggled Haili, who has earned the nickname “Shooter.”

“And I’ve just learned a good technique for stealing. You grab the ball with one hand on top and one on the bottom,” she said.

Haili’s parents are divorced, and her mother, Marie, admits Haili has not had an easy life. But her daughter has risen above it all and has captured the hearts of many with her enthusiasm for life and her self-confidence.

“She has been through a lot, but she is a survivor and a fighter,” said Marie. “She is very compassionate and tries to find the beauty in everyone.”

Proudly sharing that she is a Christian, Haili says it is important to treat everyone equally.

“I am loving toward others and really care about people,” she said. “I am also respectful to others and listen to what they have to say.”

Her mom could not agree more.

“She is very God-centered and is very good to others,” said Marie, who credits her daughter with giving her the courage to go back to school after her divorce.

Haili has given a great deal of thought to what she wants to do with her life. She has set goals that complement her talents and is quick to share her thoughts with anyone who will listen.

“I am really good at taking care of people,” said Haili. “I want to be able to take care of my mom when she is old. I don’t want to put her into a nursing home.”

Despite her youth and the difficulties she has faced with her parents’ divorce, Haili says life has been good to her. She takes great joy in passing on the good things in life to others, whether it is offering a kind word or taking time to play with someone at school whom the other kids may exclude.

“I like to pay it forward to others,” Haili said.

Although she admits not liking all subjects in school, she knows it is important to work hard and do her best. Haili, who attends Ponderosa Elementary School in Post Falls, said math is something she is starting to improve on, and she also is working hard at reading.

“I really do not like to read, but I learn a lot from it,” Haili said. “And you know you have to read if you want to be independent.”

But Haili’s exuberance turns to sadness when she talks about one of her best friends who died a few years ago.

At first, one is led to believe that her friend was a classmate or a fellow basketball player, but as Haili continues, she talks about how her friend Emily was not just another acquaintance. She held a very special place in Haili’s heart.

“Emily was mentally handicapped, and she was my best friend,” said Haili. “She was beautiful. She was a lot older than I was, but in her mind, she was a little girl like me.”

It is that compassion for others that instantly shines through when one meets Haili – compassion that she can remember learning as a young child.

“My mom used to read me a book called ‘The Daughter of the King.’ In the book, you learn that everybody is a princess just like the king’s daughter,” Haili said. “And that is because we are all God’s princesses.”