Taylor McAndrew of Chicopee High School has been selected as the MIAA/NESN Student-Athlete of the Month for October 2011.
The award is given to an outstanding student-athlete for excelling in athletics, academics and community service.
A senior on the girl’s soccer, swimming and track and field teams, McAndrew has been a vital part to each team’s success. She has been a mainstay on the soccer team, playing for all four years at Chicopee and leading the team to a 12-2-2 record and the MIAA West Division I soccer tournament this year. McAndrew is a captain on the swim team, a role she assumed as a junior. On the track and field team, she serves as a mentor for the younger members of the team.
McAndrew is just as proactive in academics as athletics. She boats a 93.89 grade point average while tackling advanced placement and honors classes. She serves as the group treasurer on the National Honor Society and is a four-year treasurer of her class at Chicopee. As a member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, McAndrew will chair a task force that will propose a new policy on athletic eligibility requirements.
In the community, McAndrew works as a lifeguard, soccer official and soccer coach with Chicopee’s Parks and Recreation Department. Additionally, she and fellow classmates established “Haley’s Project,” a community service initiative that collects toys each holiday season and gives them to children at local hospitals. It is named after a Chicopee student who suffers from mitochondrial disease.
“Taylor McAndrew is exaclty what someone would look for when defining a true student athlete. Leadership and mentoring of younger student athletes are her greatest attributes,” Chicopee athletic director Jim Blain said.
To nominate a student-athlete for a future award, click here. To view all of the student-athlete of the month winners, click here. For more information on high school sports, visit MIAA.net.
