The Ray Tate Student-Athlete Scholarship is awarded each year to senior student-athletes who have made outstanding contributions to Steward Athletics and school life . The 2016 recipients of the award are seniors Alex Jobe , Mary Ann Neale , and Summer Owens . We caught up with these three outstanding Spartans to discuss their passion for sports and aspirations for the future .

SPORTS PLAYED AT STEWARD : Soccer , Baseball , Swimming

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES :

Admissions Ambassador , Upper

School Student Council ( treasurer ),

National Honor Society ( historian ),

Ping Pong Club , Car Club

SPORTS PLAYED AT STEWARD : Volleyball , Basketball , Soccer ( tri-captain )

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES : National Honor Society ( treasurer ), senior class vice president , Amnesty International , Special Olympics , Upper School Student Council

SPORTS PLAYED AT STEWARD : Cross Country ( captain ), Soccer ( tri-captain )

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES :

Honor Council president , senior class secretary , Admissions Ambassador , National Honor Society , Student Philanthropic Initiative , Amnesty International , Stewardship Club , Special Olympics

What does receiving this honor mean to you personally ?

Alex : “ This award means all of my hard work has paid off academically and athletically , and I ’ m so honored to receive this acknowledgement .”

Mary Ann : “ I ’ ve always taken athletics very seriously . I ’ ve also always looked up to the award recipients in the past . As a freshman , I remember seeing them get the award , and I was so excited to be on the same team as them . Now , being a recipient is such a huge honor for me .”

Summer : “ I ’ m really honored because athletics and academics are a really huge part of my life . I ’ m so happy I have the opportunity to set an example for younger students to strive every day to do their best in athletics and academics .”

Do you have a philosophy or guiding principle when it comes to athletics ?

Alex : “ I try to remember to always win and lose with the same amount of dignity . An important part of being a good teammate is displaying good sportsmanship . Because I ’ ve practiced

this concept , I ’ ve been able to form lifelong friendships with people I may not have known otherwise .”

Mary Ann : “ I ’ ve learned , specifically through volleyball , that if I miss a hit , dig , or serve , I just need to keep trying . Playing it safe is something I never like to do . My motto is to go out swinging — if I ’ m down by a lot , I still want to keep hitting the ball and giving 100 percent effort .”

Summer : “ I love both soccer and cross country so much , so I place importance on working hard to show how truly dedicated I am . I have great teammates , coaches , and friends to support me .”

What ’ s your favorite sportsrelated moment from your time at Steward ?

Alex : “ Last year , I had the walk-off hit against our rival , The Miller School of Albemarle . We were tied 6-6 , and I hit a run to win the game . It was such a great moment .”

Mary Ann : “ I have a vivid memory of when I was a sophomore — the entire varsity boys soccer team came to

watch a varsity volleyball game . I was nervous , but I managed to get a really good hit , and they all started cheering for me . I felt so supported ; Steward ’ s camaraderie is just amazing .”

Summer : “ One time I was having a tough cross country meet . [ Middle School and Varsity Cross Country Coach ] Laura Akesson knew , and she looked at me and said , ‘ the faster you run , the quicker it ’ s over !’ I remember feeling a lot better just by having her there to encourage me .”

Will you pursue athletics in college ?

Alex : “ I will , whether it ’ s on the varsity level or the club level . I would love to pursue tennis and golf in addition to baseball so I can broaden my sports skills .”

Mary Ann : " I take academics very seriously , so I ’ ll be putting that first . But I ’ m open to playing club volleyball as well as club soccer .”

Summer : “ I think I could play varsity if I wanted to , but I would rather play at the club level in cross country and soccer so I can do it more for fun .”

STEWARD ONLINE

We have even more athletics-related content on stewardschool . org — scan the QR codes below to read the following stories !

Varsity Golf Team Wins State Championship

Uniting Cultures Through Volleyball

New Varsity Girls Basketball Coach to Emphasize Fundamentals

Senior Summer Owens Qualifies for Lexus of Richmond Pursuit of Perfection Scholarship

New Field Hockey Coach Strives to Enhance Program

The Colonnade | 11