Ehrman Wins Wendy's High School Heisman Award
Huntington High School senior Sarah Ehrman has won the Wendy's High School Heisman Award for excellence in academics, athletics and community and school leadership. She will now advance to the next round of judging. The program will culminate in December with the announcement of a dozen national award honorees.
"It is a tremendous honor to be selected for the Wendy's Heisman School Award and represent Huntington High School as a well-rounded student athlete," Ms. Ehrman said. "Students from across the country become in involved in the Wendy's Heisman program because these prestigious student recognition awards highlight their accomplishments and the winning students are showcased on a national level."
Ms. Ehrman, who has been on the honor roll for 13 consecutive quarters, recently inked a national letter of intent to attend Stony Brook University on a lacrosse scholarship. She intends to study health sciences there and hopes to eventually obtain a doctorate in physical therapy.
"Looking back academically at my years at Huntington High School, I am very proud of all I have accomplished," Ms. Ehrman said. She has completed demanding honors and Advanced Placement courses while earning letters in varsity soccer, basketball and lacrosse. She's performed community service, raising money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, participating in a walkathon to benefit veterans and is also a peer mediator at the high school.
Besides being a star athlete and a fine student, she's a musician, too. "I have been playing the viola since fourth grade and this year I'm the section leader for the violas in the school orchestra," said Ms. Ehrman, who is All-County in the instrument. She recently joined the chamber orchestra and said she's "very excited" to play challenging music with the group's director, Lisa Leonardi.
Ms. Ehrman was a finalist in the Long Island region's National History Day competition in 2009 and along with partner Chloe Drace, won Huntington's Best in School Award that year for the group exhibit on Oskar Schindler, who was made famous by the movie "Schindler's List."
According to the Wendy's award program's website, the high school Heisman "celebrates the achievements of the nation's top high school seniors both in and out of the classroom. Just as the collegiate Heisman is known for being the highest award in college football, the Wendy's High School Heisman award is recognized as the most esteemed award at the high school level because it encourages future leadership by acknowledging well-rounded students."
"These students are an inspiration to those around them and will honorably represent their school in the next stage of Wendy's High School Heisman award judging," said Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy and Wendy's High School Heisman program spokesperson. "I'm proud to be a part of a program that honors young men and women who embody the spirit of the Heisman tradition of hard work, dedication and an outstanding record both on and off the field."
Honorees are chosen from a pool of nearly 55,000 applicants nationwide. "On behalf of Huntington High School, we are extremely proud to celebrate the outstanding athletic and scholastic achievements of Sarah Ehrman with this prestigious award," Huntington Principal Carmela Leonardi said.
A dozen national finalists will be invited to participate in Heisman weekend festivities during an all-expense paid trip to New York City, including the Wendy's High School Heisman awards ceremony on December 10. ESPN will feature the two national winners during the national telecast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation on December 11.