11 May 2025 Youth of the Month: Lily Beth Hill

The motto of the national FFA organization is “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.”

This could also be a motto for Greenbrier High School junior Lily Beth Hill.

On her first day of high school, Lily Beth, 17, read a quote in a teacher’s classroom that said, “Finding your passion will help you find your purpose.”

Lily Beth took the expression to heart and has found purpose through her numerous activities inside and outside of school. She’s a teen “Wonder Woman” with a bright future and a busy schedule. Even the famous superhero “Wonder Woman” might have trouble keeping up with Lily Beth.

She grew up in Greenbrier with her mom, Jennifer, dad, Daren, and older sister, Emma. Lily Beth has served as junior class president and has been an ambassador at Greenbrier High School, which means she welcomes new students and visitors. Ambassadors are recommended by faculty, and in turn, they can recommend other students as ambassadors.

Participating in the FFA has been a family tradition for the Hills. Both of Lily Beth’s parents and her sister were involved during their high school years. “We are just a family who loves that program,” she said.

Lily Beth participates in the FFA’s Career Development Events and Leadership Development Events. She is a member of the veterinary science team that placed first in Arkansas in 2024, and she shows goats as part of the livestock team.

“The teams helped me grow, not just in FFA but in life lessons,” she said. “Goats are stubborn but I like them.” The goats are purchased in the spring when they are between 8 to 10 weeks old and are a huge part of Lily Beth’s life throughout show season.

“You have to get up early to take care of them and sometimes stay up late at night. You have to make sure their water is being changed, and they are not overheated,” she said.

Since Lily Beth’s family lives in town with no room for livestock, her goats stay at the school district’s barn. She has shown at the Faulkner County Fair, numerous youth expos and the Arkansas State Fair. Two previous goats have been named Willie (for Willie Nelson) and Hank (for Hank Williams). The two newest goats, a male and a female, are not named yet. Show goats are usually sold at market at the end of the season. Lily Beth admits it is hard not to get attached to the animals after caring for them for so long.

“I know they are not pets and are supposed to be projects, but it’s hard not to cross those boundaries sometimes,” she said.

She is also involved with Future Business Leaders of America and serves as a vice president this year. She placed first in accounting at the district competition just a few weeks ago. This summer, she will represent Greenbrier High School at Girl’s State at Harding University. 

Another thing that keeps Lily Beth busy outside of school is her cookie business. LB’s Cookie Co. started as a hobby.

“I have always loved baking. I remember standing in a chair, helping my grandmother bake cookies. I even asked for a kitchen mixer for my 10th birthday,” she said.

During a winter snow day a little over a year ago, Lily Beth baked and decorated some sugar cookies and shared photos of them online.

“I started getting a lot of text messages from people wanting to buy some,” she said. LB’s Cookie Co. was officially launched on March 27, 2024. She creates hand-decorated sugar cookies in “every shape and type you can imagine” and sells them on her LB Cookie Co. Facebook page. She is saving money from the business to help pay for college.

Though she doesn’t have a lot of downtime, Lily Beth loves to read. “But most of the time, I’m making cookies in the kitchen,” she said. The teen is also an active member of Spring Hill Baptist Church.

Her future plans include studying to be a certified registered nurse anesthetist at the University of Central Arkansas. “I’ve always been interested in the medical field, and I think I’ve set my mind on nursing. I’m super excited about it. I’m ready to go and see what it’s like.”

Jennifer Hill describes both of her daughters as “self-directed and driven.” Emma attends Ouachita Baptist University. “They are diligent in everything they do. Lily Beth gets up as early as 6:30 a.m. to check on her animals. When she’s home, she’s studying or cooking. We always told both girls that “whatever you do, do it well.” 

Jennifer also has another motto regarding her daughters. “If it falls on a Hill girl, it will get done,” she said.