Since she was a young girl, Adisyn Fleming has held a passion for art, and has jumped at any opportunity she had to express herself on paper. In her childhood, while some girls her age were reaching for Barbie dolls or playhouses, Fleming said she always found herself reaching for a pen and paper.

"Over sports, clubs, everything, is art," she said.

Not much has changed for the St. Mary High School senior, and her hobby of creating art has even led to several different opportunities, like being hand-picked by her art teacher to attend Creative Spark, a program hosted by the Paducah School of Art and Design, where she was exposed to various kinds of art, like pottery or fiber art, that students around the region normally don't get exposure to.

"I got the chance to learn about fiber art and cubism redux, which is Picasso-styled paintings," she said. "My pieces I made that day were then displayed in the art school's exhibit. It was a really fun experience, and I got to meet different artists from my area."

Fleming's artwork also was featured in the Yeiser Art Center and Murray State Regional Art Show. Although she often sells her artwork, which ranges from canvas paintings to calligraphy, she has been known to do many art projects around her school for free.

Born and raised in Paducah, Fleming said she is proud to be a native of a UNESCO city.

Fleming, the daughter of Lance and Julie Fleming, is the Paducah Bank Teen of the Week. Each week in the online edition and Tuesday in the print edition, The Sun features a teen selected from nominees submitted by guidance counselors throughout the region.

Near the end of the school year, one of the students profiled will be named Teen of the Year and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. An additional student will be chosen for an Inspiration Award and a $1,000 scholarship.

Aside from her artistic abilities, Fleming has a passion for networking and learning how to lead.

"Going to such a small school, knowing everyone, and just living in such a small town like Paducah, networking relationships open up so many opportunities," she said. "I think developing relationships with people also makes anything you do so much more personal and rewarding."

Her freshman year, she joined a group at her school called Catholic Youth Leaders and quickly learned what it meant to be an effective leader - especially in terms of respecting others - simply by looking to older students that she had a chance to connect with.

"I decided to run for class president my sophomore year, and that really taught me how to synthesize ideas and how to please everyone while still making decisions that are best for the group," Fleming said. "I've been able to develop relationships with my school faculty and that's opened up opportunities in the community."

Fleming serves on the principal's advisory board at St. Mary, is a junior Rotarian, a Paducah Bank Teen Ambassador, president of her class, and currently serves as chairman of Catholic Youth Leaders. She has cheered and played soccer for SMHS for four years, and is captain of both teams.

She was chosen, alongside one other student, to represent St. Mary at the Ole Miss APEX Leadership Summit in 2018. They were the only two from Kentucky to attend.

Fleming has served in a number of capacities within the community, including work with the Guess Anti-Bullying Color Walk, Hope Unlimited, Cassidy's Cause, Creative Spark Art Program, Healthcare Explorers, National Catholic Youth Conference and Morgan Elementary's Read to Lead program.

"At my school, we do a lot of service projects because we're required to have Christian service hours," Fleming said. "Though I'm required to do the things that I do, there's such a reward from participating."

She is a member of the National Honors Society, in which she is currently serving as secretary, is a student senate representative, and is involved with the drama, investing, recycling and French clubs.

Fleming said she hopes to continue selling artwork after she goes off to college.

"I love art so much," she said. "I know I'll continue to do it recreationally, and I'd love to sell art in the future, but I will definitely keep art as a hobby in college."

Fleming will attend the University of Mississippi next fall. She plans to study pharmaceutical sciences, one day return home to Paducah, and work in retail pharmacy.