41.5 F
Indianapolis
Friday, March 29, 2024

IPS chooses an ‘athlete of the year’

More by this author

We have reached the end of yet another school year and most of our high school seniors have been reflecting on their high school experience and wondering what’s next. Schools across the city have completed all end-of-year activities and are celebrating student achievements.

I recently attended the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) athletic department end of year banquet with more than 300 student athletes, coaches, parents and administrators. During the banquet, students and coaches were recognized for their achievements in the community, classroom and field of competition. At the end of the banquet, the nominees for IPS Male Athlete of the Year were announced and each athletic director was asked to introduce their nominee in one paragraph.

I want to share what Athletic Director for Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet, Greg Orr, had to say about his nominee and eventual IPS Male Athlete of the Year, Robert Hawthorne.

“I am not sure one paragraph can adequately describe why I nominate Robert Hawthorne as the IPS Male Athlete of the Year. He is an extraordinary person to be around and has been a joy for me to work with the past five years. Athletically, Robert wrestled throughout high school, compiling a record of 81-17, advancing out of sectionals twice, winning regionals in 2010 and was city tournament champion.

“He also was a very effective defender on the soccer team for four years while earning two varsity letters in that sport. He also won varsity letters in cross-country and participated on our rowing team this spring.

“In order to truly appreciate Robert’s accomplishments, one needs to look beyond his contributions on the playing field, impressive as they may be. He is the class valedictorian with a 4.28 GPA. This is even more impressive when one considers he will have 46 college credit hours completed at IUPUI when he graduates.

“He plays both trombone and guitar in the symphonic band, is a member of his church youth group, is an Athlete of Character and is a member of the National Honor Society, Science Bound and the Indiana High School Athletic Association Student Advisory Committee.

“He is an Academic All-Star, a Wells Scholar and is both a Ben Carson and Eugene Cato Scholarship winner. He has volunteered at Gleaners Food Bank, ‘Angel in the Hood’ and has been a math and physics tutor.

“In his spare time, he has worked as an intern for Davis and Associates, the IU Simon Cancer Center Summer Research Program and at Butler School of Pharmacy where he did a practicum with the Cancer Lab Research at the IU Simon Cancer Center.

“He will be attending Harvard in the fall and plans to major in biomedical engineering or biochemistry in preparation for medical school.

“In my 17 years in education I have yet to meet a more accomplished student-athlete. I am sure I speak for the faculty and coaches at Crispus Attucks in expressing my admiration for this young man and that we will surely miss him next year.”

 

- Advertisement -
ads:

Upcoming Online Townhalls

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest local news.

Stay connected

1FansLike
1FollowersFollow
1FollowersFollow
1SubscribersSubscribe

Related articles

Popular articles

Español + Translate »
Skip to content