Ten of Poway Unified School District’s best student-athletes were honored at the Kiwanis Club’s second annual Breakfast of Champions On April 20. A senior boy and girl from each school in the district were chosen by their respective athletic departments to be recognized for their hard work as student-athletes. Each honoree at the breakfast received $1000 in scholarship funds. In addition, the Kiwanis panel interviewed all of the students and picked a boy and a girl to win $5000.
This year seniors Jasmine “Jazzy” Nguyen and William “Max” Bayer represented Poway High. These students were picked by their athletic departments because they exhibited not only their perseverance and leadership skills in the classroom but also on their sports teams. They have been active in the school community and served as role models to teammates while putting their best effort into school.
“I try to stay on top of my work and manage my time well so that I can get good grades in all my classes despite a busy schedule. Fitting everything on your plate is all about good time management and having a plan for every day,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen not only excelled in the classroom but also out on the field, as she has been playing lacrosse for seven years and has been on varsity for three of her high school career while also participating in the club. This year she challenged herself with AP classes, playing lacrosse, and being ASB president involvedin many school programs. Despite her busy schedule, she still manages to work on weekends and prioritizes spending time with her friends and family.
Similar to Nguyen the other nominee is Bayer, who is not only an excellent student but also a varsity swim and water polo contributor.
“Through time management I was able to balance sports and school.” Bayer said.
During his high school career, Bayer was on varsity swim all four years and on varsity water polo for three while also being team captain of his club water polo team. Outside of sports, Bayer was the vice president of the bike club his junior year and was a member of the robotics club team Spyder his freshman year.
The athletic department easily found students who met the Kiwanis Club criteria to represent Poway High. “They were both exceptional student-athletes that also do well outside the classroom and in the community,” Coach Damian Gonzalez said.
