30 Jun 2025 Kid of the Month: Emmi Weston
By Carol Rolf
Emmarie “Emmi” Weston finished the sixth grade in a whirlwind.
Emmi, the 12-year-old daughter of Taylor and Summer Weston of Conway, advanced from elementary to junior high school in May, winning several awards at Ambassador Baptist Academy in Greenbrier. She also suffered her first broken bone during a school field day on May 9.
“I was just running a race, fell and broke my arm,” she said, laughing. “They took me to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where I got a big cast. I didn’t need surgery. Now, I have a shorter cast and hope to have that off by mid-July.”
Like many students, she is looking forward to junior high. But, perhaps unlike some, Emmi may face unknown challenges because she is autistic.
“Emmi was diagnosed with autism at age 4,” Summer Weston said. “It’s just a part of who she is.
“When we received the diagnosis, we did not get a real hopeful prognosis,” she said. “We were told she might never swim or ride a bike, never play the piano or be a ballerina. She has crossed all that off that checklist, and more. She may have special needs, but she does not consider herself to be disabled. She has worked hard to get to where she is today. She continues to take occupational and speech therapy. We have a lovely village helping her.”
“Being autistic doesn’t make me unable to do things,” Emmi said. “Sometimes it just takes me longer or I have to find a different way.”
Summer said her daughter’s initial diagnosis included the possibility of her not being able to attend college. She has crossed that off the checklist, too, as she hopes to attend the University of Central Arkansas and major in biology, eventually earning her doctorate so she can teach biology. Emmi has already toured the UCA campus and will attend UCA’s Summer STEAM Academy on July 15-18.
“I love science,” she said. “I hope to be a biologist or maybe a jockey. I’ve been thinking about that lately. I don’t have a horse but wish I had horses.” Emmi’s love for horses is evident by her participation in previous camps offered by Piccolo Zoppé Circus of Greenbrier.
“I’ve been going for the past three years,” she said. “I learned how to do everything, rolla bolla, trick riding, aerials, high wire. My favorites are working with the horses and the rolla bolla, which is a balance prop — a tube or cylinder placed under a board and you have to balance on it by rolling it from side to side.”
Emmi also takes dance lessons at Sonshine Academy and piano lessons at Palmer Music Co.
She has attended Ambassador Baptist Academy for three years, and her teacher has been Tabatha Allen. It is a small, private Christian school started in 2006 by Ambassador Baptist Church. Her scholastic accomplishments this year include the Bible Award, the Aspiring Author Award, the Christian Character Award and recognition for making all A’s.
“Science has been Emmi’s favorite class, followed by language,” Allen said. “English is her strong point. It’s evident in her writing; she has a love for words. She’s written plays, poems, stories. This led to her receiving the Aspiring Author Award.
“She worked hard to make an A in Bible and to receive the Bible Award. She had to learn many Bible verses and recite them. Students even have to recite whole chapters.
“She also received the Christian Character Award,” Allen said. “I try to teach the students to always strive to do better, to have a Christian character, to show kindness not selfishness. And if they don’t do something as well as they think they should, to try to do better next time and ask for forgiveness. She’s not a perfect student, and she has her autistic moments, but she’s overcome so many of those disabilities. She can do anything she wants to do.
“Emmi’s parents will not tell Emmi she cannot do something,” Allen said. “They are very supportive of whatever she wants to try. There’s no limit to what she can do if she puts her mind to it. I’ve got her back. I love that girl.”
Emmi also has the support of her grandparents, Chuck and Gina Shelton and Tony and Judy Weston, all of Conway.
