Senior Alexis Duda received the Triple Impact Competitor Scholarship from the Positive Coaching Alliance. It’s a $1,000 scholarship focusing on athletics, academics, and community service.   

The Positive Coaching Alliance is a national organization that promotes positive reinforcement in coaching and the power of teaching life lessons through sports. Every year they award college scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 to athletes who excel in their sports and their school work and who honor the game by showing positive character.

Juniors in high school who play a high school or club sport with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to apply. The application process involves responding to three prompts which include the sport(s) a student athlete is involved in, why they play the sport(s), and how they honor the game. It also involves recommendations from school administrators, coaches, or friends

“I found out in November when my mom received an email saying I had won, she was very excited and texted me the news,” said Duda.

Duda was recommended by Linganore girls’ basketball coach Mrs. Rachael Easterday, math teacher, Mrs. Samantha Karstens, and history teacher, Mr. Aaron Burch.

Coach Easterday, Alexis’ basketball coach, encourages Alexis as well as the whole basketball team to always give their best. She says that giving their best effort and being the best teammate is a choice. The team is very committed to improving and playing well each night.

“Alexis has grown tremendously as a basketball player and a teammate. She has developed into a great leader on and off of the court. Alexis strives to do her best at practice and during games. She is always willing to do whatever the team needs of her. I am very proud of Alexis. She has become a very instrumental part of our team,” said Easterday.

Duda started playing soccer when she was 4 because her mom wanted her to burn off some energy. She started playing basketball when she was 7.

“At first, playing basketball was an activity for me to do between soccer seasons,” said Duda.

Duda currently has a 4.0 unweighted GPA. This past fall she was enrolled in Calculus 1 and Biology 101 at FCC. She kept her grades up because of her time management skills.

Duda said, “I had to balance practice and school work, so working hard to complete everything was quite the challenge.”

Duda wishes to pursue physical therapy in college. She has already been accepted to UNC Wilmington and Duquesne University’s School of Health Sciences. 

Alexis’ mom, Jackie Duda, is very proud of her daughter and her accomplishments. She is amazed at Alexis’ endurance in soccer and basketball.

“The teaching staff, administrators, and coaches at Linganore have been a large part of Alexis’s success because we find the Linganore family to be one of the best when it comes to nurturing and encouraging student success. Alexis has had wonderful coaches and teachers at Linganore who have greatly contributed to her desire to push herself and her overall academic and athletic success. We are so grateful,” said Jackie.