Natasha Smith, a senior at Bluffton High School, is the December Icon student

She says, "I am going on an 18 month church mission, then will return and attend college at Brigham Young University, Idaho. I plan on majoring in art and going on to a career in art therapy.

She adds: "I enjoy working with clay. It helps me to appreciate my Heavenly Father more. I feel a deep connection to my pieces, that I think God feels with his creations. The research and planning I put into a piece I create helps me come to love every little detail of my final piece, just as God loves every little detail of his creations."

Vickie Garmon is the art education teacher at Bluffton High School.