By Tamas Mondovics
It is safe to say that students with aspiration for higher education are well aware of the subsequent financial burden which often comes with the school of their choice, prompting most to seek all the help they can get.
Seeking such support is Durant High School senior Noah Johnson who has recently become one of the top 25 finalists for a scholarship from Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).
While looking at colleges, Johnson stumbled on information about scholarship opportunities for athletes and followed the lead for the Triple-Impact Competitor through PCA.
PCA was launched by Stanford University Founder and CEO Jim Thompson in 1998.
Since then the organization has impacted more than 5 million youth athletes by reaching youth and high school sport leaders, coaches, athletes, parents, and officials through partnerships with schools and youth sports organizations.
Johnson’s chance to earn the scholarship is by no means a small accomplishment considering that he has been chosen out of nearly 5,000 nationwide applicants.
“I am honored to be chosen as an area finalist,” Johnson said as he explained the application process, which required applicants to answer three questions about themselves: How do you make yourself better; how do you help your teammates better themselves and how do you honor the game?
“The applicants also had to fill out general information about themselves as well as submit references from coaches and teachers, after which finalists in each region were chosen from across the United States,” he said.
Some of the specifics that helped the young student along the way included his involvement in feeding the homeless as well as helping players at football camps as part of continued community service projects.
“It is satisfying to make a difference as part of a team, knowing my leadership provides an opportunity for teammates to come together and be successful on and off the field,” he said.
Commenting on her son’s achievements, Johnson’s mom, Jeanine, said, “Noah is proud to be among athletes that have a personal standard of excellence in athletics and maintain a moral code for advancement of the game.”
For more information about PCA, visit www.positivecoach.org.
