During her time in high school, Madison Myers has placed a heavy emphasis on developing leadership skills and being a worthy role model for other students.

Through a long list of community activities and extracurriculars, the Graves County senior's good character shines through, always leaving room for others.

Even as the aspiring orthodontist dreams of her future, she has others in mind.

"I hope to one day provide reassurance and encouragement to people of all ages who struggle with teeth they feel are ugly or painful," Myers said.

But as someone who struggled with the frustration of three different sets of braces, the senior's search for her passion hasn't always been easy.

"In second grade, I received my first set of braces, and I definitely wasn't thinking I would end up having two more sets after that," she said. "By the time I finally got through with braces, I was a junior in high school."

After spending so much time in the orthodontist's office, Myers said she was inspired.

"I knew that's what I wanted to do with my life," she said. "I didn't want people to have to go through the stuff that I have had to go through with braces."

But her dreams don't stop at that. After a job shadow at Nike World Headquarters two years ago in Beaverton, Oregon, where Myers learned about developing some of Nike's best products, another dream was sparked within her.

"My experience at Nike inspired me to want to create new dental products," she said. "I want to help the process of braces, or anything in the dental field, to go faster and be easier for the patient. Becoming an orthodontist would allow me to help patients live healthier and happier lives."

Myers, the daughter of Phil and Julie Myers of Mayfield, is the Paducah Bank Teen of the Week.

Each Monday 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.

Myers is a member of the National Society of High School scholars, was selected for a week-long job shadow at National Football League headquarters this summer in New York and has been on the school honor roll for three years.

She was a first-place winner at the DECA Region 1 competition for her Independent Fashion Promotion Plan during her sophomore year and was a DECA National Competition Leadership Academy participant in 2017.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. The nonprofit has a 70-year history and impacted the lives of more than 10 million students, educators, school administrators and business leaders.

Her freshman year, Myers was one of 43 students selected to attend the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs, a three-week program where students are encouraged to come up with their own business and design a prototype.

As a member of the varsity golf team all four years of high school and someone who was taken to the golf course by her father since she could walk, Myers said many valuable life lessons have been learned on the green.

"In golf, you're always going to have a bad hole or a bad shot, but you have to keep moving forward. You can't let it get to you," she said. "I believe that's the same strategy you have to use in life. You're always going to have an obstacle or you're always going to fail, but you always have to keep pushing through."