This past summer sitting in a conference room on her training trip, it clicks on what she wants to accomplish to make a difference.

Senior Brooke Millican, applies for the Ford Leadership Scholar program and out of 450 other applicants she earns her way into the ten finalists.

“I had to go through lots of interviews,” Millican said. “Then I got accepted and went on a two-and-a-half week trip where I traveled all over the state; we saw what other people were doing to make a difference.”

With no requirements or guidelines, Millican needs to take what she learns on the trip and complete a community service project.

“I have a huge place in my heart for special needs children and knew right away that my project would somehow involve them,” Millican said. “So I decided to build a community pocket park for the special needs kids to make a difference.”

Millican’s best friend Robert Smith died of spina bifida ten years ago.

“The whole park is in memory of him,” she said. “We are  going to have a big plaque that says, ‘In memory of Robert Smith and other loved ones that made a difference’.”

Located at 106 S. Trinity Street, by the Decatur Visitor Center others can donate $250 or more and place a plaque on a bench or brick.

“My vision for this project is not for special needs kids’, it is to help special needs kids help other people,” she said.

Her purpose already shows development. This park reflects on her friend, junior Aubrey Thompson, who helps her with the project.

“My outlook on special needs children changed,” Thompson said. “I give them more credit now than I did before. All the things they actually do that people don’t see and just over look.”

Millican’s Aunt, Frieda Hanley, knows how much determination her niece holds.

“I think when she started she did not realize how complicated it would be,” Hanley said. “I think she made a visual for the end reward. With her determination, she will do anything to get it done.”

Millican named this pocket park Project Bloom to symbolize growth.

“I’m a person who’s not very patient and last year I was in a floral class where I watered the greenhouse every day,” Millican said. “And I had to be patient and I actually ended up loving it, especially the horticulture part. I wanted to put the special needs with the horticulture part.”

Agricultural science teacher Jim Allsup gives all recognition to Brooke and hopes others see the same.

“This is awesome,” he said. “I wish every high school student had to do a project like this in the community.”

Allsup helps Millican by discussing ideas and methods.

“She’s always been an individual wanting to help others,” Allsup said. “If she wants to do something and has the desire to achieve it, she makes it happen.”

This project includes three phases: project fertilizer, project cultivate and project blossom.

The first phase introduced the fundraising in October. A concert, silent and live auction, and other activities for kids raise money for the park.

“The second phase consists of  construction, done in November,” Millican said, “and the third phase, project blossom, the special needs come and paint everything.”

Hoping to finish the whole park by mid-December, Millican adds one special touch.

“We’re making a big metal tree,” she said. “You can walk under it like a normal tree and it symbolizes growth. At my fundraiser we made paper chains with our dreams and goals on one side and our name on the other, so we are going to bury it under the metal tree to watch our dreams grow.”

Millican describes the process as stressful but knows the end product pays off.

“The best part is when the whole park finishes and she has the grand opening,” Thompson said. “It will be like a 1000 piece jig-saw puzzle finally coming together.”

With one goal in mind, Millican proves she can go out and achieve anything she wants to.

“I want somebody to be changed because of it. If it makes a difference in one person, then I’m happy,” Millican said.

Hanley encourages Millican through the process of this project and is happy to help.

This project is just another thing to add to the list for one more reason to be proud of her,” Hanley said.

After the pocket park is finished, Millican hopes to walk away with the $1,000 scholarship, as she begins to pack for Texas Tech in the fall.

After college and as she gets older, Millican has even bigger goals.

“My ultimate dream is to have a rehabilitation ranch for special needs kids,” she said. “That’s what I really want to do.”

If you wish to donate money to help fund the pocket park,