VIDALIA &8212; There is more to life for one Vidalia teen than just high school.

Vidalia High School sophomore Alicia White, 16, of 309 Stamply St., said between her academic life and involvement with Instructor Corp Program and Future Homemakers of America, she still has time to work part-time, hang out with friends and spend time with her boyfriend.

&8220;I work to save money for college and I really enjoy ICP because I really love the environment and FHA gives me the chance to be involved with my community,&8221; White said.

White works as a waitress for Lil&8217; Dagos in Natchez and said the money she has earned has two purposes.

&8220;I use the tips I make to pay my car insurance, cell phone bill and gas bill and the money from my paycheck goes toward college,&8221; White said.

The time she spends in extracurricular activities also earns her college and high school credit, White said.

&8220;ICP was a program of a series of five campouts where we spent two months on the Cocodrie Refuge learning about wildlife conservation,&8221; White said. &8220;For our last project, we researched bat shelters in some of the hollowed out trees on the refuge.

&8220;I just started with the Future Homemakers of America so I don&8217;t really know what all I&8217;ll do but it sounds like a cool program and I know I get credit for it,&8221; White said.

In her

spare time, White said she loves to spend time with her boyfriend, Joey Laborde, who works for a private contracting company cutting trees outside of New Orleans.

&8220;I also love going to Lake Saint John to my friend&8217;s lake house whenever I have time off from work,&8221; White said.

White said she is already making plans for after graduation from high school.

&8220;My plan is not to go to college for a year so I can earn my own way,&8221; White said.

&8220;Once I have enough, I hope to go to Louisiana Tech in Ruston and major in psychology.&8221;