Like most teens, Amanda is thinking about future career choices. At this stage, it’s common for such aspirations to change like the weather. Not so with Amanda. She has wanted to be an animal rehabilitator or caregiver of some kind for some time.

However, this dream goes beyond a job. Amanda wants to build her very own animal rescue center. In fact, she’s constructing a scale model of her rescue center out of cardboard and wire. It has taken over the family room.

But that’s not all. Amanda regularly scans the real estate classifieds for farmland where one might build such a facility. She’s putting together a 3-ring binder of supply lists and equipment needs. On a recent visit to Home Depot, she brought along a notepad so that she could jot down the prices of commercial refrigerators.

Last weekend, Amanda asked if we could test drive some commercial cargo vans–the kind one might use to transport animals. We were impressed by the Dodge Ram ProMaster CIty, which has spirited handling, space for 3 or 4 dog crates, and respectable gas mileage. The Don Miller sales rep was prepared to give us one heckuva deal on a gently used demo model. Too bad Amanda doesn’t have her driver’s license, much less a working rescue center or $25,000 to spare.

If Kate and Pippa (beloved pet rats, pictured here) could talk, they’d tell you Amanda has a big heart.

I’m telling you she has big plans.