YOUNG VIOLINIST STRIVES TO BE BEST

Liesl Schoenberger is just a freshman at Notre Dame Regional High School. But the 14-year-old already is an accomplished violinist.

Area residents have enjoyed her musical talents for years.

She is the reigning Missouri junior fiddle champion.

The Cape Girardeau girl made her debut as a symphony orchestra soloist this year, performing a difficult piece by Tchaikovsky.

She performed in March with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in Jackson, Miss. And last month she took to the stage with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra.

Her musical career continues to take her to new heights.

It's a testimony to her musical skills and the commitment of her parents, Dr. John and Brenda Schoenberger, who drive her to Indiana University in Bloomington for weekly lessons.

Whenever we are overcome with so much unhappy news about young people in today's society, it is a delight to read about students like Liesl who represent the majority of today's students. Most youths today are learning important lessons. Some are excelling at various endeavors. Some, like Liesl, are at the very forefront of what they do.

These students are taking giant steps to create a better world. They are leaving beauty, craftsmanship, strong values and an inheritance that benefits all of us. It's a legacy well worth acknowledging.