Anna Huggins is right on the edge of her next big thing. 

She’s 14, with one year of middle school left before she heads to high school. She’s starting to have conversations with her team at the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities about what life looks like after that. And she’s got some pretty big ideas about what the future holds.

“I want to be a superhero, like Wonderwoman,” she said with a smile.

Anna, who attends Johnstown Middle School, loves to sing and dance and has been known to create remixes of her favorite songs. She’s a fan of nachos and making brownies and likes to get dressed up and do her own make-up.

Anna is also a huge supporter of local police officers and firefighters. In year’s past she’s helped deliver cookies to them.

“I want to be a police officer, a firefighter and a Ghostbuster,” she said. “I like to help people, that’s what I want to do.”

With so many interests and talents, the Huggins family is just starting to figure out what’s next for Anna.

At age 14, she’s now eligible to participate in Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities summer work experiences, so she can start learning about different jobs and get hands-on experience. 

Her LCBDD Service Coordinator Steph Barclay and Transition Specialist Jaclyn Alexander are also helping their family brainstorm volunteer opportunities and activities that she might enjoy.

It’s all part of the services and supports that LCBDD offers to teens and young adults, ages 13-24.

During those years, Transition Youth Service Coordinators and Transition Specialists team up to work with each person and their families. Whether they are attending IEP meetings, making referrals to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), linking young adults with volunteer opportunities or connecting them with resources to get their driver’s licenses, the focus is always on life after high school.

The Huggins have some time to make those decisions, but getting an early start — before high school even begins —is part of the plan. 

Anna said she’s looking forward to trying different kinds of jobs and possibly earning some money to buy things she enjoys.

Her mother, Ellen, said her biggest hope is that her daughter can make new friends and share her many gifts with the Johnstown community.