Brandy Milliman waited out Thursday afternoon’s thunderstorm curled up on her couch reading “Brave New World,” and was entirely out of her element.

The 17-year-old doesn’t sit still much. The thunder and lightning that brought rain to New Iberia, though, kept her temporarily grounded.

“I’m usually not home doing nothing,” she said. “It’s weird.”

Milliman’s mother, Wanda Milliman, pushed her daughter’s portfolio of accomplishments and civic affiliations — a book that could rival some company handbooks — across the dining room table.

First, there’s swim team. The younger Milliman got involved when she was in elementary school after seeing a booth at the park and thinking, “I want to do that.”

That attitude, she said, is what’s led her to pursue other activities like basketball, piano, sewing, pageants and politics.

Not everything stuck, but if something catches Milliman’s eye, she goes for it.

Wanda Milliman said chess, piano and basketball have all been casualties in the balancing act Brandy performs to stay on top of her obligations.

“She weighed the value of each thing,” Wanda Milliman said.

Along with swimming, 4-H has managed to keep its place in Milliman’s schedule for nine years.

She said she started the organization with encouragement from her mother who had been involved with horses growing up. Then Brandy Milliman discovered the 4-H fashion competitions.

Every year since she was in fourth grade, Milliman has stitched something up for the event with some help from her grandmother.

She’s now on the 4-H fashion board through which she helps with an annual fashion camp, teaching campers how to sew.

She also organized a local club to teach young people to sew on a monthly basis.

Her mother said the soon-to-be Catholic High senior racks up about 250 community service hours a year.

Brandy Milliman said she would like to go to Louisiana State University to study fashion design, but she’s not certain.

Right now, she’s exploring her love of fashion, and of dressing up, through pageants.

Milliman was crowned Jr. Miss Iberia last year. It was the first time she competed in a pageant.

“Now, I want to keep going,” she said.

Milliman plans on entering three more contests over the next three years: The Hot Sauce Festival, the Duck Festival and Miss Iberia.

“Then I think I’ll be done,” she said. “Maybe.”

Milliman also has been exploring the world of politics through her involvement with Legislative Youth Advisory Council.

She helped pen a bill with the group last year that would give high school students a chance to earn a community service endorsement on their diplomas.

The bill will take full effect in 2015.

“Did the thunder stop?” Milliman asked her mother.

It had, along with most of the rain. Just like that, it was time to get out of the house and get moving. Again.

If you know someone who lives in the Teche Area who would make an interesting weekend profile, please submit his or her name for consideration. Call 365-6773, ext. 3022 or ext. 3024, or send an e-mail to dailyiberian@cox.net, subject line Weekend Profile.