Edmonds-Woodway student trainer receives $4,000 scholarship

Published 10:40 am Thursday, May 21, 2009

EDMONDS — When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

That’s the way Edmonds-Woodway’s student athletic trainer Elizabeth Gradwohl lives her life. After health problems led her doctor to advise her to stop playing atheletics, Gradwohl remained on the field as a student athletic trainer, and four years later took home a $4,000 scholarship at the Edmonds School District Scholar-Athlete and Coach/Community Recognition Bangquet because of it.

“It was hard at first,” Gradwohl said of making the change from player to trainer.

Gradwohl amassed more than 750 hours as a student trainer and led Edmonds-Woodway to a first-place finish in the Wesco Conference this year. She’s served as president of sports medicine at E-W during her junior and senior year.

Finishing her high school career with a 3.2 grade point average, Gradwohl is heading to Washington State University where she hopes to major in sports medicine, and then transfer to medical school to accomplish her dream of being a pediatrician.

She credits two very different sources of inspiration: the famous Dr. Patch Adams who built the Gesundheit! Institute to help kids deal with health ailments and the legendary National Football League coach Vince Lombardi, who coached the Packers to two Super Bowl championships.

“‘It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times to get up,’” Gradwohl said, paraphrasing Lombardi’s famous quote.

Roger O’Neill received a $3,500 scholarship for his hard work during his time at Meadowdale High School, where he lettered all four years in baseball, and was a captain during his junior and senior seasons. He played varsity basketball for three years and will continue to play at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.

“I’m stoked, it’s gonna be fun,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill, who boasts a 3.8 GPA, ultimately decided to pursue basketball after high school instead of baseball.

“It’s been my love,” O’Neill said.

Outside of school, O’Neill volunteers as a youth basketball coach and as an umpire for Little League games.

“I like it,” O’Neill said of his hectic schedule. “It’s boring when nothing’s going on.”

O’Neill’s advice for future (or current) high schoolers is to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

“Just get involved with as much as you can,” O’Neill said. “Sports, clubs, whatever. Give 100 percent all the time, and stuff like this will just fall in line for you.”

The banquet, which has been going on for the last eight years, honors 17 student athletes from the Edmonds School District, comprised of Edmonds-Woodway, Meadowdale, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace, with scholarship awards ranging from $1,000-$4,000. It also honors one coach and one outstanding community contributor from each school.

Award Winners

$4,000—Elizabeth Gradwohl (Edmonds-Woodway).

$3,500—Roger O’Neill (Meadowdale).

$2,500—Erika Hayes (Edmonds-Woodway); Mariah Mitchell (Lynnwood).

$2,000—Noah Martin (Edmonds-Woodway); Nasser Kyobe (Meadowdale).

$1,500—Will Broadlick (Edmonds-Woodway); Amanda Kristjanson (Mountlake Terrace); Michael Tran (Mountlake Terrace).

$1,000—Amanda Berry (Mountlake Terrace); Chloe Cook (Edmonds-Woodway); Alanna Eddy (Lynnwood); Lianne Fijalka (Meadowdale); Billy Lechtenberg (Mountlake Terrace); Amanda Overdick (Lynnwood); Stephen Takashima (Lynnwood); Tanya Zickefoose (Meadowdale).