Newcastle's Pearson wins the Heisman

Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
 
It’s never happened that Newcastle High School could claim to have produced a Heisman winner, however, senior Madi Pearson changed that by being awarded the school and state level honor of the Heisman Scholarship this month.
According to the organization, “the Heisman Memorial Trophy is renowned for symbolizing the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The Heisman High School Scholarship extends the Heisman prestige to our nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by recognizing and rewarding outstanding scholar athletes who understand that the most important victories not only happen on the field, but in their schools and communities. These remarkable young leaders set the example and make a game-changing difference every day, paving the way to greatness for everyone around them.”
Pearson was provided the opportunity to apply when she was recommended by NHS science teacher Jim Stith. Upon being recommended, Pearson was sent an application to fill out which required the usual information, such as GPA, ACT scores, class rank and so on, but also inquired about other facets of her life.
“They wanted to know about my academics, but also whether I was interested in playing sports at the college level,” Pearson explained. “I have been in contact with a few colleges about the possibility of playing either volleyball or soccer, so my answer to that question was yes.”
Academically, Pearson is one of the Class of 2020’s valedictorians having maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, has placed first or second in the science fair in the years she competed, won a Tree Farm award for her project last year, and was a member of the varsity volleyball team who won a scholastic award for carrying nothing lower than a 3.0 GPA.
Pearson has also received accolades in athletics. She received Honorable Mention to the All-Conference team twice in volleyball, and also earned several team awards including passing and setting kudos. She was also 27th in the state for serve receive which is quite an accomplishment at the 3A level.
In soccer, Pearson’s favorite sport, she also received Honorable Mention to All-Conference, and won three individual sportsmanship awards — two in Torrington and one at the State tournament.
Community service is an important component when it comes to being competitive in the hunt for the Heisman. Like academics and athletics, Pearson has filled up her resume with plenty of that.
“I’ve been actively involved in Totes of Hope with FBLA throughout high school, I’ve helped with post-prom, and though I didn’t include it, my volleyball team and I helped to clean the gym at away games and at home all season long,” Pearson stated. “I’ve also been a part of other community projects with varying sports teams that I’ve been a part of.”
In addition to providing the above information, Pearson had to write a total of four essays addressing her biggest strength, her biggest accomplishment in community service, an academic struggle she has encountered and overcome, and an everyday life struggle which she conquered.
On Nov. 12, Pearson learned that she had won not only the school level, but also the state level scholarship in the amount of $500. One female and one male is selected from each state to go on to compete for 10 national finalist spots per gender. Unfortunately, Pearson did not make that cut, but still holds the honor of being named a state winner.
The senior is planning to use that scholarship to attend one of three schools next fall. She has narrowed down her options to Dickinson State where she would hope to play volleyball, Chadron State where volleyball would also be her choice, or Black Hills State where she would try to play soccer.
“My first choice would be BH, because I really want to play soccer in college and they are the only school on my list with a team,” she admitted. “It also has a really good business school, which is what I am planning on for a major.”
Given her academic success and athleticism, odds are good that Pearson will be a welcome addition on any campus.