TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – For 32 weeks this school year, we\u2019ve shared some of the best and brightest senior student athletes across the Big Bend and South Georgia. Wednesday night, 34 Scholar Athletes, representing 20 different high schools from 12 counties were recognized at our Scholar Athlete banquet, and two received the ultimate honor, Scholar Athlete of the Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis event was absolutely amazing and to hear my name called is such an honor,\u201d said Amanda Thompson, our female Scholar Athlete of the Year winner. Walker Elrod took home the honor for the boys.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to get this opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a great think what you do and what the people that sponsor you do. I think it\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thompson is a softball player from St. John Paul II, who graduates as Valedictorian with a 4.39 GPA. She\u2019s headed to Harvard to play for the Crimson.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though it might sound intimidating to be Valedictorian, to go to an Ivy league schools, to have an 4.0+ GPA, it might seem initimidating and it might seem hard, but you can do hard things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elrod is a seven-time cross country and track state champion from Grace Christian. He graduates Valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and will run for the Air Force Academy, Grace\u2019s first ever Division I signee.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone can be the conquerer of their own world,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone can do anything they want to as long as you put your mind to it. All you have to do is take that first step. You can accomplish anything you want to. The only one preventing you from doing that is yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each received a $1000 scholarship from Blue Coast Federal Credit Union.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl this is going to buy my dorm stuff, this is going to buy my books, all that,\u201d laughed Thompson.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny service academy is full scholarship, so I don\u2019t have to pay for anything,\u201d said Elrod. \u201cProbably something golf related or running shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The average GPA for our Scholar Athletes this year was a 4.09.<\/p>\n
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