High School Scholar-Athlete Runs Away with 2012 BAASST Scholarship

On Wednesday, March 21, Allison Sturges was sent for a quick run around her high school campus by her coach. It was the last day for the track team to practice before a big meet the next day. 

The last thing Sturges expected when she returned was S.J. Sharkie jumping out to surprise her with a $3,000 scholarship as the Sharks 2011-12 Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team award recipient.

The BAASST scholarship is given to a high school senior who excels in academics, athletics, and has exceptional community service experience. Through hard work, dedication and positive personalities, these students serve as excellent role models in their respective schools and communities.

Sturges is no exception. In addition to her 4.1 GPA, she is a track and cross country star at Mountain View High School, leading her teams to three consecutive league championships. Above all, Sturges impresses with her community service participation. Not only has she volunteered countless hours through the National Charity League, but she became her school’s first-ever Associate Student Body Community Service Commissioner. Sturges hopes that her commitment to community service is contagious among her peers, saying, “Ultimately, I hope to help teenagers look at community service as an enriching, life-long experience versus just a check in the box for their college applications.”

BAASST has rewarded students like Sturges since 1996. Each year, the Sharks, along with the Golden State Warriors, Oakland A’s, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Earthquakes, each choose one local student to receive a $3,000 scholarship and be recognized at an event hosted by each team.

Sturges, 17, plans to put her scholarship to good use as she attends Duke University next year and competes on Duke’s D1 track and cross country teams.

Congratulations to Allison Sturges and the six other 2012 BAASST Recipients!

Name	School	Team
Osa Aihie	San Leandro High School	Golden State Warriors
Kyle Miller	Pinole Valley High School	Oakland A's
Breanna Gallagher	John F. Kennedy High School	Oakland Raiders
Eddy Zheng	Lowell High School	San Francisco Giants
Slater Meehan	Santa Cruz High School	San Fransisco 49ers
Noama Iftekhar	Adrian C. Wilcox High School	San Jose Earthquakes
Allison Sturges	Mountain View High School	San Jose Sharks

About BAASST:

In a collective effort to support youth working towards the goal of higher education, Bay Area professional sports franchise have teamed up to form the Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team (BAASST).

BAASST was formed in 1996 and is a partnership established by the Golden State Warriors, Oakland A's, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks. Starting this year the franchises welcome the San Jose Earthquakes as a partner in the program. This unique collaboration is the first of its kind in the realm of professional sports.

While Bay Area sports teams strive to be the best in their leagues, they are also committed to the welfare of their neighbors and fans in surrounding communities. Each participating Bay Area sports team does its part in contributing to the BAASST program each year. With this initiative, these Bay Area sports franchises will identify seven (7) outstanding students and award each of them a scholarship for $3,000. In addition, each award recipient will be recognized as team ceremonies throughout the year.

All public schools within the Bay Area's nine countries (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, San Francisco, and Sonoma) are being provided with detailed information about this scholarship opportunity and are encourage to nominate up to 4 worth students (2 male, 2 female) for this prestigious college award.

If you have any questions about the program, please email Tim Howell at thowell@sharkssports.net.