Corey Holyoak of Overton, Nevada

By Melvin Leavitt

Corey Holyoak (11) belongs to a family that has a lot of fun together. They live on the edge of town on a street that runs between a huge empty field on one side and a tangle of brush and mesquite trees on the other. Corey, his two brothers, Colby (13) and Caleb (10), and his sister, Carlee (7), go on safaris in the brush, make secret trails and caves among the mesquites, and climb an old tamarack tree in search of adventure.

In the empty field, they raise clouds of dust, playing baseball and riding their bikes. On their patio they clash in fierce games of basketball, volleyball, and four square. Both the field and their front lawn serve as soccer and football fields. They roller-blade up and down their street and play street hockey on the tennis courts at a nearby park.

Each summer the Holyoak family goes camping in the mountains. The children hike, fish, and make stick boats that they race in mountain streams.

The family spends each Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Holyoak’s home in Parowan, Utah, where the children build snow forts, wage snowball wars, and go tubing on the snow.

Overton lies on the edge of the Mojave Desert, not far from Lake Mead, so there is some spectacular scenery to enjoy. The family has visited the Valley of Fire, a nearby state park filled with rain-and-wind-sculpted sandstone formations.

The children are close to each other and share each other’s interests. Colby likes to tear things apart and build something new with the parts. Caleb polishes rocks and makes rings with them. Carlee likes to draw on the sidewalk with chalk. Her brothers often join her, turning the whole sidewalk into an art gallery.

The Holyoak children know how to work as well as play. They are responsible for vacuuming, dusting, emptying the garbage, folding laundry, and doing yard work. Each child cooks one evening meal each week. They have learned not to make a mess, because each has to clean up after his own meal.

Corey loves Scouting. He is a Blazer Scout patrol leader and recently received his Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class badges. He has also earned five merit badges toward the Star Scout rank. Corey’s father, Steven, is the Scoutmaster and is an Eagle Scout. Corey wants to follow in his footsteps by becoming an Eagle Scout himself. He has already received his Faith in God, Arrow of Light, and Gospel in Action awards.

Soon Corey will turn twelve and join the Scout troop in which Colby is a senior patrol leader. More important, Corey will receive the Aaronic Priesthood. He is looking forward to being a Deacon and is glad Colby will be there to help him learn his duties. When he graduates from Primary, Corey will be expected to repeat an article of faith from memory in front of the whole ward. He’s selected the twelfth, a logical choice for a boy who’s already earned all of his citizenship merit badges.

Corey wants to be a missionary someday, and he is earning money for his mission by baby-sitting, doing odd jobs, and selling shaved-ice treats at ball games.

Corey is a straight-A student whose favorite subject is language arts. A spelling whiz, he is also very creative. His winning entry in a sixth-grade motto contest was “Sixth grade six-shooters shoot straight up.” He plays percussion in the sixth grade band and has won several art awards.

He has many hobbies too. He enjoys building things and helped his dad pour cement for the family’s patio/basketball court/volleyball court. He also helped build a shed and a soap box racer. He loves video games and is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco Forty-Niners professional football teams.

“Corey is a good brother and a good friend,” his mother, Jacque, says. “He is sensitive to others’ feelings and tries to be nice to everyone. He helps his little sister with her homework and loves teasing her. He’s a great reader and takes his turn with family scripture reading. He is a good example for all of us.”

Photographed by Melvin Leavitt

1. Hockey

2. Exploring the “jungle”

3. Holyoak hoops

4. Sidewalk art

5. Scripture reading

6. Front yard football

7. Biking

8. Dad teaching knots