Ask third grader Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ Neal what’s important in life, and she won’t hesitate to tell you: “Treat others the way you want to be treated. And no Tilly tantrums.” The second part, she’ll explain, is her own invention. “They’re tantrums,” she says matter-of-factly, “but I made up a better name for them.”

That mix of imagination, confidence, and kindness sums up Lizzy perfectly. At just eight years old, she’s a student who loves to learn, loves to help, and loves to make her school a happier place.

Lizzy is in Ms. Salazar’s third-grade class at Cairo Elementary. She’s the only girl in a lively household with four brothers—Kyle, Alan, Thomas, and Charlie. “There are five of us,” she says proudly. “As long as they don’t bully me, it’s good. But they don’t.”

Each morning, her mom drops her off at school. “If we wanted to walk, we’d have to wake up at like five,” she says with a laugh. After school, her family sometimes stops at Dollar General for groceries before heading home. “Important stuff like dinner and breakfast,” Lizzy says, as if listing her top priorities.

Her favorite subject is art. “I love to paint,” she says quickly, her face lighting up. Her favorite color is magenta, followed closely by violet. She also enjoys helping her classmates when they need a hand. “If I can help, I help,” she says. “That’s just what I do.”

Though she loves creative projects, she’s also practical and already thinking about her future. “Good grades mean you don’t get held back,” she explains. “You can move up, get a job, have your own family, and fix your own house.” It’s an answer far beyond her years, but it comes out effortlessly.

Lizzy dreams of becoming a teacher someday—maybe an art teacher or a second-grade classroom teacher. Then she grins and adds, “I want to be a teacher until about 2:30, and then a baker from four to five-thirty—or maybe six-thirty.” Her favorite things to bake? “Cakes, cupcakes, and cookies,” she says, pausing thoughtfully. “Not only because the kitchen will smell good, but because I get to use chocolate chips and icing. Maybe sneak a few.”

She laughs easily, but she’s grounded too. When asked what would happen if she didn’t get an A, Lizzy shrugged. “It’d be fine,” she says. “No big deal. I could just make it the next time if I try harder.” Her teachers describe her as confident, resilient, and eager to learn.

At home, Lizzy loves reading—especially Junie B. Jones books. “I love Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus,” she says proudly, remembering how she read it in second grade. Right now, she’s reading “Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World” in her rotation group with Ms. McAllister. “We’re on chapter seven,” she says, “and it’s really good.”

She likes those small-group sessions because they mix fun and focus. “Sometimes we read in the art room or outside,” she says. “It’s just fun.”

Her creative side shines when she talks about the art room. “There were big boxes that looked like Shrek’s swamp,” she says, eyes wide. “I think the older kids are working on that. I saw Shrek drawings in the cafeteria!” She laughs again, delighted by the energy of it all.

Even at eight, Lizzy already notices the details adults sometimes overlook. “Ms. Salazar likes everything in the perfect spot,” she says knowingly. “Those big boxes wouldn’t be easy to organize, and she wouldn’t be happy about that.”

Her favorite times of day are lunchtime and the end of the day, when the class sometimes gets to draw. “If we’ve been good enough, we can draw,” she says. “That’s my favorite.”

Her mom describes her as a character—full of energy, imagination, and heart. Lizzy loves to help her classmates and makes a point to lift others up. She says it just makes sense. “If we can’t be the example first,” she says, “then who will?”

As she looks ahead to the rest of third grade, Lizzy says she’s just happy to be learning new things, helping her friends, and painting on Fridays. She may only be eight, but she already understands that success comes from hard work, kindness, and a positive attitude.

And if the world ever forgets that lesson, Elizabeth Neal will be there to remind it—with a splash of magenta paint, a smile, and absolutely no Tilly tantrums.