ST. PAUL - Two St. Paul Regional High School athletes have recently signed on to play their chosen sports when they move on to post-secondary schooling in the fall.
Taylor Hebert will be part of the track and field team at the University of Alberta, and Samantha Silva will be playing volleyball at King's University.
Hebert says she is drawn to track and field because it is an individual-based sport, and she enjoys being able to directly see the outcome of her training. Being involved in athletics throughout high school has helped Hebert become a "well rounded student," she says.
She believes athletics have helped her improve her overall high school experience and wellbeing.
"High school athletics has taught me how to time manage and organize my schedule appropriately," skills that will no doubt be essential as Hebert pursues her Bachelor of Science in Animal Health at the U of A, with the ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian.
Athletics have also "allowed me to realize that hard work and determination individually translates to success for yourself and your teammates," says Hebert. She believes that with track and field specifically, there is always a skill or event that she can work on and improve.
According to Regional High School athletic director Hank Smid, "Taylor is a very hard working student-athlete who has natural ability and competitiveness."
He says she is more than willing to put in extra time to improve her skills.
"I believe being on the U of A track and field team will be a great fit for her and I am excited for the opportunity she has with the team. I know she will train hard and do her best and I think she is really excited about the opportunity," says Smid.
Volleyball
Silva admits that although her friends and family had confidence in her abilities to play volleyball beyond high school, she had a hard time believing it herself. But, she decided to continue playing and prove it to herself that she could.
"I believe that high school sport helped me become the person that I am today," says Silva. She says athletics have taught her to work hard and never give up, but also to be kind to all people, "because you never know when you will need someone to talk to, and more."
Silva says it's hard to pinpoint her favourite part of volleyball, but says she enjoys the group of friends she's created while playing the sport, as well as building a support system.
"My goal for athletics is to try and make my family and friends proud, and hopefully later on in life use my athletics to teach and inspire other young athletes to never give up," says Silva. She is planning on getting her degree in Education, and aims to be a coach one day.
Smid describes Silva as a genuine and kind student-athlete.
"She has been blessed with the perfect stature to play volleyball as a middle hitter," he says. "Samantha has overcome many obstacles - mainly injuries - in her high school volleyball career, and I believe that her determination will help her to be successful as she moves forward to playing post secondary volleyball with the King's University Eagles."
Smid says he is excited for both young ladies as they take the next steps into their futures.
"We look forward to cheering them on and celebrating their experiences."
