NATCHEZ — Trinity Key Club sponsor the Rev. C.J. Meaders said he has been trying to get the school’s charter back on the map, and he may have found the student to help him do it.

Sophomore Hayley Howington, 16, is Trinity’s first Division 15 lieutenant governor since sometime in the 1990s, Meaders said.

“I’ve been looking for student leaders who want to take initiative,” he said. “Haley did this on her own. She came in and said she wanted to do it, and she did it.

“Now she’s talking about attending the International Key Club Convention (in Atlanta) this summer.”

Howington, the daughter of Gayla and Eddie Howington of Vidalia, returned to Trinity this year after a couple years in Concordia Parish schools. Haley Howington said she knew before classes started she wanted to join Key Club.

“I came here and all of my friends were doing it,” she said. “I started doing service projects and just really liked it.”

Howington decided she wanted to try to lead on the division level, in a division that includes all of the Natchez-based schools, Vidalia High School and the Vicksburg schools.

She said the idea made her a little nervous, though, because she knew ultimately she’d have to get in front of a group of people and speak.

“I got very nervous and started shaking, my vision got blurred, and there were not even very many people in the caucus,” she said, laughing. “When I first started running, I knew I’d be nervous, but I had to get over it.

“I just told myself it would be OK if I won or lost — at least I tried.”

Howington’s primary duties as lieutenant governor will be keeping in contact with all the Key Club chapters in the district and collecting their dues. She will also have to organize a division rally.

Howington said she wasn’t sure if she wanted to follow in former Trinity student Chris Holder’s footsteps and run for president on the international level, but she can definitely see herself moving up in ranks.

“Lieutenant governor seemed like a good first step,” she said. “If it goes really well, I will consider running for another board position.

“I think it is good for our school to get out there. Hopefully me doing this will influence other key clubbers to start being more active at the conventions. We have a really good group here at Trinity.”

Though she fully admits she might change her tune before graduation, right now Howington wants to be behind a movie camera.

“I love movies,” she said. “I want to be in film making, maybe in script editing. I just want to help make movies.”

Her favorite subjects at school are history and Spanish.

“I had a lot of Spanish when I was in fifth, sixth and seventh grade here,” Howington said. “I just think it’s neat to see how another language works. Plus I’m good at memorizing flash cards.”

Howington’s love of history comes from her family and the way teacher Kristin Stokes teaches the class.

“On family vacations, I always want to spend time at museums,” she said. “In class, Mrs. Stokes finds a way to connect the history to something we understand or she has stories about her travels. She is just funny and smart.”

Meaders said he was proud of Howington.

“She wants to take the club to new heights,” he said. “I am thankful for all she has done for the school.”